Top 10 Best Classical Guitar Songs

Although there are thousands of great classical guitar songs, a few of them stand out from the crowd... a few that captivate audiences and inspire standing ovations... a few that hold a place deep within the heart of every classical guitarist. This is a list of the top 10 best, solo, classical guitar songs.

10. Spanish Dance No. 5 - (Enrique Granados)
... is a very edgy, yet beautiful spanish piece. Although it was originally composed for piano, the guitar arrangement is much more popular than the piano version.

9. Chôro No. 1 - (Heitor Villa-Lobos)
Villa-Lobos is one of the most important composers for classical guitar. His music seamlessly combines Brazillian folk music with contempory classical music. Chôro No. 1, one of his most famous pieces, is a perfect merging these two styles.

8. Cavatina - (Stanley Myers)
Made famous by the film "the Deer Hunter," the Cavatina by Stanley Yates is heart-wrenchingly beautiful. I could easily listen to this song 200 times without getting tired of it!

7. La Catedral - (Augustin Barrios Mangoré)
Paraguayan composer, Augustín Barrios Mangoré, wrote this piece to evoke the feelings of walking through magnificent cathedral. Each movement of the piece suggests an entirely different mood... the first one is serene and ethereal, the second one is hauntingly beautiful, and the third one is intense and exhilerating. The overall effect is absolutely incredible!

6. Variations on a Theme by Mozart - (Fernando Sor)
Andrés Segovia used to love playing the Mozart Variations. The piece starts with a playful-sounding theme called "O Cara Armonia" (from Mozart's famous opera, The Magic Flute). The theme then develops through several variations and climaxes with a big Finale.

5. Capricho Arabe - (Francisco Tarrega)
... is a very intense and spirited Spanish piece, with a subtle Middle Eastern flavor. It has one of the most beautiful melodies you will ever hear in you life!

4. Bourrée in E Minor, BWV 996 - (J.S. Bach)
... is one of those cliché pieces that is always associated with classical guitar. It is a fun and energetic dance from the Baroque era.

3. Romance for Guitar - (Anonymous)
Almost every classical guitarist plays this Romance for guitar (also called Spanish Romance, Romanza, or Romance Anonimo). Although it is one of the most popular guitar songs of all time, nobody knows who composed it!
Tremolo version

2. Asturias (Leyenda) - (Isaac Albeniz)
An intense and Spanish-sounding piece, Asturias has become one of the iconic works of the classical guitar. Asturias was originally written as a piano piece, but it sounds way better on guitar!

1. Recuerdos de la Alhambra - (Francisco Tarrega)
... is, without a doubt, one of the greatest pieces ever written for classical guitar. It needs no introduction. Just sit back, listen, and enjoy...

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