5 Best Guitar Solos of 1990 – And 1 That’s Not Good

At the time of writing this (15th of August 2025) I have been going through years 1979-1990, and this is the top year so far. Is this the year with the best solo selection of all time? Time will tell, but this year is a pure juggernaut. Check the 5 best solos of this year plus 1 that just has random shredding in it (it was extremely hard to find a solo that you can call “not good” from this year!).

Did you know? The number 1 has the song’s best riff during the solo! Also, many guitarists’ dream is to play number 2.

<Jump to the best guitar solos of 1989

First, here are some great albums from the year 1990 with amazing guitar playing in them:

Artist	Album Name	Genre
Megadeth	Rust in Peace	Thrash Metal
Judas Priest	Painkiller	Heavy Metal
Slayer	Seasons in the Abyss	Thrash Metal
Pantera	Cowboys from Hell	Groove Metal
Anthrax	Persistence of Time	Thrash Metal
Deicide	Deicide	Death Metal
Death	Spiritual Healing	Death Metal
Kreator	Coma of Souls	Thrash Metal
GWAR	Scumdogs of the Universe	Shock Rock/Metal
Poison	Flesh & Blood	Glam Metal
Extreme	Pornograffitti	Hard Rock
The Black Crowes	Shake Your Money Maker	Blues Rock
Living Colour	Time’s Up	Hard Rock/Funk Metal
Jane’s Addiction	Ritual de lo Habitual	Alternative Rock
Danzig	Danzig II: Lucifuge	Heavy Metal/Blues Rock
Trouble	Trouble	Doom Metal
Alice in Chains	Facelift	Grunge/Heavy Metal
Sonic Youth	Goo	Alternative Rock
Gary Moore	Still Got the Blues	Blues Rock
Robert Cray	Midnight Stroll	Blues/Soul
The Vaughan Brothers	Family Style	Blues Rock
Eric Clapton	Journeyman	Blues Rock
Buddy Guy	Damn Right, I’ve Got the Blues	Blues
AC/DC	The Razors Edge	Hard Rock
Bad Religion	Against the Grain	Punk Rock
The Replacements	All Shook Down	Alternative Rock
Pixies	Bossanova	Alternative Rock
Steve Vai	Passion and Warfare	Instrumental Rock/Metal
Queensrÿche	Empire	Progressive Metal
Dio	Lock Up the Wolves	Heavy Metal
Suicidal Tendencies	Lights…Camera…Revolution!	Thrash Metal/Crossover
Testament	Souls of Black	Thrash Metal
King’s X	Faith Hope Love	Progressive Rock/Metal

Now, to the top solos!

1. Pantera – “The Sleep” (Dimebag darrell)

The Sleep

Dimebag Darrell’s solo in Pantera’s “The Sleep” is a haunting, melodic masterpiece from the album Cowboys from Hell. It blends extreme bends and rapid-fire runs with a dark, emotive tone. It’s the second-best Dimebag solo of all time. I will reveal the best one soon…

2. Megadeth – “Tornado of souls” (Marty Friedman)

Tornado Of Souls

Marty Friedman’s solo in Megadeth’s “Tornado of Souls,” from the album Rust in Peace, is a display of technical virtuosity and melodic brilliance. For many guitarists, it’s their dream to play this solo flawlessly.

Browse the best solos of other years:

3. Steve Vai – “For the Love of God” (Steve Vai)

Steve Vai - For the Love of God (2021 Upscaled Version)

It’s the whole song. Absolute guitar brilliance.

4. Gary Moore – “Still Got The Blues” (Gary Moore)

Still Got The Blues

Gary Moore’s solo in “Still Got the Blues,” is pure blues mastery. The solo weaves lyrical phrasing with searing bends and delicate vibrato, dripping with raw emotion. Moore’s signature Les Paul (Stripe) tone and impeccable dynamics elevate the track’s melancholic vibe, making it one of the best blues solos of all time.

5. Judas Priest – “Painkiller” (Glenn Tipton & K.K. Downing)

Painkiller - Judas Priest [HQ]

The dual guitar solo in Judas Priest’s “Painkiller,” is a display of Glenn Tipton and K.K. Downing’s synergy. It combines razor-sharp bends, blistering alternate picking, and soaring harmonized leads with relentless precision. The solo is pure chaos in a good way…the metal way…the Judas Priest way.

Honorable Mention

An honorable mention goes to Nuno Bettencourt for his amazing solo at Get The Funk Out by Extreme. Brilliant.

1 Not-So-Good Guitar Solo: Poison – “Unskinny Bop” (y C.C. DeVille)

Unskinny Bop

Don’t get me wrong, this album has many great solos. But this solo just feels and sounds like random shredding connected by a couple of bends.

<Jump to the best guitar solos of 1989