The 9 mightiest guitar solos

Forget your front-man, there's only one leader in any rock group, and that's the guitarist. These gods of rock wield their magical axe and bind us in a spell of sweaty, long-haired ecstasy. This is our list of the greatest guitar solos ever to exit an amp.

1. Stairway to Heaven - Led Zeppelin (Jimmy Page)

It's a cliché, but this solo really is something special. Page and Plant were rock's greatest ever marriage and with this dream of a tune they cemented their places in history.

2. Eruption - Van Halen (Eddie Van Halen)

This clip is only two minutes long, but if you're a purist, or feeling brave, there are ten minute versions out there for you to enjoy. Eddie simply rocks.

3. All Along the Watchtower - The Jimi Hendrix Experience (Jimi Hendrix)

You can't have a list like this without Hendrix. The man was a genius. And if this solo doesn't have you nodding your head at your desk and imagining yourself in a Huey above a Vietnamese jungle then you're dead inside.

4. Beat It - Michael Jackson (Eddie Van Halen)

You wouldn't expect to get any Whacko Jacko in a list like this - it's like 50 Cent turning up in a list of the greatest harmonica moments - but Eddie's work is airguitar-tastic and worth a second entry for the Van.

5. Comfortably Numb - Pink Floyd (Dave Gilmour)

A beautiful, haunting solo from a beautiful, haunting track. Nobody 'does atmospheric' like the Floyd, and Gilmour's hands take you to a place that you'd normally need a Class A substance to get to.

6. November Rain - Gun N' Roses (Slash)

Although we'd normally show a GnR solo being played live, there was no way we could deprive you of Slash's finest moment as he strides manfully forth from a church in the middle of nowhere to deliver a brief, yet emotional riff.

7. Surfing with the Alien - Joe Satriani (Joe Satriani)

How about this for a guitar solo? It's the whole song! This instrumental number is legendary among plectrum artistes around the world, and so it should be - it's the kind of track that makes you want to live fast and die young.

8. Still of the Night - Whitesnake (Vivian Campbell)

The '80s - when the hair was big and the rock was even bigger. Whitesnake were quite possibly the ultimate hair metal band, with the vocal power of David Coverdale and, in this case, the phenomenal fret-work of Campbell.

9. Highway Star - Deep Purple (Ritchie Blackmore)

More Coverdale vocals, but this time competing with the legendary fingers of Ritchie Blackmore. If you listen to Purple in your company BMW, stop and get out! This music is designed for riding on the backs of Harleys only.