Rating the 100 greatest guitar solos

Is there anything more difficult than figuring out the 100 greatest guitar solos of all time? The guitar has been the definitive instrument of rock and roll for more than 50 years, with virtuosos of different eras, differrent styles and different countries all leaving their mark on the guitar landscape.

Where, then, does one begin with a list? Do you start with Chuck Berry's "Johnny B. Goode"? Would you consider Marty McFly's loving rendition of the same in "Back to the Future" a worthy entring on the list of 100 greatest guitar solos? Or would you prefer to head straight to the most recognized virtuosos, the likes of Steve Vai and Joe Satriani?

So you see, it's not the easiest list to make. It's not even the easiest list to think about, because guitar solos have a way of effecting different people in disparate ways. I may love David Gilmour's chops as shown on "Money," but someone from a more technical point of view would never list that particular solo in his or her top hundred. It's a very personal thing.

I spent a lot of time thinking about the 100 greatest guitar solos when I was in my "Pearl Jam" phase in the mid-90s. "Alive" comes readily to mind. Since then the guitar solo has not precisely gone away, but it's played less of a central role over the last fifteen years of music. Luckily there are still guitar gods like Jack White of The White Stripes, whose 7 Nation Army reminds us all of the raw power and emotional impact of the instrument. His driving, thunderous solo is appreciated by guitarists, critics, fans and even anti-fans. Do you know anyone - I mean anyone! - who doesn't recognize Jack White's greatness?

I suppose that, then, is what should come to mind first when looking at the 100 greatest guitar solos. Even if you're not a fan of the song... is it undeniably great? I may not be the biggest Van Halen fan ever, but even I can recognize that Eddie Van Halen's "Explosion" belongs on the list. As do probably half a dozen other solols he churned out over the years.

One solo that I really don't feel belongs on the list is Keith Richards' from "(Can't Get No) Satisfaction." It's an overrated song that's all about a boringly repetitive hook and some lame, grade-school sexual innuendo. And Richards' solo is wholly uninspiring.

Of course, I've waited until the end to mention the two men who will probably show up most often on the list of the 100 greatest guitar solos: Jimi Hendrix and Jimmy Page. Page, of course, was the supercharged dark lord of "Led Zeppelin," and he's solos ranged from the moody and and innovative "Dazed and Confused" to the straight-forward, raw firepower of "Whole Lotta Love." Hendrix, meanwhile, is probably still considered the greatest guitarist ever to wear the axe. And "Red House" is his greatest solo - and for my money, the greatest solo of all time.