10 Famous Songs With Absolutely Bad Guitar Solos

For decades, guitar solos have been the heart of rock, adding fire to songs and making legends out of musicians. While some argue that the golden age of solos is over, a great one can still electrify a crowd and turn a good song into an unforgettable anthem.

But for every iconic solo, there are plenty of duds—some even by talented players who just had an off day. Others? Well, they probably shouldn’t have been playing lead guitar at all. From studio misfires to live disasters, here are 10 songs with guitar solos so bad that they’re unforgettable for all the wrong reasons.

Breakfast at Tiffany’s (Deep Blue Something)
A true ’90s one-hit wonder, Deep Blue Something skyrocketed to fame with “Breakfast at Tiffany’s,” a song so catchy it climbed to No. 5 on the Billboard Hot 100 in early 1996. While undeniably memorable, the track has landed on many worst-song lists, with critics mocking its simplistic take on relationship struggles—We both like this Audrey Hepburn movie, so let’s stay together!
But beyond the lyrics, one of the song’s weakest points is its underwhelming guitar solo. Instead of adding emotional depth, it feels rushed and uninspired, as if the band was just eager to move on. While flashy solos aren’t a must for adult alternative ballads, a little more effort could have gone a long way. Still, despite its flaws, the song remains a nostalgic staple—love it or hate it, you probably know every word.

Boyz Are Gonna Rock (Vinnie Vincent Invasion)
Vinnie Vincent (real name Vincent Cusano) had a tough act to follow when he replaced Ace Frehley in KISS in 1982. But his flashy, over-the-top solos quickly wore thin, and by 1984, he was out. Free to do his own thing, he formed Vinnie Vincent Invasion, releasing their debut album in 1986, featuring the chaotic “Boyz Are Gonna Rock.”

Vincent’s playing on this track is so fast and frantic that many fans found it more ridiculous than impressive. One Redditor even joked that Spinal Tap seemed more like a documentary than a parody after seeing the music video. Another compared it to Nitro’s “Freight Train” as proof that hair metal had to crash eventually.

The band also gave Robert Fleischman (ex-Journey) a brief moment in the spotlight before he left and was replaced by Mark Slaughter, who, along with bassist Dana Strum, later found far more success with their own band, Slaughter.

All You Need Is Love (The Beatles)
The Beatles’ “All You Need Is Love” closes out Magical Mystery Tour on an uplifting note, despite its simple, repetitive chorus. A defining track of their psychedelic era and one of their 20 Billboard Hot 100 No. 1 hits, it’s a beloved classic—but it also features what might be George Harrison’s weakest guitar solo.

The solo starts strong but suddenly fizzles out, almost like an actor forgetting their next line mid-scene. One Reddit user summed it up perfectly: “It’s an excellent solo… until it isn’t.” Some fans blame the rushed recording process and the song’s tricky time signatures for the awkward lead part. Whatever the reason, this was an unusual slip from Harrison, who more often than not delivered beautifully crafted solos. Fortunately, his legendary work on tracks like “Something” and “While My Guitar Gently Weeps” more than makes up for this one stumble.

Nevermind (Limp Bizkit)
If you thought Limp Bizkit guitarist Wes Borland was responsible for a botched guitar solo, think again. This musical misstep came courtesy of Fred Durst—yes, the same guy who “did it all for the nookie.” While his rapping and singing have made Limp Bizkit one of rock’s most divisive bands, his attempt at shredding on “Nevermind” during a live show proved he should stick to what he knows.

In a now-infamous moment (via YouTube), Durst belts out the song’s title before struggling through several failed solo attempts. Eventually, he gives up and shifts the focus to his bandmates. Fans, however, weren’t as forgiving. One YouTube commenter joked they’d love to see Durst battle Lil Wayne on guitar, while a Reddit user called it “the funniest thing on the internet… maybe ever.”

In the end, “Nevermind” wasn’t just the song title—it’s what Durst should’ve said before even picking up that guitar.

We’re Not Gonna Take It (Twisted Sister)
Sometimes, keeping a guitar solo simple isn’t a bad move—Nirvana’s “Smells Like Teen Spirit” did it, and it worked perfectly. But in the ’80s, when rock and metal were all about flash and technical skill, Twisted Sister’s Eddie “Fingers” Ojeda went the opposite direction on “We’re Not Gonna Take It.”

