# The 10 Best Guitar Solos of All Time

> ChatGPT, Claude and Gemini, asked 5 times each, rank Comfortably Numb as the #1 of the best guitar solos of all time, followed by Stairway to Heaven and Eruption. Comfortably Numb (Pink Floyd, David Gilmour). All 3 AIs put it first.

Source: https://clankerlists.com/lists/best-guitar-solos-of-all-time · Collected 2026-10-06 · Music

| Rank | Pick | ChatGPT | Claude | Gemini |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | [Comfortably Numb](https://clankerlists.com/items/comfortably-numb) (Pink Floyd, David Gilmour) | #1 | #1 | #1 |
| 2 | [Stairway to Heaven](https://clankerlists.com/items/stairway-to-heaven) (Led Zeppelin, Jimmy Page) | #2 | #2 | #2 |
| 3 | [Eruption](https://clankerlists.com/items/eruption-instrumental) (Van Halen, Eddie Van Halen) | #6 | #3 | #3 |
| 4 | [All Along the Watchtower](https://clankerlists.com/items/all-along-the-watchtower) (Jimi Hendrix) | #4 | #4 | #4 |
| 5 | [Hotel California](https://clankerlists.com/items/hotel-california) (Eagles, Don Felder and Joe Walsh) | #3 | #6 | #5 |
| 6 | [Free Bird](https://clankerlists.com/items/free-bird) (Lynyrd Skynyrd, Allen Collins and Gary Rossington) | #5 | #5 | #7 |
| 7 | [November Rain](https://clankerlists.com/items/november-rain) (Guns N' Roses, Slash) | #8 | #14 | #6 |
| 8 | [Sultans of Swing](https://clankerlists.com/items/sultans-of-swing) (Dire Straits, Mark Knopfler) | #7 | #10 | #10 |
| 9 | [Bohemian Rhapsody](https://clankerlists.com/items/bohemian-rhapsody) (Queen, Brian May) | — | #7 | #9 |
| 10 | [Sweet Child O' Mine](https://clankerlists.com/items/sweet-child-o-mine) (Guns N' Roses, Slash) | — | #8 | #12 |

## 1. Comfortably Numb

David Gilmour's closing solo is the gold standard: slow-burning bends, a soaring tone, and pure emotional release over Pink Floyd's finest chord changes. Every engine put it at #1, every time. No contest.

## 2. Stairway to Heaven

Jimmy Page's solo builds the song's slow climb into a full-blown rock explosion, flowing from folk-tinged hush to a roaring, melodic peak. It's composed like a song within the song, and it never lets go.

## 3. Eruption

Under two minutes of tapping, harmonics and dive-bombing that rewired what a guitar could do. Eddie Van Halen made a solo piece into a landmark, and generations of players still chase it.

## 4. All Along the Watchtower

Hendrix took Dylan's folk tune and turned it into a storm. His solos here are wild, vocal and endlessly inventive, proof that a cover can outshine the original and rewrite the song's identity.

## 5. Hotel California

Don Felder and Joe Walsh trade harmonized lines in one of rock's great twin-guitar finales. It's elegant, melodic and instantly recognizable, the sound of a long fade-out you never want to end.

## 6. Free Bird

The slow ballad turns into a runaway train for the final stretch. Collins and Rossington's blistering twin-guitar jam is Southern rock's defining blowout, and a live-show staple for good reason.

## 7. November Rain

Slash's desert-sky solo, played atop a sweeping piano epic, is all melody and swagger. It's a big-screen moment, and ChatGPT and Gemini each backed it in most of their lists.

## 8. Sultans of Swing

Mark Knopfler's fingerpicked, fluid lines sound effortless and cool, with a clean Stratocaster tone that stands apart from the shredders. It's a masterclass in feel over flash, and ChatGPT loved it.

## 9. Bohemian Rhapsody

Brian May's solo is tightly composed, harmonized and singable, built with his homemade Red Special guitar. It sits at the heart of Queen's operatic epic. Claude was its biggest fan; ChatGPT never named it.

## 10. Sweet Child O' Mine

That looping intro riff gets the fame, but Slash's soaring outro solo seals the deal: bluesy, bold and made for stadiums. It's the other Guns N' Roses entry, and Claude kept coming back to it.

## Lone wolves

- While My Guitar Gently Weeps: only ChatGPT
- Maggot Brain: only ChatGPT

## Questions

**What guitar solo should I listen to right now?**

Start with Comfortably Numb (Pink Floyd, David Gilmour). Already heard it? Try Stairway to Heaven or, for something less obvious, Sweet Child O' Mine.

**According to AI, what is #1 of the best guitar solos of all time?**

Comfortably Numb (Pink Floyd, David Gilmour). All 3 AIs put it first.

**Do ChatGPT, Claude and Gemini agree on the best guitar solos of all time?**

Partly. 8 of the 10 picks made all 3 AIs' lists. The biggest split was November Rain: ChatGPT #8, Claude #14, Gemini #6.

**Which best guitar solos of all time did only one AI pick?**

While My Guitar Gently Weeps (only ChatGPT); Maggot Brain (only ChatGPT).

**How was this ranking of the best guitar solos of all time made?**

We asked ChatGPT, Claude and Gemini "What are the 10 best guitar solos of all time? Rank them from 1 to 10, best first." 5 times each, every time in a fresh chat, in 2026-10. A #1 earns 10 points and a #10 earns 1; each AI's points are averaged over its runs and each AI gets an equal say.