Cinema and music are practically inseparable. Most films have a score of some kind — even silent movies have soundtracks to play over the moving images. Some ofthe greatest movie scores ever madeare so good that you’re able to listen to them outside the context of the film itself, and many (like the one for “Jaws”) are often parodied and paid homage to throughout popular culture. However, a particular subsection of music has a particular amount of character: the solo. There are plenty of good ones from a variety of instruments, from all the tremendous saxophone improvisations from 1988’sBirdto Ron Burgundy’s flute solo inAnchorman.
The guitar is probably the instrument that will get audiences most excited. The solo is a time when the musician can really let loose, anda great guitar solo can elevate a song to new emotional heights. This freedom of expression can come in the form of anything from an extremely fast display of ’80s-style shredding to a more minimalist but nonetheless effective approach. The best solos are usually more than just someone playing fast, and they don’t even need to have any other instruments playing with them. For all the rockers out there,the best guitar solos in movies run the gamutfrom sounding cool and being funny to significantlyimpacting the plot, showing character development, and fitting seamlesslyin with the film’s narrative.
10Rufus’s Solo
‘Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure’ (1989)
This is one of those short and sweet solos that doesn’t need a song to go with it. InBill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure, Ted (Keanu Reeves) asks Rufus (George Carlin) if he knows how to play. Rufus modestly says that he knows “a little” and then proceeds to solo on an electric guitar like it’s nobody’s business. This guy clearly puts in his practice, as he’s able to do all of this in front of several others (which might make others so nervous that they mess up).
Acclaimed comedian George Carlin clearly isn’t the one shredding here (that credit goes toStevie Salas), as the camera cuts between a shot of the guitar and a shot of Rufus’s face. No matter;that solo still looks awesome. It lasts less than thirty seconds, but that’s all you need to impress your buddies. After he’s done, Ted exclaims, “Most outstanding, Rufus!” Outstanding indeed. It’s a moment that helps make this one ofthe best sci-fi comedies of all timeand demonstrates that solos can be funny and impressive at the same time.
Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure
9Nigel’s spinning solo
‘This Is Spinal Tap’ (1984)
This Is Spinal Tapis easily one ofthe best satires of all timebecause it contains so many of the funniest rock-n-roll moments in cinema. One of them has to be Nigel’s (Christopher Guest) solo when he’s wearing the black-and-white-striped shirt and lets himself fall backward onto the stage floor. He continues to play on the ground, trying to look cool but realizing that he can’t spin on the ground the way he wants to. So he motions for one of the employees to literally drag him in a circle and then pick him back up.
This solo is kind of a mess, which is the point.Much more amusing than impressive, this scene wonderfullymakes fun of the rockers who prioritize looking the part over sounding good. It’s all the more hilarious because of the spectacle, with all the other band members hardly playing any better. Of course, the crowd loves it, and so do we. Even forty years after its release,This is Spinal Tapstill reigns asthe greatest mockumentary of them all.
This is Spinal Tap
8Chong’s Ridiculously Loud Solo
‘Cheech and Chong’s Next Movie’ (1980)
Cheech and Chong’s Next Moviemay not be as good as its predecessor,Up in Smoke, but it does have a hell of a loud solo. Chong (Tommy Chong) unknowingly terrorizes the neighborhood by playing at a higher volume than human beings are meant to hear. Then he briefly goes into what sounds like the riff to Jimi Hendrix’s “Foxy Lady” and returns to doing his own thing.He’s got skills, no doubt,but he also needs to be stopped.
It’s funny to see people cover their ears and fall to the ground as if ducking for cover under attack. We also see people running away, a child trying to continue their piano lesson, and a dog putting its paws on its head. Cheech (Cheech Marin) heroically makes his way to Chong so he can shut off the amp, which proves exceptionally difficult. The way he struggles to the front door makes it look like a gust of wind is blowing him back. Overall, the comic effect is strong enough to make it on this list.
Cheech & Chong’s Next Movie
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7The climactic solo
‘Freaky Friday’ (2003)
Near the end of 2003’sFreaky Friday, Anna (Lindsay Lohan) and her mother, Tess (Jamie Lee Curtis), are still in the wrong bodies. Unfortunately for them, it’s time for Anna’s competition at the House of Blues with her band, Pink Slip. In her daughter’s body, Tess is so obviously clueless that Anna rushes backstage to unplug the main guitar. She then gets a guitar for herself and plugs that one in just in time to perform the solo. It redeems the performance in the eyes of the audience, and it sounds really good, too.
Props to Jamie Lee Curtis forlearning how to play the guitarso that it could look like she’s the one performing the solo we hear.It’s heartwarming to see mother and daughter working togetherto make sure Anna’s band can do well in the competition, and the scene builds up to the surprise solo very well. It’s also hilarious to watch Tess pretending to play. Combining humor with pathos, surprise, and solid punk rock, this solo helps make this one ofthe best body-swap movies ever.
Freaky Friday
6Zack Mooneyham’s Concert Solo
‘School of Rock’ (2003)
The climax inSchool of Rockis so satisfying, as Dewey (one ofJack Black’s most iconic roles) and the class get to perform the song that Zack (Joey Gaydos Jr.) himself wrote. There are two fun solos in it, Dewey’s and Zack’s, but the better one is Zack’s for several reasons. First of all, this is Zack’s song, and it’s good to see that Dewey was selfless enough to decide they would perform this kid’s work.
