Top 10: Yngwie Malmsteen Songs

There is perhaps no guitarist in the history of metal more infamous than Yngwie Malmsteen. Over 40 years since he exploded onto the scene, he remains as talked about today as he was back then. He’s loved by many and hated by equally as many. His antics, both onstage and off, have become the stuff of legend, eventually reaching self-parody status. When it comes to neoclassical guitar, he is the be all, end all, and he’ll be the first to let you know everyone else are mere imitators. On that note (or series of notes making an arpeggio), in front of a wall of Marshalls, we present to you our Top 10 Yngwie Malmsteen Songs.

10. “Crystal Ball”

When most people talk about Yngwie Malmsteen, they talk about his scorching euro metal anthems and ferocious fretwork. What they don’t talk about is how for a handful of albums, he was laying down some of the finest AOR ever recorded. This inclination for more melodic fare peaked on his fourth album, Odyssey (1988), on which he was joined by former Rainbow singer Joe Lynn Turner. Considering JLT sang for Rainbow during their most commercially successful period, this combination should’ve catapulted Malmsteen to the top of the US charts. Instead, it resulted in an acrimonious tour and inevitable split, making JLT the third singer to leave his band in 5 years. It’s a miracle they held it together long enough to put out this album, which features a heavenly slice of euro AOR in “Crystal Ball”. To those doubting Malmsteen’s songsmith abilities, put this in your pipe and smoke it!

9. “Far Beyond the Sun”

Contrary to popular belief, Malmsteen was not the first metal guitarist to incorporate classical tropes into his playing. Ritchie Blackmore, Uli Jon Roth, Eddie Van Halen, and Randy Rhoads were all exploring classical techniques and melodies beforehand. Malmsteen is, however, most synonymous with the style, and for good reason. The drama and intensity of “Far Beyond the Sun” was unlike anything young guitarists had heard before. Whereas the classical leanings of Rhoads or Van Halen were showcased within the framework of “Mr. Crowley” and “Eruption” (which itself is more or less an introduction to “You Really Got Me”) respectively, here was a standalone, full length, instrumental guitar solo that laid everything on the table.

8. “Black Star”

I can only imagine how Malmsteen laughs when being haphazardly labeled a “shredder” by the music press (and is probably laughing at this list as you read it, but I digress). Yes, his claim to fame is being able to play a lot of notes fast, to put it bluntly. Yet one thing he doesn’t get enough credit for is his ability to lay down powerful guitar melodies. “Black Star” off his self titled debut is a clinic in this. The lead twin guitar melody on this song always reminded me of Gary Moore, albeit shrouded within the epically ominous Scandi metal atmosphere Malmsteen was seeking to capture. As if that wasn’t enough to earn “Black Star” a spot on this list, the fact that it was covered by blues legend B.B. King is. OK, that last part was a lie, but it made for a great YouTube parody!

7. “Liar”

Before Yngwie Malmsteen, speed metal was the stuff of barbarians; a brutish contagion of metal and punk associated with the likes of Venom and Raven. Leave it to Malmsteen to polish the genre off with his signature neoclassical sheen and add a healthy dose of melody and pomp, the result being “Liar”. By Trilogy (1986), Malmsteen was on singer #2, Mark Boals, who did a fantastic job capturing the range and grit of Jeff Scott Soto, but with his own unique bombast. On this classic rager, Malmsteen and his entire band are firing on all cylinders. It’s about as savage as Malmsteen can get, albeit still hooky enough to appeal to the metal masses. He had to if he was going to open for the likes of arena titans Triumph.

6. “Judas”

AOR prince Joe Lynn Turner may have been long gone from the Malmsteen fold come 1990’s Eclipse, but that didn’t mean the maestro was ready to abandon the radio-friendly format entirely. Enter Göran Edman. The singing Swede first made headway as the frontman on Europe guitarist John Norum’s solo debut, Total Control (1987). Malmsteen must’ve thought, “Well, if it worked for Norum, it’ll work for me.” Funny enough, Eclipse follows largely in the Total Control template. The metallic elements are simply undertones for big, hook-laden, guitar-driven radio rockers, the biggest of them all being “Judas”. This baroque inspired tale of heartbreak and betrayal had all the markings of a hit single. Sure, it would’ve been wiped out stateside come ’91, but there’s no way this shouldn’t have been getting airplay alongside Winger and Firehouse in ’90.

