10 Greatest Hard Rock Guitar Solos Of All Time
2. Highway Star - Deep Purple
In the early days of heavy metal, the prospective rock guitarist had many idols to look up to, from the intensity of Black Sabbath's Tony Iommi to the riff machine that is Jimmy Page. Even with both of those guitarists providing landmark moments for the six-string, Ritchie Blackmore was the one musician who took the hard rock guitar sound to unforeseen places.
Originally started as a joke to amuse themselves, Deep Purple's "Highway Star" quickly blossomed into a full-blown instrumental showcase. The main rhythm of the song is difficult in and of itself, with Blackmore's precise downstrokes leaving many guitarists clamoring for ice after playing. Though Blackmore was known to improvise his lead breaks most of the time, he carefully composed this solo with influences from classical music.
The first section is an absolute headtrip, with Blackmore playing two guitar parts in close harmony, leaving many to wonder which one to follow when actually learning the tune. Once the harmony stops though, Blackmore practically makes his guitar airborne, playing through arpeggios that seem to be inspired by the strings of an orchestra.
There were many blues guitarists around at the time, but "Highway Star" was the one tune that presented hard rock by way of Mozart. Artists like Randy Rhoads and Yngwie Malmsteen were surely taking notes.