3 Iconic Guitar Solos That Are Somehow Really Sad

When we think “guitar solo,” we don’t think sad. Guitar solos are anthemic; epic. If a song has one, you’re more likely to get a crowd pleaser than a downer. But the guitar is a diverse instrument. Really skilled players can bend it to their will, evoking whatever emotion they want. The three guitar solo songs below are actually, somehow very sad. They break every convention of what listeners would expect from such a song.

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“Comfortably Numb” — Pink Floyd

Pink Floyd’s “Comfortably Numb” is a sad song, anyway you look at it. The band tackles isolation and mental health in this track, which is never going to be cheery. This relatively one-note song is broken up by a monster guitar solo towards the end of the track. It’s a massive emotional release. It’s like a cry for help after bottling up your feelings for years.

Don’t get me wrong, this guitar solo is plenty anthemic, but it carries a weight. It pulls the listener down with it, dropping all the pain and suffering this song dictates into their lap. “Comfortably Numb” is nothing like the other songs in its vein.

“Purple Rain” — Prince

Prince’s “Purple Rain” is apocalyptic. The listener can almost imagine fire falling from the sky, earthquakes, and whatever other end-of-the-world conventions there might be while listening to this Prince staple. Prince plays us out with an existential guitar solo that makes up the entire back half of this classic.

Sure, this solo might be amped up and epic, but it has a sadness about it. The listener can’t help but feel a little bittersweet as they listen to it. On one hand, it’s a classic and nostalgic. On the other hand, it’s a morose, tragic kind of ending.

“November Rain” — Guns N’ Roses

Guns N’ Roses covers the unique pain of unrequited love in “November Rain”. The entirety of this song is bogged down by sadness, but Slash’s famous guitar solos really drive that emotion home.

Each separate solo is an onslaught of pain. The lyrical content does a lot to convey the idea of change and distance, but somehow the guitar work is even more evocative of it. This song might be an arena rock classic, but it’s anything but an upper. It’s amazing how much Slash breaks our hearts with such a powerhouse instrument.

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