Favorite Guitar Solo

Tough to do, but I think that this is a pretty decent Top 10:

10. Megadeth, "Tornado of Souls" (Marty Friedman) - The most iconic metal guitar solo and a teenage fave of mine.
9. Iron Maiden, "Alexander the Great" (Dave Murray) - Two gorgeous melodic solos back to back, and a rare case where Dave outshines Adrian.
8. Bruce Dickinson, "Omega" (Roy Z/Adrian Smith) - Two awesome back to back solos that then merge into one of the coolest dual guitar solos ever.
7. Slayer, "Seasons in the Abyss" (Kerry King/Jeff Hanneman) - For a couple guys more famous for their famous chaotic solos, they really dialed the fuck in with this one. Glorious playing.
6. Judas Priest, "Painkiller" (Glenn Tipton) - Screaming guitar from the soul. Who wouldn't play air guitar when it's on?
5. Meat Loaf, "Bat Out of Hell" (Todd Rundgren) - The motorcycle solo is awesome, but I prefer the intro solo that turns into a screaming double guitar motif. Beautiful.
4. Bruce Dickinson, "King in Crimson" (Roy Z/Adrian Smith) - At first I just had H's solo down, but honestly it only works as well as it does with Roy'z solo before it. Fantastic back to back screamers.
3. Iron Maiden, "Aces High" (Dave Murray/Adrian Smith) - Works in a similar way to the previous solo, but here neither guitarist outshines the other. Two awesome, frenetic solos that back to back turn into one awesome whole.
2. Boston, "Hitch a Ride" (Tom Scholz) - The GOAT of outro solos. A really cool song turns into a perfect one with a fucking journey of an ending. Just stunning.
1. Iron Maiden, "Stranger in a Strange Land" (Adrian Smith) - Took me years to fully appreciate it, but this has been my favorite guitar solo for a while now. There is something so stunning about the way it completely transforms its track, the way H is almost playing the same structure twice, but the first part is cautious where the second one explodes, the way it reaches its peaks beautifully; it's just so good.

I'm sure I've forgotten something but ah well.
 
I'll throw out some that I love:

Wilderun - O Resolution!
Great very simple solo after a fake ending, it's really just one melodic line but it's so tasteful. Very similar thing on The Unimaginable Zero Summer. Barely solos but who cares.

Carcass - Carnal Forge
Both of the main solos are amazing though I always think about the second one and the buildup bar hypes me up.

Nevermore - The River Dragon Has Come
Gives me goosebumps, it's so laser focused and that's even further accentuated by the other instruments lowering profile.

Devin Townsend - Deep Peace
You can hear how it's meticulously crafted and that's half the joy of the solo, he really nailed it here.

Pantera - 10's
Perfect and gut-wrenching solo, kind of overshadowed by Floods but I think I like this one (even) more. 10/10

Between the Buried and Me - Ants of the Sky
The whole song is a wild ride, but when those first notes of the solo after the climax hit... And then the hoedown solo after it... The last minutes of this song are one of the greatest tricks I've heard pulled off in music.

Diesel 11 said:
1. Iron Maiden, "Stranger in a Strange Land" (Adrian Smith) - Took me years to fully appreciate it, but this has been my favorite guitar solo for a while now. There is something so stunning about the way it completely transforms its track, the way H is almost playing the same structure twice, but the first part is cautious where the second one explodes, the way it reaches its peaks beautifully; it's just so good.
Click to expand...
This is probably the Maiden solo for me too for the reasons you said. It really rocks. It makes me think of the Octavarium outro solo (which 100% makes it into the list), obviously Octavarium doesn't have the dynamic shift, but the harmonic progression from the dark start to that breaking point in the middle of the solo where it becomes more triumphant is a similar idea.
 
Off the top of my head:

Iron Maiden - ''Aces High''/''Caught Somewhere In Time''/''Alexander The Great''/''Different World''/''Darkest Hour''(Adrian)/''Prowler''(Dave)/''The Alchemist''(Janick)
- memorable solos.

Bruce Dickinson - ''Tears Of The Dragon''
- one of the best structured solos ever.

Judas Priest - ''Panikiller''
- that's how shredding is done.

Accept - ''Head Over Heels''
- melody is everything.

Dio - ''Don't Talk To Strangers''
- clever use of licks.

KISS - ''Tears Are Falling''
- so melancholic.

Grave Digger - ''Haunted Palace''
- cool phrases.

Rainbow - ''Stargazer''
- the solo is a whole trip, what an epic idea.

AC/DC - ''Whole Lotta Rosie''
- pure fast rock.

Attick Demons - ''City Of Golden Gates''
- a singable solo.
 
