Neal Schon is the king of creating melodic and singable solos. This heartfelt solo captures you from the first note and builds up into an incredible shred run at the end. You can recognize this iconic solo from the first few notes.
Rock Hits
10 Most Iconic Rock + Metal Guitar Solos of All Time, by Ariel Bellvalaire
Ariel Bellvalaire, the Connecticut guitarist who has performed on Broadway as part of the “Dearly Beloved” Prince tribute, landed a spot in Nick West’s “I Am The King — The Michael Jackson Experience,” and even plays in the Guns N’ Roses tribute band Paradise Kitty, is making her picks for the 10 Most Iconic Rock + Metal Guitar Solos of All Time.
The experienced shredder recently dropped an original single, “Diamonds or Coal,” which can be heard below, and serves up an ideal blend of pop and rock with jangling guitarist rhythms, tasteful leads and an expressive solo.
The new song came as Bellvalaire, who has also played guitar in national campaigns for GMC, Kia and Kentucky Fried Chicken, continues to work on what will be her full length debut album.
As she progresses further down that creative road, Bellvalaire carved out some time to offer Loudwire her selections for the 10 Most Iconic Rock + Metal Guitar Solos, which can be viewed below.
Ariel Bellvalaire, “Diamonds or Coal”
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10
Journey, “Separate Ways (Worlds Apart)” — Neal Schon
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9
Ozzy Osbourne, “Bark at the Moon” — Jake E. Lee
This solo has it all! From pinch harmonics to ascending runs into bends, this solo keeps you on your toes the entire time and is challenging to play yet singable.
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8
Ozzy Osbourne, “No More Tears” — Zakk Wylde
This solo starts off with beautifully sustained notes playing a singable melody and builds up into an amazing fast run of notes with Zakk’s signature pinch harmonics. This solo is so iconic you can name the song after hearing the first few notes!
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7
Guns N’ Roses, “November Rain” — Slash
This iconic solo has you singing along with the melodies which make it so memorable yet parts of it are so fast and technical making it a favorite of many guitarists.
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6
Van Halen, “Eruption” — Eddie Van Halen
This solo captures you from the first note and shows off the true brilliance of Eddie Van Halen with nothing else but him and his guitar.
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5
Ozzy Osbourne, “Mr. Crowley” — Randy Rhoads
This solo is a technical masterpiece and is so fluid it sounds like it could have been played by a classical violinist but it’s a rock guitar! Randy’s classical background really shines in this iconic solo.
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4
Ozzy Osbourne, “Flying High Again” — Randy Rhoads
Randy Rhoads never failed to deliver amazing solos and this one has it all from trills to sweeps to tapping in a melodic way that only Randy could play. It’s hard enough to play once yet Rhoads triple tracked it in the studio!
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3
Guns N’ Roses, “Sweet Child O’ Mine” — Slash
This iconic solo is a staple in most guitarists library due to the fact that it’s so melodic you can sing it but with fast challenging runs thrown in!
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2
Michael Jackson, “Beat It” — Eddie Van Halen
This challenging solo uses amazing guitar techniques from tapping to hammer ons to whammy bar dives all improvised in a way that only Eddie Van Halen could do!
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1
Ozzy Osbourne, “Crazy Train” — Randy Rhoads
From the tapping at the beginning to the very last note, this solo draws you in and keeps you on your toes the entire time. Randy Rhoads’ guitar technique combined with feeling make this solo an iconic staple that every guitarist will recognize.