Worst guitar solos in popular songs

[edvard]

Whilst at work doing a bunch of stuff, I was tolera... er... listening to my supervisor's '80s playlist, and a song came on that had a guitar solo that I don't remember being so awful, but there it was, promptly at 3:00:



Some people might say it's prog genius, I say the guitarist was doing his best to sound like a drunken Yeti playing kazoo.
Watcha got?

 

[Gaylord Amsterdam]

George Harrison all you need is love

 

[Killing Floor]

So Lonely by Police?

Or cinnamon girl?

 

[edvard]

George Harrison all you need is love

Oh yeah, same energy.

 

[edvard]

So Lonely by Police?

Or cinnamon girl?

Police - Hmmm... sounds like he's got some weird pitch vibrato going on even in the rhythm parts. Maybe that explains it, maybe not.

Cinnamon Girl - I just knew Neil Young would be mentioned at some point. He must have really liked that one note. He played lots of it.

 

[Vibro Chimp]

Cinnamon Girl - I just knew Neil Young would be mentioned at some point. He must have really liked that one note. He played lots of it.

But it’s a good note.

See also: Vampire Blues

 

[msalama]

So Lonely by Police?

Yeah. And IIRC, he even sounds like he's out of tune there.

 

[JohnnyThul]

THIS is my absolute No. 1 of guitar solos, where I just never know, what they were thinking ?

Starts about 2.37:




And another one, talk about overplaying Ca. 2.47:

 

[max_twang]

It's not just the solo...

 

[Cheap Trills]

CC Deville. I think the solo I first thought of is from the song Fallen Angel? But I think most any solo will suffice... I'd describe it as randomly thrown together masturbatory licks, unrelated to melody, over-processed, over-performed, and best banished to the decade from whence it came.

 

[brookdalebill]

Whilst at work doing a bunch of stuff, I was tolera... er... listening to my supervisor's '80s playlist, and a song came on that had a guitar solo that I don't remember being so awful, but there it was, promptly at 3:00:



Some people might say it's prog genius, I say the guitarist was doing his best to sound like a drunken Yeti playing kazoo.
Watcha got?

Steve Howe is like Jorma Kaukonen, IMO.
Brilliant on acoustic guitar, uh, not brilliant on electric.
The drums on this, uh, are not great, either.

 

[brookdalebill]

The solos on Foreigner’s Hot Blooded are kinda suspect.
Of course, the F-boys ain’t noted for taste.

 

[smoothrecluse]

John Frusciante in the Chili Peppers’ “Dani California.” It just rips off the opening few notes of “Purple Haze,” and then does it a few more times, then progresses into noodling. I love Frusciante, by the way, but that one song is terrible.

 

[Lucius Paisley]

Living Colour - Cult Of Personality.

Probably one of Corey Glover's best vocal performances, however.

 

[msalama]

Perhaps, but Vernon Reid's a great player regardless, even if his style isn't exactly my cuppa joe. But credit where credit's due!

 

[Lucius Paisley]

Perhaps, but Vernon Reid's a great player regardless, even if his style isn't exactly my cuppa joe. But credit where credit's due!

The thing is, as solos go, it's up there with EVH. It's just too busy for that song.

 

[Uncle Daddy]

I think George was only halfway through the Bert Weedon book at this point.

 

[Colo Springs E]

The solos on Foreigner’s Hot Blooded are kinda suspect.
Of course, the F-boys ain’t noted for taste.

Not a Foreigner fan at all... but kinda dig that solo haha

 

[Lynxtrap]

I hate to mention it, but Jeff Beck's name sometimes comes up in these discussions for his solo on Tina Turner's "Private Dancer". Knopfler who wrote the song called it "the second ugliest guitar solo ever".

Personally I think it's fine. It sounds like Jeff Beck, what did they expect...

 

[Peegoo]

Tune your guitar, Skippy!