10 Greatest Guitar Solos Of The '70s

Any creator of art knows the importance of having an arc within the confines of your work. No matter what kind of medium you decide to work in, it's always better to take the listener on a journey rather than just distract them for a few minutes. Usually a journey like that is meant for movies, but Led Zeppelin managed to take that epic structure into the rock world.

Starting off as a simple guitar riff from Jimmy Page, "Stairway to Heaven" ended up becoming a bigger piece of music than anyone could have imagined, complete with operatic sounding sections from Robert Plant and some of the most tasteful drum fills from John Bonham. That type of foundation required one hell of a solo, but no one needed to worry once Jimmy Page took to the studio floor. Recorded in one continuous take, Page's guitar solo goes in and out of different scales while staying rooted in the blues tradition he made with the Yardbirds.

Though this solo may seem a bit basic for some guitar virtuosos, the way Page puts together certain musical themes in place ends up sounding like the music is being beamed in from both Heaven and Hell at the same time. For a song all about rising from your Earthly life, this one guitar solo is the sonic equivalent of leaving your body and floating into the great beyond.