Hard Rock Guitar Solos
90 hard rock solos: loop any section, learn at your speed
Hard rock is home to some of the most memorable guitar solos ever recorded, and the reason is feel. These are not the fastest solos, but they are some of the most expressive, built on big bends, wide vibrato, and phrasing that sticks in your head like a second vocal melody. Learning them teaches the things that make a solo sing: where to place a note, how far to bend it, and when to leave space.
The toolkit of a hard rock solo is the minor pentatonic and blues scales, used with touch rather than speed. The same handful of notes can sound flat or alive depending on the vibrato, the depth of a bend, and the timing against the groove. Looping a phrase and copying it note for note, with the exact bends and vibrato, is how players develop that touch. Slow the section down to hear how far a bend travels, then bring it back to tempo. Every solo below links to a full tab and a loop so you can study the phrasing up close.
AC/DC - Highway to Hell
Thick power chord fills driving hard rock groove
Aerosmith - Sweet Emotion
Bluesy, groovy solo with classic rock swagger
Blue Oyster Cult - Don't Fear the Reaper
Haunting melodic solo, defines 70s rock era
Bon Jovi - Livin' on a Prayer
Iconic 80s rock solo with soaring melodic lines
Bryan Adams - It's Only Love
Smooth, melodic solo with classic rock phrasing
Deep Purple - Smoke on the Water
Most recognizable guitar riff in rock history
Def Leppard - Bringin' On The Heartbreak & solos
Smooth, melodic solo with sustained bends
Europe - Danger On The Track
Explosive hard rock solo with dynamic intensity
Extreme - Get the Funk Out
Funky syncopation meets hard rock virtuosity
Guns N' Roses - Sweet Child o' Mine
Iconic opening riff defines 80s hard rock
Guns N’ Roses - It's So Easy
Scorching lead work defining 80s hard rock
Heart - Barracuda
Explosive hard rock solo with rapid-fire picking
KISS - Strutter
Energetic hard rock lead with classic seventies attitude
Led Zeppelin - Whole Lotta Love
Heavy, menacing riff defines hard rock era
Mountain - Mississippi Queen
Heavy blues-rock foundation of classic hard rock
Mr. Big - To Be With You
Melodic hard rock solo with smooth bending and phrasing
Quiet Riot - Come on Feel the Noize
Iconic hard rock solo with classic 80s metal shred
Rage Against The Machine - Know Your Enemy
Aggressive, syncopated rhythmic foundation defines RATM
Scorpions - Rock You Like a Hurricane
Explosive hard rock solo with sustained bends and vibrato
Slash - Anastasia
Slash's signature blues-rock lead with bending
The Darkness - I Believe in a Thing Called Love
Energetic lead solo with classic rock swagger
Van Halen - Ain’t Talkin’ ‘Bout Love
Eddie Van Halen's explosive debut signature riff
Velvet Revolver - Slither
Grimy, syncopated riff with blues-rock swagger
Whitesnake - Here I Go Again
Soaring melodic solo with classic rock phrasing
AC/DC - T.N.T.
Iconic hard rock power chord riff with driving rhythm
Aerosmith - Walk This Way
Funky rhythmic groove defines hard rock classic
Bon Jovi - You Give Love a Bad Name
Iconic 80s hard rock solo with soaring melody
Bryan Adams - It's Only Love
Fast, fluid lead solo with precise timing
Deep Purple - Highway Star
Blazing speed, precision, and iconic rock virtuosity
Def Leppard - Bringin' On The Heartbreak & solos
Smooth, melodic solo with fluid bending techniques
Guns N' Roses - Anything Goes
Explosive hard rock solo with technical precision
Guns N’ Roses - It's So Easy
Explosive lead showcase defining 80s hard rock
KISS - Strutter
Driving hard rock rhythm with classic KISS swagger
Led Zeppelin - Heartbreaker
Bluesy bends and sustained notes defining rock
Scorpions - Rock You Like a Hurricane
Scorching lead solo with blistering speed and passion
Slash - Anastasia
Fluid legato runs with blues-rock phrasing mastery
The Darkness - I Believe in a Thing Called Love
Energetic blues-rock solo with classic hard rock flair
Van Halen - Ain’t Talkin’ ‘Bout Love
Eddie Van Halen's signature tapping and vibrato showcase
AC/DC - Back in Black
Iconic blues-rock solo, Angus Young's signature style
Aerosmith - Walk This Way
Funky rhythmic riff defines hard rock swagger
Bon Jovi - Wanted Dead or Alive
Iconic melodic solo with smooth bends and sustain
Def Leppard - Bringin' On The Heartbreak & solos
Smooth legato solo with emotional bending and vibrato
