Hair Metal Was Better Than You Think

For all the scorn Glam Metal receives even 30 years after its sad, painful death, there are actually quite a few bands from this infamous subgenre that are more than worth your time.
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[@bracket-neutron]

As somebody who isn't a metalhead, I can tell that Hair Metal's got more merit to it than grunge and metal elitists claim. As you've said, the monster ballad sound that plagued that genre during its final years shouldn't be lumped in with the rest, since it's clearly just a sanitized imitation at best. A lot of genres become soured by the general public in the same way, including grunge, pop punk and indie. I expect a similar awakening to happen with other vapid music movements relatively soon, though much of mainstream music currently is designed to be disposable anyway. Sensationalism and idolization have been useful tools for militant fanbases to use, and the industry benefits a ton from shills. Often times they care far more about the personality than the music itself, which to me is a deathblow to the art. Fortunately, great music is practically timeless, and there's still plenty of that coming out even if it's away from the popular consciousness.

[@lindsaymays7206]

Grunge didn’t even last a decade. Hair metal has had a MUCH bigger and more lasting impact on music, not to mention the guys of hair metal were truly skilled musicians. The same cannot be said of grunge.

[@bryskid2005]

That’s what I like to say to all these grunge fanatics that claim that it was the best thing that ever happened to rock. And they say that hair metal was the worst that ever happened. While the music they made didn’t even last to be a trend not even 3 and a half years.

[@joehobbs3277]

For sure hair metal had some fantastic players, great records and great songs and indeed lasted longer than grunge ever did. The ironic difference is the hair bands wanted that huge exposure that MTV gave them, wanted to be famous and so my belief is that’s why hair metal tho in the 90s was eclipsed by grunge but lasted because of the stuff they did while grunge claimed to be anti everything but come 1991 nirvana, Pearl jam, soundgarden etc were in stadiums getting 24 7 MTV exposure making music vidios all the time birching about how they don’t want to be big no winder the genre screwed itself over so bad

[@user-qs9jl1bl2u]

Grunge lasted 3 years. It wasn’t even that good lol

[@curly_wyn]

Grunge may not have lasted that long but it was white hot the whole time, whereas hair metal lived long enough to truly solidify itself as the villain.

[@curly_wyn]

@@joehobbs3277and hair metal did that all for what? Just some misogyny, nihilistic partying and a hollow above-everyone-else attitude. I hate it.

[@Chelaxim]

Hair metal is the epitome of "Don't hate me because I'm beautiful".

[@xzsinz996]

🤣😭 I Love Both Hairmetal and Thrash but this best comment

[@sopse8149]

lmaoo

[@matin5204]

Trash metal is like you know i making metal like trash but its a art . so trash is art

[@sarizonana]

Especially that sentence speaks about Bon Jovi. Jon bon Jovi was the most attractive and beautiful man in music of all time. He was the equal in music to brad Pitt in movies. The most beautiful male singer ever Jon Bon Jovi, the most beautiful actor ever Brad Pitt

[@curly_wyn]

Lmaoo you can’t be serious

[@dirkamondant3445]

Dokken, Loudness,WASP,Ratt, Twisted Sister and Def Lep were the complete fire in early eighties, and it ruled

[@chocolatecharlie1976]

Who knew Mötley Crüe & Def Leppard would have the highest grossing tour of 22’?

[@StuartKReilly]

W.A.S.P. was a good example of one of those early hair bands that got it right. Blackie never softened his sound for anything. If anything his on stage antics got even wilder as the 80s drew to a close and in the 90s he was STILL putting out banger albums. He never did put out a bad album. Ratt,Dokken,Crue,Quiet Riot as well as W.A.S.P. are my favorites of that whole movement. As for Firehouse, they had ONE song I liked. Overnight Sensation that was on Brutal Legend. It was more melodic and fast paced than their more poppy sounding tracks.

[@jennrat2982]

I always called Overnight Sensation the speeding ticket song...🚓😂

[@gameboycat05]

Helpless is my favorite on the album. Bill Leverty just KILLS it!

[@sirfizz6518]

Ratt's self-released EP and first two LPs can hang with the likes of such titans as Dio and Scorpions. Same can be said for everything W.A.S.P. did at least til the mid 90s. As for Dokken i don't think we can really call them glam, because that's really defined by making image a high priority. The label doesn't fit just by right of coming up on the Sunset Strip and dressing extravagantly... in an era when pretty much everyone did. Even Ozzy was wearing neon spandex, and i don't see people claiming he was glam. Those early bands were just hip metalhead kids who were digging the raucous of punk and the showmanship of the UK glam scene and naturally put their influences together.

[@adecentmeal]

Blackie was cool up until the time he was born again. He’s gone off the deep end lately, he’s unhinged in interviews and he started lipsyncing.

[@user-bz9sj8mh5d]

W.A.S.P. were kinda outliers, they had a harder edge than most other hair metal bands but weren't thrash to the level of Metallica or Megadeth. Their album The Headless Children is an absolute masterpiece.

