The 5 Most Romantic Soft Rock Solos Of All Time

Love songs are hard. As Michael Bolton put it in an interview with Classic Pop, "The challenge is really to say something about love in a way that hasn't been said before." That's a tall order, considering poets and songwriters have been working the subject for millennia. But when words fail, sometimes an instrument can finish the thought. The romantic solos in soft rock hits like "I Said I Loved You...But I Lied," "Maybe I'm Amazed," "Hello," "Faithfully," and "In the Air Tonight" aren't just heard, they're felt. And yes, "In the Air Tonight" might seem like the odd one out. But stick with us, because we're prepared to argue that its short but powerful drum solo might be the loudest expression of love on this list.

For our five picks, we wanted solos that fit their songs perfectly and have lost none of their emotional punch over time. And in a list about romance, feeling was more important than technical prowess. We weren't looking for musicians showing off how many notes they could squeeze into eight bars. We wanted those rare instrumental breaks that feel like the most romantic moment in the song.

A song built around a "words fail me" puts a lot of pressure on the music. In Michael Bolton's "Said I Loved You...But I Lied," guitarist Dann Huff didn't just rise to that challenge. He more or less volunteered for it.

The solo wasn't originally slated for guitar — it was going to be another instrument. But as Huff explained to Vertex Effects, he had flown all the way to England for a day in the studio and was determined to make the trip count. In other words, he wanted a guitar solo. But there was a complication — they didn't want an electric guitar. So, Huff reached for a Peavey acoustic-electric guitar. "It wasn't a high-cost instrument," as Huff described it, but it was available, and he made it work. Huff remains modest about the result, calling it far from the world's greatest solo. Technically, perhaps. Romantically, we'd like to enter an objection.

In a song filled with big Bolton vocals, Huff's solo offers a quiet and tender melody at just the right time. But its apparent simplicity is deceptive. Huff told Vertex Effects that getting it exactly right took hours as they perfected every bend and dynamic swell. The time was well spent. Bolton sings, "Said I loved you, but I lied / 'Cause this is more than love I feel inside." Then Huff's guitar solo captures what the word "love" can't — that ineffable "more than love."

Paul McCartney took "solo" to a whole new meaning with "Maybe I'm Amazed," first released on his 1970 debut solo album "McCartney." For the recording, he played every instrument and sang all the vocals himself, aside from some harmonies by Linda, his new wife and the inspiration for the song. The result is one of those nearly perfect McCartney songs, and two guitar solos are a big part of why.

Piercing through the song's soulful piano foundation, the guitar sounds passionate but not entirely settled. It captures both the exhilaration of falling deeply in love and the slightly terrifying realization that you have, in fact, fallen deeply in love. That uncertainty is built right into the title of the song. "A straight love song would say, 'I'm amazed at the way you love me,'" McCartney told Billboard in 2001. "But the 'maybe' is like a guy not quite wanting to admit it." With their slightly unpolished feel, the guitar solos catch some of that uneasy tension.

Of course, McCartney doesn't get to play every instrument at once on stage. In live performances of "Maybe I'm Amazed," you'll see McCartney pounding piano keys, leaving the guitar shredding to someone else. Guitarist Rusty Anderson, who's toured with the Beatles legend, told MusicRadar, "'Maybe I'm Amazed' is always a fun song to play and sing. It's got everything in one incredible tune, plus two guitar solos!" The lyrics may hedge with "maybe," but the solos are definitely amazing.

Like the song around it, the guitar solo in Lionel Richie's "Hello" is full of yearning. Its smooth, aching melody feels so perfectly matched to the song that it's hard to imagine Richie ever hearing it any other way. As it turns out, he did.

When guitarist Louie Shelton sat down with Vertex Effects to share the story. He had received a cassette with a very specific idea for the solo — it was Richie humming the melody he wanted the guitar to play. Shelton dutifully learned the tune and went in to record it as requested. But Shelton didn't particularly like the way it sounded. Richie wasn't at the session, so Shelton took the opportunity to record another option for the solo.

Turns out, Richie really liked that other option, and they went with it. "We got lucky with that one," Shelton told Vertex Effects. "It was great working with Lionel. He was so appreciative of everything you played." Luck might have played a part, but so did a little creative humility. Richie knew what he wanted in that solo, but he was also willing to say "hello" when he heard something even better.

In Journey's "Faithfully," guitarist Neal Schon gets the last word without actually saying one. His outro solo finishes the sentence the lyrics had started, echoing the soaring pitch and emotional intensity of the vocals. The solo captures devotion despite distance, spoken in bends and slow vibrato.

If you don't trust us, consider a second opinion: Prince. Journey bandmember Jonathan Cain told Billboard that Prince was a serious admirer of Schon: "He studied Neal for so many years, learned his licks and made them his own." In fact, Prince heard enough of "Faithfully" in "Purple Rain" that he worried he might have borrowed a little too much. As Billboard reported, Prince called Journey before releasing "Purple Rain" to make sure the band wouldn't sue. But they weren't offended or litigious. They were flattered. Schon told Billboard, "... Prince was talking about my guitar playing, how it really moved him and how he liked my playing. It was just so cool."

When Prince calls because your guitar solo influenced "Purple Rain," you're entitled to take the rest of the day off. But the story also gets at what makes Schon's playing in "Faithfully" so effective. The solo doesn't just decorate the song or show off his technique. It carries the emotion forward after the words have done all they can. That makes it not only one of the most romantic soft rock solos of all time, but one of the best soft rock solos of all time, romantic or otherwise.

"Marked by expressions of love." Based on that Merriam-Webster definition of "romantic," "In the Air Tonight" pounds its way onto our list of best romantic soft rock solos. Sure, this isn't the song you put on while scattering rose petals across the bedroom floor. But sometimes love survives as anger, grief, and the terrible frustration of still caring about someone who has hurt you. "In the Air Tonight" captures that.

Collins wrote the song after his first wife, Andrea (Andy) Bertorelli, left him. In his memoir, "Not Dead Yet," Collins describes the song as a message to her: "Whenever I call to speak to her ... I have difficulty getting through, literally and figuratively," he writes. "I don't seem to be reaching her. So I communicate through song. When Andy hears these words, she will realize how f***ing hurt I am, and how much I love her ..."

This is a woman Collins loved for a long time. The two met when they were kids and started an on-again, off-again relationship as teenagers. When a marriage to your childhood sweetheart dissolves, you're gonna wanna pound something, really loud and really hard. Enter one of the Phil Collins drum solos that cemented his place in music history. For most of "In the Air Tonight," Collins holds back. The song broods and simmers. Until it doesn't. This romantic solo isn't whispering sweet nothings in your ear. It's hitting the drums hard enough to make sure you heard it.