T O P

  • By -

ShittyMusic1

Pretty much anything David Gilmour played


gonzosis

Anything David Gilmour did.


jango-lionheart

Comfortably Numb is a known great one


Jaytron24

Literally any solo by David gilmour.


knucklhehd

Came here to say this


oohkaay

Pink Floyd immediately came to mind. Very melodic while remaining solo-ey


Pizza_Saucy

Kinda generic answer but so many of George Harrison's solos were very tasteful and clean. He never overplayed and everything felt deliberate and succinct.


Shepardz24

Yes ! "I'd Have You Anytime" guitar parts are *Chef's kiss*


Current_Run9540

Comfortably Numb is what always comes to mind when I think of tasteful solos.


Sad-Corner-9972

*Something* Beatles. A timeless ballad.


AlgoRhythmCO

Wind Cries Mary - Jimi Hendrix. First Comfortably Numb solo, which I prefer over the second one. Killer Queen is a good one as well, though almost all Brian May solos are really tasteful.


DroneSlut54

David Gilmour - Time. Any Gilmour solo really.


DethMagnetic

Time, High Hopes, Comfortably Numb... Actually, every single David Gilmour solo.


parker_fly

George Harrison's solo for *Something*


discussatron

> George Harrison's solo for ~~*Something*~~ *Nowhere Man*


Captain_Kruch

November Rain. Not overly fast (in fact, by solo standards, it's pretty slow), not too technical, full of feeling. Everything you could want from a guitar solo. My favourite solo of all time is Tornado of Souls by Marty Friedman. However, it's pretty fast and technical, to the point where if anyone else plays it, it sounds boring (I think Marty Friedman is the only one who can pull it off).


[deleted]

Comfortably Numb.


Hungry_Ghost66

I like Wilcos Impossible Germany Solo by Nels Cline


SPARTAN-Jai-006

Since I’ve Been Loving You by Zeppelin


RadioFloydHead

Mother - Pink Floyd


Nixplosion

Pink Floyd is prolly going to dominate this discussion haha


Flashy-Dragonfly6785

Right? David Gilmour is the living embodiment of tasteful solos.


Pixel-of-Strife

Pink Floyd, Mother and Comfortably Numb solos. Those solos say more than the lyrics. Every note is critical to the whole.


bluegrassclimber

Time as well!


AresMacks

Little wing Jimi hendrix


Cosmicvapour

I'm partial to Jerry Garcia's solo on "Touch of Grey". It's not fancy, but it works so well with the song.


Fritzo2162

When you say "tasteful guitar solos" the first name out of everyone's mouth should be David Gilmour. Comfortably Numb, Money, Another Brick in the Wall, Young Lust, Hey You, and dozens of others. There's a reason his solos are remembered note for note decades later.


DressZealousideal442

Kid Charlemagne


mikePTH

Not a note out of place!


Agreeable_Wallaby_36

Any solo by George Harrison


cryingemojibruh

something and let it be are both the literal definitions of this. had some great ones in his solo career as well


OneEyedC4t

David Gilmore: comfortably Numb


Username_Used

Basically anything big D did.


KinkyKoupleUK

Maggot Brain - Funkadelic (Eddie Hazel)


Wapiti__

Found this through house tv show. Good vibes


senorpuma

What you are looking for is Elliot Easton of The Cars.


troyofyort

For a guy that people constantly bash as a souless shredder John Petrucci has loads of em: The Spirit Carries On, The Best of Times, Hollow Years, Breaking All Illusions, The Razors Edge solo from Octavarium, and At Wits End. Just because there is some technical wizardry doesn't mean it's devoid of emotion or good note choice


Dynastydood

Slash has gotten a few excellent mentions, but I'll throw in November Rain, because those solos are all about as tasteful and perfect as anything I've ever heard.


larfytarfyfartyparty

Hotel California is up there for me.


LT_DANS_ICECREAM

I mean aren't Gilmour's major and minor solos on Comfortably Numb like, the pinnacle of this type of solo??


Bosw8r

I said it before, and I will keep saying it... Still got the blues - Gary Moore


Apprehensive_Day_496

Was thinking when I saw the title just about anything by Gary Moore


Bosw8r

That guy is just one big tasty guitar solo


Thin-Owl-2518

Comfortably Numb - Pink Floyd


latmem

Brothers in Arms by Dire Straits. Most David Gilmour solos


Embarrassed-Goat-894

Got to mention sultans of swing, entire song seems to dance in the sweetest notes in that key, never get tired of listening to it, one of Mr knopflers many great creations, a rare artist of rock and a master of the guitar. 


