Best Acoustic Guitar Solos In Popular Music

[815C]

What acoustic lead guitar solos can you think of that actually made it onto radio via hit songs?

There were several hits by Jim Croce, John Denver, Simon & Garfunkel, CSN&Y, etc., which featured acoustic guitar and had a lot of acoustic fills and riffs - but I'm talking about a bonafide lead guitar solo played on acoustic.

Here are the only ones I can think of, but I'm sure there are more:

Carefree Highway - Gordon Lightfoot

Amie - Pure Prairie League

[Buck62]

I love the acoustic solo part in Year of the Cat by Al Stewart.

Same goes for the classical guitar solos in Al Stewart's On the Border.

David Gilmour's intro solo in Wish You Were Here is great, too!

[Elfina]

Make me smile (Come up and see me)-Steve Harley and Cockney Rebel solo by Jim Cregan,also has Marc Bolan on acoustic rythmn guitar.

[Ivob]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4U4opbXoMss

though short, but best acoustic solo for me (from about 1:30), now the name of the singer of the original doesn't occur to me... some woman, quite known song

[Franklin'sTower]

I would say Clapton on Layla unplugged is probably one of the more well known ones, and not too bad on the ears to boot!

[Michael Watts]

Originally Posted by Elfina

Make me smile (Come up and see me)-Steve Harley and Cockney Rebel solo by Jim Cregan,also has Marc Bolan on acoustic rythmn guitar.

You beat me to it! In a similar vein is the solo from No Doubt's "Don't Speak" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TR3Vdo5etCQ&ob=av2e

It's got to be said that solo acoustic guitar tends not to come over that well in a pop record, this is a fault of the players not the instrument. The steel string demands a different approach to the electric and you proceed at your own risk if you expect your solo lines to work in the same way. Here is a good example from Pearl Jam http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TR3Vdo5etCQ&ob=av2e

The main riff works (just) and if anything this clip illustrates what a powerful rhythm section can do! However, there's a noticeable dip in energy when the "solo" comes in...

Compare this with Nirvana's cover of "Man Who Sold the World" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fregObNcHC8 where the distorted acoustic has just enough bite to get though the mix and actually add to the texture rather than drop out.

[guitararmy]

Besides the Al Stewart solos already mentioned, I've always liked the acoustic intros to these three songs:

Roundabout by Yes
From the Beginning by Emerson Lake and Palmer
Crazy on You by Heart

[Herb Hunter]

I suppose at different times, different solos would come to mind. This morning, it is the short lead guitar which is in turn taken up by a mandolin on Emmylou Harris's version of, Wayfaring Stanger, as it appeared on the Roses in the Snow album. It is simple and beautiful and can be heard on the iTunes sample of the song.

George Harrison's classical guitar lead on, 'Til There Was You has also come to mind this morning. Today is the 10th anniversary of his death.

I'd have expected some of Maury Muehleisen's work on Jim Croce songs to have come up by now.

[lone eskimo]

The guitarist who played with Cat Stevens had some nice stuff- I believe his name was Alun Davies. His solos on "Father & Son" and "Lady D'Arbanville" were nice (to name a few)...

A few other songs that come to mind are:

"If You Leave Me Now" Chicago

"Careless Whisper" George Michaels

(not my favorite songs- but I look forward to the guitar lines)

[M19]

I suppose it depends upon what you mean by a "solo?"

Near the end of "The Ancient" on Yes' Tales from Topographic Oceans, Steve Howe plays a couple of minutes of utterly fantastic classical guitar leading into the "Leaves of Green" verses. Yes' often played this portion of the work in concert. It's WAY better than "Mood for a Day."

OOPS! I see the thread title mentioned "popular." Never mind!!!

Oh...WTH. Here it is for the uninitiated: http://youtu.be/z1ye8bJAlN0

And I heard a million voices singing...

[DrDavid]

Can't believe no one's mentioned yet:

Lindsey Buckingham: Big Love, especially the live version.

..

[camperman]

One of my favourite songs to play

"She talks to angels" - The Black Crowes

Love this song

[prusaw]

Originally Posted by camperman

One of my favourite songs to play

"She talks to angels" - The Black Crowes

Love this song

I was just thinking of that one--- takes me back to my college days :-)

[MSchott]

Some of these I wouldn't define as "lead solo" playing but more playing the melody. Another extremely well known acoustic is the opening to Stairway to Heaven.

[GibbyPrague]

Wish You Were Here ...