5. “Faster than the Speed of Light”

What is the greatest power metal love/lust song of all time? If it came down to a cage match, it’d be between Virgin Steele’s “On the Wings of the Night” and Yngwie Malmsteen’s “Faster than the Speed of Light”. And if I was betting money, I’d have to bet on “Faster” by a hair, if only for the lyric, “She’s liquid dynamite.” Now that SOUNDS like it should be a lyric from a forgotten Mötley Crüe b-side, but no, it’s found on a track as regally ripping as this. In true Malmsteen manner (that should be patented), “Faster” is indeed fast, but with no shortage of singalong hooks, instrumental virtuosity, and pure class to boot. The next time you and your lady have a falling out, send her this one. She’ll be back in your arms in no time.

4. “You Don’t Remember, I’ll Never Forget”

Being signed to a major label in the mid ’80s didn’t just mean an endless cavalcade of sex, drugs, and non-stop partying; it meant that said label expected a return on their investment. Hence why, hot off the heels of an opening stint for AC/DC, Malmsteen’s flirtation with AOR begins on Trilogy. Like the aforementioned “Crystal Ball” and “Judas”, “You Don’t Remember, I’ll Never Forget” should’ve been a mega hit. It’s essentially a Foreigner song on steroids, and while Foreigner were on their last leg come ’86, they were still a viable name. There’s no denying the name “Yngwie Malmsteen” doesn’t roll of the tongue as easy as “Foreigner” or “Journey”, but that doesn’t take away from the quality of the music. As far as I’m concerned, this is a riveting melodic metal anthem which will never grow old.

3. “I’ll See the Light, Tonight”

Another song with the word “light” in the title? No wonder so many power metal bands look up to Malmsteen. All joking aside, “I’ll See the Light, Tonight”, the opening cut off Malmsteen’s sophomore assault, Marching Out (1985), is a tour de force. Whereas Rising Force felt like a solo outing with bandmates coming out to help when need be, Marching Out has a much more unified “band” feel. Yes, it is still an “Yngwie Malmsteen” album in name and spirit, but one gets the impression of a band who was young, hungry, and ready to take the likes of Priest and Maiden down a notch or two on “Light”. Even today, it remains a staple of his set.

2. “I Am a Viking”

I must’ve been 11 or 12 the first time I heard “I Am a Viking”. It was right around the time I was discovering Cirith Ungol and Manilla Road, among other epically inclined metal acts. Anyways, while I was already ware of Malmsteen (more on that in a bit), I had never heard this song before, and remember being absolutely floored the first time I heard it. The music and lyrics were as brutal as any death metal I had heard up until that point (likely just Cannibal Corpse and a small handful of others), but with the melody and ambitiousness of ’70s Priest, Uli Jon Roth era Scorpions, and my junior high favorites, Mercyful Fate. Jeff Scott Soto’s vocal performance still gives me chills to this day, as do those warring riffs and that enthralling solo.

1. “Rising Force”

I can’t remember exactly where I first heard of Yngwie Malmsteen. It just seemed like one day he was there. Whether it be between the pages of Guitar World, on That Metal Show, or being featured on Rock Band, all of a sudden, it was Yngwie-mania in my little middle school world. I thought to myself, “So long as I keep hearing about this guy, I may as well buy an album.” And so, just as I did every Friday, I made my weekly pilgrimage to the local Disc Replay and picked up a copy of Odyssey for all of maybe $4. Upon leafing through the booklet and seeing Joe Lynn Turner, who I was already familiar with via Rainbow, I became fascinated. I HAD to hear this immediately. Into the CD player it went…

I still remember the first time I heard “Rising Force”. The sheer power emitting from my headphones damn near blew my brains out. I’ll never forgetting sitting on my bed, headbanging with all my 10 year old might, and grinning ear to ear as I made a brilliant new metal discovery. The ensuing guitar/keyboard duel between Malmsteen and Jens Johansson was the icing on the cake. I didn’t think anyone could touch my beloved Blackmore and Lord, but here we were. Nearly 15 years have passed since that moment and “Rising Force” remains the definitive Yngwie Malmsteen song of all time. It still has the “thunder and spark in the heart of the dark”. Could you ask for more?