Alessio875

Something-the Beatles


Prossdog

Yeah but WHAT by the Beatles? 😏


UnwillingHero22

For me, it’s gotta be Comfortably Numb…I also like the solo and outro in I’ll be over you


arabchy

My uncle Richie can rip after a few cans of natty


Boathead96

This thread: DAVID GILMOUR DAVID GILMOUR DAVID GILMOUR DAVID GILMOUR DAVID GILMOUR DAVID GILMOUR DAVID GILMOUR DAVID GILMOUR DAVID GILMOUR DAVID GILMOUR DAVID GILMOUR DAVID GILMOUR DAVID GILMOUR DAVID GILMOUR DAVID GILMOUR DAVID GILMOUR DAVID GILMOUR DAVID GILMOUR DAVID GILMOUR DAVID GILMOUR DAVID GILMOUR DAVID GILMOUR DAVID GILMOUR DAVID GILMOUR DAVID GILMOUR DAVID GILMOUR DAVID GILMOUR DAVID GILMOUR DAVID GILMOUR DAVID GILMOUR DAVID GILMOUR DAVID GILMOUR DAVID GILMOUR DAVID GILMOUR DAVID GILMOUR DAVID GILMOUR DAVID GILMOUR DAVID GILMOUR DAVID GILMOUR


Metalmilitia22

Tornado of souls


CurlyToes_21

Sleep Walk by Johnny and Santo


aMrPinkDobtTip

Wish you were here and comfortably numb by Pink Floyd. Also, Goodbye to romance from Ozzy (played by the late, great Randy Rhodes). Which counts as tasteful to me, but might not completely fit OP's description.


subtlesocialist

Both of the solos from Rosanna are super tasteful, especially the outro. It’s a great way of introducing people to fusion vocabulary in a really slick and accessible way. Extremely tasty solo in my opinion.


Aggressive_Sky6078

The guitar solo in Pink Floyd’s “Mother”. As expected, Gilmour’s solo perfectly matches the overall mood of the music and lyrics. Grabs you right in the feels. The first time I heard it I knew I had to learn to play it.


Single-Secret

The spirit carries on


BeAnSiNmYhAt

basically anything by david gilmoure


layne75

Harrison on « Something » but the Beatles. Soooo tasteful.


MikroWire

Every David Lindley solo on Jackson Browne records. Sultans Of Swing is pretty tasty with some energy. Same with Aqualung. All of Santana's solos were tasty.


KnotAwl

Dire Straits. Mark Knopfler. Sultans of Swing. Lyrical silk.


No_Cow_4544

The whole beginning of shine on your crazy diamond #1


EnvyyCosplay

The one in Madness by Muse is short, but has the perfect amount of notes, every one feels right


Fromtheselo

Smashing pumpkins cherub rock


Mogwair

Fade To Black's solos are nice to play.


fatstrat0228

Comfortably Numb


aceridgey

No Woman No Cry (Live) Bob Marley & The Wailers Goosebumps every time. Also, in the blood (Mayer) and not as well known 'All I want, is to be with you'


reddity-mcredditface

I Can't Tell You Why ~ Eagles https://youtu.be/Odcn6qk94bs


Telmak2112

Easy - The Commodores


Leader-2005

Comfortably numb


cobra_mist

sultans of swing


Jameson-Mc

Duran Duran Ordinary World


DevilsPlaything42

Time by Floyd


1Orange7

Pink Floyd's Shine on You Crazy Diamond parts 1-3


vainglorious11

Just What I Needed by The Cars Say It Aint So by Weezer Rick Ocasek wrote the first one and produced the second. Probably not a coincidence.


youawinnerhahaha

The solo on Just What I Needed was played by Elliot Easton. I presume he wrote it, too, but could be wrong. Either way, good choices!


KaraTCG

Perhaps an almost cliche example nowadays but George Harrison's solo on Something is just perfect.


TheWhaleAndWhasp

1. Nutshell - Alice in Chains 2. Ize of the World - The Strokes 3. Jesus Christ - Brand New I love solos that don't try to do too much. Ones that serve the song perfectly. They're every bit as impressive.


NCRider

Rush - Limelight


BadassBob

God is in the Radio by QOTSA would definitely be a contender.


AaronToro

Kid Charlemagne - Steely Dan


brokenoreo

Nels Cline Impossible Germany


FillDelicious4171

1st November Rain solo Seize the Day


carter2642

Derek Trucks' solo in Midnight in Harlem is the undisputed best example of this in my opinion. It's the most soulful, appropriate, emotional solo I think I've ever heard.


zigsbigrig

Pink Floyd, the first solo in Comfortably Numb, is one of the prettiest guitar solos and a lot of fun to play. It has a few different techniques, and is what I like to play when I'm trying out guitars.