[@michaelaiken6482]

Metal and glam metal was always the best it never died. The industry just wanted you to believe that.

[@batlevi2247]

Hair metal is the main reason why I wish I was a teenager in the 80s!

[@venus2774]

literally

[@Consolous]

I agree that Glam Metal doesn't get the credit it deserves. They had that metal spirit while being melodic with incredible lead guitar solos inspired by the great Eddie Van Halen. I'm glad you gave Dokken it's well deserved credit first. They had such a good sound and with George Lynch on the guitar, they had so many great songs like Dream Warriors, In My Dreams, and more. In defense of the later bands, even FireHouse had some punchy songs like "Reach For The Sky" and their production was better than any of the early bands. There was also Steelheart with one of the highest pitched singers, Miljenko Matijevic, or Hardline that also had a complete sound of banging songs with an amazing singer. I personally like all the waves of the era but I do agree there were some bands that made the whole rest look bad.

[@bellaralte1317]

The hair band / Glam band lasts much longer than the grunge band. The grunge started in 1991 with Nirvana Nevermind and died out with the death of Kurt Cabain. In contrast with grunge, the hair metal/ Glam band had a long lasting impact to the music industry.

[@pinkyellowblue007]

Hair metal was a glorious celebration of youth, rebellion, long hair, partying, hot girls and guitar playing.Then grunge came along and everything turned to shit.

[@EDDGC]

Amen! The best definition even for Hair Metal

[@jamesmoss3424]

Hair Metal still kick ass today. 😀👍🤘🎸

[@gun_toting_lefty]

I WILL NEVER be ashamed of my love for "1st Stage" Hair Metal. The BEST Rock guitarists came out of that movement. EVH, Lynch (George and Steve), Malmsteen, Vai, DiMartini, Akira Takasaki, Rhodes, Oz Fox, Michael Sweet. Later on Vito Bratta, Reb Beach and Slash. Great time to be alive!

[@Harrock]

lets go back to the 80s when Skinny Jeans , Long Hair and Make up was considered as Manly AF !

[@CRITTERBUSTERS]

Hair/Glam Metal was a victim of a changing in trends, I think the hatred of Hair Metal initially came out of jealousy and envy from the seemingly more ‘serious’ metal bands who weren’t making headway on the charts. But by 1988 Glam/Hair metal was mostly becoming stale and repetitive and you started to see bargain bin clones of better bands. Then Grunge came along in the 90s and claimed to be fresh and new when in reality they were just a more commercial version of punk and garage rock from the 60s and 70s. It was the 90s, there was a recession and a lot of uncertainty and the era of 80s excess was not relatable to a new generation of teens. The 80s rock stars were living lifestyles that no ordinary person did, they were busy drinking,snorting coke, banging strippers, partying every night, rinse and repeat. Grunge and the 90s in general was basically the sobering up from the hangover that was the 80s excess. It was a paradigm shift, it needed to happen but for me I couldn’t get into grunge, I tried and I just found it to be too depressing. For the 90s I preferred the techno and industrial/prog metal scenes. Hair/Glam metal deserves way more respect than it gets, it brought rock and metal into the mainstream to a level never seen before and brought innovations in music and stage production. It was loud, bombastic, energetic and fun and a majority of the musicians played as good as they looked ha ha

[@curly_wyn]

As if any of that shit that hair metal bands did is even a good thing, first of all lol.

[@edwardbliss8931]

There's more danger, sleaze, attitude, and recklessness in hair metal than anything I'm seeing today.

[@curly_wyn]

Good. None of that is a good thing. Those kinds of people are losers.

[@PortugueseMACPOW]

Lmao, says the guy with anime in his profile pic. You are the loser​@@curly_wyn

[@TsukiCondor]

As a recent member of the Dokken fandom, I think it's over hated too *Where the Dream Warriors!!*

[@kjone5086]

Don't forget to check out don dokken's up from the ashes album. Its the fifth dokken album that never was.

[@TsukiCondor]

@@kjone5086 Ill have to look for it

[@jennrat2982]

Welcome to the club..😎🤘🎸

[@dirkamondant3445]

Ive always felt that mastery of the Ratt tone could lead to world domination

[@skipflow]

There was a sleaze and grit to early hair metal, along with catchy hooks. Then it became formulaic pop. Grunge didn't kill it, it killed itself.

[@curly_wyn]

Sleaze is not a good thing. Good fuckin’ riddance to old rubbish!

