A Journalist DARED Icon to WRITE a Song ON THE SPOT in INTERVIEW-Became a Classic!-Professor of Rock
4,081Songwriters have stated many times that you never know where or when a clever lyric is going to strike. It’s also that way for a guitarist. A catchy riff can come at any time and from any place. You’ll hear what I mean when we talk about some of the best solos of the 70s. For instance, Ritchie Blackmore
improvised a solo to impress a journalist who was doing an exposé while riding on a tour bus; he dared him to do it, and this Ritchie came up with it right there. But was it classical music or rock? Another giant solo busted out when two genius musicians were on the verge of a bitter breakup. And another that came from Lynyrd Skynyrd's bassist… And finally, David Gilmour's extended solo on Comfortably Numb that may not only be the best solo of the 70s, but possibly the greatest solo ever, where a genius was sculpting emotion out of thin air, topping off a historic song that has since become one of the greatest songs in rock history. It’s the countdown of the Top 10 Guitar Solos of the 70s, NEXT on Professor of Rock!
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Frank Kuna, zachery perry, Shayne Smith, Tom Stokes, Walter O. Wright II
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When Queen released “Killer Queen” in ’74, it marked a bit of a turning point for the band—a sophisticated, crafty pop-rock single that signaled their breakthrough. Anchored within its theatrical flair and Freddie Mercury’s poised vocal delivery was a moment of pure guitar brilliance: Brian May’s solo… Brian had just recovered from a serious bout of hepatitis, and “Killer Queen” was one of the first songs he tackled after rejoining the sessions for Sheer Heart Attack.
Despite his illness, his mind was still sharp, and his talented fingers hadn’t lost a thing. The song’s elegant, music-hall-meets-rock vibe required something different—something that matched Mercury’s flamboyant wit without overpowering it. Brian really delivered on “Killer Queen.”
Rather than go in guns blazing, Brian approached the solo like a composer, layering guitar harmonies in a carefully structured miniature suite. He used his homemade Red Special guitar, an instrument he and his father had built together out of scrap materials, and ran it through a Vox AC30 amp to get his trademark warm, singing tone. The solo wasn’t improvised—it was composed, note for note. In fact, Brian famously wrote out his parts like orchestrations, and this one was no exception.
“Killer Queen” became Queen’s first international hit, reaching #2 in the UK and breaking them in the U.S. as well. And while Mercury’s lyrics and delivery grabbed the spotlight, critics and fans alike took notice of the guitar work.
At #9, we’re gonna Hitch a Ride and latch on to Tom Scholz’s amazing solo on that deep Boston track: In the quiet confines of a suburban basement just outside Boston in the mid-1970s, a tall, unassuming MIT-trained engineer was building something extraordinary. Surrounded by custom circuits, tape machines, and hand-built gear, Tom Scholz was sculpting not just songs, but sound. Every note was agonized over, every tone perfected with the precision of a scientist and the heart of a dreamer. Among the many masterpieces he was crafting for his home-brewed debut album was a mysterious, atmospheric track called Hitch a Ride.
Tom, who wrote and recorded nearly every part of the song himself, plugged his Goldtop Les Paul into one of his homemade Rockman prototypes. Through a maze of compressors, sustainers, and chorus effects, he summoned a tone that didn’t sound of