Top Ten

Guitar solos have always been an important part of rock music, albeit usually within the context of a song. In 1978, guitarist Eddie Van Halen made the guitar solo a standalone musical piece in his groundbreaking Eruption. The story goes that Eddie had been playing Eruption as a warmup in the studio while recording the debut release for his band Van Halen. Producer Ted Templeman was amazed not only at Eddie's skill, but also at the musical statement Eruption made. Templeman convinced Van Halen to record Eruption for the album and, as they say, "the rest is history."

Top Ten Guitar Solos: