Brian May has named Deep Purple's Ritchie Blackmore as the guitarist he considers the most "dangerous" he has watched perform, praising his wild, unpredictable playing style. May, who deliberately steered Queen towards heavier, riff-driven rock rather than straightforward pop, has spoken about how guitarists like Blackmore shaped his own approach and inspired a generation of players, including Eddie Van Halen, to pick up the instrument.

May credited Blackmore's classical influences and unconventional arpeggio runs with encouraging guitarists to think beyond simple chord structures, citing tracks such as 'Brighton Rock' as examples of how this freedom shaped his own guitar work with Queen. He described watching Blackmore, best known for Deep Purple's 'Smoke on the Water', as "extraordinary", calling him "one of the most dangerous guitar players ever" in a complimentary sense, and said he was "way ahead of any of us".