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If hair metal was defined by aesthetic (hair and makeup) and a bounty of wailing vocals and bombastic riffs, even some of the heavier and more prolific rockers fell into the category at one point throughout the high-haired decade. The heavy guitars and angst-filled lyrics of grunge bands like Nirvana were a stark contrast to the slick, over-the-top sound of glam metal. Between the ballads and distinct fashion, hair bands were like the 1980s version of 2000s emo music.
Warrant, ‘Dirty, Rotten, Filthy, Stinking Rich’ (
Cocked & Loaded (1989) is arguably the band's most commercially successful effort. It may be a bit hard to distinguish this blond lead singer from his competitors, but there have been far worse efforts than this tune that have somehow received more acclaim. While no one would ever argue that hair metal was a genre full of variety, the form did boast a handful of archetypes, the most well-known of which is probably the glorious power ballad. Although there are many examples to choose from, it's impossible to shower any of these tunes exclusively with either praise or negative criticism. But somehow this mixed bag syndrome does not prevent a substantial amount of pleasure from creeping into the experience of listening to them. Here's a look at 10 of the best, in no particular order, ranging from classics of the form to sleeper examples of high quality.
How to Unlike All Songs On Spotify
How heavy metal got its mojo back - Louder
How heavy metal got its mojo back.
Posted: Thu, 21 Dec 2023 08:00:00 GMT [source]
According to tour manager Noel E. Monk, Berle taped "several hours" of indiscretions, not surprisingly with Roth in "75 percent of the X-rated films." It started on Los Angeles' Sunset Strip, around 1981 with Mötley Crüe leading the charge. Clubs like the Starwood, Whisky a Go Go, the Rainbow Bar & Grill, and The Roxy served as incubators.
L.A. Guns, ‘Cocked and Loaded’ (
That began to change a bit in the wake of this molten pop classic--but not before a key template was set. At the tail end of the 1980s, Warrant somehow entered the “hair metal” craze, but anyone listening to their more moving tracks on the 1990 album Cherry Pie would never conceive of any glam beginnings. Their 1989 debut Dirty Rotten Filthy Stinking Rich was chockfull of power ballads (“Heaven,” “Sometimes She Cries”) and anthemic rockers (“Down Boys”). This Philly-bred four-piece group might have had the biggest and highest hair of all the hair/glam metal bands.
Cinderella, ‘Night Songs’ (
And while not everything chronicled in the timeline below happened on Sunset Blvd., per se, the Strip has always been as much a vibe as a locale. Welcome to the jungle, baby, where you can learn to live like an animal and — if you're really, really lucky — even sell a record or two. Dokken would catapult to fame in the early 1980s, releasing a stream of hits that would sell millions of albums. You might not know it, but Lita played in the band The Runaways, where she held down lead guitar duties.
Why Hair Metal's Biggest Hit Shouldn't Exist - Loudwire
Why Hair Metal's Biggest Hit Shouldn't Exist.
Posted: Thu, 08 Feb 2024 08:00:00 GMT [source]
These included the rock ‘n’ roll venue Gazzarri’s, where Van Halen got its start, and the Comedy Store, which opened in 1972 at Ciro’s old home. Soon, the kooky and shrewd Mitzi Shore would be playing den mother to a group of comic geniuses, including Robin Williams, Richard Pryor, and, later, Sam Kinison, and Andrew Dice Clay. In 1973, the upscale Roxy Theatre opened, backed by music industry heavyweights David Geffen, Elliot Roberts, and Lou Adler.
Formed in Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania in 1983, Poison fell right into the glam and hair metal scene with ease. Metallica, Megadeth, and Iron Maiden all had the hair and started gaining popularity at the same time. Perhaps they were less glam, but they often carry the label of hair metal when their early music is referenced. Visually flamboyant and prone to shout-along hooks in ways that made them saleable in a video-single format, bands like Def Leppard, Quiet Riot, Twisted Sister and Ratt owed way more to British glam-rock or Aerosmith than to Black Sabbath.
Best 80s Hair Bands, Final Thoughts
In a way, every member of Mötley Crüe essentially became a celebrity in their own right. Any average person is likely familiar with at least one of the band members’ names. Skid Row is perhaps best-known for the fact that Sebastian Bach sang for the group in its early years.
Mötley Crüe
Earlier ’80s hits “Burning Like a Flame,” “In My Dreams” and “Alone Again” fit the glam metal stream. The band’s 1988 live album, Beast from the East, also picked up a Grammy nomination for Best Metal Performance. Musically, glam metal's shtick was to take traditional heavy metal and add a dash punk and a dash pop. Most song arrangements centered around lead guitar riffs and shredding solos — but having a large-coiffed, bare-chested frontman with great pipes never hurt, either.
The band’s classic lineup, which achieved commercial success in the late 1980s and early 1990s, consisted of Phil Lewis on vocals, Tracii Guns on guitar, Mick Cripps on guitar, Kelly Nickels on bass, and Steve Riley on drums. Whitesnake is a British hair rock band formed in 1978 by David Coverdale, previously the lead vocalist for Deep Purple. The hair band’s original lineup consisted of Tom Keifer (lead vocals, guitar), Eric Brittingham (bass guitar), Michael Smerick (guitar), and Tony Destra (drums). Their music featured a blend of hard rock, glam rock, and pop rock, and their catchy hooks and melodic choruses made them famous on rock radio and MTV. Van Halen released several successful albums throughout the 1980s, including 1984, 5150, and OU812. Throughout their career, Mötley Crüe has released several successful albums, including Shout at the Devil, Girls, Girls, Girls, and Dr. Feelgood.
Always popular in their native England and elsewhere throughout Europe, Whitesnake finally broke globally by plugging into late-’80s glam vibes. Guns lineup consisted of Tracii on guitar, former Girl singer Phil Lewis on the mic, ex-Faster Pussycat Kelly Nickels on bass, and ex-W.A.S.P. The group’s self-titled 1988 debut is a knockout, and they only got better a year later with Cocked and Loaded.
Even today, Bon Jovi’s music remains just as popular, no doubt aided by Richie Sambora’s guitar playing. Whether it was a ballad or full-on rock, Guns N’ Roses always had something to say. Plus, it helps to have one of the best modern guitarists in your lineup to elevate things. Twisted Sister’s massive hits remain fairly relevant, even for today’s cultural climate. It’s easy to dismiss this band, especially if you aren’t a fan of their smash hit song, Sister Christian. However, both Gillis and Watson had a role in shaping the way guitar would be played in the 1980s.
The genre enjoyed nearly 10 years of prominence, but near the end of the '80s, hair metal hit its saturation point. After Guns N' Roses released Appetite For Destruction in 1987, the number of clone bands hit an all-time high. The popular bands retained their fan bases, but there was no more room for newbies. However, as the years have gone by, many of these bands have been forgotten. Grunge music emerged as a new force in the music industry, and hair metal bands were unable to compete.
Paced by Slaughter's distinctively shrieky voice made for pop metal, his band struck it big with 1990's Stick It to Ya, housing MTV staples "Up All Night" and "Fly to the Angels." Like most of the bands on this list, W.A.S.P., in its current form, still pops up in bars, festivals, and local parks. In the 1980s, it was one of the more creative and conceptually visual bands on the hair metal scene.
