10 Greatest Rock Guitar Solos Of The 90s
6. Paranoid Android - Radiohead
If Nirvana's Nevermind announced the arrival of the '90s, Radiohead's OK Computer put a fine bow on the back half of the decade. While there would definitely be some great music that came out after 1997, this was the last great event record that made everyone stand and take note of where the future of rock was headed. And while Paranoid Android has a lot to do with that, Jonny Greenwood really showed himself to be a musical madman once the solo kicks in.
Since the actual song is about a man who might be on the edge of losing his sanity, the guitar solo feels like being taken on a rollercoaster ride of emotions, as Jonny reaches the highest frets of the guitar and bends them until they're practically begging for mercy. When he actually gets around to playing melodies, the whole thing almost feels like it's on the same level of sanity as Thom Yorke's singing style.
Though all of the notes are definitely in the right place, there's something about the actual construction of the solo that feels like it's about to crash, as if an algorithm is spitting out as many notes as possible before we undergo a complete system failure. So if anything, Jonny managed to make a solo so chaotic and messy that is was able to fit the song title perfectly.