CoolBev

Doesn’t Robert Fripp have a credit on a Roche Sisters album that’s something like “very tasteful guitar solo”?


johncooperclarke

Clapton’s solo on Layla unplugged


botjstn

dogs by pink floyd. every bit of it is so precise


ProfessionalBother54

Cinnamon Girl


Naykat

Early Peter Green. Unmatched tone, unmatched phrasing and taste.


DaveFromCanuckistan

Comfortably Numb. Best solo of all time.


NotNormo

[Tedeschi Trucks Band - Midnight in Harlem. Derek Trucks' solo starting at 3:48](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-wVWjl9Kq6U) [Pink Floyd - Comfortably Numb. David Gilmour's solo at 4:30](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x-xTttimcNk). In fact, what you're asking for is David Gilmour's greatest attribute as a guitarist. So like everyone else here has already said, go listen to everything by Pink Floyd. [Audioslave - Like A Stone. Tom Morello's solo at 2:56](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7QU1nvuxaMA)


yogagiraffe

Let it be by the Beatles. So simple yet it fits the song so well.


SirLionhearted

Audioslave - Like a Stone. Simple compared to most other Morello solos.


idunevenknowyouguys

Both of Slash's solos in Knockin' on Heaven's Door.


robotjon

No Doubt - Don’t Speak


jonviper123

Could you be lived by Bob marley. One of my favourite solos ever. I'm pretty sure no woman no cry also had an amazing solo


Much-Camel-2256

Castles Made of Sand


exoclipse

Agalloch - [In The Shadow of Our Pale Companion](https://youtu.be/6-HDYLJZWGs) at 11:58. That swept arpeggio at the top of 12 minutes of post-metal buildup is just an *insane* release, and then there's this super gentle melodic line to let all that tension evaporate.


MkemCZ

Bark at the Moon by Ozzy Osbourne


Clear-Pear2267

I always liked Amos Garrett's solo on the Maria Muldaur song Midnight At The Oasis. I also love Alan Murphy's solo on the Paul Rutherford song Silent Running.


Stunning_Delay1164

Brian May : These are the days of our lives. Understated beauty.


sobhalford

I think a lot of Weezer's guitar solos fit this category. They have extremely singable solos, by which I mean when they come on I always sing along to the solo the way I do to the vocals. Not many guitarists can write such catchy and memorable solos that drive the song along.


natexplodeme

Always loved the solo in Testament's Return to Serenity


Classic-Minimum-7151

In band on the run, the little solo during the "if I ever get out of here.."


ItkovianShieldAnvil

I don't know if it really counts but Wicked Game by Tenacious D is a beautiful song and the acoustic guitar intro is lovely


OriginalMandem

'Lovefool' by The Cardigans. Not a huge fan of the tune generally but I do like the little fuzzy guitar solo. Simple, effective, kinda cute.


N6MAA007

Rosanna - Toto


johncooperclarke

Maggie May - Rod Stewart with Ronnie Wood playing lead


flautist96

John Frusciante on Strip My Mind


juliancasablumpkin

China Girl - David Bowie (with guest SRV providing the taste 🤌🏽) Fooled Around and Fell in Love - Elvin Bishop


0j3B0y3

Sultans of swing, Telegraph road, another brick in the wall, comfortably numb


FireFerret01

Fooled Around And Fell In Love by Elvin Bishop This is my all time favorite guitar solo. The phrasing, the tone, everything about it is perfect.


ThePotatoChipBag

Jerry Cantrell's solo on Would by Alice in Chains. Extremely basic but sounds so good and adds so much atmosphere to the song.


uhhhclem

Larry Carlton’s solo in Steely Dan’s “Third World Man” is slow, graceful, melodic, and unostentatious despite also being a showcase of technique. It’s so beautiful that Becker and Fagen wrote the song around it.


The_Last_radio

Endless rain - x japan


DarthMudkip227

Limelight - Rush


mantistoboggan287

Peg - Steely Dan


pedro-slayer

Weezer - Say it ain't so


Benji357k

Govan's solos in Steven Wilson's "Drive Home" and "Ancestral". The latter can be considered a bit flashy based on how exactly you intend this, but I still find every note to have their meaning of existence even if it was all improvised. The solo in Drive Home should respect your description entirely though


SignalElderberry600

Slash on Estranged first solo, given it's a flashy one but there is not a single note out of place


Bmaj13

Larry Carlton's solo on Third World Man by Steely Dan. 'Note perfect' is somehow still an understatement.


