Top 10 Songs with the Best Kirk Hammett Solos

The Top Ten
1 Fade to Black

A classic solo. Kirk may not be the most technical guitarist, but he is the best at playing with emotion.

It's beautiful and it's a long solo. Totally great. My second favorite is "One."

Easily his most emotional solo, but why isn't Jump in the Fire in here?

2 One

I love Fade to Black, but this is the solo that made me take up guitar and is my personal favorite, so it gets my vote.

This solo is the greatest example of what the job of a lead guitarist is... Kirk leads the band through to the end.

Fade to Black solo blows everyone away but this ONE... It is a sin to compare it... It is the ultimate solo of Metallica.

3 Ride the Lightning

Killer riff by Hetfield for Hammett to build off of, and then the full step up modulation increases the intensity before entering what I call the "electrocution" part of the solo. Masterful, beautiful, timeless.

Epic solo. This is better than One and Fade to Black, I swear.

Epic. Probably the solo that most inspired new players.

4 Master of Puppets

This is probably the most unexpected solo you'll ever hear from a band, not to mention a thrash metal band. Seriously, it goes from fret masturbation to nice and slow.

The best thing about this solo is that it is placed so well in the song. Definitely my favorite.

My fingers hurt after this solo.

5 Wherever I May Roam
6 Creeping Death

This may not be his fastest or most technical solo because that is the solo in Dyers Eve. But it is his best written-out solo, which is why it ranks above it in my opinion.

Great solo, fast, aggressive but melodic at the end just to become the intro of one of the greatest bridges of metal history.

7 The Judas Kiss

This should be number 1. The solo is absolutely brilliant.

8 Welcome Home (Sanitarium)
9 Dyers Eve
10 Enter Sandman

Awesome solo, tons of wah action and some whammy bar at the end.

The Contenders
11 The Unforgiven

This is that one solo. The solo I always look forward to listening to. This is clearly Kirk's best work. James was at the pinnacle of his vocals in the song. Needs to be at 1.

While it may not be his most technical solo, it carries a lot of emotion and therefore needs to be higher.

12 Blackened
13 The Call of Ktulu

Masterpiece. Nothing more to say. I could indeed use this solo to summon Cthulhu.

Should be #1. He uses almost every fret and goes from slow to insane.

14 Damage, Inc.
15 The Four Horsemen
16 The Day That Never Comes

Yeah! This is just brilliant.

Fade to Black solo is awesome too.

I also love the solos in all the Unforgivens, Unforgiven 3 being the best.

17 The Frayed Ends of Sanity
18 Battery
19 ...And Justice for All

My favorite ones are... And Justice For All, One, Fade To Black, To Live Is To Die, Ride The Lightning, Master Of Puppets, Creeping Death, Disposable Heroes makes me cry but this one is one I will never forget ever!

20 Bleeding Me

How has this masterpiece been missed?

21 Disposable Heroes
22 Fuel
23 2 x 4
24 Orion
25 The Shortest Straw
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