10 Amazing Blues Rock Guitar Solos

Amazing guitar solos came to life when blues rock reached its peak in the 1960s. The alchemy of an electric guitar and a cranked-up amplifier created a mesmerizing sound that could transport listeners into a transcendent state. Artists like Jimi Hendrix, Stevie Ray Vaughan, and Eric Clapton were apostles of the style, elevating blues rock to a level that often felt spiritual. This collection of ten remarkable solos highlights the grit, soul, and fire that make the genre timeless.

“Crossroads” – Cream

“Crossroads” appeared on Cream’s third album, Wheels of Fire, released in the U.S. in June 1968. The track is a reimagining of Robert Johnson’s blues classic “Cross Road Blues,” recorded live at the Winterland Ballroom in San Francisco on March 10, 1968. Eric Clapton’s two scorching solos showcase his extraordinary guitar mastery, and when released as a single, the song climbed to #28 on the Billboard Hot 100.

“Lie To Me” – Jonny Lang

Lie To Me was Jonny Lang’s second studio album, released in 1997, the day before his 16th birthday. The title track quickly became one of his most recognizable songs. Recorded in 1996, the album showcased Lang’s remarkable vocal maturity and guitar skills. His ability to blend blues, rock, and R&B with soulful intensity and technical prowess far exceeded his years. A true blues prodigy, Lang performed with a depth of emotion and experience well beyond his age. Unfortunately, he has not performed since 2019 due to a medical issue affecting his vocals.

“A Million Miles Away” – Rory Gallagher 

“A Million Miles Away” first appeared on Gallagher’s 1973 release Tattoo and later as a live version on the double album Irish Tour ’74. The performance was filmed in 16mm Eastman Color, with the audio synchronized using the Rolling Stones’ mobile studio, which captured it on 16-track analog tape. Directed by Tony Palmer, the film documents Gallagher’s 1974 tour of Ireland, which took place during one of the most turbulent periods of the Troubles in Northern Ireland. This particular video comes from the Cork City Hall concert on January 5, 1974, where Gallagher delivered a deeply personal and passionate performance at the height of his musical career.

“Mountain Time” – Joe Bonamassa

“Mountain Time” first appeared on Joe Bonamassa’s second album, So, It’s Like That, released in 2002. While the album version runs under four minutes, his 2009 performance at London’s Royal Albert Hall extends the song to nearly eleven minutes. Written by Bonamassa with lyricist Will Jennings, it unfolds as a slow-burning blues rock opus, showcasing phenomenal tone, dynamics, and control. Bonamassa’s soaring, guitar-driven narrative is both technically brilliant and hypnotically mesmerizing.

“My Dark Hour” – Steve Miller

“My Dark Hour” was written by Steve Miller for his 1969 album Brave New World, recorded at Sound Recorders Studio in Hollywood, California. Before becoming a pop music staple in the mid-1970s, Miller was billed as the Steve Miller Blues Band. During the recording of “My Dark Hour,” Paul McCartney happened to be in the studio and ended up playing bass, drums, and providing background vocals, while Miller handled lead guitar and vocals. Credited under the pseudonym Paul Ramon, McCartney helped create a stripped-down track that features scorching guitar work and two standout solos.

“Red House” – Jimi Hendrix 

“Red House” appeared on the U.K. release of the Jimi Hendrix Experience’s debut album Are You Experienced. It was later included on 1969’s Smash Hits as well as various reissues and compilation albums. Hendrix originally wrote the song before forming the Experience, and the studio version runs under four minutes. This live version, recorded at the Los Angeles Forum on April 26, 1969, features the original lineup with Noel Redding on bass and Mitch Mitchell on drums. Hendrix delivers an emotionally charged, psychedelic blues performance that stretches the song into an eleven-minute masterpiece.

“Still Got the Blues” – Gary Moore

“Still Got the Blues” is the title track from Gary Moore’s 1990 album of the same name. The song and album introduced Moore to a wider audience, and his nearly seven-minute live version from the 1997 Montreux Jazz Festival in Switzerland is nothing short of phenomenal. He opens with a brief twenty-second guitar intro, and after the first verse, launches into a stellar solo on his Gibson Les Paul. The performance closes with a nearly three-minute guitar outro that feels like a cathartic outpouring of emotion.

“Texas Flood” – Stevie Ray Vaughan 

“Texas Flood” is the title track from Stevie Ray Vaughan’s 1983 debut album, though it was already a staple in his live repertoire by then. This nearly ten-minute rendition, performed at Toronto’s El Mocambo nightclub in 1983, captures a raw and soulful moment from a pivotal point in blues-rock history. Vaughan had become familiar with the song earlier in his career while performing at the legendary Antone’s club in Austin, Texas, alongside Angela Strehli and Albert King.

“Whipping Post” – Allman Brothers Band

“Whipping Post,” written by Gregg Allman, first appeared on the Allman Brothers Band’s self-titled debut album in 1969. The studio version runs just over five minutes, but the live performance on At Fillmore East (1971) stretches past 22 minutes. The extended interplay between Duane Allman’s searing slide guitar and Dickey Betts’ harmonic lines is mesmerizing. Gregg Allman’s anguished vocals, anchored by the rhythm section’s solid foundation, set the stage for the guitars to build a haunting slow burn that eventually erupts into an electrifying fusion of blues and jazz-inspired rock.

“Woodstock Boogie” – Canned Heat

“Woodstock Boogie” by Canned Heat is an expanded version of “Fried Hockey Boogie,” originally written by bassist Larry Taylor and released on the band’s 1968 album Boogie with Canned Heat. Performed at the Woodstock Music Festival in August 1969, the live version stretches to nearly half an hour, compared to the eleven-minute studio cut. Al Wilson delivers fiery slide guitar work, while Harvey Mandel, who had just replaced Henry Vestine, unleashes blistering lead riffs. The rest of the band joins in, with Taylor driving the bass and Adolfo de la Parra on drums, both closing out the performance with extended solos.

The magic of a blues rock guitar solo is the way that it can lift the listener out of the ordinary by weaving a sonic tapestry. These ten performances span decades but share a common thread in their ability to demonstrate the way that an amplified six string electric guitar can create a cosmic connection. From the Texas blues rock of Stevie Ray Vaughan, the psychedelic peals of Jimi Hendrix, to the sonic tapestry of Duane Allman and Dickey Betts, these ten blues rock guitar solos are more than musical interludes; they’re emotional journeys.