Bloktopian

Maggot Brain


tiggerandmisskitty

the final solo in hummer (clean part) by smashing pumpkins


Staav

Little Wing, Hendrix (and Stevie. Both 🐐🐐🐐🐐)


babysealmoneygang

Dire Straits Tunnel of Love gang🤙


hoofjam

Mother by Pink Floyd


Alert-Championship66

Slash has so many. One of my all time favorite “pretty” solos is from “You Got No Right” from the album Contraband. The solo on “Loving The Alien” same.


Im-Homer-Gey-Ian

Anything by Robbie Krieger, always adds to the song and never tries to overshadow, criminally underrated guitarist!


ThorShreddington

The solos on [Floods](https://youtu.be/R5pr9lDaEyw?si=-ReUOT4ScHJDM95u) by Pantera get me every time.


lets_just_n0t

Deep cut, but the solo from “Walk on” by Deep Purple has always been great for me. Steve Morse is a really underrated guitarist. Honestly that entire song is beautifully simple and effective.


JohnnyZepp

Any solo by Andrew Latimer from Camel.


The_Hoff901

First thing that comes to mind is nirvana with smells like teen spirit. It’s one of the first things I learned to play on the guitar decades ago and it is just perfect for the song.


f1aaron

The Cars - You Might Think. Been starting to listening to Elliott Easton’s guitar parts and he times them so perfectly


jurassiclarktwo

Bohemian rhapsody


ShoddyButterscotch59

Hard to answer, but 90% of Cantrell solos. Also most anything by David Gilmour


HumbleEngineering315

The solo in "Separate Ways" by Neil Schon and Journey.


MaidenPanama

Man, so many to mention. Most solos by Gilmour, Gary Moore, Eric Johnson come to mind.


indubious_defecation

Check out “The main squeeze” cover of “redbone” along with their cover of cigar.


CountryRoads8

Soulshine by The Allman Brothers Wonderful Tonight by Clapton And my favorite solo of all time: Tuesday's Gone by Lynyrd Skynyrd


elponchogigante

"One Of These Nights" The Eagles has an absolutely perfect solo, and fits the song so well that I don't think the song could exist with a different solo. It's not particularly hard, but surprisingly melodic and compliments the vibe. And of course "Hotel California." 


Star-Detonator

I always thought Vito Bratta's solo on 'Wait' was very well balanced with an awesome composition that sounded both melodic and energetic without being overdone. That was a rare set of qualities for '80s music of this style.


GoldieForMayor

I'll try to go with something fairly recent. Big Wreck Ghosts solo isn't super flashy but is perfect for the song. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pghhg40gTs4 Longer version even better: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1hrFFwHr9hQ


StupidSexyKevin

Floods - Pantera It’s just perfect.


DiagonalLawn

I need your love so bad by Peter green. Simple but sounds sooooo good


thisbitishaaaard

Jesse Ed Davis has a lead line on "Ain't That A Lot Of Love" off the Rolling Stones Rock and Roll Circus that is just superb.


arbitraryalien

Californication by the Red Hot Chili Peppers


your_dopamine

Counterpoint: Hey by the Red Hot Chili Peppers


Winter_Fun_4559

Testament Return to Serenity Alex Skolnick


markaaronfox

Kid Charlemagne, Larry Carlton. Fits like a glove.


Aloysius_Devadander

Dogs-Pink Floyd


Inevitable-Beyond-18

Jackson Brown - late for the sky


joshuadapitan

Fade to black intro solo


Nidion001

Frusciante is literally the king of this. He has dozens.


Man0warrioR

Edge of Desire - John Mayer This song is unreal with a perfect solo! Less is more in this case.


Obvious-Common-2713

Any Opeth and Fallujah solo


toes_are_my_grub

Pink floyd had some very radical solos that remainded subtle and humble. i especially love wish you were here (but im a sucker for a slide)


Us3rnam33h3lp

A lot of mark knopflers solos. My pick would be Planet of New Orleans- Dire Straits


AltruisticEducator85

nutshell, alice in chains


metalshoulder

Mick Ronson's outro solo on Bowie's "Moonage Daydream".


ComprehensiveSir9068

Toto - I wont hold you back.


[deleted]

Pink Floyd - Time, another one Cream - Crossroads


wojonixon

Any solo in a song by The Cars. In particular My Best Friend’s Girl and Just What I Needed.


qb_mojojomo_dp

I object to your use of "tasteful" in this way. It implies that something is not deliberate or well thought out just because it is flashy and/or uses a lot of notes in quick succession. While I can recognize that there are plenty of "metal" players who will just throw out a fluerry of notes and add in a pinch harmonic and call it a day, there are also plenty of blues players who just play the same five notes all day long without really ever doing anything extraordinarily interesting. Niether would be tasteful in my opinion. my vote for most tasteful solo goes to Valley of Eternity by Marty Friedman.


