David Gilmour’s Best Guitar Solos – TOP 5 Songs
David Gilmour is widely considered to be one of the greatest guitarist ever. As a member of Pink Floyd he wrote and composed some of the most famous and memorable songs of all time. Hits like “Wish You Were Here,” “Shine On You Crazy Diamond,” “Time” and so many others. Most of those have absolutely breathtaking guitar solos.
From all of these incredible hits I’ve picked his TOP 5 most iconic performances. Five exceptional songs with the best guitar solos by the one and only David Gilmour. Of course, everyone may have their own favorites, but when it comes to his guitar playing, I think these are the best:
- Comfortably Numb
- Shine On You Crazy Diamond
- High Hopes
- Time
- Marooned
Let’s look into each one. And if you stick till the end, you’ll find my Honorable Mention list with a couple more songs. All of which feature extraordinary solos as well. Some of them might even surprise you.
“Comfortably Numb“
“Comfortably Numb” has not only the best guitar solo in Pink Floyd‘s (David Gilmour’s) discography. It is one of the greatest solos in music history, period. There’s a reason why both music fans and musicians can’t have enough of it. It is superb, it is fascinating, it is captivating, it is beautiful. I also highly recommend checking live performances of this masterpiece. The whole album The Wall (1979) is spectacular, and having songs like this just puts it in a league of its own.
“Shine On You Crazy Diamond“
“Shine On You Crazy Diamond” from Wish You Were Here (1975) album is a special song. It was written about Syd Barrett, who unfortunately had to leave the group in 1968 due to mental, health and drugs-related problems. It’s a very emotional and intimate composition. And it has one of the most entrancing guitar solos ever. Totally unique sound that hasn’t been matched to this day. It takes you on a journey that you don’t want to end.
“High Hopes“
Yet another musical masterpiece. “High Hopes” was released in The Division Bell (1994) album, so it’s one of the later works by the band. At that time they no longer had Roger Waters, but as the music shows it didn’t stop Pink Floyd from creating genuine marvels. “High Hopes” is a crazy good song on its own, but the guitar solo just puts it over the edge. It’s a timeless piece. The only downside this solo has is that it eventually ends. And once you hear it – you wish it never stopped.
“Time“
Pink Floyd’s “Time” must be some of their most famous songs. It has became a classic of rock music since the release. It combines some of the best elements of the band’s signature sound. And it has an absolute iconic guitar solo. Right int the middle of the song it captures you by surprise and hits so damn hard.
“Marooned“
Five minutes and 25 seconds of pure bliss. This is what “Marooned” is. This song makes you want to just stop, look inside, or reach outside into the vastness of space and time. It’s more than simply a musical track, it is an experience. People joke that Pink Floyd took more people to space than NASA. Well, with the guitar solo like that, I tend to agree with them.
Honorable Mention
I could not have this chart of the greatest guitar solos by David Gilmour without at least mentioning these sensational music gems:
- “Money” from The Dark Side Of The Moon (1973)
- “Hey You” from The Wall (1979)
- “Echoes” from Meddle (1971)
- “Dogs” from Animals (1977)
- “Another Brick In The Wall, Part Two” from The Wall (1979)
Thankfully, with Mr. Gilmour I don’t have to try hard to find 5 or 10 best guitar solos. The really hard difficult part is to limit myself to only 5 or 10 tracks. Because the man has created so may amazing music, and has given us so many unique guitar marvels. And now we get to enjoy them forever.
Any of these songs could just a easily find their way into TOP 5 list depending on the day of the week, or your mood on any given day.
And if you want to hear more – check this playlist of Pink Floyd’s 20 Greatest Hits.
