Top 10 Greatest Guitar Shredding Masterpieces

Your ears ever been set on fire by six strings moving faster than your brain can register? That's what this list is about. Not solos that "sound nice" or riffs that get stuck in your head. This is for the full-blown, neck-snapping, fretboard-melting chaos where guitarists push their instruments and probably their finger joints beyond the limits of sanity.

Some of these tracks feel like they're channeling thunder through a Marshall stack. Others sound like alien transmissions filtered through a wah pedal. What they all share is a level of technical skill so ridiculous it makes the rest of us wonder why we even bother pretending to know scales.

You get to decide which ones rise to the top. The voting isn't just a popularity contest. It's a battle of blistering solos, impossible arpeggios, and harmonics that could wake the dead. Cast your vote for the ones that leave your jaw on the floor and your fingers aching in sympathy.

The Top Ten

  1. Miles of Machines - Jeff Loomis

    When somebody can create such a truly masterful guitar solo, it makes you wonder how Jeff Loomis is so underappreciated in the overall music world. One of the most skillful guitarists I have ever heard.

    This is some of the best guitar shredding I've ever heard. It features an insane neo-classical guitar riff by Jeff Loomis, one of the best, if not the greatest, modern guitarists!

  2. Rising Force - Yngwie J. Malmsteen

    Nice interplay between the guitar and keyboards, i.e., between Malmsteen and Jens Johansson - two of the greatest pioneers ever of their respective instruments.

  3. Tornado of Souls - Megadeth

    As good as they say Dave Mustaine is, in my opinion, Marty Friedman is just a step above in technical proficiency. This is demonstrated in this fast, highly skilled solo - one of the best guitar solos of all time!

    An extremely epic solo from the awesome former lead guitarist of Megadeth, Marty Friedman. This solo will never be beaten by any other Megadeth guitarist (maybe Dave).

  4. Eruption - Van Halen

  5. Altitudes - Jason Becker

    This was the first shredding song that actually gave me chills. I could understand and feel each note. It wasn't just fast playing for the sake of speed.

    I still remember listening to it for the first time - it took me to another level of consciousness and still does every time.

    Best instrumental ever. Much better than commercial songs by Joe Satriani and Steve Vai, such as Surfing with the Alien and For the Love of God.

    Hard to believe he was just 19 at that time! Altitudes is considered one of the best songs featuring sweep picking.

  6. Glasgow Kiss - John Petrucci

    The intro features a really catchy guitar riff, followed by great soloing throughout!

  7. Surfing with the Alien - Joe Satriani

    This is a hard rock guitar classic. It has solid and groovy guitar riffing and soloing by Satch. This really started (or at least expanded) the genre of instrumental rock.

    This is the guy who turned me into a guitar-loving soloist. Easily the perfect guitarist.

  8. Snakebite - Racer X

    The killer riff at the beginning of this song is backed up by a high-speed, highly skilled solo by Paul Gilbert. He really gives it his all in this song.

  9. Soothsayer - Buckethead

    This has to be my favorite Buckethead track.

  10. For the Love of God - Steve Vai

    A masterful achievement in guitar playing. It starts off slowly, then gradually builds up to the climax in the middle of the song.

    11. The Newcomers
  11. ?

    Playing with Fire - Impellitteri

  12. ?

    Saved by a Miracle - Vinnie Moore

    13. The Contenders

  13. The Glass Prison - Dream Theater

    Awesome technical guitar shredding in the intro and in the instrumental section at the end of the song by Petrucci.

  14. No Boundaries - Michael Angelo Batio

    He's going to give you the keys to the Lamborghini!

  15. Far Beyond the Sun - Yngwie J. Malmsteen

    When I saw the tabs, oh my God! What is this? If I had ten fingers more, I still wouldn't be able to play the solo. This fret to that fret, that fret to that fret. It's not only the chords, even the strumming is very fast, especially after the bending.

  16. La Villa Strangiato - Rush

  17. Through the Fire and Flames - DragonForce

  18. Escape Velocity - Jeff Loomis

    More insane guitar shredding from Loomis, proving he is just as capable, if not more so, outside of Nevermore.

  19. Alexander the Great - Iron Maiden

  20. Dark Matter - Rusty Cooley

  21. Master of Puppets - Metallica

  22. Savage - Cacophony

  23. The Four Horsemen - Metallica

  24. Under the Influence - Rusty Cooley

  25. Gates of Babylon - Rainbow

  26. Heartbreaker - Led Zeppelin

  27. Guti (The Finale) - Aurthohin

    This song's solos include:

    - Fast hammer-ons and pull-offs

    - Fast alternate picking

    - Sweep picking

    - Tapping

    - Legatos

    - String skipping

    I am not considering bending and vibratos, but it has everything a shredding solo needs.

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