Almost 2 million views in its first week on YouTube? Wow?
I know and like every song on Rick's list of twenty, but not the ones that didn't quite make it.
I also noted his easy switching between fingerstyle and flatpicking - and use of a 12 string and at least two different 6-string guitars, which served to make his recreation of the intros more authentic.
Interesting that the Hotel California by the Eagles was the only song with such tight copyright restrictions that he could not play it on YouTube.
In spite of its popularity and over-playing, I agree that Stairway to heaven is the best acoustic guitar intro I've ever heard - and it is still one of my very favorite rock/crossover songs ever. The long Bolero-like progression from a quiet acoustic intro to a powerful electric guitar and drum finale was pure genius. Although I am tempted to play it tonight, I think I will wait until my Classe Model Seventy amplifier arrives in a week or so, and make it the first song I play on my "upgraded" stereo system.
Thanks for this post, Amir. The guitar has long been my favorite musical instrument.