5 Best Guitar Solos of 1978– And 1 That’s Not Good

What a year this was! Masterpiece after masterpiece. I have gone through years 1978 to 1990 and this year was definitely one of the best (1990 is my favorite so far). This article reveals the top 5 best solos of 1978 and one that should be recorded again. And as always, leave your thoughts and top 5 in the comments (you’ll find comments after the article below!).

Did you know? The number 1 solo was recorded as a warm-up exercise during a studio session, and producer Ted Templeman insisted on including it after hearing its raw brilliance. Good call Ted.

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First, here are some great albums from the year 1978 with amazing guitar playing in them:

Artist	Album Name	Genre
AC/DC	Powerage	Hard Rock
Aerosmith	Live! Bootleg	Hard Rock
Black Sabbath	Never Say Die!	Heavy Metal
Blue Öyster Cult	Some Enchanted Evening	Hard Rock
Boston	Don’t Look Back	Hard Rock
Cheap Trick	Heaven Tonight	Power Pop/Hard Rock
Dire Straits	Dire Straits	Rock/Blues Rock
Foreigner	Double Vision	Hard Rock
Heart	Dog & Butterfly	Hard Rock
Judas Priest	Stained Class	Heavy Metal
Judas Priest	Killing Machine (Hell Bent for Leather in US)	Heavy Metal
Kansas	Two for the Show	Progressive Rock
Queen	Jazz	Rock/Hard Rock
Rainbow	Long Live Rock ‘n’ Roll	Heavy Metal
Rush	Hemispheres	Progressive Rock
Scorpions	Tokyo Tapes	Heavy Metal
Styx	Pieces of Eight	Hard Rock/Prog Rock
Ted Nugent	Double Live Gonzo!	Hard Rock
The Cars	The Cars	Rock/New Wave
The Clash	Give ‘Em Enough Rope	Punk Rock
The Police	Outlandos d’Amour	Rock/New Wave
The Rolling Stones	Some Girls	Rock/Blues Rock
Toto	Toto	Rock
UFO	Obsession	Hard Rock/Heavy Metal
Uriah Heep	Fallen Angel	Hard Rock
Van Halen	Van Halen	Hard Rock/Heavy Metal
Whitesnake	Trouble	Hard Rock/Blues Rock
The Who	Who Are You	Rock
Warren Zevon	Excitable Boy	Rock
Billy Joel	52nd Street	Rock/Pop Rock
Bob Seger & The Silver Bullet Band	Stranger in Town	Rock/Heartland Rock
Bruce Springsteen	Darkness on the Edge of Town	Rock/Heartland Rock
Patti Smith Group	Easter	Rock/Punk Rock
Kate Bush	The Kick Inside	Art Rock
Willie Nelson	Stardust	Country/Blues
Taj Mahal	Evolution	Blues
John Mayall	Last of the British Blues	Blues Rock
Bonnie Raitt	The Glow	Blues Rock
Muddy Waters	I’m Ready	Blues

Now, to the top solos!

1. Van Halen – “Eruption” (Eddie Van Halen)

Eruption (2015 Remaster)

Eddie Van Halen’s “Eruption” is a groundbreaking instrumental that redefined guitar soloing. Unleashed on Van Halen’s debut, it showcases Eddie’s two-handed tapping, lightning-fast legato, and whammy bar dives, blending raw energy into the mix. One of the most influential solos of all time. It’s the first song I ever heard from Van Halen.

2. Dire Straits – “Sultans of Swing” (Mark Knopfler)

Dire Straits - Sultans Of Swing

Mark Knopfler’s solo in “Sultans of Swing”, from Dire Straits’ debut, is a lyrical masterpiece. His clean, fingerpicked Stratocaster weaves melodic bends and fluid runs, telling a vivid story. I can’t comprehend how Knopfler can make fingerpicked solo sound this good.

Browse the best solos of other years:

3. Rush – “La Villa Strangiato” (Alex Lifeson)

La Villa Strangiato - Rush

Alex Lifeson’s solo in “La Villa Strangiato”, from Rush’s Hemispheres, is a highlight in the instrumental epic. His fluid, emotive phrasing blends progressive complexity with bluesy grit. And the classical guitar playing at the start of the song is amazing.

4. Toto – “Hold The Line” (Steve Lukather)

Hold the Line

Steve Lukather’s solo in Toto’s Hold The Line is a fiery, melodic burst of classic rock. It blends searing bends and rapid-fire runs, perfectly complementing the song’s rhythm. Underrated solo.

5. Blue Öyster Cult – “Astronomy” (Donald “Buck Dharma” Roeser)

Astronomy

The guitar solo in Blue Öyster Cult’s “Astronomy,” crafted by Donald “Buck Dharma” Roeser, is a melodic masterpiece. It weaves melodic & emotive lines over a cosmic backdrop. Roeser’s use of soaring bends and delicate phrasing perfectly captures the song’s otherworldly theme. I also recommend checking out Metallica’s cover of this song.

Honorable Mention

This time, the honorable mention goes to Brian May and his excellent solo on Bicycle Race by Queen. Give it a listen.

1 Not-So-Good Guitar Solo: The Clash – “Tommy Gun” (Mick Jones)

Tommy Gun

I really like this song, but the solo is just too simple. And it doesn’t capture the energy of the song at all.

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