Best guitar solo in music history of all time?

I'd probably also go with Dave Gilmour, but from Shine On you Crazy Diamond. If not that then Tom Morello from Rage Against the Machine for Killing In The Name.

Wow! I read the title and came here to plug Comfortably Numb. Kudos OP!

The Knack - My Sharona (not joking.)
Thank you for choosing a solo that really fits the song though. My problem with many "good" solos is that you can essentially just copy/paste them into whatever song and it wouldn't alter the mood of the song. That's why I like the solo in My Sharona -- it completely fits that song. And it's technically quite good as well, in spite of the rest of the song being fairly cheesy.
still, "best" is pretty hard to pick, and you could fairly easily sway me away from this one, but it always leaps to mind first for some reason

My bet : Alchemy Live version of Dire Straits Sultans of Swing.

Totally agree. If I had to pick one best guitar solo it's definitely Comfortably Numb. Breathtaking!

Maybe check Crippled Black Phoenix. They also borrow from Floyd quite a bit.

prince while my guitar gently weeps at rock n roll hall of fame !!!!!!!

also terry kath from chicago check this one out https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7uAUoz7jimg never looses it no matter how hard he tries !!!!!!!! sweet insanity !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Anything by Joe Satriani

Glad to see Gilmour in the OP and the first reply. Gives me hope for the world.

My pick is for Pink Floyd - Echoes.

My current best is UFO - Love to Love.

EDIT: and djk101 is right that terry kath is awesome.

My favourite one

maybe not the solos but great guitars anyway
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wgSfs5PKnKI
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Riue-ZUMiKk
probably not your kind of music

Telegraph Road (part 2) - A 5 min solo from a 14 min song from the marvelous Mark Knopfler!

I think I prefer the solo from "Time" to "Comfortably Numb," though the latter's rendition on "Pulse" is amazing.

Anything from this list
Randy Rhoads always had some good solos.

No words can be spoken about this song
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1JC0NJdfbsA

of course this
comfortably numb is also nice xD

Not saying its "the best" but (for a guy that was never into rock/wtv) its one i remember to enjoy quite a lot when i was just teenager.

Mark Knopfler (Dire Straits) in "Sultans Of Swing". https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Pa9x9fZBtY

This guitar slapping

Probably not the best (it's very difficult to choose only one) but the guitar in this song is awesome:

Jane's Addiction - Three Days

"Fates Warning - A World Apart" has a sweet solo ;)

Another one: Neil Young - Cortez The Killer

Probably I could choose almost any Neil Young's epic songs, he's a master guitar player and particularly a guitar solos specialist :P

staying with Pink Floyd, you proably know the "Hey you" solo