10 Greatest Guitarists From The '80s - The Guys Who Rewrote The Book

The only guitarist who can come close to Eddie Van Halen in terms of influence is the mercurial mix of myth and mayhem that is Yngwie J Malmsteen. A brief listen to some of his early tapes, from when he was a teenager, reveals that even then he was way better than most of will ever be, even after a lifetime of devotion. Like many of the greats, it is as if he was sent here from another planet, so unworldly were his skills and vision.

Malmsteen not only invented an entirely new way of playing, but he also created a new species of heavy metal - neo-classical. He is the master of the technique known as sweep picking, a way to generate insanely fast flurries of notes with a single downward or upward swipe of the pick. This technique is one of the most widely copied of all time, perhaps second only to Van Halen's right hand tapping speciality.

Detractors of Malmsteen like to say that he only plays in one style, a criticism borne of envy rather than sound judgement; all masters play in their own style from BB King to Angus Young to Billy Gibbons. YJM can afford to laugh off the criticism - his legendary status is forever guaranteed.