[@MILUNGAO]

In al fairness, Hair/Glam Metal is not the most hated genre in the whole Hard Rock/Metal world. There are genres much more hated since dozens of years: Nü-Metal, Metalcore, Post-Grunge, Emo, Deathcore. When people are asked about the bands they hate the most, they mention Nickelback, Linkin Park, Evanescence, Green Day, Korn, Papa Roach, Limp Bizkit and 80's bands are rarely cited. Being said that, there's one thing a lot of people forget to mention: the fact that Grunge only lasted 4 years (the vast majority of Grunge bands didn't even see the end of the 90's) and gentrified itself during the mid-90's. Back in 1997, the whole Grunge scene was already out of the radars, not even 1 grunge album managed to be in the Top 10 of the Billboard Top 200. In y opinion, only 2 Grunge bands are relevant: Pearl Jam and Alice In Chains and these bands distanced themselves from Grunge after the mid-90's. That says it all. And I'd also add one thing about Grunge: outside the USA, the Grunge scene was almost non-existent, 0 Grunge band from Europe, South America or Japan has emerged during the 90's, while you can see AOR scenes, Glam scenes in these parts of the world.

[@NealVio]

Well said

[@EDDGC]

I agree, those genres you mentioned are utterly crap

[@vaughanband]

An interesting side note is women/girls were massively into hair/glam metal but let’s face it KZbin is 96% male, so in the comments we mainly hear the male opinion narrative. That’s not men’s fault but it’s worth mentioning.

[@curly_wyn]

I think they were into just because they liked the music and the way the bands looked, but women being pro hair metal is just like chicken being pro KFC, because hair metal and especially bands like Mötley Crüe and Guns N’ Roses were very much anti-women.

[@vaughanband]

I'd say they sexualised women, but not anti-women.. I was there at the concerts in the 80's as a teenager and 40% of the crowd were women, who loved every minute of it and were included and celebrated. I'd love to hear the opinion of some 50 year old women (I'm assuming that's not you) who were there, but like I said..they're not on KZbin, so we don't get to hear their perspective. I'm not trying to deny rampant sexism didn't exist, but Motley Crue weren't telling girls in the crowd that they were useless turds, they were saying, hey baby, you rock@@curly_wyn

[@dr.weebrule3423]

Europe's first record that came out only in Japan and Sweden was more nwobhm than glam Metal. They turned glam metal when they got signed by CBS. Pre CBS Europe is one of the best 80's early metal bands.

[@kospandx]

Really cool to hear about this genre from a younger fan! I think there is a lot that is correct in this review, but I think it missteps in one crucial place, namely that it (1) identifies what I like to call the Poison/Guns n' Roses divide around 1987, but choose to only think of the former as being part of the genre, and (2) therefore misses out on the diversity of late-stage glam metal. That GnR was a part of the glam scene in the early days is uncontestable: they played the LA scene, toured with Mötley Crüe, would hang out at Faster Pussycat's club, and when Steven Adler couldn't play drums they brought in Fred Coury from Cinderella. They only distanced themselves from the scene as they saw that the sands were shifting. More importantly, they were the harbringers of their own fraction within the scene. Whether they originated the harder sound is doubtful: Mötley Crüe for a while had an uncanny ability to be ahead of the curve, and if you compare Girls, Girls, Girls to Theatre of Pain, you are really already halfway to Appetite for Destruction. After GnR there came a number of bands that continued on the trajectory they had set out, whilst they themselves became something of a bloated corpse: Skid Row picked up the ball when GnR failed to create a proper follow-up to AfD, and their second album, Slave to the Grind, is a logical mixture between GnR and Pantera. This much you mention, and this is much appreciated. However, bands like Dangerous Toys and Spread Eagle were also active at the same time, and indicative of the same undercurrent within the scene. But whilst the genre was spanning in heaviness from Trixter to Slave to the Grind, there was also a remarkable musical diversity - glam metal is possibly the last time all of American popular music could be found in one genre. Most obviously, funk had made its way into the genre, with Extreme being the classic example. On the other hand, you could go from listening to blues-rock purists like Great White to Winger, which was basically a prog band that occasionally wrote elaborate chart singles (don't believe the gainsayers on this one!). Then you had soul in Little Caesar, Beatlemania years before Brit Pop in Enuff Z'Nuff, David Lee Roth's post-VH output is half heavy metal, half Las Vegas cabaret, and I even maintain that Poison's later ballads had a pop sensibility to them that helped prepare the ground for Garth Brooks and Billy Ray Cyrus to hit the limelight in 1992. So yeah, I can kind of see that if you come from a metal background and choose to focus solely on the poppier acts in the late era, you might conclude that the genre needed to die. If its entire diversity is appreciated (and it was a MUCH more diverse genre in 1991 than in 1985) I find this a lot harder to defend. Funnily enough, the term "hair metal" was originally used exactly in the opposite manner of what you describe: in the nineties it was primarily used to describe the wave of bands that followed in Poison's wake, with the earlier bands still being considered heavy metal, plain and simple. Since then, the term has expanded so much that you on occasion see bands like Dio, Iron Maiden and Judas Priest referred to as "hair metal". I can wholeheartedly get behind your recommendation for Dokken. However, you lose me with Mötley Crüe. Too Fast for Love I find well-night unlistenable: it is so obvious that they had not yet learnt their craft properly yet. From there I think they got better with each album, until GGG and Dr. Feelgood, which I regard as their masterpieces. EVEN BETTER, though, is Vince Neil's first solo album, Exposed (1993), where about half of the tracks were originally written for a follow-up to Ozzy's The Ultimate Sin (another much-underrated album). Unmentioned in this video are also Lynch Mob, whose first two albums are masterful - even if the name is tasteless (it was basically George Lynch of Dokken's solo project).

[@fungus_am0nguz644]

Shit, you seem to know your "hair" metal stuff. Seems like you live through it. For me it was the 90s since i was late teen early adult in that decade, and i started going to shows and discovering new bands and sounds. Do you think the 90s alternative were more diverse sonically than the "hair" metal? And i like a lot of the metal bands of that era, im not to crazy on the hair bands but i gotta say everytime one of those bands comes in the radio, everybody and their momma knows the lyrics of those songs, so they did knew how to write hits and are proven to be timeless.

[@ethanvenzin]

Try Warrant, i actually really love their tunes. And even Cinderella gets piled up to these hair metal fit even when they’re far more bluesy and talented than the others.

[@themindseyecmh]

Cinderella is incredible! So is Warrant. Outside of Cherry Pie they were awesome! Dog Eat Dog is such a great album!

[@rxvxn9991]

one of my fav bands from this era is L.A Guns, their debut album was in '88 but they had that raw, dirty and sleezey sound and look. they are extremely underrated in my opinion

[@bhouse92101]

Awesome analysis of what TRULY killed 80's hair metal. It wasn't grunge, it was the late 80's early 90's "bubble gum" version of metal that created Beavis and Butthead mocking all of it. Skid Row, Dokken, Whitesnake are all good bands from that era. It's refreshing to hear a "youngster" appreciate the music of that time. Keep it going. Love your vids!

[@John-bo1sz]

Just an FYI about Sweet. The only went by the name The Sweet until early 70s. Everyone in my era and older referred to the as jus Sweet.

[@failoverflow4888]

You weren’t a twinkle in our daddy balls when this awesome shit was made

[@theYuGiOhseasonzeroguy]

So what. He likes the music, and that's all that matters

[@TommyGatto]

Vice City got me into hair metal Never thought there were people actively hating on them

[@jackko21]

Fun fact sebastion bach from skid row nearly replaced rob halfored when he left judas priest in the 90s before they found the mighty ripper owens

[@lorddrac_dontaskmetodance]

Whitfield Crane of Ugly Kid Joe was also a consideration for Halford's replacement. Crane declined as he believed "nobody can replace Halford." I do prefer Tim Ripper Owens, though. I also loved his projects after; when he joined Iced Earth and then Charred Walls of the Damned.

[@jackko21]

@@lorddrac_dontaskmetodance really didnt know they auditioned the guy from ugly kid joe

[@jmagowan12]

I swear Dokken and early Motley Crú is basically the same as the likes of Judas Priest and Iron Maiden at that stage of say 1982.

[@kospandx]

Any attempt to separate heavy metal and glam (or lite metal, as it was called for a while) didn't really happen until ca. 1986, with Poison and Bon Jovi being important instigators. One finds people referring to it all as metal well into the nineties.

[@girlywolfpup1588]

I've been looking forward to this video as a strong hair metal fan

[@stepladder3257]

I’m an indie guy but Van Halen and Def Leppard are two of my favorite bands, imo they perfected blend of pop and metal, especially EVH’s guitar playing, I love how heavy they sound but they are upbeat and poppy like the intro to Feel Your Love Tonight or Beautiful Girls

[@sebasforest963]

very informative, thanks! I only wish you'd put more band footage, then this would be a perfect history/opinion piece!

[@SUCHY1983ify]

Nothing wrong with Firehouse. They done some great songs especially the first album. Just one of the hair bands that arrived at the wrong end of the hair metal scene as grunge came along

[@Cutenerdywoman]

I was listening to hair in the 80's. You summoned up the feelings about the bands back then. ❤️

[@scottiequality1981]

If you ask any of those dudes, I bet you they’d all say they were just rock’n’roll. The “metal” thing was forced by MTV.

[@trevorgrier4511]

Agreed. Most of it was simply rock and roll. Tesla, Kix, even Twisted Sister. And Bon Jovi could have fit in in the late 70s with songs like "Wild in the Streets"

[@ernestomercedes5754]

wow! for someone like myself who got into extreme metal and hardcore/punk you are very accurate in your assessment of 80's heavy metal; I like the same bands - great time capsule

[@dylantalks7768]

Your take on 80's metal and grunge, i 100% agree with. And the Poison Femboy point was Hilarious! XD Keep up the great work, i will definitely be watching more of your videos!

[@wheelsofmercury]

Hair metal had some of the catchiest shit of the early 80's!

[@burtkocain6846]

True, the original glam bands of 1981-86 were good just as the original grunge/alt rock bands that made it big from 1991-96 were good. It was the poppier, fluffier waves of each that came after that kind of ruined it, although there is the major difference of "post-glam" being more commercially successful than glam, while grunge was a much bigger deal than post-grunge (those bands being overshadowed by boy bands and teen pop at the time).