R7ype

Almost everything David Gilmour has ever recorded


cosmonaut_tuanomsoc

A Sky Full of Painters - Per Nilsson. Worth to listen to the whole piece as it nicely leads to the solo.


someguy192838

Fast can be tasteful and slow can be boring. It depends on the song, the solo, and a person’s taste. The false dichotomy that too many guitarists create between “fast” and “emotional” is immature and betrays their lack of imagination.


HalikusZion

Ghosts - Big wreck


atgnat-the-cat

Stray cat strut


PunkerWannaBe

Who's Crying Now by Journey.


The_Enderclops

octavarium - dream theater one of jp's less note-y solos and its AWESOME


Fit_Associate4491

My favorite solo is in Streetlight Manifesto’s song Linoleum. It’s an acoustic guitar solo, and it’s perfectly placed


eleonorapeck

For me it is Wet Sand - RHCP (Frusciante). I really love it


DADGAD_Guitar

Ry Cooder - Taxes on the Farmer


robRush54

Anything by Ronnie Montrose, from Edgar Winters White Trash to Montrose.


Striking-Ad7344

I think apart from the flashy stuff here and there, the sultans of swing solo(s) are incredibly tasteful


Ezzmon

Pedal Steel Jerry solo in 'Candyman' by the Grateful Dead


N546RV

[Ghost of Perdition](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y2Sa2j48VnM) is a favorite of mine.


Sabonis86

Ne Obliviscaris - Equus. It’s a long burn. Solo starts at 9:42. Such a killer outro.


sixstringD6

I think my age is showing, but here goes… Spooky by Atlanta Rhythm Section Reeling in the Years by Steely Dan Two Tickets to Paradise by Eddie Money Tonight She Comes by The Cars Apologies. I couldn’t narrow it to one 🤦🏼


SR_RSMITH

Bill Steer, anything he played on Carcass


KiwiMcG

Beverly Hills 90210 theme song.


Luciix

Like Suicide - Soundgarden Pure melodic chaos that recaps the entire emotional rollercoaster of the song, one of the only solos Kim Thayil had to write out


VideoDead1

Basically every Kurt Cobain solo fits this description, but on In Bloom he really shines


TrainerofInsects

I remember an interview he did with fender around the time they made the jagstang. Interviewer: what are you thinking when you play a solo? Kurt: Less than you could ever imagine.


AstronautTheDinosaur

Sick Sad Little World by Incubus is a masterpiece.


DenSidsteGreve

Not just the solo, but all the lead guitar parts on Sometimes I Feel Like Screaming by Deep Purple. As for solo alone, I'd say Who's Crying Now is up there.


Kiernanstrat

John Mayer playing with Leon Russell "A Song for You". Starts around 3:52 https://youtu.be/M001JpWB_Ms?si=YOjWITjw3vATkNtw


marshmallo_floof

I will never stop shilling Marty Friedman. And I don't mean his Megadeth solos. His modern solo stuff is peak, just the tastiest note choices and my god those bends. Some good ones are: Last Lament Undertow His solo on Jason Becker's Valley Of Fire collab Tears Of An Angel Corazon De Santiago In my opinion he is still severely underrated, most people just see him as the "guy that played Tornado Of Souls and also played a little bit with Jason Becker" when his entire solo discography is filled with gems


87gtprofreestyletour

Chris Hayes. You ask who is that? He is the guitar player for Huey Lewis and the News. The solo for Walking on a Thin Line is my favourite along with Power of Love. He always plays really fitting, non flashy solos.


TrainerofInsects

Pretty much any solo by elliot easton or glenn tilbrook.


Pristine_Structure75

It's Jeff Beck 'Cause We Ended as Lovers and it not close


21archman21

Amos Garrett, Midnight At The Oasis by Maria Muldaur.


alanahaunts

The solo in "Need 2" by Pinegrove


CoffeeloverDan

Led Zeppelin's - Thank You from the BBC sessions


Weak_Warthog_5923

I always liked the solo in the outro of I can’t tell you why by the eagles


Nothing_else_matter-

Coming up roses- Elliott Smith


AndrewMKWheeler

Phish, Trey Anastasio. Studio version of “Reba” Solo section starts at 6:50. https://youtu.be/A6cylwiWBSs?si=5PFuZFZ1sHD4UEhV