Guns N' Roses - Estranged
Soaring melodic solo with fluid bending technique
Guns N’ Roses - Slash The Godfather
Bluesy pentatonic solo with explosive bending
KISS - Strutter
Classic hard rock solo with driving energy
Led Zeppelin - Heartbreaker
Blazing blues-rock solo with incredible speed and feel
Scorpions - Still Loving You
Melodic legato solo with emotional sustain and bends
Slash - Killing Floor
Explosive lead work showcasing Slash's signature style
Van Halen - Hot for Teacher
Eddie Van Halen's revolutionary tapping technique showcase
AC/DC - Back in Black
Energetic blues-rock lead with signature AC/DC swagger
Aerosmith - Amazing
Bluesy pentatonic solo with expressive bends
Def Leppard - Bringin' On The Heartbreak & solos
Smooth, melodic solo with expressive string bending
Guns N' Roses - Estranged
Melodic solo with soaring bends and emotional expression
KISS - Strutter
Classic hard rock solo with iconic KISS swagger
Led Zeppelin - Heartbreaker
Bluesy, soulful lead with bending mastery
Slash - Killing Floor
Scorching lead work with blistering speed
Van Halen - Jump
Explosive keyboard-like tapping, Van Halen's signature
AC/DC - Hells Bells
Angus Young's bluesy, bending-heavy lead masterpiece
Aerosmith - Crazy
Bluesy pentatonic solo with bending and vibrato
Guns N' Roses - Hard Skool
Explosive solo with rapid-fire picked passages
Led Zeppelin - Rock and Roll
Raw power blues-rock foundation of hard rock
Van Halen - Panama
Explosive tapping solo defining 80s rock virtuosity
AC/DC - Hells Bells
Angus Young's signature bluesy bending outro solo
Aerosmith - Train Kept A-Rollin'
Classic hard rock lead with lightning-fast picking
Guns N' Roses - My Michelle
Explosive lead work defining '80s hard rock sound
Van Halen - Runnin' with the Devil
Eddie Van Halen's explosive tapping and vibrato masterclass
AC/DC - Highway to Hell
Angus Young's blazing pentatonic rock solo masterpiece
Aerosmith - Train Kept A-Rollin'
Blazing pentatonic blues rock classic
Guns N' Roses - Out Ta Get Me
Explosive solo showcasing Slash's technical prowess
Van Halen - Unchained
Finger-tapping masterpiece defines modern rock
AC/DC - It's a Long Way to The Top
Iconic AC/DC lead with signature Angus Young style
Aerosmith - Train Kept A-Rollin'
Fast, aggressive picked riff with classic rock attitude
Guns N' Roses - Rocket Queen
Fluid slide solo with expressive bending and vibrato
Van Halen - You Really Got Me
Explosive tapping and finger vibrato showcase
AC/DC - Moneytalks
Angus Young's bluesy pentatonic solo masterclass
Aerosmith - Train Kept A-Rollin'
Blazing pentatonic run defines classic rock guitar
Guns N' Roses - Rocket Queen
Scorching lead solo with dynamic bending and vibrato
AC/DC - Shoot to Thrill
Blazing lead work defines hard rock excellence
Aerosmith - Walk This Way
Fast-paced blues-rock solo with rapid note sequences
Guns N' Roses - Welcome to the Jungle
Screaming lead solo defining hard rock era
AC/DC - Shot in the Dark
Angus Young's signature blues-rock lead technique
Aerosmith - Walk This Way
Joe Perry's explosive and technically demanding solo
Guns N' Roses - Welcome to the Jungle
Explosive lead work defining hard rock solos
AC/DC - Thunderstruck
Explosive pentatonic runs define hard rock era
Guns N' Roses - You Could Be Mine
Explosive shredding defines hard rock era
AC/DC - Whole Lotta Rosie
Angus Young's bluesy, energetic lead guitar showcase
Guns N' Roses - You Could Be Mine
Explosive solo with whammy bar effects and speed
AC/DC - You Shook Me All Night Long
Angus Young's legendary pentatonic blues rock masterpiece
Guns N' Roses - You Could Be Mine
Explosive shredding finale with signature Slash style
Guns N' Roses - You're Crazy
Slash's expressive bends and lightning-fast runs
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Touch over speed
A great hard rock solo is built on a small scale used really well, so once a solo sits under your fingers, learning the pentatonic shape behind it opens the door to your own lead lines. The expression lives in the bends and vibrato, not the note count, which is why these solos are some of the best teachers of feel. Use the loop to absorb the original phrasing, then improvise your own lines in the same position, focusing on touch and timing rather than speed. That is how a learned solo becomes a vocabulary you can speak in your own playing.