5 Best Guitar Solos of 1981 – And 1 That’s Not Good

In 1981, guitarists across rock and metal unleashed some of the most iconic solos of the decade. Here are five of the year’s best—plus one that didn’t quite hit the mark. And as always, leave your thoughts and top 5 in the comments (you’ll find comments after the article below!).

Did you know? Number 1’s iconic guitar riff was inspired by a moment of improvisation during a soundcheck. The guitarist has said he was experimenting with a chord progression and stumbled upon the song’s signature opening riff, which he then refined with the band.

<Jump to the best guitar solos of 1980

Jump to the best guitar solos of 1982>

First, here are some great albums from the year 1981 with amazing guitar playing in them:

Artist	Album Name	Genre
AC/DC	For Those About to Rock We Salute You	Hard Rock/Metal
Black Sabbath	Mob Rules	Heavy Metal
Iron Maiden	Killers	Heavy Metal
Motörhead	No Sleep ’til Hammersmith	Heavy Metal
Ozzy Osbourne	Diary of a Madman	Heavy Metal
Venom	Welcome to Hell	Heavy Metal
Riot	Fire Down Under	Heavy Metal
Mötley Crüe	Too Fast for Love	Glam Metal
Saxon	Denim and Leather	Heavy Metal
Def Leppard	High ‘n’ Dry	Hard Rock/Metal
Rush	Moving Pictures	Progressive Rock
The Rolling Stones	Tattoo You	Rock
Journey	Escape	Rock
The Police	Ghost in the Machine	Rock
Triumph	Allied Forces	Rock
ZZ Top	El Loco	Blues Rock
Blue Öyster Cult	Fire of Unknown Origin	Hard Rock
Van Halen	Fair Warning	Hard Rock
The Cars	Shake It Up	Rock
The Allman Brothers Band	Brothers of the Road	Southern Rock/Blues Rock
Foghat	Girls to Chat & Boys to Bounce	Blues Rock
The Pretenders	Pretenders II	Rock
U2	October	Rock

Now, to the top 5 solos!

1. RUsh “LImelight” (Alex Lifeson)

Rush - Limelight (HQ)

From the album Moving Pictures, Lifeson’s solo is a melodic masterpiece, blending technical precision with a soaring, emotive tone that perfectly complements the song’s introspective vibe. And yes, this solo is better than Tom Sawyer’s solo.

2. Ozzy Osbourne – “Over the Mountain” (Randy Rhoads)

Ozzy Osbourne - Over the Mountain (Official Audio)

Diary of a Madman standout, Rhoads’ solo here is a blistering mix of speed, melody, and harmonic flair, cementing his legacy. It captures the horror vibe perfectly.

Browse the best solos of other years:

3. Blue Öyster Cult – “Burnin’ for You” (Donald “Buck Dharma” Roeser)

Blue Oyster Cult: Burnin' For You

Donald ‘Buck Dharma’ Roeser’s solo in ‘Burnin’ for You’ from 1981’s Fire of Unknown Origin is a groovy and melodic gem that lifts the track’s fiery spirit. It would be pretty much impossible to create a solo that fits Burnin’ for You better.

4. Van Halen -“So This Is Love?” (Eddie Van Halen)

So This Is Love? (2015 Remaster)

Eddie Van Halen’s solo in ‘So This Is Love?’ from 1981’s Fair Warning is a dazzling, high-energy shred fest, packed with his signature tapping and flair. It’s pretty short, but it still deserves the spot in the top 5.

5. Black Sabbath – “The Mob Rules” (Tony Iommi)

The Mob Rules

On the album of the same name, Iommi’s solo is dark and heavy, with his signature doom-laden tone ripping through the track. It’s an extremely melodic solo that is really underrated.

Honorable Mention

I give only 1 honorable mention per year. This time, it’s Journey’s “Don’t Stop Believin’” (Neal Schon). Solo sounds so good, but it’s also a bit too short for my taste.

1 Not-So-Good Guitar Solo: The Cars – “Shake It Up” (Elliot Easton)

Shake It Up (2017 Remaster)

This solo is experimental but not in a good way. Solo also feels really out of place in this song.

<Jump to the best guitar solos of 1980

Jump to the best guitar solos of 1982>