[2025] A Collection of Classic Western Songs with Cool Guitar Solos

Purple HazeThe Jimi Hendrix Experience

The Jimi Hendrix Experience – Purple Haze (Live at the Atlanta Pop Festival)

It’s a single released by the Jimi Hendrix Experience in 1967, a masterpiece brimming with the psychedelic vibe of the ’60s.

It’s also famous for featuring the phrase known as the “Hendrix chord,” devised by the guitar god himself.

The solo, played with his signature Octavia effect, is filled with a distinctly psychedelic, floating sensation.

Hendrix often used a style where he adds embellishments while holding down chords, so it’s interesting to listen to the vocal sections with that in mind as well.

Highway StarDeep Purple

Deep Purple – Highway Star 1972 Video HQ

It’s one of Deep Purple’s signature songs, standing alongside classics like “Smoke on the Water” and “Burn.” There must be guitar kids all over the world who’ve tried to copy this track.

Beyond its innovative use of J.

S.

Bach–inspired chord progressions that bring in classical elements, the guitar solo—firing off sixteenth-note phrases with full picking—is insanely cool.

Every passage you pick out serves as a model for rock guitar, so it’s no wonder it shows up in most instruction books.

Cause We’ve Ended as LoversJeff Beck

Cause We’ve Ended as Lovers

Jeff Beck, one of the three great rock guitarists alongside Eric Clapton and Jimmy Page.

This track is a slow instrumental number from his classic 1975 solo album Blow by Blow.

Originally a ballad provided by Stevie Wonder, Beck’s unique interpretation—packed with diverse techniques—transforms it into an innovative instrumental version.

While the piece invites you to savor Beck’s playing throughout, the dramatically weeping melody truly suits the Japanese title “Cause We’ve Ended as Lovers.”

While My Guitar Gently WeepsThe Beatles

The Beatles – While My Guitar Gently Weeps

The Beatles, who had a tremendous impact on pop music.

They’ve produced countless classic songs, but many people might not associate them with guitar solos.

For those people, I recommend While My Guitar Gently Weeps.

As it happens, the lead guitar part on this track is played by George Harrison’s friend Eric Clapton.

Perhaps because of that, the song features a particularly impactful guitar solo.

CrossroadsCream

Crossroads

This is a signature song by Cream, the supergroup that brought together legendary players Jack Bruce, Eric Clapton, and Ginger Baker.

The performance, in which three highly skilled musicians clash without yielding an inch within the band ensemble, had a tremendous impact on later bands.

Rooted in the blues and infused with a harder edge, the flowing guitar solo is among Eric Clapton’s most celebrated performances.

SomethingThe Beatles

The Beatles – Something

A four-piece rock band that has had an immense influence on artists around the world and is still loved as a legend today, the Beatles.

This song, included on their 12th album Abbey Road, won the Ivor Novello Award for Best Song in 1970.

The guitar solo, set against a string-featured backing, never pushes too far to the front, yet its lyrical phrases are deeply moving.

Crafted by George Harrison, the guitar solo uses few notes to bring out the song’s fullest color—an undeniable masterpiece whose enduring legacy is easy to understand.

Smells Like Teen SpiritNirvana

Nirvana – Smells Like Teen Spirit (Official Music Video)

Even people who aren’t very familiar with rock will probably think of this all-time classic when they hear the name Nirvana.

The raw, power-chord-driven intro riff is the most memorable part of the song, but the guitar solo that traces the melody also has a deeply appealing character.

It’s a technique that could easily feel cheap, but precisely because the underlying melody is so brilliant, the solo ends up fitting for a historic masterpiece.