10 Great Hair Metal Albums (yes, really)

[@RockedNet]

Know of another great hair metal album? Leave a comment and let everyone know! Click here for a free 30-day trial of @Audible + one free audiobook download = www.audible.com/getrocked Please check out more of our videos below: 10 Great Nu Metal Albums (yes, really) = kzbin.info/www/bejne/o5upi5Vmg6iqpas 10 Songs Accused Of Backward Messages = kzbin.info/www/bejne/jH7ZeYyIfrZ0idU 10 Bands That Evolved After Their Debut Albums = kzbin.info/www/bejne/iYnEpalshrKYndk 10 Bands With Fighting Members = kzbin.info/www/bejne/gZnOkKampa-mebs 10 Rock Songs Written As Insults = kzbin.info/www/bejne/ipekm36bobNnsNk Click below to hear music from each album discussed: Bon Jovi - “Livin’ On A Prayer” = kzbin.info/www/bejne/onWuaoSnft-brc0 Def Leppard - “Pour Some Sugar On Me” = kzbin.info/www/bejne/Zoasc2yPabR5htU Dokken - “In My Dreams” = kzbin.info/www/bejne/jKfcc5x-fNdlmJo Cinderella - Don’t Know What You Got (Till It’s Gone) = kzbin.info/www/bejne/n2Obhnilgb2JfLM Guns N’ Roses - “Welcome To The Jungle” = kzbin.info/www/bejne/pWLXm2Wwf5eKrMk Motley Crue - “Shout At The Devil” = kzbin.info/www/bejne/q6XciYSnj5homtE Poison - “Every Rose Has It’s Thorn” = kzbin.info/www/bejne/oGPVY6F6nbmthZY Twisted Sister - “We’re Not Gonna Take It” = kzbin.info/www/bejne/aqnQlJ6Ni7WFl6s Van Halen - “Jump” = kzbin.info/www/bejne/iai8f2qjic5pfq8 Whitesnake - “Here I Go Again ‘87” = kzbin.info/www/bejne/jaqpaYV-gpaCeck

[@dwade6322]

Anything albums by KIX. Especially Blow my fuse and Midnite dynamite.

[@GeorgieB1965]

For those who want to sample a bite size 30+ minute podcast of Motley Crue, "Disgraceland" did one a few seasons ago in 2019 I believe.

[@theactualdice5865]

No Kiss, I’m surprised.

[@AdvancedLiving]

Queensryche Rage For Order - the pictures of the band on the back of the album are hair metal gold.

[@sammydavis9482]

Good Video👍 Rock music now is complete garbage, compared to these amazing bands

[@someguy7424]

I’ll throw in an honorable mention for Skid Row’s self titled album. Sebastian Bach is one of the best vocalists ever.

[@someguy7424]

@bloomtikbloom9593you don’t think so? I figure if Guns N’ Roses are classified as hair metal, Skid Row should be. How would you classify them?

[@SomerankeroffYT]

Going back to Slave to the Grind was a pleasant surprise, genuinely great riffs and vocal performances but that might be stretching it in terms of hair metal.

[@someguy7424]

@@SomerankeroffYTYes, Slave to the Grind was a really good album as well. I suggested the self titled because it was in the 80s and seemed more in the vein of hair metal, but Slave to the Grind was full of bangers, with “Monkey Business” being my favorite Skid Row song.

[@tylerlachney1616]

Skid Row is hair metal because I say they’re hair metal. Also listen to I Remember you and tell me that isn’t hair metal

[@zyxaqc]

I would've preferred seeing any Skid Row album on here over GNR.

[@_KayleeLovesMusic_]

I personally don't understand how Glam/Hair Metal is hated, I love the sound and look of it Twisted Sister is my personal favorite Glam Metal band, Stay Hungry is an amazing album as well

[@someguy7424]

I love the sound, but not the look. That applies to a lot of 80s music in general.

[@giovannialvarez9289]

My guess is the 90s attitude toward the genre since Grunge took over after.

[@Phoenix_VanDerWeyden]

It's only " hated " in America though

[@shepthedep5862]

Same man

[@acekingdom5050]

Indeed

[@RK-fh4bp]

Out of the cellar and invasion of privacy are both killer albums by Ratt, and are both some of my favorite hair metal albums

[@Radiogunner]

"Wanted Man" and "Back for More" sound amazing on a good stereo.

[@chrisitalia8868]

Ratt will always be one of my personal favorite bands in any genre, loved their sound. Their first 3 albums are always on my Playlist they are 🔥

[@919Motorsports]

You beat me to it! Came here to make this exact comment. Dual guitars from Warren Demartini & Robbin Crosby made for a very distinctive sound. Out of the Cellar and Invasion were both great albums!

[@robplante8631]

RATT is a massive omission from this list!

[@andu1854]

They played a small venue where I lived and I saw a ton of black concert t-shirts and old fans who refused to admit that they were going bald and that their long hair was a weird mix

[@BigDrew49]

Def Lep's "High n Dry" is hands down their best album. While far from their biggest commercial success, it's their most raw and pure. Let It Go, Another Hit and Run, Mirror Mirror, You Got Me Runnin, Bringin On The Heartbreak...there's no track worth skipping

[@johnedwards5575]

I was fortunate in early 2000s to catch the band start off a set list Let It Go straight through to Switch 625. Started repeating No, no, no when I realized they’d then play other songs, and I wouldn’t hear Mirror, Mirror.

[@chrisnesbit8613]

Great album!

[@rbruggeman7722]

"You got me running" might be their best non single. Anyone think of a better?

