In 1978, Gerry Rafferty released what would become his biggest hit with “Baker Street.”
Written by the Stealers Wheel alum for his solo album City to City, the song is known for its iconic opening saxophone riff. “Baker Street” hit No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100 in June 1978, making Rafferty a radio star that summer.
The sax riff, performed by Raphael Ravenscroft, remains legendary. Stereogum described it as “big, volcanic, slightly ridiculous,” and “the monster hook that everyone remembers.”
But in the last minute of the song, there’s a searing guitar solo that comes out of nowhere. Forty-eight years later, the guitar work is finally getting the credit it deserves.
In May 2026, Rolling Stone ranked guitarist Hugh Burns’ cameo on Rafferty’s “Baker Street” among the greatest guitar solos of all time
“For its guitar solo, session vet Hugh Burns was saddled with the tough job of coming up with something that might match the grandeur of Raphael Ravenscroft’s towering sax solo, and he nailed it with a soaring, crystalline performance that perfectly echoes the mood of the sax,” the outlet noted.
Burns, an esteemed studio musician who worked with everyone from Paul McCartneyto Pet Shop Boys, once told The Atlantiche considered “Baker Street” to be one of the greatest songs he ever played on.
“I regard it as a great good fortune that I was able to meet and contribute something to Gerry’s music,” Burns said, noting that it was Rafferty who came up with the blistering guitar riff.
Burns added that once the guitar solo was down, Rafferty asked him to “have a go at what obviously became very famous, which was the sax line.” The two musicians ultimately agreed that part of the song would be better played on the saxophone, which paved the way for Ravenscroft’s iconic sax work.
Nearly 50 years later, “Baker Street” remains an enduring anthem that has inspired other musicians. In a 2019 interview with French magazine L’Obs, Guns N’ Roses guitarist Slash named Burns’ “epic” “Baker Street” jam as one of his favorite guitar solos of all time, according to Far Out magazine. The song ranked alongside Manfred Mann’s “Blinded by the Light” and Led Zeppelin’s “Whole Lotta Love” as one of the three songs that had the greatest impact on the guitar legend.
Related: 1978’s Biggest No. 1 Hit Song Was Written in Ten Minutes
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