[Zarro]

Yep, good call.

But does anyone remember Yngwie Malmsteen?

[This Just In]

Yngwie should have been in the top 20, if not the top 10.

[melsec]

Yngwie is amazing - his Arpeggios from Hell video on you tube is stunning.

Steve Vai for me is technically a genius and probably the best although all his grinding and gesticulating puts him up there for the worlds biggest knob jockey as well.

I still like Blackmore and Page for their Riff writing and solos.

Mel

[The KG9 Kid]

I saw Yngwie Malmsteen's Rising Force live back in the 80s. He was a classically trained virtuoso and generated a lot of interest in his speed guitar playing, but I have to be honest that when the show was finally over I'd already wanted to leave about an hour earlier.

He was great all the way through the show if you really like his music, but we just couldn't stand being bombarded with ultra-speed 'Beedle-lee-beedle-beedle-lee-beedle-ah-YEEEEEEE!' Mozart riffs and Jeff Scott Soto's singing for more than about 30 mins. They were a pretty embarrassing Euro hair metal band too. Malmsteen is just awesome, but that band was still basically Ratt with lots more practice.

"I YAM A VII-YEE-KING! I'M GOING OUT TO WAAARR... I'VE GOT DEATH UP-ON MYY MIII-YEE-IINDD!!!" ... Ugh. When they were trying to get the crowd to sing along to that I looked at my pal Phil with a pained smile and yelled "Dude. Ready to jet?".

In the crowd exiting the concert, someone said "Yeah, man he's awesome and everything but I'm glad that's over" and people nearby busted out laughing.

But yes, respect to Yngwie Malmsteen is due, certainly.