In no particular order,,,,
While My Guitar Gently Weeps, Beatles
25 or 6 to 4, Chicago
Sultans of Swing, Dire Straits
Free Bird, Lynyrd Skynyrd
Stone in Love, Journey
More Than a Feeling, Boston
Bohemian Rhapsody, Queen
California, Eagles
Peter Frampton
Stairway To Heaven, Led Zepplin
Steely Dan
Pink Floyd
My favorite is “Mister Slow Hand, Himself” Eric Clapton!
I assume with most of those you are talking about riffs not solos. And then the list faded. You missed so many actual guitar players and only named bigger bands/songs. Tons of great riffs in that Era. But that was a time when “metal” actually started to expose itself and become a thing. It would be hard to ever talk about a “solo” if you didn’t mention iron maiden. But yes all those other bands had amazing riffs and great music. Early days metal was some of what I still think is the best music ever produced, especially most is low quality recordings. But those radio jams are all awesome as well
Jimmy Hendrix-Machine gun, Voodoo child, All along the watchtower
Carlos Santana-Europa
Ted Nugent-Stranglehold
Eddie Van Halen-Eruption
Most used, recognized riff has to be the intro to “Can’t you hear me knocking” by the Stones.
Wagner & Hunter on the intro to “Sweet Jane” on Lou Reeds Rock & Roll Animal
There really was so much great guitat work at that time, I don’t think I could come up with a list.
Lots of good ones out there, but one you don’t hear about too often:
Robin Trower in songs like Fool and Me, Bridge of Sighs, and others. Check it out if you’ve never heard them.
You cannot make a list and include Gregg Allman/ Dickey Betts on it or Lowell George. You can insert your favorite song.
Riff –
Keith Richards
Sympathy for the Devil – Beggars Banquet
Billy Gibbons from ZZ Top can get r dun also.
Ace of Spades by Motorhead
Great White Buffalo by sweaty uncle Teddy
Jerry Garcia
You cannot make a list and include Gregg Allman/ Dickey Betts
Slight correction…Gregg played keyboards, Duane played guitar
Lynyrd Skynyrd: Free Bird
Duane Allman/Dickie Betts Blue Sky on Eat a Peach
Eric Clapton Let It Rain on Eric Clapton, Also a great bass line, purportedly performed by Steven Stills
Stills is often overlooked, he was great with Buffalo Springfield.
Any Tommy Bolin fans? The James Gang, Deep Purple & an impressive solo career.
Mr. Crowley
You cannot make a list and include Gregg Allman/ Dickey Betts
Slight correction…Gregg played keyboards, Duane played guitar
Correct… Not sure how I messed that one up!!
“Any Tommy Bolin fans? The James Gang, Deep Purple & an impressive solo career”
Tommy Bolin grew up a few blocks from where I currently live here in Sioux City IA. He was definitely ahead of his time. Not my favorite, but a top 10 in my book.
Jimie Hendrix thought much of Billy Gibbons. For my money I love the work Gibbons did in the 70’s. Eric Clapton and Buddy Guy. I never saw Buddy Guy or even new of him til 2000. Once I saw him I thought he was greater than Gibbons or Clapton live from that era. But seeing him so close he could spit on me might have tempered my opinion.
Never saw Allmans. Sad.
To young for skynyrd. Sad
Never went to see Stevie Ray before he died. Big mistake though he might be considered more 80’s since that was when he made his name…..those are my favorites from that era…
Tommy Bolin is pretty good. Johnnie Bolin, Tommy’s brother is the drummer for Black Oak Arkansas, and still alive. I see him around the Sioux City area occasionally. I grew up listening to this stuff. I have a James Gang Miami on vinyl I bought at the local 2nd hand store a couple years ago. Tommy pretty much wrote the entire album, with some help from a few others on some of the tracks. Its plays well. The Billy Cobham Spectrum album is pretty good too, if you like Tommy.
Any Tommy Bolin fans? The James Gang, Deep Purple & an impressive solo career.
[/quote]
Yes, it would be hard to leave Bolin off this list, most people don’t even know of him. Tease and Private Eye’s are 2 really great albums. I too am from Sioux City.
Stylistically different than a lot of the names mentioned, one guitarist from that era is Jeff Beck. His rock fusion phase falls right in the middle of that window. I really liked the live recording of Freeway Jam with Jan Hammer.
I also like Alex Lifeson’s solo on Limelight.
Dunno…. don’t remember much from the smoke years DennyO 
Way different genre, but Roy Clark and Glen Campbell can really pick.
Stylistically different than a lot of the names mentioned, one guitarist from that era is Jeff Beck. His rock fusion phase falls right in the middle of that window. I really liked the live recording of Freeway Jam with Jan Hammer.
I also like Alex Lifeson’s solo on Limelight.
Yes, Jeff Beck! I feel like a moron for not thinking of him.
There are so many but I honestly believe that Hendrix is about the best to ever pick up a guitar. Would’ve enjoyed hearing him grow and expand based on how prolific he was by the age of 27.
The best thing about these threads is they get me back into some great music I haven’t played in quite some time! 
Iron Butterfly In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida, and the fact Z99 still plays this regularly always makes me
Little before this time frame, but Johnny B Goode by Chuck Berry was one of the OG’s.
Too funny, just thinking this very thing on the ride home from spending a Cabelas gift card.
Jeff Beck
Carlos Santana
Jimmy Page
Mark Knopfler
Eric Clapton
best ever.
BTW Ted Nugent- Hibernation on Double Live Gonzo about 6.5 minutes in – phenomenal cranked ( must be from seeing him live at the Iowa jam in the 80″s) Watching him now on his “hunting ” show just makes me smile
Lots of good ones mentioned so far.
One of my favorites is actually a whole album:
Albert King and Stevie Ray Vaughn In Session
Great guitar work by both of them
I have two Bolin albums – good stuff
Little Wing by Derrick and the Dominos
You must be logged in to reply to this topic.
