The 5 best guitar solos I have ever heard

Guitars have always fascinated me, and why not? The instrument which is worthless in the hands of one, but can make someone else look like a God. Knowing that I would never have the patience to gather enough expertise to master such a stringed instrument, I am left with the next best thing.

P.S. Justin Bieber/Selena Gomez/One Direction/Taylor Swift fans, please stay away from the comment box.

Chuck Berry - Johnny B Goode (Chuck Berry)

Chuck Berry- through the years!

You may think this song is easy to play, but no on else can play it with the ease and flow of Chuck Berry himself. Besides, any list of great songs or guitar solos would be so incomplete without the mention of the father of rock n roll! He might be fast approaching 90, but that doesn't stop him from still performing live in concerts. What's more, I have even made my father addicted to a song that is as old as him, which, ironically, he hadn't heard before. If I had to choose one song to listen to before the world's end, it would be Chuck Berry with his guitar in his prime.

Eddie van Halen - Beat It (Michael Jackson)

The usual Van Halen

'Beat It' was not just popular because it involved Michael Jackson, the fact that Eddie Van Halen (who is a Edinson Cavani lookalike) was behind the solo had a big role to play in it as well! What's more surprising is that he 'contributed' the solo to the song, and refused even a single penny for what turned out to be one of the greatest guitar solos of all time (tune in at 2:45 in the song). Here's what Van Halen had to say-

I did it as a favour. I was a complete fool, according to the rest of the band, our manager and everyone else. I was not used. I knew what I was doing. I don't do something unless I want to do it.

Although I am not a big fan of Jackson, I still love this song deeply. Also, during my recent field trip, this guitar solo was the alarm tune of one of my friends which made wake up every single day on time for the had labor that followed.

Don Felder, Joe Walsh - Hotel California (Eagles)

Walsh and Felder

What's better than Chuck Berry with the guitar? Joe Walsh in in his shining pants with polka dots playing the guitar. Something even better are his expressions. That being said, Eagles rolled out one of the best decisions in history when they decided to recruit Walsh just before they recorded Hotel California. Although Don Felder plays the primary part of the solo, Walsh has an important role in it too.

Jimmy Page - Stairway to Heaven (Led Zeppelin)

Jimmy Page, a lifelong Chelsea fan, is considered the Sachin Tendulkar of guitarists, but why doesn't he make it to the top of my list? Well, Sir Don Bradman had a better Test average for one thing. In his own words-

I’d been fooling around with the acoustic guitar and came up with several different sections which flowed together nicely. I soon realized that it could be the perfect vehicle for something I’d been wanting to do for a while: to compose something that would start quietly, have the drums come in the middle, and then build to a huge crescendo. I also knew that I wanted the piece to speed up, which is something musicians aren’t supposed to do.

Stairway to Heaven has a record for the highest number of musical sheets sold ever since its release.

Slash - Sweet Child 'o Mine (Guns N' Roses)

Slash in his characteristic hat

There is a reason why it was all downhill for Guns N' Roses once Slash quit in '95. Sweet Child o' Mine started out as a joke by Slash, playing a 'circus melody' while making faces during warm up. A modest start to one of the greatest songs, eh? So, here we are. The problem child characterized by long, curly hair and a hat tops my list.