If there was a sub-category to the hair metal movement, one might be called "sleeze" metal, and Faster Pussycat would be atop of that list. They legally bought…, Def Leppard is an English rock band formed in 1977 in Sheffield as part of the new wave of British heavy metal movement. The following is a list of glam metal bands and artists and includes bands and artists that have been described as glam metal or its interchangeable terms, hair metal, hair bands, pop metal and lite metal by professional journalists at some stage in their career. Swept under history’s rug and summarily dismissed as fake when thrash and grunge came along, hair-metal’s been out of the spotlight long enough by now to be forgiven for all but its sleaziest sins. And fans can still catch Poison on the road today, having "Nothin' but a Good Time.". The Crüe was all about conceptualism and stage presence, and it took it all to the hilt while becoming one of the biggest bands in the world. ", It was the yellow-and-black attack. 1 on the Billboard chart. Catchy, concise and more committed to getting parties rolling or groping groupies than conquering Valhalla or thinking depressive thoughts, what first passed as metal on Eighties MTV didn’t have much in common with what gets called metal now — or even what had mostly been called metal in the Seventies. C.C. More than anybody else on this list, it's been able to remain relevant and even earn induction into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. Mötley Crüe is an American heavy metal band formed in Los Angeles, California on January 17, 1981. Of course, Bon Jovi was also a group made for MTV. We think it does, and if that's the case it needs to be near the top of the list. Skid Row broke through with its self-titled 1989 debut that made them MTV staples thanks to hits "Youth Gone Wild," "18 and Life" and widely popular power ballad "I Remember You," which truly showed off Bach's range. In any other era they might’ve just been labeled “hard rock,” but at some point somebody came up with the probably pejorative term “hair-metal,” and the name stuck. ... bands like Def Leppard, Quiet Riot, … However, the title track was a quality original. Plus, this was a band that never took itself seriously and had a good time with the music and videos, as evident by the smash "We're Not Gonna Take It.". infused some macabre into its live sets and interesting costume choices. C.C. Lynch doesn't necessarily consider Dokken a full-blown hair/glam metal band, but he certainly had the coif to fit in. The…, Cinderella is an American rock band that was formed in Philadelphia in 1982 by vocalist Tom Keifer and bassist Eric Brittingham. I wanted to be a rock and roll star, and that's what I became." The band's two…, (For the 70s British rock band, see Mr Big. Slaughter as a band, however, arrived right at the end of the hair metal scene and was one the of last new acts of the genre to earn success. More holds up musically than you might guess: Trimming this list to a mere 50 albums was so tough that in the long run Guns N’ Roses had to be disqualified for transcending the form and W.A.S.P. But it did manage to generate a hit with the 1987 power ballad "Honestly.". While bands like Mötley Crüe, Ratt, Quiet Riot, Van Halen and Dokken first took heavy metal mainstream, later bands like Bon Jovi, Poison, Cinderella, Warrant, and Whitesnake made hair bands songs a stable on the Billboard Hot 100 charts. Though Hanoi Rocks achieved some modest U.S. success with its 1984 cover of the Creedence Clearwater Revival smash "Up Around the Bend" and the underrated "Boulevard of Broken Dreams." Let us know what you think of the Last.fm website. This particular type of heavy metal was very popular in California near the Los […] Truly one of the bands that defined this era in music. 1) Warrant is a glam metal band from Los Angeles, California that enjoyed its greatest success in 1990 with…, Dokken is an American hard rock / heavy metal band that was formed in 1978. Mötley Crüe, 'Shout at the Devil' (1983) Get past the shock value of the pentagram on the vinyl cover … Emailed daily. lived the hair metal life like nobody else. Known for top 40… Motley Crue. Timewise, the perimeters were clearer: mid Eighties to early Nineties, pretty much. Call them superficial, but blasting these is still a headbanger’s ball. Plus their music was catchy and memorable too. Send us a tip using our anonymous form. Van Halen is 20th on the RIAA list of best-selling…, Winger is an American hard rock band formed in New York City, in 1987, that gained popularity during the late 1980s and early 1990s. There are so many great bands on this list you might even have trouble deciding on a top 10 hair metal bands list, but that is your rock challenge. They can effcetively secure the ponytail in place and create a stunning and stylish look. Call them superficial, but blasting these is still a headbanger’s ball. Bon Jovi, Def Leppard, Jon Bon Jovi, Motley Crue, Poison, Skid Row, Twisted Sister. Guns is the name of a glam metal group from Los Angeles, California. DeVille and Bret Michaels of Poison (Photo by Jeff Kravitz/FilmMagic). Jeff Mezydlo has written about sports and entertainment online and for print for more than 25 years. Thanks to hits like "Fly High Michelle" and "New Thing," Enuff Z'Nuff is still playing, with bassist Chip Z'Nuff leading the way, on the club and neighborhood festival circuits. Their manager, Mike Parente, also owned L'amour, a club in Brooklyn. We want to hear from you! for sounding too legitimately heavy. Their hairstyle and image was more or less the same. Truly one