As evident in the list below, by 1992, guitar music was going through a change.

It wasn't just the emergence of grunge repositioning the function of the instrument in popular music. Flashy, over-the-top guitar pyrotechnics had run their course. Players like Steve Vai, Joe Satriani and Eddie Van Halen seemingly pushed virtuosity as far as it could go. The only response was deconstruction.

It's not as if the electric guitar could vanish, though. It had been the foundation of rock 'n' roll since Leo Fender began rolling them off the assembly line more than 40 years prior. And regardless of style, rock 'n' roll -- the ultimate channel of angst and rebellion -- was still in the hearts and minds of music fans. It just needed a little revolution.

There was still great technical work, harmonic and rhythmic complexities, textural layering and unusual effects processing. It wasn't, however, your typical diatonic scalar noodling. It was undoubtedly something new. Was it better or worse? That's still up for debate.

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