Diesel 11 said:
Tough to do, but I think that this is a pretty decent Top 10:

10. Megadeth, "Tornado of Souls" (Marty Friedman) - The most iconic metal guitar solo and a teenage fave of mine.
9. Iron Maiden, "Alexander the Great" (Dave Murray) - Two gorgeous melodic solos back to back, and a rare case where Dave outshines Adrian.
8. Bruce Dickinson, "Omega" (Roy Z/Adrian Smith) - Two awesome back to back solos that then merge into one of the coolest dual guitar solos ever.
7. Slayer, "Seasons in the Abyss" (Kerry King/Jeff Hanneman) - For a couple guys more famous for their famous chaotic solos, they really dialed the fuck in with this one. Glorious playing.
6. Judas Priest, "Painkiller" (Glenn Tipton) - Screaming guitar from the soul. Who wouldn't play air guitar when it's on?
5. Meat Loaf, "Bat Out of Hell" (Todd Rundgren) - The motorcycle solo is awesome, but I prefer the intro solo that turns into a screaming double guitar motif. Beautiful.
4. Bruce Dickinson, "King in Crimson" (Roy Z/Adrian Smith) - At first I just had H's solo down, but honestly it only works as well as it does with Roy'z solo before it. Fantastic back to back screamers.
3. Iron Maiden, "Aces High" (Dave Murray/Adrian Smith) - Works in a similar way to the previous solo, but here neither guitarist outshines the other. Two awesome, frenetic solos that back to back turn into one awesome whole.
2. Boston, "Hitch a Ride" (Tom Scholz) - The GOAT of outro solos. A really cool song turns into a perfect one with a fucking journey of an ending. Just stunning.
1. Iron Maiden, "Stranger in a Strange Land" (Adrian Smith) - Took me years to fully appreciate it, but this has been my favorite guitar solo for a while now. There is something so stunning about the way it completely transforms its track, the way H is almost playing the same structure twice, but the first part is cautious where the second one explodes, the way it reaches its peaks beautifully; it's just so good.

I'm sure I've forgotten something but ah well.
Click to expand...
Glenn tipton on painkiller is a superb solo. And yes the duet on aces high is pure magic.

I like a lot roy z on tears of the dragon (scream for me)
and many others guitar players
 
A few of the most memorable ones by my favorite guitarists:

Dave Murray's "The Trooper" solo.
Janick Gers' Blood Brothers
Adrian Smith's Stranger in a Strange Land
Glenn Tipton's "Beyond the Realms of Death" - this one might be my favorite solo ever.
KK Downing's Grinder
Joe Satriani's The Extremist
Yngwie Malmsteen's I am a Viking
Ritchie Blackmore's Highway Star
 
Adrian Smith - Caught Somewhere in Time
Dave Murray - Powerslave (both)
Janick Gers - Blood Brothers
Randy Rhoades - Mr Crowley
Jake E. Lee - Bark at the Moon
Brian Robertson - Still in Love with You (Live and Dangerous)
Gary Moore - Out in the Fields
Ritchie Blackmore - Highway Star (Made in Japan)
Michael Schenker - Rock Bottom (Strangers in the Night)
Uli Roth - Sails of Charon
Eddie Van Halen - Hot for Teacher
Glenn Tipton - Painkiller
Marty Friedman - Tornado of Souls

Honourable mention for Al Pitrelli - Dread and the Fugitive Mind, he's not one of my favourites, and they are clearly trying to recreate the vibe of Tornado of Souls but it's still great

These are the off the top of my head ones
 
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Megadeth - Tornado Of Souls
Avenged Sevenfold - Coming Home
Dokken - The Hunter
Ozzy Osbourne - Bark At The Moon
Tesla - Love Song (my ringtone!)
X Japan - Endless Rain
Testament - Native Blood
Mercenary - Isolation
Guns N' Roses - Don't Cry
Pantera - The Sleep

Maiden:

Rainmaker
Powerslave
Seventh Son Of A Seventh Son
The Trooper
The Loneliness Of The Long Distance Runner
Rime Of The Ancient Mariner
The Final Frontier
Different World
Speed Of Light
Alexander The Great
 
Tornado of Souls never did it for me. Its mediocre to these ears. I don't care about the technicality of it, it just doesn't enhance the song for me and even diminishes it, it feels pasted in, utterly forgettable. The riff before the verse before the chorus is way more memorable. Absolutely nowhere the sonic beauty of most of the Maiden ones mentioned here that enhance their songs, add drama, light and shade. So there.

Anyway, I don't have a list but 2 non Maiden solos that spring immediately to mind are...

Bon Jovi - Dry County

Rick Springfield - Jessie's Girl
 
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