9) Jimi Hendrix: Voodoo Child (Slight Return)

Could you get any better use of the wah with this unforgettable song? I think not. Personally this is my favorite Hendrix song so it was an easy pick to enter the list and what would a guitar solo list be without the immortal Jimi Hendrix. “Voodoo Child (Slight Return)” was the genesis of the incredible bluesy jam of “Voodoo Chile.” Along with the incredible guitar work here Hendrix’s lyrics are just so psychedelic and unique you would think he completely improvised them with this song which he may or may not have done. Like “Sweet Child O’ Mine” which was at number 10 on the countdown the riff is just as great as the solo. The riff is just muted strings and all the work is done with the wah, so the emphasis on the wah is placed even higher. It’s just another one of those classic riffs that will go down in history as the best and one that will have you playing air guitar while screaming the notes at the top of your lungs. About two minutes into the song the mind blowing solo work begins, and it’s all over the place but in a good way. The solo revolves around the pentatonic scale (those few guitar lessons I took paid off for something haha) and it has such quick picking and incredible finger work. It’s so incredibly edgy with the way he makes the notes scream in his psychedelic way. If there were any solo that I wish I could play this would have to be it. Jimi can really make his guitar talk with the emotion he puts into his solos, and this song just goes to show it. When you put a guitar into Hendrix’s hands he turns into something greater than man could ever fathom.