1975 Hit Named ‘Greatest Guitar Solo of All Time’ by Guitarists

The votes are in from guitarists across the globe, and perhaps not surprisingly — one of the most iconic songs of all time produced the most iconic guitar solo of all time.

"Bohemian Rhapsody," the 1975 rock opera by Queen, was chosen by guitar players across Guitar World's readership as the home of their favorite-ever guitar solo, as expertly performed and composed by Brian May. The 30-second-long bridge between the ballad and what would later be referred to as the "operatic section" of the 6-minute epic, is a "short and sweet musical interlude," as described by Guitar World upon its coronation as music's greatest, beating out the likes of Eddie Van Halen and Pink Floyd'sDavid Gilmour.

"His phrasing is loose and natural, moving across the backbeat rather than sticking to a rigidly-timed grid," the publication wrote. "Brian’s articulate pre-bend and vibrato technique demonstrates his beautiful touch."

"Somehow, within the confines of the complex structure of 'Bohemian Rhapsody,' this solo just works," the magazine declared — perhaps echoing this, May recalled that the piece came to him naturally, rather than something he had spent hours crafting.

"I basically sang it. I regard the guitar in that situation as a voice. I could hear this melody and I had no idea where it came from," the guitarist told Guitar World following the award.

“It came out very easily. I didn’t do many takes. It was one of those occasions where you do a few takes and then you go back and listen to the first one and the first one is almost exactly what you want."

May also credited some fellow guitarists as inspiration for the piece, stating, "I grew up with [Eric] Clapton and obviously Jimi Hendrix, and The Who, and it’s all in there." One inspiration behind the nine-bar solo, however, is rather unexpected. Brian also credited his late bandmate, Queen frontman Freddie Mercury, and their working relationship for helping all the pieces of "Bohemian Rhapsody" come together the way they did.

“There was a lot of interaction," May said of working on the song with Mercury. "I think that was part of the magic that we had. We gave each other a lot of stick, really, but in a very positive way. We were always pushing each other to try things."