[@johnedwards5575]

@@rbruggeman7722 The last few years, I really liked a b-side from their first US single… Good Morning Freedom. Give the original a listen, then how they spiced that one up for their first live in Vegas residency album. I know they weren’t on the original, but the two new guys play phenomenal on that live version.

[@billyt9987]

I'm totally in agreement with you on that. "High & Dry" was a masterpiece. "On thru the Night" is a close second

[@GrantH]

It’ll be a great day when rock music fans are finally able to talk about the hair band era unabashedly (instead of the usual “I don’t normally like this stuff, BUT…”) and we can be honest that a lot of this stuff, while certainly a product of its time, is still fun to listen to and some of it has actually aged well. I was a hardcore thrash metal guy as a teen and I remember how mind-blowing it was when I finally gave bands like Ratt and Skid Row a chance and realized I’d been missing out on some awesome music the whole time.

[@ThinWhiteLuke]

I blame grunge for this pretentious snobby attitude towards the 80s pop metal/hair metal.

[@hotstovejer]

Skid Row's "Slave To The Grind" is one of the best albums ever.

[@nicolaspade1341]

I love hair metal, i still listen to lots of it, it’s good music, the lyrics are often not very intelligent t but I don’t care, I dig the music!

[@JulianHBurchill]

@@ThinWhiteLuke No, I hated most of these bands in the 80s (I was into thrash/death/hardcore etc.)

[@ThinWhiteLuke]

@@JulianHBurchill why are you saying no? Hardcore and thrash was underground. I’m talking about music culture as a whole. Sure you hated hair metal but it was popular in the 80s, much more popular than thrash metal. My point is, when grunge came in the 90s they made 80s hair metal seem lame. Nirvana publicly clowned on hair metal and it became popular to shit on hair metal amongst young people in the 90s because of grunge’s influence on the youth.

[@venomousnate7263]

Dee Snider is also very intelligent. I mean he took on the PMRC, so his reputation in rock is set for his defense of free speech.

[@RockedNet]

Dee Snider can definitely back up what he says.

[@someguy7424]

I’m not a big fan of Twisted Sister, with the exception of one song (“Burn in Hell”), but you can always count on Dee Snider to give quality interviews.

[@RoGueNavy]

Funko just announced a Pop! figure of Dee. I hope the rest of the band will get the treatment!!

[@robertmccoy7188]

40 years ago he was free speech. People change. He's a whiney ass authoritarian now. And I'd never call him very intelligent. He's not dumb either, just average at best.

[@waverlyking6045]

The PMRC in their own goofy, inadvertent way was the best thing to happen to rock music in the 1980s. The more controversy they created, the more people went out and bought the “offensive” albums.

[@dwade6322]

Hair Metal is my fav type of music. 40 years after many of these bands started,they still tour and make a lot of dough. I'm not alone in supporting these bands. 🤟

[@VJAllison1974]

You're right, you're not alone. I still listen to it. It's the music from my high school years. :)

[@TheREALJosephTurner]

It's still my favorite genre of music as well. Even now, I'm coming across forgotten bands, forgotten albums, and bands that had those albums that never took off. So, it's almost like still getting new music, even if it's just new to me.

[@lw3764]

Hysteria is one of the best rock albums of all time, I will die on this hill.

[@TenguTalks]

You will be in a lot of good company then.

[@scottferguson3842]

It still sounds fresh today.

[@kichigan1]

All tracks are awesome in that album.

[@alexsuperpower1]

High N dry > Hysteria by miles.

[@aaronman4772]

I'd like to throw in Ratt's Out of the Cellar as another top contender. Round and Round, Back for More, Wanted Man, this album has some great highlights and if you've ever cruised to Hair Nation on Sirius XM you know that Ratt has some good stuff to them. The biggest Hair Metal backlash is probably just the oversaturation of the genre and the amount of "meh" bands riding it in the mid-late 80s, but that doesn't change how good and how fun the best bands of Hair Metal are.

[@TenguTalks]

I will never be able to hear Ratt again without immediately thinking of Henry Rollins' story about going to see them live.

[@robplante8631]

Well put...all valid points and accurate to boot.

[@derekp308]

Ratt made one great album and a few good but not great ones. If you saw the VH1 “Behind the Music” special the band had some of the worst problems among the band members in any band.

[@jaimerosado3896]

Slippery When Wet gave us both one of the best bass lines of all time (Living on a Prayer), and one best guitar riffs of all time in “Raise your Hands.” The latter wasn’t released as a single, but at least Mel Brooks included it in Spaceballs.

[@Pensfan5919]

Barf... BAAAARRRFFF!!! (Cuts to John Candy eating Milk-Bone)

[@TheAwsomeman13]

Surprised Quiet Riot's "Metal Health" album isn't on the list. both the title song and cover of "Cum On Feel the Noize" are iconic in pop culture

[@heliotrope6217]

Cum on Feel the Noize by Slade, originally.

[@TheAwsomeman13]

@@heliotrope6217 I know, but most people, at least in my circle, know the Quiet Riot version more

[@Radiogunner]

🤘🤩🤘

[@mattcrumbley6923]

Not to mention they literally started the movement haha

[@MasterDownUnder]

the song Mental Health, is a serious rip off of Def Leppard's Let It Go... The similarities are uncanny. Great song though.

[@TenguTalks]

I will always have a soft spot for "Skid Row." It's lasted the longest of any hair albums I've loved over the years. And somehow still holds up well today, even better than Appetite for Destruction in my mind.

[@franco1926]

I would have placed Skid Row's self titled on the list instead of Dokken or Poison, it holds up considerably better than those two.

[@TenguTalks]

@@franco1926 I do still enjoy Poison a lot, but beyond the singles its like...I can listen to Skid Row all the way through and recall every song, every riff, everything. Poison it the hits and not a lot more. They're some damn fine hits, but as an ALBUM Skid Row was better.

