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There are few hair bands that have the reputation for excess that Mötley Crüe has. This band seemed to love living the fast lifestyle and all of its short-term thrills. By the early 1990s, grunge had taken over and glam metal was all but forgotten. Frontman Tom Keifer has continued on in his solo career with albums The Way Life Goes (2013) and Rise (2019) and will still belt out some Cinderella classics in concert. On July 14, 2021, former Cinderella guitarist Jeff LaBar, who performed on the band’s four albums, died at 58.
Mötley Crüe, ‘Shout at the Devil’ (
While all of the great heavy metal/hair bands listed above helped to define this genre of music, we have selected the following top 80s hair bands for special recognition. Finally, hair metal bands often featured members who were more interested in their own image than in making good music. This can lead to sloppy performances and an overall lack of quality control. As a change from all the hair bands that formed in Los Angeles, Whitesnake is a band from London.
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They reunited in 1993 and have played live shows off and on since then, sometimes with all the original members. Lane remained with the band through their fifth album, Belly to Belly, and later reunited with them in 2008, just three years before his death in 2011 at the age of 47. Warrant has continued on through their most recent Louder Harder Faster album, released in 2017. The music produced by these bands was energetic, and their live performances were full of theatrics, which captivated audiences worldwide. Hanoi Rocks released several albums throughout the 1980s, including Bangkok Shocks, Saigon Shakes, Hanoi Rocks (1981), Back to Mystery City (1983), and Two Steps from the Move (1984). Guns N’ Roses is a highly influential hard rock band formed in Los Angeles in 1985.
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Def Leppard’s success was partly due to their innovative use of music videos, which helped them reach a wider audience and became a hallmark of the MTV era. The band continued releasing new music and tours throughout the 1990s and early 2000s. They are best known for their “To Be with You” and “Wild World” hit songs. The album became a commercial success and sold over six million copies worldwide. Van Halen is widely regarded as one of the most successful and influential acts in the history of rock music. Dokken would catapult to fame in the early 1980s, releasing a stream of hits that would sell millions of albums.
Ratt, ‘Out of the Cellar’ (
The 8 Best Hair Metal Songs from the 1980s - American Songwriter
The 8 Best Hair Metal Songs from the 1980s.
Posted: Wed, 27 Sep 2023 07:00:00 GMT [source]
You could say that W.A.S.P. helped play a pivotal role in expanding the boundaries of artist censorship. When you think of KISS, you probably think more of the 1970s when the group was in full costume. The 1980s are kind of an obscure era for KISS, which was most notably because the band shed the makeup. This is another band that has occasionally ranked in lists as one of the greatest groups of all time.
Winger, ‘Winger’ (
The band released its debut album in 1983 and went on to produce a total of four albums during the 80s. They’ve released eight more albums since the 80s, but their popularity reached its biggest heights along with their hair. Hair metal vocalists rarely get the respect that traditional metal singers do, in part because of the glam looks and accessible songs. Scene, but don't necessarily fall under the hair metal banner because of the edginess of their earlier music.
2024 Florida 80s Hairbands Festival Lineup Announced - Tampa Bay's Q105
2024 Florida 80s Hairbands Festival Lineup Announced.
Posted: Wed, 12 Jul 2023 07:00:00 GMT [source]
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With Bret Michaels as the lead frontman, it didn’t take too long for this hair band to make waves in the music industry. Formed in 1983, the band gained popularity with their number one hit single “Every Rose Has Its Thorn”, which is included in their sophomore album “Open Up and Say… Ahh! Warrant started in 1984 but didn’t see mainstream success until 1988, when it signed with Columbia Records. Their debut album had four singles which got them spots opening for Mötley Crüe, Poison, and Cinderella on tour. Their second album came out in 1990 but still harnessed the signature sound of 80s hair bands. Considered one of the bands that formed the Los Angeles glam metal scene in the early 1980s, Ratt is another glam metal band that stands out.
Precious Metal, ‘Right Here Right Now’ (
The band opened for many big touring acts during that time, such as AC/DC, Aerosmith, and Judas Priest. Over the years, continued turmoil within the band resulted in two touring versions of Ratt, one with frontman Stephen Pearcy and another with drummer Bobby Blotzer. Pearcy released two more albums under the Ratt name with original guitarist Warren DeMartini—Ratt in 1999, followed by the 2010 release, Infestation. The only female rockers on the hair metal list, the era of makeup and glam was surprisingly dominated by more male bands. In Europe, Hanoi Rocks mixed glam rock, punk and the big hair and makeup of vocalist Michael Monroe. The Finnish band got their start in the late '70s and quickly rose through the ranks.
Guns N’ Roses
These bands were responsible for some of the biggest hits of the 80s, including “Edge Of A Broken Heart” by Vixen, “Live for The Whip” by Bitch, ” and “Back to The Bullet” by Saraya. Between the release of these two albums, their drummer, Rick Allen, lost one of his arms in a car accident. Allen still plays with the band, using a custom drum set with extra foot pedals.
Grunge music emerged as a new force in the music industry, and hair metal bands were unable to compete. Some of the biggest names in British hair metal were Def Leppard, Wrathchild, and Whitesnake. Named after its lead vocalist, the band managed to release a ton of iconic singles and albums. Their career hit its peak in the 1980s with the number one albums “1984”, “5150”, and “OU812”.
Their work ethic and popularity impressed Atlantic Records, who released their first full-length album in 1984. Their first and second label releases reached number seven on the Billboard charts, and several singles reached the Top 40. The band periodically reunites to perform live shows but hasn’t released a new album since 2010. The 80s included diverse musical offerings such as electronic music, dance-pop, and a new wave of rock. But perhaps one of the most stand-out trends 80s music brought was the rise of the ‘hair bands’; musicians, often male, who had long hair.
Another name that has become synonymous with 80s hair bands is the group called Ratt. You are probably familiar with their song, Round And Round, which still receives regular radio play on many stations. During the late 1980s, Great White toured with some of the biggest names in the industry, including Guns N’ Roses.
It’s the sole reason why fans would wait 15 years for the band to release a lackluster (but hyped) album. While many big hair metal bands are now considered cheesy and dated, they remain iconic for their over-the-top style and catchy tunes. During the 1980s, many best-selling artists such as Prince, Michael Jackson, Madonna, and Whitney Houston excelled.
These hair bands used heavy guitars and pounding drums, but they stood out compared to other heavy metal bands because of the members’ appearance. Initially forming in 1978 in Los Angeles, Dokken released four albums, from their 1981 debut, Breaking the Chains, through Back For Attack in 1987, before splitting up. 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. The band’s original lineup consisted of vocalist Axl Rose, lead guitarist Slash, rhythm guitarist Izzy Stradlin, bassist Duff McKagan, and drummer Steven Adler. The hair band’s original lineup consisted of Tom Keifer (lead vocals, guitar), Eric Brittingham (bass guitar), Michael Smerick (guitar), and Tony Destra (drums).
In fact, both of these songs are regularly featured in a wide range of different commercial uses. Video games, films, and TV shows have all included these songs in their content. Others say that the excesses of glam metal – the drugs, the alcohol, the wild lifestyle – led to its downfall. Bands like Poison, Motley Crue, and Bon Jovi were at the height of their popularity. While many of these bands faded into obscurity over the years, a few have managed to remain popular to this day.
