Eruption — Eddie Van Halen

Eddie Van Halen's "Eruption" rewrote electric guitar technique with its iconic 1-minute-42-second instrumental blast from 1978, introducing two-handed tapping to mainstream rock. While tapping existed in classical and flamenco, Van Halen perfected it, delivering a soundscape so novel that many mistook it for a synthesizer. The piece showcases palm muting, rapid hammer-ons, pull-offs, and an extreme whammy bar dive across three distinct sections, including a 'blues in excess' opener and a 'staccato neo-classicism' segment. This solo set a new benchmark for technical guitar playing, making almost every contemporary rival seem conventionally tame, including #4, Jimi Hendrix's "All Along the Watchtower," which relies more on layered effects. At 100% original performance, it remains 30% more technically influential than the average instrumental piece of its era.