[@franco1926]

@@TenguTalks same, and it's crazy to think about how great the self titled despite the fact that Slave To The Grind is better. Skid Row were really impressive back then.

[@meavid]

The solo from Midnight is awesome.

[@neilandrews2995]

Nothing is better than appetite for destruction...

[@TH3F4LC0Nx]

I guess Hysteria is an appropriate pick, since it's more "hairy", but Pyromania is their best album I think. Slightly heavier, and plus "Rock of Ages" is like one of the greatest songs ever.

[@RockedNet]

I love the description of it being "hairy". That's great.

[@Pensfan5919]

Was looking for Pyromania. Love that album, especially Rock Rock as an amazing opener, and Rocket is such a good cacophony of noise. Edit: Just realized that I somehow mixed up Rocket with Too Late For Love. Oops.

[@ecurewitz]

Pyromania is the better of the two albums

[@someguy7424]

Hysteria is my second favorite Def Leppard album. Retro Active is my favorite.

[@sophiecat14]

Totally agree! I like Hysteria but when Pyromania was released you could not find a copy of it in our city. It was the only thing I wanted for Christmas that year and I honestly didn’t think Santa was gonna deliver, lol. However, he managed to find a copy somewhere & it didn’t leave my boom box until it was basically worn out. I don’t remember the same for Hysteria. All of my friends owned Pyromania. Hysteria? I can’t recall more than a couple of people, including myself. Don’t get me wrong, Hysteria was still better than many other albums of the 80s. It just couldn’t compete with Pyromania.

[@russell1371]

Shout at the Devil isn’t just a great “hair metal” album. In my opinion it’s one of the best hard rock albums ever. It was a life changing album for me 🤘🏻🔥

[@Ob1tuber]

While I say their best album is ‘Dr Feelgood’ everyone can have their own opinion

[@Mxulin]

I'm so happy to see Cinderella on this list, my favorite hair metal band. Keifer is still sounding great too, saw him last year.

[@tiffanyhowarth6703]

Luke discussed Cinderella in one other video about five years ago, so I expected to see them here.

[@MysticMindAnalysis]

I'm in your age demographic, so I didn't grow up in the 80s to see Hair Metal in their prime. But Hair Metal is what got me interested in Rock and Metal music to begin with, so it's a genre that always has a special place in my heart. I think Skid Row's self-titled debut deserves a lot more credit than it got, despite coming right at the end of the 80s (the year I was born, in fact, 1989). It had the rebellious attitude of Twisted Sister and the melodic chops of Def Leppard all in one.

[@rticle15]

Great choices here. Every album was at the respective bands' peak. I feel Pyromania was Def Leppard's musical pinnacle but Hysteria was the most important album for them as a band. What a triumph after Rick Allen's accident. Also, imo Out of the Cellar should be on any list of top 80s rock albums.

[@72seasonsofwither]

My 10 favorite 80's "hair" metal records (in no particular order)... Twice Shy -- Great White Look What The Cat Dragged In -- Poison Invasion Of Your Privacy -- Ratt Tooth And Nail -- Dokken s/t -- Skid Row Dr. Feelgood -- Motley Crue You Can't Stop Rock And Roll -- Twisted Sister Dirty Rotten Filthy Stinking Rich -- Warrant Night Songs -- Cinderella Thunder In The East -- Loudness

[@konstaheikkala4953]

Honorable mention to Hanoi Rocks the band that influenced many of these huge 80’s bands. Two Steps From The Move is a classic produced by none other than Bob Ezrin. Sadly their story was cut short after Razzle’s tragic passing

[@rbruggeman7722]

I love them. Got to see Mike Monroe in a tiny club a few years back he was great and was kind enough to shake hands and have a chat with us after the show.

[@luisvelez4365]

I believe Hanoi Rocks was the first legit glam band. Motley Crue totally ripped off their looks.

[@entr3_nou5]

“Let me get this straight, you think hair metal is good?” “I do. And I’m tired of pretending it’s not.”

[@someguy7424]

Does it make you want to dance?

[@damhnaitcockburn2970]

Oh, this is a conversation I have had soooo many times.

[@Radiogunner]

🤘🤩🤘

[@robplante8631]

I don't think it is, l know it is.

[@alc8114]

Def Leppard “hysteria” album is just timeless, the production in this album was so good, I think it could have been released today and not sound dated, besides the album released 7 radio singles, almost 8 but they decided to retire the album and work on the next “adrenalize”.

[@ferox965]

Classic, but not timeless at all. Production is 100% 80s. That's what you hear right away

[@alc8114]

@@ferox965 I don’t mean it doesn’t sound like the 80’s the songs are classics, I really mean when it comes to the production of the album, sonically it would hold up today.

[@jamesm5883]

Had every one of these albums, listened to them all from front to back. Thank you for this list, it brings back great memories! One of my favorite albums from that time was Warrant's Dirty Rotton Filthy Stinkin Rich, great album all the way through, great hooks and melodies. RIP Jayne

[@TranzparentMethods]

Warrant all the way! Jani was an AMAZING songwriter. I actually prefer "Cherry Pie" and "Dog Eat Dog" over "DRFSR", but it's still a great album!

[@dzapper7]

DRFSR was a great album, seriously unappreciated and underrated. People get lost in the Cherry pie stuff and completely miss great well crafted stuff like "Thirty -Two Pennies"

[@andrewschliewe6392]

Agreed. And I saw all these bands in concert in the 80s. In fact, saw Def Leppard 3 times in 1988 on 2 different continents.