Structurally, since Zack’s solo comes second,there is a greater build-up to it. Dewey’s is solid, but it’s more like an in-between kind of thing.Zack’s solo has a more definitive feel to itand gives Dewey the confidence to go for a crowd surf. If it weren’t for the kids' performances, including Zack’s, Dewey wouldn’t have been able to pull that off. Viewers also catch a glimpse of Zack’s father accepting a compliment about his son’s performance. As Mr. Mooneyham had disapproved of rock up until this point, this solo feels all the more victorious.
School of Rock
5Prince’s Purple Rain Solo
‘Purple Rain’ (1984)
Prince’sPurple Rainwas a big hitupon its release, and the “Purple Rain” scene is surely one of the reasons why. It’s another one of the rare examples where a guitar solo occurs in a totally non-comedic context. For that to work, the lead-up has to be dramatic enough for the audience to feel the emotional stakes, and the execution can’t be over-the-top. As the film’s box office would indicate, this story fulfills both criteria with flying colors (mostly purple, though).
In the wake of his father’s attempted suicide, The Kid puts on a performance that feels like it comes from the heart. The song was composed just earlier that day, making it all the more personal and unique to his current emotional state. Of course, given this is Prince,his improvisation skill elevates the song to another level. This is the kind of solo that doesn’t rely on going as fast as possible; it takes its time, and the results speak for themselves. It’s no wonder that the crowd cheers him back onstage.
Purple Rain
4Marty’s “Johnny B. Goode” Solo
‘Back to the Future’ (1985)
Back to the Futureis famous for many reasons, and that guitar solo near the end is one. After successfully getting his parents together, Marty (Michael J. Fox) playsChuck Berry’s “Johnny B. Goode” before the song has even come out. Everyone loves it, but then he goes off on a guitar solo that’s so far ahead of its time that no one understands it. He just starts shredding as if they’re playing a Van Halen song, and it’s hilarious to watch everyone stop playing and dancing.
It’s not just the style that’s ahead of the times; the way he carries himself is anachronistic, too. Playing the guitar behind his back, sliding across the floor on his knees, kicking the guitar amp—he totally goes off the rails. After he notices he’s lost the audience, Marty tells them that their kids will love what he just played, which adds even more to the comedy. This iconic solo isa hallmark of theBack to the Futurefranchiseand helps make this first installment atime travel movie that’s absolutely perfect.
Back to the Future
3The Dueling Banjos
‘Deliverance’ (1972)
Deliveranceis about four Atlanta businessmen who travel to a remote area of the state for some camping. The most famous scene takes place at a gas station: Drew (Ronny Cox) starts playing the guitar, and a kid (Billy Redden) on a porch nearby copies him on the banjo. They’re playing the beginning of “Dueling Banjos” while Drew’s buddies have trouble communicating with the people nearby. The two players start slow, but soon, they play much more quickly.Technically, it becomes a banjo solo, but close enough; this scene is too iconic not to mention.
As much as they were unable to communicate with words, everyone here was able to enjoy the song. The boy is especially fast, and Drew can’t keep up with him. This might just come across asa brief moment where city and country folk can get along, but it also functions as a profound moment of foreshadowing. What starts as a song that’s simple to follow becomes totally chaotic and too much for the guitarist to handle — much like this trip.
Deliverance
2SpongeBob’s “I’m a Goofy Goober” Solo
‘The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie’ (2004)
One ofthe greatest Nicktoonsreleased its first and best movie in 2004:The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie. In the climax, SpongeBob, who is trying to prove that he is a man throughout the film, finally embraces being a kid. More to the point, he announces himself as a Goofy Goober. Thus begins an epic spin on Twisted Sister’s 1984 hit “I Wanna Rock,” whichNickelodeon paidDee Sniderlots of moneyto sing as “Goofy Goober Rock.”
SpongeBob then explodes into a ferocious guitar solo that single-handedly destroys all the Chum Bucket helmets with a powerful blue beam. This solo saves Bikini Bottom, but it’s also woven perfectly together with the scene’s action and includes peakSpongeBob SquarePantshumor. It’s great to see Patrick cheer from the crowd, and Plankton’s exclamation,“His chops are too righteous!“is absolutely hilarious. Storytelling and rock combine fora truly classic display of improvisation.
The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie
1The final duel
‘Crossroads’ (1986)
In the climax of 1986’sCrossroads, young Eugene Martone (Ralph Macchio) faces off against Jack Butler (played by guitar legendSteve Vai) to get Willie Brown’s (Joe Seneca) soul back from the devil. With Eugene’s soul on the line as well, the stakes are just as high as the level of improvisation the audience is about to hear. There is so much to love about this sequence: the fact that both guys are playing in front of a large crowd, the dramatic build-up, the difference between Jack Butler’s aggressive showmanship and Eugene’s more reserved demeanor, the fact that their solos are in conversation with one another, etc.
The guitar duel itself goes on for about 7 minutes, but it has so many different sections with different playing styles that it doesn’t feel too long at all. It’s so deeply embedded in the narrative, the direction, and the performances that it doesn’t even need dialogue. Others even join in to accompany them, and Eugene surprisingly transitions from playing slide blues to classical music. The virtuosic performances here combine with the storytelling to create what arehands-down the best guitar solos (counted here as one) in movie history.
