Harpy

You're all forgetting Woody from the Bay City Rollers, wow! what an axe man.

Oh yeah and Bert Weedon, he could teach you to play in a day, the master.

HaysooChreesto!

I thought Ynwie's best work was with the LA metal band Steeler. The singer Ron Keel wrote most of the songs and all Malmsteen had to do was play the rhythym and the leads. His solo track on Steeler's lone album was incredible.
Lynch was a very good guitar player but there are many who were and are better. Those names have already been mentioned so...

As far as the current generation of metal goes, well, most of it just kind of sucks. I remember a couple of years ago reading about Mudvayne so I went out and bought that cd. I listened to it once and that's it. The only other time it's been played is when I used it to scare my wife. I put in the cd player in her car and turned it up really loud so that when she started the car she was treated to the single lyric that is so prevalent in modern metal: "AAAAAUUUUUGGGGGHHHHHH!!!!!!!!"
In fairness to Mudvayne, they have a song that is getting some airplay and deservedly so. It seems they're progressing a little.

But there's still no hair raising guitar riffs to be found anywhere.

Oh yeah, the best guitar player of the 80's? That's tough. Randy Rhoads and Eddie Van Halen were the best from '80 to '84. Malmsteen was the best from '84 to '87. It was about that time that Vie finally got some recognition so I'd have to say he finishes off the decade in the top spot. Meanwhile, Michael Schenker was great throughout but stumbled seriously after teaming up with the chubby McCauley.
Granted, the above is based somewhat on recognition, but IMHO that's when they did their best work (in that decade).

Neilium

Damn, it smells like Aquanet in here. With the exception of Stevie Ray, everyone else listed is me-tal.

For your consideration, a handful of players outside the metal circus, several of whom somehow found life beyond the Floyd Rose.

Billy Zoom - X
Dave Alvin - Blasters
Gregg Ginn - Black Flag
Charles Ellerbee, James "Blood" Ulmer and Bern Nix - all played with Ornette Coleman at one point or another
Andy Gill - Gang of Four
Johnny Marr - Smiths
James Honeyman Scott - Pretenders
Robin Guthrie - Cocteau Twins
Robert Fripp - forget the latterday King Crimson stuff, the Frippertronics and his contributions to records by Bowie and Eno were nifty pickin'. (Yeah, he had a whammy bar, but he never made whammy bar faces.)

-neil

HaysooChreesto!

The vast majority of "Guitar Gods" were of the metal variety. And none of the guys you listed qualify as mindblowing. Not that they weren't good but metal had it all over any other form of popular music back then-by a mile. It's a genre that's largely based on guitar playing and so it tends to attract the better players.
The only non-metal guy I thought of was Stanley Jordan. On a purist level the guy is truly unique and amazing. When I hear and see that guy play it amazes me.

Neilium

Yeah, but too bad there weren't any girls in the audience at that Yngvie show, or I might have stuck around. The Blasters show down the street was an entirely different proposition.

But seriously, I tend to remember songs more than solos, and out of all the shredders listed, Eddie Van Halen was the only one I remember playing actual, honest-to-goodness songs. The solos were jaw-dropping, but I thought the world of his rhythm playing, fills, and accents. That whole band really knew how to move a song forward.

Also, Johnny Marr was clearly mind-blowing. Seeing him play a whole show with no solos, absolutely no sign of effort in his face or posture, but filling the room with so much g-d'd music. Holy smokes. Our dates were screaming for Morrissey, but my buds and I couldn't tear our eyes off that damn guitarist.

anyway...

-Neil

MortalWombat

Although not a strictly 80s guitarist, one can't forget Brian May from Queen. Jeff Beck has been quoted as saying "Brian is the best pop music-oriented guitarist there is. Everybody like to copy his licks, or at least try to. I wish they can say the same of me."

Xeluan

Yes. Cult of Personality contains one of the best damn riffs and one of the best damn solos of all time.

enrious

I thought Zakk Wilde did a servicable job filling Randy's shoes.

cjack

I've gotta second the vote for Johnny Marr...absolutely brilliant. The thing about Marr isn't his solo chops, but his abilities as an arranger and rythym player. Most people missed his genius because of the mope who was singing, and that's too bad.

As for 80's "Guitar Heroes," I'd have to throw Eric Johnson into the ring.

I saw Eric Johnson when he opened for Rush. Sweet jebus, the guy can play! Cliffs of Dover may be the best guitar track ever.

But I must admit that all the names mentioned pale in comparison to Eddie Van Halen. As others have pointed out, he was more than just a great soloist.

Xeluan

Getting slightly out of the 80s I think rhythm guitar is often overlooked when it comes to guitar playing.

Van Halen has been mentioned by a few as a brilliant rhythm player. Hendrix was the king but you gotta hand it to Curtis Mayfield for inventing that whole style.

Malcom Young (AC/DC), while not fancy, really holds down his end. Listen to the live stuff and you hear some amazing work.

Keef Richards can play lead but I'd say that he famous more for his riffs and rhythms than anything.

I don't know much about Johhny Marr (sorry Neilium) though like his recent work.

What about Jimmy Nolen who played all those amazing funk riffs for James Brown?

Personally, I don't care how well anyone solos, if you can't lay down a decent rhythm part then you're not a guitarist. It is the bane of many a local blues jam.

Edited to add: Except BB King. He rarely plays rhythm (though can I hear) but with that voice and style I argue he is an exception.