[@jvoges]

Les go I’m not the only person who like warrant

[@Dan-cu3sf]

I'll throw in 2 honorable mentions for Firehouse's self titled and Slaughter's "Stick It To Ya". Both are quintessential glam metal although they came a little late to the party being released in 1990

[@MrWill9894]

Firehouse’s first 2 albums are killer!

[@ChristineKirsch-n6q]

Slaughter was a group from 90's group, one of my favorites

[@dragonqueen6589]

So many honorary mentions: Any album produced by Beau Hill, Kix’s Blow my fuse, Leatherwolf (87 s/t sophomore), Great White (both ‘once bitten…’ & ‘Twice shy’) etc etc

[@robplante8631]

Sweet jesus, YES!! KIX and Great White made some of my favourite tunes and albums of that era!

[@RanterInShades]

YES I’m not alone in calling Van Halen glam! They had the guitar tone, they had the drum sound, they had the writing, they had the vocals, it only makes sense. Some other great glam albums (gonna leave out the early 90’s stuff as much as it pains me): Ratt - Out of the Cellar (1984) Extreme - self-titled (1989) White Lion - Pride (1987) Winger - self-titled (1988) EUROPE (fans of my channel will get the reference) - The Final Countdown (1986) Stryper - To Hell With the Devil (1986) Y&T - Mean Streak (1983) Skid Row - self-titled (1989) Tesla - The Great Radio Controversy (1989)

[@Pensfan5919]

Extreme and Extreme II are both amazing, and yeah, VH did Pioneer glam rock/arena rock as we know it.

[@Radiogunner]

OMG! Stryper and Tesla should have been on this list!! You forgot Quiet Riot "Metal Health." First metal album to go to number 1 on their debut.

[@VJAllison1974]

I was not expecting to see Stryper on your list. To Hell With the Devil is a solid album, perfect Christian hair metal in my opinion. I still listen to Honestly to this day. LOL

[@RanterInShades]

@@Radiogunner Thought I was forgetting something.

[@triglett0669]

@@Pensfan5919 glam rock was before Van Halen

[@hipstereagle6050]

8:30 the story behind Whitesnake 1987 is fascinating. Coverdale battled a sinus infection that required throat surgery. Then he had a falling out with John Sykes and the rest of the band members after they recorded their parts, meaning that the lineup in the music video and tour around Coverdale did not play on the album (except for Adrian Vandenburg’s solo on Here I Go Again)

[@patrickbateman7769]

coverdale alleged it was cos John sykes wanted to replace coverdale to finish the recording, which I find near impossible to believe

[@hipstereagle6050]

@@patrickbateman7769 I’ve heard that story too. Sykes has gone on record saying that never happened bc the idea of Whitesnake without Coverdale is insane. Seems like they had a big falling out making the album which is ashame bc their chemistry was incredible

[@ferox965]

Pre 1987 Whitesnake is absolute gold. That band was almost all Deep Purple at one point.

[@6li8storm40]

@@ferox965 I enjoy the later albums, but agree about their older stuff. It was so good.

[@johannwallette8959]

I saw Cinderella on their Long Cold Winter tour. Opening acts were the Bullet Boys and Winger, so bad we thought about leaving. Cinderella came out and ruled the place. They played their hit songs, and some amped up blues songs. It was epic!

[@daviddoll753]

Saw the same tour. Bullet Boys were terrible, but Winger actually didn't suck. Cinderella was excellent. Gypsy Road and Falling Apart at the Seams were great performances.

[@lw3764]

I had Long Cold Winter on tape way back when it came out, I was maybe 10 years old. Solid album.

[@johannwallette8959]

@@daviddoll753 I don't know if you have seen this before-kzbin.info/www/bejne/oYDVlaSbp6qmitU

[@johannwallette8959]

1987 cinderella in japan

[@johannwallette8959]

@@lw3764 This is them live in Japan in 1987-kzbin.info/www/bejne/oYDVlaSbp6qmitU

[@GeorgieB1965]

Sad commentary on my age is that I have about 60% of these albums on the three major formats of the 80s/90s: vinyl, cassette and c.d.

[@patrickpowell1375]

Ratt's Out of the Cellar, W.A.S.P.'s debut, Faster Pussycat's debut, and LA Guns ' Cocked and Loaded.

[@TylerGuitar5617]

Needed Out of the Cellar by Ratt and Skid Row. Both amazing. Maybe a part 2 is needed.

[@AdvancedLiving]

Showing my age here, but with every artist and album I said to myself “saw that tour”. I even saw Cinderella open for Bon Jovi, so, 2 for 1 on that!

[@gogokrista]

I left my 8th grade graduation early to see Cinderella open for Bon Jovi.

[@Mysterio-Solar]

1. GNR - Appetite For Destruction 2. Def Leppard - Hysteria 3. Motley Crue - Girls Girls Girls 4. Bon Jovi - Slippery When Wet 5. Whitesnake - 1987 6. Dokken - Back For The Attack 7. Twisted Sister - Stay Hungry 8. Ratt - Out Of The Cellar 9. Quiet Riot - Metal Health 10. Poison - Open Up And Say Ahh Honorable Mentions Skid Row - Skid Row White Lion - Pride Warrant - Dirty Rotten Filthy Stinking Rich Cinderella - Long Cold Winter LA Guns - Cocked And Loaded Great White - Once Bitten Europe - The Final Countdown Slaughter - Stick It To Ya Pantera - Power Metal Kiss - Animalized

[@erikbusenbark4865]

Dokken Tooth and Nail!

[@fabiorodriguez4207]

I think Dr. Feelgood is Motley Cure’s best album by far. I remember how much hype there was around this album when it came out. The song, the photos, th art… everything about it was better.

[@Pensfan5919]

I love 1984. I still hear "I'll Wait" in regular rotation here in Ohio on some of our decade-spanning hits channels.

