10. Dream Theater - Learning to Live
Prog metal at it's finest, an 11-minute journey of beautiful and engaging music, without ever becoming self-indulgent as many other DT songs do.
9. Led Zeppelin - Stairway to Heaven
Cliche, but goddamn it's such a good song. Plant's vocals in that final verse, chills every time man.
8. Rush - La Villa Strangiato
There's honestly so much going on in this song that I haven't even a clue how to describe it but it never feels rushed (heh) or cluttered, every section is given its own space to breathe and allowed to develop to a natural finishing point before seamlessly transitioning into the next section. And Lifeson's solo is one of the greatest of all time, hands down.
7. Iron Maiden - The Nomad
All around great song with some tasty riffs, but it's at 4:30 where it cements its place as one of the greats. One of the most slowly building and fantastically developed guitar solos of all time, conjures beautiful imagery of vast emptiness and exploration without a single word needing to be spoken.
6. Iron Maiden - Phantom of the Opera (live preferrably)
Now THIS is a riff fest. 7 minutes of nothing but the best riffs, and that triplet harmony at around 3 minutes is just too awesome.
5. Metallica - Fade to Black
More guitar solo songs! Probably too high on the list but it has personal value because the solo in this song inspired me to start playing lead guitar. And say what you will about Hammett nowadays, this is a fantastic solo.
4. Pink Floyd - Comfortably Numb
Deeply layered, incredibly moving, and with a 2 minute solo with an almost animalistic intensity and emotion, any fan of guitar playing in general owes it to themselves to check this song out.
3. Iron Maiden - The Thin Line Between Love and Hate
MORE Maiden! This is a remarkable song. At 8 minutes long, not a single section feels in any way weak. The vocals are phenomenal throughout, but it's the second chorus where Bruce really lets rip, dropping the harmonies to scream out one of the most powerful deliveries ever. So many good riffs in this song, with an excellent interplay between melody, heaviness and just fuck this is such a well crafted song.
2. Metallica - Orion
If you've heard this song, specifically the mid section, no more words need to be spoken. Burton's bass riff in the centrepiece of this song is one of the greatest of all time, and the spectacular development of the whole section is something that leaves me absolutely speechless every time.
1. Death - Voice of the Soul
From the paramount band of death metal comes... A 3 minute instrumental ballad? Featuring nothing but an acoustic guitar to back up and two harmonised electrics for lead, this song represents the most achingly beautiful piece of music ever placed unto the world by mankind. Unlike previous songs on the list, each section feels self-contained, yet still retaining that soul-crushing emotion, and all inexorably moving towards the most powerful grand finale in all of music. You know what, stop reading. Just go listen to it. Now.