Rather than crafting something bold or exciting, Ojeda mirrored Dee Snider’s vocal melody almost note for note, throwing in some whammy bar for good measure—because, well, it was the ’80s. While the song itself remains an anthem, the solo has been called uninspired and lifeless by fans over the years. One Redditor summed it up perfectly: “If you’re going to wear spandex and makeup, you best bring the goods.” Thankfully, the song recovers after the solo, but for a band known for its rebellious energy, this lead guitar moment fell flat.

The Cover of Rolling Stone (Dr. Hook & the Medicine Show)
Dr. Hook & the Medicine Show had a knack for switching between goofy novelty hits and serious songs, but “The Cover of ‘Rolling Stone'” is pure satire. Written by Shel Silverstein, this 1973 hit pokes fun at rock stardom, with the band listing off all the money, fame, and groupies they’ve gained—except for one thing: a spot on the cover of Rolling Stone.

The song leans into the parody with a deliberately bad guitar solo—a sloppy, off-key mess that kicks in right after Ray Sawyer’s “rock ‘n’ roll!” It’s the kind of solo that would get a guitarist fired in a real session, but here, it fits the joke perfectly.
The best part? Dr. Hook actually landed the cover of Rolling Stone on March 29, 1973, with a cheeky caption: “What’s-Their-Names Make the Cover.” Mission accomplished!

Milk it (Nirvana)
Nirvana’s Nevermind is a rock classic, but let’s be honest—it’s a polished version of the raw grunge sound bubbling up in the early ‘90s. So when the band released In Utero in 1993, they went full gritty and unfiltered, proving they hadn’t lost their punk roots.

That brings us to “Milk It,” one of the album’s most chaotic tracks. With screamed nonsense lyrics like “doll steak/test meat” and an unhinged guitar solo, it’s not for the faint of heart. Cobain’s “solo” is really just random, jarring notes, lasting nearly 30 seconds before diving back into the song’s madness.

While some see it as a brilliant anti-rock statement, others think it’s just plain awful. Ultimate Guitar readers even ranked it among the worst solos ever, proving that not all experiments hit the right notes.

Fight for Your Right (Beastie Boys)
The Beastie Boys famously hated their breakout hit, “(You Gotta) Fight for Your Right (to Party),” and it’s easy to see why. What was meant as a satirical jab at ‘80s party culture was instead embraced unironically by the very crowd they were mocking. But while the song itself became an anthem, its lackluster guitar solo remains a low point.

Some claim Slayer’s Kerry King played the lead, though his involvement is still unclear. What is clear? The solo starts strong, then completely loses steam—turning into messy, uninspired noodling. It fails to add any real energy, leaving the Beasties to pick up where they left off, sarcastically urging kids to defy authority and party on. For a song that became a rebellious anthem, the guitar solo feels like it missed the invite to the party.

Leather So Soft (Birdman & Lil Wayne)
Much like Fred Durst, Lil Wayne is a rapper who probably shouldn’t pick up a guitar. But while Durst’s guitar stints are mostly forgettable, Wayne took things to another level—he recorded an entire rap-rock album (Rebirth, 2010) and became the punchline of countless memes every time he strummed a chord.

Of all his questionable guitar moments, the solo on “Leather So Soft” (2006) stands out as spectacularly bad. If you didn’t know better, you’d think it was a kid messing around with their older sibling’s guitar, blindly plucking away and hoping for the best. Reddit has roasted Wayne’s guitar skills for years, while YouTube commenters have perfected the art of sarcasm. One classic quip? Someone claimed Wayne’s “virtuosity” rivals Hendrix, Van Halen, and Slash—which tells you everything you need to know about how this solo is remembered.

Talk Dirty to Me (1991 MTV VMAs) (Poison)
Poison’s “Talk Dirty to Me” is an undeniable glam rock classic, and C.C. DeVille’s original solo? No issues there. But his 1991 MTV Video Music Awards performance? Total disaster.

The night was already messy—some say DeVille got confused when Bret Michaels hyped up the crowd, others claim he refused to play “Unskinny Bop”. Either way, when he kicked off “Talk Dirty to Me”, his guitar was painfully out of tune. It only got worse—his solo was a chaotic mix of off-key notes, and at one point, he accidentally unplugged his guitar.

Michaels tried to play it cool, but his backstage brawl with DeVille told a different story. Not long after, DeVille was out, replaced by Richie Kotzen—who later had his own Poison drama. Just another chapter in the wild and dysfunctional history of ’80s hair metal.