10 Greatest Guitarists From The '80s - The Guys Who Rewrote The Book
9. Jake E Lee
The first of three former Ozzy Osbourne guitarists to appear on this list, Lee's tenure with Oz was the briefest, recording just two albums, Bark At The Moon and The Ultimate Sin. That being said, Bark remains a staple of Osbourne's live set even now, although he and Lee didn't get on too well and that animosity led to Lee moving on in 1986.
Lee's next band, Badlands, was cut very much from the classic rock mould of the likes of Bad Company and Free. Their records showcase the very best of Jake's playing and writing. Badlands were a band who should have been filling stadiums around the world, but things didn't pan out as expected; they are remembered for producing some of the very best music in the hair metal era.
Lee seemed to disappear for many years until reappearing with Red Dragon Cartel in 2014, a band who played the kind of metal that many thought had been lost since the '80s. Their follow-up album in 2018, Patina, was a worthy successor and it looks like Jake is back to stay - we missed him.