[@MusicJunkiePlus]

I’m from Ohio near Cedar Point and I can vouch for this statement. It’s definitely a staple here on those “hits from the 80’s, 90’s and now” stations

[@Pensfan5919]

@@MusicJunkiePlus Especially 98.5 WNCX.

[@wind-upboy939]

I'd like to add Europe - Wings of Tomorrow or The Final Countdown Those albums brought me to metal. So, I have a soft spot for them.

[@robthetimekeeper2423]

Metal Health needs to be on this list. That album kicked down the door for all the others to pass through.

[@Radiogunner]

🙌 amen!!!

[@TheRetroManRandySavage]

I'd say it was pyromania that did that. Released the same year and sold way more copies than mental health did. Two, three times the amount.

[@robplante8631]

Word!✊️

[@robplante8631]

@@TheRetroManRandySavage ....but Metal Health topped the pop charts (the very first to do so) and that is why it is so relevant. Pyromania smokes it as an album (imo), but you can't ignore QR's achievement.

[@TheRetroManRandySavage]

@@robplante8631 definitely not, bro. I love quiet riot. It's just that if it wasn't for that darn thriller album, def leppard would've been no1 for a big chunk of 1983. They was (for me) the first cross over, "metal" band that appealed to the masses. Many bands tried to make a pyromania Mk2 after it's release. But yeah, I definitely don't take anything away from quiet riot. They obviously made a huge contribution too.

[@bfiske88]

Great White, partied to those records many times and the Hooked album closed the deal with my wife of 28 years. Their tribute album to Led Zeppelin is a true showcase of their talent. My favorites: (in no particular order as it changes based on mood) Warrant Great White Ratt Firehouse Kiss Dokken Poison Def Leppard Cinderella Skid Row Honorable mentions : Kix, Trixter, Triumph, Bullet boys, L.A. Guns, journey, Boston, Whitesnake, Night Ranger, Forigner, Europe

[@kathleenrh4968]

Thanks for this because having been there and listened to all of those albums , I want to thank you for including Dokken, who mostly got overlooked then and even still don't get their due. However, the debut Zeppelin and Boston albums usually rank as the best debut albums over Appetite for Destruction as you can hear the influence of both those bands (and others 70's rock, of course) on G' n R. True, they were a phenomenon which my rocker friends and I always believed was due to Slash's Gibson gitar sound and their song-writing style causing them to sound more like the rock from the 70's and is now referred to as 'classic rock'. Just sayin'. 😉

[@Jayk129]

Great list! I wouldn’t necessarily consider Van Halen and GNR as Hair Metal, but they are definitely hair metal adjacent. Also Hair Metal adjacent and an absolutely awesome album Queensryche “Operation: Mindcrime” (1988).

[@Radiogunner]

Oh! Operation Mindcrime! Another good one!!!

[@LuchaLibertaria]

None of the bands on this list are 'hair metal'. These are Glam bands and 80s Hard Rock bands. 'Hair Metal' is just a silly derisive term to stigmatise these bands as lame and ridiculous. No musician with self-respect would want to be seen as a buffoon that cares more about his hair than his music.

[@GeeVanderplas]

VH and GnR are the bookends of glam metal in my opinion. VHI is the blueprint for all glam bands and Appetite launched the last sunset strip band to become huge. Both are valid on a list like this for me

[@gemfyre855]

I got into hair metal in the early 90s during high school (although I had definitely enjoyed some of the singles when they were released in the 80s. I LOVED Living On A Prayer and Nothin' But A Good Time). It started with Bon Jovi and Poison and blossomed from there. Sterling list here!

[@henmo24]

Skid Row’s self-titled album from 1989

[@fabiorodriguez4207]

Skid Row debut album was great. I still remember listening the vinyl at the record store. I made up my mind about buying it, right after the attendant had let me listened to about. 30 seconds of the first three songs.

[@scottbolderson1566]

I'm going to throw a vote in for Trixter's self-titled album. "Give it to me Good" and "One in a Million" are still in my rotation.

[@damhnaitcockburn2970]

Yep! Mine too, though they really haven’t survived well in mainstream. If they had stayed together a bit longer and had a bigger discography I think they could have been on this list.

[@Mr.Goldbar]

Glam is one of my favorite genres but I gotta say Trixter was weird lol

[@mtaffer]

I liked that album too. Their followup "Hear" was great as well, but came out after grunge had hit so got ignored...

[@whitneygibson3431]

RATT, you cannot overlook this band

[@pauliewalnuts829]

I never saw GNR as a hair metal band. They are more in the vein of stuff like classic Aerosmith and AC/DC. I also think there isn't a single bad song on Shout at the Devil.

[@TheEverSerene]

Twisted Sister released a Christmas album a few years ago, and it probably gets the most listens during the holidays in my house every year. Their version of 12 Days of Christmas is a good time.

[@tjclarke4604]

Welcome to the best decade of music. Sorry you missed out on it the first time around, but hey, at least you are exploring it now.

[@Skycladatdusk78]

I still own and listen to all these great albums. Reminds me of a great hard rock station we had here in Cincinnati called the Power Pig that would play all these bands and thrash, I miss it.

[@retromusicchannel5931]

I love that DOKKEN made the list!!! Although my favorite album is Back for the Attack. I'm bummed because RATT Invasion of your privacy or Out of the cellar didn't make it. Other bands that are definitely in my top ten are STRYPER, WHITE LION, WARRANT and TESLA.

[@TuomoKallio1]

I was hoping for some Finnish representation! The band Hanoi Rocks would have been a great fit. The best might be their debut album Bangkok Schocks, Saigon Shakes, Hanoi Rocks (1981).

[@erichirschi315]

Without Hanoi Rocks there would be no Guns 'n Roses. Axl will likely be the first to tell you that.

[@TuomoKallio1]

@@erichirschi315 a sad connection to Vince Neil/Mötley Crüe as well trough Razzles death. But definitely somewhat “unknown” gem in the genre

[@erichirschi315]

@@TuomoKallio1 Absolutely, pretty much killed the band too. Though Michael Monroe and co. have released a few things since then. The even sadder part is that Vince didn't learn a thing (drove drunk multiple times after that) and the band even named their box set "Songs to Crash Your Car To"

[@rbruggeman7722]

I was watching Anthony Bourdain and he was in Scandinavia I looked at his guide and I thought this guy looks straight out of Hanoi Rocks and it was shortly revealed to be Sam Yaffa. I hope you guys really take pride and introduce them to the young people there because they are a truly fantastic band. It's a crime they never broke big.

[@SavoxYT]

Basically every W.A.S.P. album released in the 80's (except _The Headless Children_ which was way too dark to be "hair metal") could qualify for this list.

[@randycunningham7318]

Headless Children had a killer ballad, Forever Free. I think the album is amazing.

[@johnhavardvalebrokk6151]

7:34 dream warriors may not have been on that album, but it did appear as the last track on the follow up release called Back for the Attack. Solid list. Personally my favourites of the genre are The Last Command by WASP and Tooth and Nail by Dokken.

[@lw3764]

Me sitting here listening to the segment on Under Lock and Key I'm thinking, "Oh if you like that album I hope you've heard Dream Warrio- okay cool he's on the same page as me"😄

[@crimsoncomics4273]

I know a lot of people don’t consider these albums as hair metal, But Pantera’s first three albums: Metal Magic, Projects in the Jungle, and I Am the Night, are some great stuff that are definitely hair metal influenced!!

[@jdl1991]

Dancing Undercover by Ratt is an underrated gem.

[@jb4626]

It absolutely is!

[@Kylora2112]

W.A.S.P.'s first 5 albums are sleazy hair metal perfection, and The Crimson Idol is one of the greatest albums of all time. Granted, that came out in 1992, but damn, it captures all the sleaze of the 80s metal scene in amazing fashion (no pun intended). Yeah, everyone knows Fuck Like A Beast, but The Headless Children, Wild Child, Sleeping In The Fire, Chainsaw Charlie...RIFFS UP THE WAZOO!

[@michaelseay9783]

It helps to read the lyrics. I didn’t get what was so good about Crimson Idol until I followed along with the lyric sheet for every song, then I totally understood and got it. One of the best and brutally honest concept albums of all time.

[@ArtemyMusha]

Dream Warriors from Elm Street 3 is on the album that came after Under Lock and Key, Back for the Attack. It's also pretty solid if you're into that sort of thing.

[@robplante8631]

Pretty solid? Back for the Attack may be their best album...

[@LWDrumz]

I would personally swap out Cinderella Long Cold Winter with RATT Out of the Cellar. I remember constantly listening to Out of the Cellar, Shout at the Devil, Stay Hungry and 1984 as I was teaching myself to play drums.

[@tylerhackner9731]

I like hair metal unironically

[@voutsider190]

Me too

[@garethmorgan6906]

I love your channel .. But this one has a special place for me . The Glam / Sleaze scene was what got me into metal in general ( I was dressing like Nikiki Sixx but also listening to Metallica , Slayer and other bands that wouldn't have been expected at the time) .. Its great to see some appreciation for some of the actually good albums ( yes most of it was terribly cheese but some of it does deserve recognition) . So thankyou from an old Glammy ( I got better I promise lol)

[@shirleygiordano7627]

There is no better rock than the 80s hair metal rock. ✨️

[@80sf1fan2]

70s proto metal kick hair metal ass

[@jaySin37]

Some great honourable mentions… loved LA Guns, Ratt, Dangerous Toys, Killer Dwarfs, Faster Pussycat, Firehouse and Slaughter as well.

[@6li8storm40]

I’d actually forgotten about Killer Dwarfs. Thank you!

[@timbates6309]

Back in 1986 I bought Bon Jovi's Slippery When Wet and actually thought it wasn't too bad. That Christmas, we were at a family gathering and one of my nephews had just got this album and proceeded to play "You Give Love A Bad Name" over and over for several hours. I never recovered.

[@dzapper7]

It was a great album, but it did wear out it's welcome for me as well.

[@NikkiVelazquez]

I think this is my favorite video of yours. I grew up on this music and still listen to some of it.

[@Metlhd313]

If you liked The Dirt, you've got to read Nothin But a Good Time: The Uncensored History of the 80s Hard Rock Explosion. Impressive book that shows just how much some of the bands had to strugle.

[@oldschoolgnrfan6035]

It’s a great book

[@jesspayant1667]

Ahhh. My childhood. I think the only album I didn't have or had access to was Shout At the Devil. Wasn't a Crue guy for the most part, but I do like some of their stuff. 1984 was the first cassette I ever bought, along with Tom Petty's Southern Accents. Hair metal helped pave the way for me to love Metallica, Megadeth, Slayer, etc. Great list, my friend!

[@joenobody5631]

Jesus, '87 was an amazing year for music.

[@MariahTahmisian]

Truly some amazing hair metal albums! The ones you picked aren't my favorites by the bands often but it's great to see this! Adding Skid Row self titled Bon Jovi is just amazing and GNR isn't hair metal.

[@midnightsuns1000rr]

The 80's were the best. Music, movies, everything.

[@levisarenpa5100]

I agree with this list! All are valid albums! GNR, Def Leppard, Motley Crue, and Poison etc… awesome bands from an awesome decade and era/genre!

[@STONESGAM]

Good list but Skid Row's debut deserved a spot with 18&Life and I Remember You were both big hits.

[@sixxdemon6634]

Quiet Riot - Metal Health Skid Row - Skid Row Warrant - D.R.F.S.R Tesla - Great Radio Controversy Vain - No Respect Danger Danger - Danger Danger Ratt - Out of the Cellar Kix - Blow my Fuse

[@halleyangel1706]

My dad has read the dirt and finds it funny since he was a fan and went to concerts everywhere in Maryland, even going to Jersey. He was consumed with the 80s for a while, and I am shocked my dad came out of the 80s sober, alive, and shockingly no extra kids somewhere else. My dad's a bit mad at the Crüe right now (due to the changing their mind after the last ever tour and basically pulling a ACDC and such) so he's geeking out on the Warning with my husband. So he's moved on from the Hair Metal days. Even though my hair although I was born in the 90s is clearly all 80s. And is as dangerous as 80s hair was.

[@RockedNet]

Hearing The Dirt from everyone in Motley Crue not only opened my eyes to the band, but the 80's in general. 0.o

[@halleyangel1706]

@@RockedNet My husband mentioned Journey to be a but munch but that's because that's the only 80s he knows. Yup still fixing that shit.

[@halleyangel1706]

@Rocked I read the Dirt and given the shit I know my parents have done. I'm shocked I was even conceived given a lot of crazy shit they both did. And my mom hates Hair Metal! She was a skin head U2 obsessed woman that followed them to Ireland in the 80s

[@JohnConstantine666]

Love seeing Twisted Sister 2nd on the list. Twisted is one of my favorites. I am a huge Dee Snider fan and yes I will be buying his Funko Pop later this year. Love we're not gonna take it and I wanna rock. Its a shame the record label really screwed them on Come out and Play which I think is a decent album.

[@EastyyBlogspot]

When you get through the ballads and the radio friendly glam there is some great heavier stuff...and tbh I like a lot of the glam stuff to, warrant uncle tom's cabin and Dokken Mr scary springs to mind

[@RockedNet]

Dokken's guitarwork definitely added to the heavy side.

[@jamescdevos]

I lived through the 80s as a teenager. I remember all of these sings, all of these bands, all of the stories. This Era makes me feel warm and fuzzy when I think about it. There were so many bands contributing to 80s hair metal but you nailed the list nonetheless. I can't argue with it. Thanks for posting it.

[@JNewsted1988]

Yeah, for those who don't know... Whitesnake's "Here I Go Again" was originally released in 1982. The one on their self-titled album in 1987, was a re-recording of the track and is honestly the most famous version of the song. Though they also released a 2008 radio version... I don't understand why... but whatever fits them!

[@RedAce93]

Same rules as you and not in any particular order: Cinderella- Night Songs Motley Crue- Girls Girls Girls (A very overlooked album) Guns N' Roses- Appetite For Destruction Dokken- Under Lock And Key Def Leppard- Pyromania Ratt- Out of The Cellar (both it and Invasion are tied for me) Van Halen- 1984 W.A.S.P.- Self Titled (Its arguable if they are hair metal or not, but the glam elements are undeniable) Twisted Sister- Stay Hungary Judas Priest- Turbo (I actually really enjoy this experiment and consider Turbo a very underrated album)

[@metaldisector6701]

No mention of RATT??? WTF dude???

[@colico14]

Not from the 80s, but Saigon Kick's 1992 debut, "The Lizard" is a pretty good '80s/hair-style-rock album. It's a little more on the refined side of things. I remember enjoying it quite a bit back in the day. They were great musicians too. Also, Extreme's "Pornografitti" is quite good, but it's from 1990. Everyone remembers "More Than Words," but it was "Hole-Hearted" that I really liked. Great musicianship and harmonies! I think both bands were big Queen fans and it shows!

[@chazzmichaelmichaels5766]

To the young or uneducated, check out Queensryche- Empire and WASP- chrimson idol. Both undiscovered masterpieces!

[@Bad_Wolf_Media]

I know there are some people out there that truly hate the "hair rock/hair metal" label (Eddie Trunk), but this is the music I honestly grew up with. When people talk about decades of music, mine isn't round numbers, but rather 1985-95. Those are my defining years, and these bands are a massive chunk of the soundtrack of my life. I am 100% proud to say I'm a hair metal fan.

[@_vixen_4504]

That’s right and anyone who don’t like it can buzz off.

[@LuchaLibertaria]

'Hair Metal' label was popularised by MTV/Rolling Stone in the mid-90s to stigmatise these bands as lame and ridiculous. The thing is most people don't wanna associate with smth that sounds ridiculous and lame. If u like this music and want it to be appreciated by more people, calling it Glam Metal and 80s Hard Rock would be a better choice 😉😎

[@The_R-n-I_Guy]

Love these bands. Cinderella is so underrated. Never got into Dokken. Still listen to Motley Crue a lot. Whitesnake and Poison are pretty good. I listened to Bon Jovi a lot when I was younger. Especially the Slippery When Wet album. Def Leppard is awesome. Guns and Roses Appetite for Destruction is great start to finish. Van Halen 1984 was awesome. It's a shame it was Dave's last one with them

[@l.salisbury1253]

I am glad you did include Cinderella's second album. This LP/DC proved that Hair Metal could be musically creative and lyrically not-unintelligent lyrics (even though the words, I have to admit, are recycled Robert Frost!) without sacrificing what the fans expected...

[@tiffanyhowarth6703]

When Luke said he was planning on making this video, I expected to see them here, since he praised their song "Don't Know What You've Got (Til it's Gone)" about five years ago in another video.

[@LuchaLibertaria]

Cinderella is a Bluesy Hard Rock band They are not a 'hair band'. If u appreciate their music, calling them a 'hair band' is not the best idea. No musician with self-respect want to be seen as a buffoon who cares more about his hair than his music.

[@daviddefigueiredo6018]

I worked in a Metal shop for years, I couldn't get into the "hair metal" look, ever!! But, there was so much great music from that genre/era , and, I still play to this day!

[@ColeTalksHockey67]

Hair metal is still fantastic to this day.

[@joshuaszablewski7395]

I have no idea how old you are but I’m 36. I grew up listening to this stuff and the stuff you enjoy. Neither are bad. Hair metal gets a bad reputation that isn’t deserved. Skid row was amazing. Poison was a fun band. Motley Crue was well Motley Crue. What you’re going to figure out is all of your nostalgia bands will inevitably fall of the map. You’re still going to love what you loved from them. That being said. Love the channel man!

[@TheAidenWrestling]

Fuck yeah Def Leppard

[@gogokrista]

I was 16 in 1989, so possibly too young for some of this but also, the absolute right age. People slam hair metal all the time, but I'm unapologetic about it considering how much fun we had. I saw the majority of the bands in their heydays, and you couldn't help but have fun because that's what it was all about. I'll add the self-titled debuts by Skid Row, Badlands, Dangerous Toys, Faster Pussycat, Mr. Big, and LA Guns. Cocked and Loaded by LA Guns as well. Mechanical Resonance and The Great Radio Controversy by Tesla and Surprise Attack by Tora Tora. Both got lumped into hair metal even though they're more of a blue color, bluesy hard rock. Blow My Fuse by Kix, too. Cool from the Wire by Dirty Looks and Out of the Cellar and Invasion of Your Privacy by Ratt. I could probably add more but actually resisted listing a few from '90 and '91. What a raucous, amazing time to be a music fan.

[@damhnaitcockburn2970]

I wiish he would have included 90-91 albums in here too. So many good ones.

[@PedroBenolielBonito]

Cinderella (and to a lesser extent Aerosmith) also get lumped into glam when they aren't really. I've always felt like Keifer and Co. were one unfortunate name/logo and debut cover photo choice away from having been a respected blues-rock band.

[@lw3918]

Hair metal is a derogatory term. It was meant as a derogatory term and now it's used by so called metalheads.

[@LuchaLibertaria]

Biggest irony is they are using a negative stigmatising term whichs based on having longhair - which makes pretty much every hard/heavy band from the 80s/90s as 'hair bands'. I started to see younger kids calling Dio and Queensryche 'hair metal'. 😵😵😵

[@JeremyClark]

I agree with some of the other comments about Skid Row. The debut was good, but "Slave To The Grind" is a masterpiece. I would also throw in Ratt "Out Of The Cellar" as another album that is great front to back.

[@ngarewyrd]

How is Van Halen NOT a hair metal/glam rock band? Seriously, how??

[@tiffanyhowarth6703]

I think it's debated since they released their first albums in the 1970s. They were obviously a prototype for the scene, though.

[@robplante8631]

@@tiffanyhowarth6703 exactly the reason. Anyone who lived through that time wouldn't be asking that question. They aren't, and never were, at any point, a hair band.

[@TheSonicsean]

I still have a Hysteria CD in my car, so that is my top pick. Also Def Leppard is still great live, even in 2022. Also this would have been the perfect video for a Keeps sponsorship.

[@mikey9872]

Def Leppard wasn't hair metal.

[@benamisai-kham5892]

I'd have to say I love Poison's 'look what the cat dragged in" a lot more. Poison was the first concert I went to at 4 years old (that's about 22 years ago now!) And over all the years seeing them again and again, I think my favorite songs still come from look what the cat dragged in, though I also love some of their side songs that weren't really in albums like their cover of 'squeeze box' and 'I hate every bone in your body but mine' and honestly I think they're one of the only few hair bands in the 90s that I enjoy a majority of their 90s work. There's a few goodies from motley Crue in the 90s like primal scream, but not consistently enough. Fun tidbit: my parents used to test my music knowledge as a kid by playing deep cut songs that I wouldnt know from the radio or had a slightly different sound from their usual, it was a lil pop quiz in the car; I mean it wasn't anything I was rewarded with or anything I just liked watching my parents get surprised that I could distinguish what band was what and how much of their old rock knowledge I absorbed. They used to show me off at the bar to win bets that I could name 70s and 80s band members original and replaced line ups 😭 I wouldn't have grown up any other way though! I've grown such an appreciation for all the music my parents loved, billy squire, ratt, white snake, Cinderella and even some of the 80s pop from my mom. My dad was really into 40s-60s music outside of the 70s-80s rock he usually listened to, so he also grew me up on jazz, doowop, Motown and the orgins of rock. I don't think I would be as musically diverse or interested in music as much if I didn't get to connect with my parents music tbh.

[@bat2275]

Gnr is not hair metal.

[@rocknrolloutlaw66]

80s Hair Metal was and still is my life so many good bands were out there back in the day britny fox , vixen , ratt , steelheart, xyz also hood bands worth to mention

[@metalevilution4565]

Please stop using the term "Hair Metal". It's Glam Metal or Hard Rock.

[@brenthaymon280]

I agree. In the 80's it was called glam metal or glam rock.

[@nickudeschini4812]

Pretty solid list! I also recommend "Youth Gone Wild" by Skid Row and "Cherry Pie" by Warrant (yes I'm serious, don't let the title track fool you)

[@xjp1998]

Going to show my age, but I own all these albums and bought them on the day they came out, Being a teen in the 80s totally rocked the best decade ever.