[@user-ci2ic6yz9f]

I’m a drummer working as a mechanic and I’m starting a band that’s trying to grab the sound of van Halen mixed with def leppard

[@Indigo2400]

I'm a very big Grunge fan but i gotta admit, some Hair Metal songs are soooo good. So i don't think it deserves the hate it gets at all!

[@Slayercoon666]

It's always good to see grunge fans who AREN'T stuck in 1992. I feel the same way as you, Grunge and Glam both have some great tunes.

[@jmagowan12]

Sure isn't a glam/ Glam metal band basically what Alice in chains was originally.

[@DarkturtleX]

I like Glam Metal alot coming from an big Speed and Black Metalhead. Btw I can recommend W.A.S.P., Pink Cream 69 and Divlje Jagode for some cool Glam Metal bands that get overlooked alot.

[@doggchannel3464]

Those were my bands as a teenager. Finding my love of rock/metal back then, the memories of hearing those songs for the first time will never leave me. But, i was a fan of grunge too. Starting my first real bands during that time. Good shit is good shit.🤘🏻

[@eugenemonfourny6119]

The thing with what you call "post glam" is that it happened at the same time as the sleaze metal wave, that kicks ass seriously. Bands like Spread Eagle are dark, dangerous. There's also Alleycat Scratch, that's quite famous and important among the fans.

[@jackko21]

Some of the hair metal bands razorfist talks about are pretty damn good

[@MetalHeart8787]

doing research for a Glam Metal video im making, grew up on the stuff. I actually didn't think a 20 something year old "Furry" would do good, BUT you did a Good Job of making your point & said some things many of us "older metal heads" were thinking & have said. GOOD Video

[@dinadelacruz6873]

Grunge did not stand the test of time glam resurrected after several years later it goes to show that consistency and melodic music is the key to an evolving genre😮

[@Gamer25ize]

You should may be look deeper into firehouse past those ballads.

[@Papi_SpringRoll]

My big mama metal playlist has a variety of sub genres in it including some hair metal tracks, bands like early Ratt, Motley Crue, and Quiet Riot. I agree those bands have more grit than say a Europe or Bon Jovi

[@smooveasmars195]

Hair metal is fire forever will love them

[@ZoranZoltanous]

I agree btw. Personally I think Glam is the best genre of metal. Also, there’s modern glam metal bands. Mainly Crazy Lixx, Santa Cruz, and Hardcore Superstar.

[@mattmacarthur520]

Glam always kicked ass .. any genre has shorty bands lol.. the best glam bands were kickass rock n roll ! Some of the very best guitar playing came out of that 80s glam movement! Killer stuff.

[@John-bo1sz]

I grew up in this era and I loved and lived that entire lifestyle. Also lgbt. But I am a diehard fan and till my dying breath will always stick up for hair metal. I bet I saw 30 concerts got to meet Joe Elliot after a DeF Lep show, met Sebastian Bach before his gig in Sioux City and met Bret Michaels of Poison. Now mind you this was in 1991 or so, and we had no meet and greets. We literally looked for the tour bus at some hotel and we waited hours until they came out and we got to hang and meet and take pics for a very short time because thet had to get to the arena. We usually skipped the opening band. But I swear those were one of the best periods in my life! Wouldn't trade for anything

[@John-bo1sz]

Rock on brother!

[@kjone5086]

You should've mentioned the heavy metal bands that converted to hair metal in the mid 80s. Judas priest's turbo actually has some very good songs and only 3 bad songs. Reckless and hot for love are in my top 15 judas priest songs. All fired up is striaght out a heavy metal song. Its a shame heart of a lion was left out, it fits nicely before reckless. Saxon has 2 hair metal albums, innocence is no excuse and destiny. Innocence is the def leppard pyromania imitation. First half is weak but the second half is fantastic polished metal. Don't forget to include live fast die young and krakatoa which are second half style songs released as b sides and bonus tracks. Those kick ass. Destiny is the sound of saxon creating their own hair metal sound, without any imitations. Also if you love dokken like me remember to check out don dokken's up from the ashes album. Its the fifth dokken album that never was. Grim reaper is a great band to check out if you like dokken. Its another melodic heavy metal band, Wasp is the most respected hair metal band in the metal community. Nobody talks shit on them. Hair metal, NWOBHM, speed metal, thrash metal and death metal (yes even the brutal variety, however none of that slamming brutal variety that isnt internal bleeding or suffocation) are my favourite metal genres.

[@jennrat2982]

I just finished listening to that Dokken album last week.. missed it the first time around..I liked it..loved them back when but never caught them live..😑..🤘🎸 Dig Lynch Mob too..😎

[@adambrazee3858]

I think it's also the management choosing bad singles, if you look into those records you can find a lot more songs with bite.

