10 Best Grunge Guitar Solos

10. The One I Love - R.E.M.

R.E.M. always seemed to be the one band right on the fringes of the grunge movement. While they were making some of the best alternative rock around long before any of the Seattle genre came to fruition, they settled gracefully into superstardom once everything went nuclear. Though they switched things up on albums like Automatic for the People and Monster, The One I Love showed they at least had a clue as to what the whole Seattle scene was about.

Set in a lowdown minor key, this is the same kind of midtempo emotional powerhouse that would become the bread and butter for artists like Nirvana and Pearl Jam. Even with Michael Stipe's unmistakable voice echoing through the fray, the real musical hit comes from Peter Buck's guitar break. In what can only be described as an anti solo, Buck uses his Rickenbacker to make a chiming sound reminiscent of acts like the Byrds while also paying tribute to fellow alternative act the Smiths.

Despite not doing anything too flashy per se, this is the kind of solo that informed the next generation going forward, as Buck adds just the right sonic texture needed to send the song over the top. However, this was just the tip of the iceberg for new and exciting performances later down the line.