5 Best Guitar Solos of 1982 – And 1 That’s Not Good

1982 was another year of masterpiece guitar solos. In this roundup, we spotlight five of the best while also calling out one that, well, 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 2 solo was recorded in the guitarist’s own studio, separate from the rest of the track. And he did all this for free.

<Jump to the best guitar solos of 1981

Jump to the best guitar solos of 1983>

First, here are some great albums from the year 1982 with amazing guitar playing in them:

Artist	Album Name	Genre
Iron Maiden	The Number of the Beast	Metal
Judas Priest	Screaming for Vengeance	Metal
Scorpions	Blackout	Metal
Venom	Black Metal	Metal
Whitesnake	Saints & Sinners	Metal/Rock
Van Halen	Diver Down	Rock
Kiss	Creatures of the Night	Metal/Rock
The Who	It’s Hard	Rock
Asia	Asia	Rock
Fleetwood Mac	Mirage	Rock
Roxy Music	Avalon	Rock
Gary Moore	Corridors of Power	Metal/Blues
Michael Schenker Group	Assault Attack	Metal/Rock
Pat Benatar	Get Nervous	Rock

Now, to the top 5 solos!

1. Iron Maiden – “Hallowed Be Thy Name” (Adrian Smith/Dave Murray)

Hallowed Be Thy Name (2015 Remaster)

The solo in “Hallowed Be Thy Name,” from Iron Maiden’s album The Number of the Beast, showcases the tandem brilliance of Adrian Smith and Dave Murray. Smith opens with a haunting and melodic speed, setting the tone. Murray follows with a rapid, fiery burst of scales and hammer-ons, driving the song forward.

2. Michael Jackson – “Beat It” (Eddie Van Halen)

Beat It

A compact burst of tapped harmonics, lightning-fast legato runs, and a searing tone from EVH’s Frankenstrat. Van Halen injects raw rock energy into the pop-funk track, bridging genres with a fiery, melodic hook that became iconic. These kinds of collaborations should happen more often.

Browse the best solos of other years:

3. Scorpions – “No ONe LIke YOu” (Matthias Jabs)

No One Like You

Most likely played on a Gibson Les Paul, Jabs delivers a mix of bends and signature vibrato that complements the song’s hard rock groove. One of my favorite Scorpions solos.

4. Gary Moore – “Falling In Love With You” (Gary Moore)

Falling In Love With You

In this song, Moore pours his soul into a bluesy, heartfelt lead. He blends slow, expressive bends with fluid legato runs, showcasing his signature emotive phrasing. This is exactly what made Gary Moore a legend.

5. Judas Priest – “Electric Eye” (K. K. Downing)

Judas Priest - Electric Eye [High Quality]

In “Electric Eye” solo K. K. Downing delivers a sharp, commanding lead. Played on a Hamer Vector, Downing unleashes a tight mix of precise bends, staccato runs, and a piercing tone that cuts through the song’s futuristic riffing. If you want to get better at soloing, learn this.

Honorable Mention

An honorable mention goes to the Assault Attack solo by MSG and Michael Schenker. Extremely melodic and fits the song amazingly well, but it’s still missing something that the top 5 had. I think this solo could build up more speed and power towards the end.

1 Not-So-Good Guitar Solo: Kiss – “I Love It Loud” (Vincent Cusano)

I Love It Loud (Single Edit)

This 10-second solo just feels lazy and does nothing. This heavy Kiss song deserves a real solo.

<Jump to the best guitar solos of 1981

Jump to the best guitar solos of 1983>