[@karenmandeville7116]

i listened to a lot of hair metal back in the day. a lot of it was really good music.

[@gator7082]

I was a teen in the 80's graduating in 90. I don't remember glam or hair metal being an actual label. Radio was pretty eclectic at the time. The most popular station in my area would play Madonna one spin, and Dokken the next. As far as 89-91 or so a lot of killer rock came out. The infamous Cherry Pie album by Warrant had some straight up bangers on there and their follow up a few years later Dog Eat Dog is outstanding. Grunge was but a blip and only lasted a few years, I truly believe it has little lasting impact, but I know 20 somethings that love them some 80s rock.

[@jaymz010]

I can’t deny the impact of Grunge. I remember it inspired sooooo many kids in school to pick up the guitar...But it didn’t last long. Mid 90s came - Nu-Metal was in, Grunge was out

[@tonireeves931]

The faithful never quit loving it and buying the records

[@shawnscott4724]

I always thought two bands that came along near the end that never got their due were Tesla and Lynch Mob.

[@randalledwards2807]

Woe now Firehouse rocks!!!

[@jimthar17]

Overnight Sensation destroys. They rocked a lot harder thsn dude gave them credit for.

[@RolandDeschain1]

By far the best of these bands musically was W.A.S.P. Sure,.theirnfirstmfew records were meathead party rock, but by the time they got to 'The Headless Children' they were MILES ahead of every other band in the scene, who were all still singing about their dicks.

[@olschoolTonyCarter]

HardRock will forever be in my heart.

[@Harrock]

you should have a look at Free Spirit. they only have like 500 monthly streams on Spotify but they sound so much like 80s Hair Metal ... nur maeby more like 90s Glam/Hair metal ... i dont know if you like This but Pale sister of Light or Dew of the Rose are awesome Songs from them

[@mr_beezlebub3985]

Def Leppard is dope. Can't change my mind.

[@NealVio]

Grunge didn't kill anything. The 80's hard bands were breaking up because of drugs and infighting. Dokken 1995 release charted at #47, so there was still a demand for it. Go look up Don Dokken's album and Lynch Mob, same thing. Also, record companies pushed Grunge over Hard Rock. I recently went to see Motley Crue, at a stadium. I saw them 10 years ago, at a big arena. So people didn't "get sick of" or "tired of" hard rock, all of that is BS. And if I may add, instrument sales dropped off to near non-existence when grunge came. Sales don't lie, nobody is inspired by grunge music where they want to learn - say the guitar. Those are the facts. One other fact - the fashion industry was pushing those stupid looking bell bottoms in the 90's. Yeah, that went well.

[@Slayercoon666]

The record industry definitely played a role in Glam Metal's "death", and the same thing is true for many other genres that disappeared from the mainstream in the past. People are too quick to victim blame entire music listening communities rather than punch up at the record industry these days, which is sad.

[@mbgrafix]

You referred to *STRYPER* as one of the _"later"_ hair metal bands. While I disagree with your classifying them as hair metal...listen to their first three albums...pure rockin' heavy metal!...that would nevertheless boil down to an opinion. Whereas conversely, you are _factually! _*_incorrect_* in referring to them as a "later" band as their first album, *THE YELLOW AND BLACK ATTACK* came out in 1984...when metal was still fresh and new in the dominant music scene. I was in my 20s back then, and so I lived 80s metal! You might also like to check out 80s Christian Metal bands *DELIVERANCE, HOLY SOLDIER, BARREN CROSS, and BLOODGOOD.* Also, there is a recently released outstanding documentary about Bloodgood that you can stream on PRIME that is called, *TRENCHES OF ROCK.*

[@Metlhd313]

If you want to check out another great first wave hair metal band, check out Black N Blue. The first album in particular sounds like Judas Priest meets Dokken. Also recommend the first Great White album, nothing like the blues rock band they would become.

[@nikki78225]

The Black N Blue demos from 1983 are so good and heavy

[@jackwld746]

I'll listen to anything with distorted guitar. anything from Glam Metal and Classic Rock to Grunge and Punk to Thrash and Black Metal. It all sounds good to me.

[@ItsVictoriaG]

Mr. Big’s self-titled debut in 1989 was genuinely good stuff though! Addicted to that Rush is a great song. Merciless is fun. Wind Me Up? Silly but great. Also love the Mario Kart 64 Rainbow Road soundtrack. Now that’s nostalgia. :’) I also liked what you said about the androgyny aging really well and how you appreciate it as a member of the LGBTQQIAA* community. As a member of the L part of the community, I appreciate it as well. Some of those boys looked like really pretty lesbians. Seriously, Eric Martin from Mr. Big? The music video for Green Tinted Sixties Mind leaves me all sorts of conflicted, lol.

