BEFORE THERE WAS an Yngwie Malmsteen, players like Ritchie Blackmore, Brian May and Uli Jon Roth had been experimenting with classical-inspired ideas in the context of hard rock, although it’s safe to say they remained very much rooted in the pentatonic blues. When the Swedish maverick unleashed his debut in 1984, however, it was unlike anything anyone had ever heard, and it would go on to kickstart a whole movement of guitarists dedicating their lives to neoclassical sounds. After brief stints in Steeler and Alcatrazz following his move to the U.S., Malmsteen just before his 21st birthday. The guitar world was never the same again.
