I've only seen 1 person mention Mr. Steve Vai...
One of the first songs that comes to mind is "For the Love of God"
That song is more than just "wanking" or "blowing a load on the fretboard"...when I hear it he is speaking spiritually through his instrument, which I think is the highest level of musicianship, the ability to convey emotions. There is a story behind its recording, and I'm not entirely positive of the details, but from what I've heard he poured his heart and soul into that solo after not playing for 2 weeks...you can really HEAR that when you listen. Is it a great song? not neccessarily, is it a great solo, yes. some of you may disagree, but that song is a true statement in the history of rock guitar. Kind of like a great prizefighter leaving it all out there after 12 tough rounds...Vai will probably never be as popular as he wants to be (Jimi Hendrix), but his "mastery" of the instrument is clearly evident on that song...and yeah he knows a lot about music, but it aint about that sometimes...im sure he wasnt thinking the name of the mode he was playing when his fingers were flying...he was just letting his fingers speak to us...
-Steve