[@kevinaustin0369]

You are right, the first wave was a phenomenon! Life changing. Literally. Especially for a teen like myself in high school. Make No mistake, the following waves of pop rock was immediately recognized as rubbish. Those first wave bands as you mentioned, also had some iconic musicians. Obviously guitar ruled the day. And one band you didn’t mentioned that had one of my favorite and most underrated guitarist of the decade, White Lion and Vito Bratta. I enjoyed your assessment and agree with it.

[@garybrigham9538]

Here's what I like about Grunge. Alice in Chains- who were closer to Metal. I was in my early 20's when they came out

[@garybrigham9538]

But "Hair Metal" - God I hate that term- has made an enduring comeback, while Grunge literally killed itself in like 5 years

[@rockrane1]

That "hair" was incluted To metal In the early 80's here In skandinavia(HANOI ROCKS nb1) an nowdays it restart again In skandics. Mostly by swed an' finn bands. (santa cruz, crashdiet etc)

[@jaxonkageofficial]

I like early hair metal, but I also like grunge. If I am to be honest, if I were to listen to glam metal at any point, I'd rather go with Guns N' Roses, Motley Crue, and Def Leppard. These three bands kicked serious tails back in the day. Poison (the band), whom I used to like back in middle school and early high school, was like frat boy music; music for the very people I hate. Not to make comparisons, but I'll say that the later part of the glam metal scene in the 80s was like something for frat boys, just like how some of nu-metal was for these people later on in the 90s/early 2000s. It's interesting how these very different scenes had a revival with people who were only babies, little kids or were not even born yet revived these different kinds of music in one or two decades that followed each genre's death, in a mainstream sense, of course.

[@JojoFryrocks]

I love more or less all guitar based rock; I was born in 1981, I grew up with these bands, it was an amazing time for music. Everything from the 80s and 90s is great; it makes me sad that rock as a whole just doesn’t really exist anymore.

[@danieldunstone6128]

Hair metal had buetifull sound harmony with talented musicians amazing vocalists amazing guitar skills my favourites are skid row, queensyrche, winger, dokken, warrent and more I keep discovering including pantera glam era

[@Skycladatdusk78]

There was this brief period from late 1991 to the end of 1992 where glam and grunge bands had success. I personally liked both genres and thought they could co-exist but by 1993 it was all alt rock, and sadly a few years after that rock in the mainstream was non existent.

[@Slayercoon666]

It's a shame that the music industry has become a monocultural echo chamber where different genres can't co-exist with one another.

[@Skycladatdusk78]

@@Slayercoon666 Yes, since about 2010 or so everything topping the charts has had the same few songwriters, similar sounding over-produced auto tuned dreck with the same downtempo beat over and over. It's quite boring, I don't see how people keep wanting more of that.

[@fungus_am0nguz644]

​@@Skycladatdusk78i dont get it either, like how one style of music has been dominating for over 10 years in the mainstream, its boring. I gotta say music its in a great place, theres so many different sounds and cool bands but in terms of the mainstream, is bad.

[@jeffmcpeek2526]

Dokken is the shit.Always puts a smile on my face.Stryper is unbelievably great as well.

[@jackko21]

Dont hate hair metal but i do prefer thrash metal way more

[@adamwallace7353]

Say what you will about Firehouse, but Overnight Sensation slaps.

[@REMspEEDfreaxx]

I can agree with this video on some of the later stuff that came out of the hair metal genre in the last few years of the 80’s (though I think not many people give Europe a Chance Beyond Carrie and The Final Countdown- they’ve actually got some KICKASS stuff beyond those two songs- same with Bon Jovi too;) though one thing’s for sure- 🫶🏻 can we please all agree that SKID ROW kicked THE MOST ABSOLUTE MOTHERLOAD OF ASSES, and Deserve SOOOOO much more love and credit than they get? Especially for a hair metal band making their major debut in 1989, and releasing an absolute OUTSTANDING follow-up album within the very year Hair/glam metal was shot in the head by Smells like teen spirit! Slave to the Grind will forever be on of my favourite albums!!!❤

[@lukerodman7335]

Hair metal or hard rock and most metal genres of the 80s was so much more then just the music

[@0000Endgfgv]

I love Glam/Hair metal i don't know it was so hated(i can see why was so hated) you got Alot of great albums Dokken's - Tooth And Nail,W.A.S.P - S/T and so much more like Skid Row's First Two Albums you can't miss both of this albums(Skid Row & Slave To The Grind).)

[@shredman87.57]

Firehouse is amazing actually, and in my opinion, thrash metal never really stopped since the formation in the early 80s

[@AlexRazorGame]

What do you mean "Better Than You Think"? I think it's the best! Could it be even better?? I totally agree that Leppard's Pyromania is much better then Hysteria, but i think Crue's Theatre of Pain is underrated, maybe because of less "metal" looks. Listen to it again, it's basicly "Shout-2"

[@garybrigham9538]

As a late teen in the 80's I was losing interest in a lot of stuff too because of the sameness and ballads- but apparently the record companies were demanding ballads and the bands were seeing that's what was selling. They had little choice

[@TheJbhmetal]

Ok, STOP ripping on Firehouse, Bon Jovi, and Def Leppard's Hysteria. Firehouse has some great hard rocking songs like Reach For The Sky and All She Wrote while making great power ballads. Also, Bon Jovi and Def Leppard never called themselves as metal, they just wanted to be successful rock bands. Even though, Bon Jovi has some heavy songs like Raise Your Hands, Let It Rock, Bad Medicine, Lay Your Hands On Me, and Homebound Train and like you mentioned Def Leppard's first three albums being heavy, they are not terrible for being polished, because they didn't plan on being metal at all. Other than that, I'm glad you defended hair metal especially with Dokken. They are one of those bands that deserved better.