of the bands that defined this era in music. Hailing from Hagerstown, Maryland, Kix was making music and garnering a following in the early 1980s, but it was not until 1988, when its release "Blow My Fuse" generated some mainstream love thanks to MTV favorites "Cold Blood" and "Don't Close Your Eyes." Originally co-founded by late metal guitar virtuoso Randy Rhoads, Quiet Riot — sans Rhoads — is often credited with putting hair/glam metal on the mainstream map after 1983's "Metal Health" became the first metal album to reach No. List RulesRank the bands based on whether or not they should be considered the top in the genre. Paced by Slaughter's distinctively shrieky voice made for pop metal, his band struck it big with 1990s "Stick It to Ya," producing MTV staples "Up All Night" and "Fly to the Angels. The hair, or glam, metal bands of the 1980s remain one of the true guilty pleasures in the history of music. © Copyright 2020 Rolling Stone, LLC, a subsidiary of Penske Business Media, LLC. The band was even nominated for the Grammy for Best Metal Performance in 1989. 1 Clemson, Lions activate Matthew Stafford from reserve/COVID-19 list, The 'Shortstops who hit 30 home runs in a season' quiz, Kyle Trask joins elite club with 22nd passing TD of season, Lions activate Matthew Stafford from COVID list, Jets players notify NFLPA of hidden cameras in locker room, Jim Harbaugh offers explanation for latest Michigan loss, Athletes share thoughts on Joe Biden winning presidency, MLBPA head 'optimistic' talks with MLB will be amicable, Vladimir Guerrero Jr. hopes to play third base in 2021, Ravens elevate Dez Bryant to active roster. Frontman Don Dokken still takes his version of the group on the road, playing hits like "Alone Again" to those interested in listening. You can follow Jeff at @jeffm401. The hair spray, makeup and catchy pop tunes touched up with distortion were made for MTV. ), Mr. Big combined two popular musical trends of the rock scene in the mid to late 80s: a particular…, Let us know what you think of the Last.fm website. 80s Hair Metal bands serve an important role in music history. We'll talk more about singer/guitarist Mark Slaughter in his days before forming his own band. There are so many great bands on this list you might even have trouble deciding on a top 10 hair metal bands list, but that is your rock challenge. Note: A few bands on their may not be pure hair/glam metal (Tesla, Aerosmith), but they share a lot of characteristics of hair/glam metal. Their music was standard hair metal, although they were more sleazier, edgier, bluesier than most hair metal bands, they had the pop hooks, shout along gang choruses, and killer heavy guitar riffs. The best part: The band never apologized for it. Though legendary frontman Dee Snider thinks Twisted Sister should not be considered a hair metal band, it definitely qualifies. Great gift choice for yourself or friends. Leather-clad, New York Dolls wannabes ("Too Fast for Love," 1981), Satan worshipers ("Shout at the Devil," 1983), hair rockers ("Theatre of Pain, "1985) and bikers ("Girls, Girls, Girls," 1987). Britny Fox was relevant for just a short time in the 1980s, specifically after its self-titled 1988 release, which, compared to other stuff on the scene at the time, was actually above-average and more rock-orientated. 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. In order to have the best experience, please upgrade to a more modern browser. The hair style alone made a stand out fashion statement. Guns has quite the history. Glam metal is a subgenre of heavy metal and is influenced by 1970s glam rock. Some might question Skid Row's inclusion on this list, and that's understandable. The music was big, flashy, and glamorous just like the hair of the band members. Though there really wasn't much substance to the music, the scene was popular to the mainstream nonetheless. drummer Nicholas "Razzle" Dingley's death via an automobile accident caused by, Matching outfits with their names on the sleeve, Tom Keifer's raspy voice and blues-infused guitar work, Notre Dame fans storm field after Irish beat No. Lists that rank the greatest bands and artists in every metal genre. Back in the 1980s, it was one of the more creative and conceptually visual bands on the hair metal scene. The pride of the Chicago south suburb of Blue Island, these psychedelic glam rockers never earned the consistent mainstream success as others on this list, but they certainly have some staying power. In any other era they might’ve just been labeled “hard rock,” but at some point somebody came up with the probably pejorative term “hair-metal,” and the name stuck. Leave feedback. On stage, Motley Crue was the wildest and craziest band of all, reaching new levels of … As did the music, at least through the rest of the decade — and most of it grew increasingly prettified and prefabricated, until it didn’t. So we've decided to rank our 20 hair metal bands of all time. From the teased hair, makeup, clothes and good times on stage and off, Poison was the epitome of the hair metal scene. What are the best hair metal bands of all time? The group was founded by bass guitarist Nikki…, Bon Jovi is a hard rock band from Sayreville, New Jersey. More holds up musically than you might guess: Trimming this list to a mere 50 albums was so tough that in the long run Guns N’ Roses had to be disqualified for transcending the form and W.A.S.P. Jon Bon Jovi helped give this Philadelphia-area band its break, and it delivered three quality albums during this era in "Night Songs" (1986), "Long Cold Winter" (1988) and "Heartbreak Station" (1990).