[@racefoxxproductions8975]

Hair metal/glam metal really isn't that bad and I don't think it is respect as much as it should hell there are some good bands that come out of that time

[@garybrigham9538]

Okay- KISS wasn't making Disco in 1978- that was their absolute peak year in popularity. I was made for lovin' you had Disco ELEMENTS in 1979. Dynasty was just very poppy. It's stupid when people say it was Disco. And again- one year after the VH debut. Oh, and Gene Simmons produced their first demo and tried to get them signed to Casablanca

[@jackko21]

I dont mind stryper but goddamn its entertaining as all hell watching old clips of dave mustaine trashing them

[@jimthar17]

I was just listening to a hair metal mix i made on my way home today. I honestly could care less who likes it or not. I grew up in the 80’s and was in high school in the early 90’s, and I’ve been listening to metal (all kinds) since then. I didn’t give two shits about grunge, which really only lasted about four or five years before it imploded. There’s also a great wave of newer bands adopting the 80’s metal sound. Bands like Crazy Lixx and Santa Cruz are awesome. And even Steel Panther in their way. Also: Nirvana sucks. Truly. Always have.

[@1979RayDay]

I agree that hair Metal became a little too pop in the late 80s, but it's one of the best genres ever created. Also, it had more commercial longevity than grunge.

[@3ngi_n33r]

It’s not all bad. Mostly bad. But we probably wouldn’t have had the thrash movement without it. For that I am thankful.

[@BirdieSenpai]

I personally adore all three waves of hair metal and all its other names and similar counterparts, such as thrash metal and arena rock. On the other hand, grunge is, to me, the worst thing to ever happen to music; I've honestly never heard a single grunge or post-grunge song I didn't want to immediately turn off and set on fire. At the end of the day, I just hope folks genuinely enjoys the music they advocate; I know I do! Now, I'm gonna go listen to some of Hardline's Double Eclipse from 1992.

[@axxellein]

Hair/Glam Metal//Style /Class!!!

[@m1a1hm]

Dude as someone who lived through the 80's and partied and rocked it like there was no tommrow i can agree the early to mid 80's was some what the high point. But there were some killer bands that came out in the late 80's and some of the power ballads were pretty cool it's just it got over done.

[@theYuGiOhseasonzeroguy]

Can you tell me what it was like to grow up in the 80s. Must've been awesome

[@m1a1hm]

@@theYuGiOhseasonzeroguy Well dude it was awesome in alot of ways now I'm not saying the 80s was a perfect time but it was a time that all us kid want to do was have fun and see what we could get in to . Unlike today when ever body has cell phones and internet when you left the house on a Friday and Saturday night to go hook up with your friends you really didn't know what might go down. And the music was every where and all kinds of music there was pop . rock. hard rock. metal . new wave. rap . country there was so much more than I see today it seem all you hear is Pop or Rap even country is going Rap or sound more like pop music. Rock and hard rock and metal is dead. And the thing we did for fun like guys chasing girls and girls chasing guy and other thing we did for fun the kids now a days would call us all kinds of name if you get my meaning. Dude I could write a book about the thing we did in the 80s and what it was like I just hope what little I said will give some idea of what if was like if not thats ok it was just a different world back then when having fun was not a crime.

[@themindseyecmh]

I like both hair metal and grunge.... both genres have great bands and bands i don't like. I do agree with you that Skid Row was kinda the exception of 3rd wave hair metal, with Slave to the Grind being a straight up masterpiece (that i wouldn't call glam lol) However i do think Warrant and Winger are probably the two most shafted bands of that era. For Warrant, their first album was a descent hair metal debut, i always liked Down Boys. If you could erase Cherry Pie, which was a terrible song imo, that album was actually quite good. Uncle Toms Cabin is a banger! Their third album from 92, Dog Eat Dog, is their best album, it's a great over looked masterpiece imo. I really think the song Cherry Pie hurt their career in the long run which is a shame. Winger's first two albums were ok. Good musicianship, but Seventeen imo was their Cherry Pie. Their third album, Pull, is incredible and the 4 albums they've released since they reunited are all quite good. Winger is a band i really think have gotten better over time!

[@chris-fc9im]

I love music and have albums from loreena mckennet - overkill with nightwish being my favorite, but the most of them are hair metal. Watch "Vain", no respect album get in your blood