You've heard it called a million different things: hair metal, butt rock, pop-metal, etc... It's the bastard step-child of '80s rock that you couldn't escape... And now, brought to you exclusively by yours truly, I present to you..... THE HAIR METAL APPRECIATION THREAD For a while, I was up in the air about whether or not I liked this music. Then I decided that, yes, hair metal kicks @$$, but it's not something I would go around admitting... and then about four years ago I dropped the whole "guilty pleasure" act and decided that hair metal ROXXX! So, that being said, what are your favorite hair metal bands and songs, and WHY?! PLEASE DO NOT THREADCRAP!!!! If hair metal disgusts you, start a new thread saying so. My favorite hair metal songs would have to include (but not limited to)... "Don't Treat Me Bad" - Firehouse "Hysteria" - Def Leppard "Round and Round" - Ratt "You Give Love a Bad Name" - Bon Jovi "Don't Go Away Mad (Just Go Away)" - Mötley Crüe amongst plenty others which I can't think of right now (too many to list, heh) So, dig out your old spandex, get out the Aqua Net, turn the amps to 11, and let's get ready for NOTHIN' BUT A GOOD TIME!!
I never got into the music and paid it no attention, but when they do specials on it on VH-1 it's kind of fascinating and I end up enjoying the songs (and the costumes and posturing). "You Give Love a Bad Name" - Bon Jovi - that's a great song.
I love Van Halen. They're not Hair Metal, but they certainly had a HUGE influence on many of the bands that were. As for hair metal, I own the following: A Whitesnake compilation (Whitesnake's music was never all that hair metal, but anyway) The Best of Warrant Poison's Greatest Hits Extreme Extreme II: Pornograffiti Extreme: Three Sides To Every Story Best Of Extreme I do have some other '80s hard rock/metal, too, but that's the most "hair" that it gets. Hair metal is great. It's just good, fun music.
I still enjoy some of the bands from this time period. Favorites of mine include Queensryche, RATT, Dokken, Cinderella, Helix, Krokus, Blue Murder, Whitesnake, Night Ranger, Triumph... I also like a lot of the heavier bands from the 80s like Metallica, AC/DC, Ozzy, Judas Priest, Tesla, Fastway, Iron Maiden, Saxon, Motorhead, Dio, Scorpions, Rough Cutt, King's X, I even made myself a 4cd compilation called "Hair Metal Hits of the 80s". It was a blast to compile, and I plan on making many more compilations when time permits. I saw tons of concerts during this time period. RATT toured heavily and played many shows in Arkansas. I saw them five times, and they were great the first four times. The last time Juan seemed to be pissed or something. He just stood in one spot the whole time and only stepped forward to sing his background vocals. He was usually all over the stage. It was a disappointment, but they were having problems by then. I was sad to learn that Robin Crosby had died. It is a shame how many lives that drugs have ruined. Rock on!
btw ..I watched Motley Crue on the Jimmy Kimmel Show tonight and the band didn't sound that great performing a new song. Vince's voice sounds off these days.
I was in a cover band back in the eighties and I still proudly cherish that era. Some of my favorites off the top of my head: Dokken: Unchain The Night Kix: Cold Blood Autograph: Send Her To Me Bonham: Wait For You Bulletboys: Smooth Up In Ya Cinderella: Shake Me Def Leppard: Animal Enuff Z'Nuff: New Thing Ratt: Lay It Down Skid Row: I Remember You Stryper: Always There For You Vandenberg: Your Love Is In Vain
I don't know if King Cobra can be classified as Hair Metal, but their 1985 debut "Ready to strike" is amazing. Whitesnake sure was no Hair Metal band , but as almost everybody else thay had a Hair Metal phase in the late 80's and it was bloody good (though weaker then classic 78-84 Snake). Funny that even bands like Priest and Saxon had hair metal phases around 1986! And Accept tried to go commecrial in 1989 after Udo left the band.
I didn't appreciate hair metal bands at the time but later I think I kind of "got" it. Yeah, they looked stupid but the music was/is irresistible. Bon Jovi's "Lay Your Hands On Me" has a killer riff. I also like their "Bad Medicine" and "Raise Your Hand". Def Leppard's "Love Bites" is a great song. Mötley Crue's "Dr. Feelgood" kicks major butt and "She Goes Down" is sleaze rock at it's finest.
Only if you consider Van Halen hair metal. Otherwise I pass. In the beggining, Guns n Roses may have been considered part of the hair metal scene. There are pictures of AXL by the time of Apetite for Destruction that showed that he was a steady client for Aqua Net. And the early Guns N Roses really rocked!
Lots of pretty great power pop was dreamed up underneath all that Final Net. Many of the bands mentioned, plus bands like White Lion and King's X (if they count) had a real ear for catchy melodies.
Love the stuff.... I have had a perpetual compilation since these bands were new that has existed on cassette, CD, and now is on my iPod. Ratt, Skid Row, LA Guns, Whitesnake, Winger, Crue.....its all good. Some pretty amazing guitar playing in some of those bands, putting aside the fact that some of those dudes would have put most chicks to shame if they just could have grown a decent pair of boobs! Wait...did I type that out loud?????????? BGL
I still enjoy listening to Queensryche (Mindcrime), Tesla and Def Leppard. I also thought Hanoi Rocks were an underrated band.
Notice they didn't put Mick Mars on camera during the performance very much? The guy really is in rough shape. According to The Dirt book, he has some rare bone disease that fuses his bones together. It also doesn't help that he now looks considerably older than the rest of them. A few weeks ago, when they announced all this stuff, the band performed in LA at their press conference and it was broadcast on XM. Mick hit a few bad notes in the two songs that I heard. The blatant pre-recorded background vocals don't help either. I am looking forward to this upcoming tour though. I have heard the four new songs on their upcoming compilation and I'll tell all that the other two originals are definitely better than the single. The other is a cover of the Stones' "Street Fighting Man." The tracklisting seems to have omitted one of the originals, so I am not sure where that will end up. But, in an era when most of the 80s bands can't write a good song to save their lives, these were pretty strong.
I also must shamelessly plug my mix CD series that I mentioned in a previous thread. The artwork was supposed to resemble a missing child on a milk carton, but ended up with a metal plate cover with screws. Kind of ruins the "theme" a bit, but it still works. Have You Seen Me? I love all this stuff and even did a radio show playing it all in the early 90s. I scour used CD bins constantly looking for obscure CDs to add to my collection. Even for that one minor hit.
Never thought of Queensryche as Hair Metal Band! Actualy they are usualy considered the fathers of progressive metal and Operation Mindcrime is considered the milestone in the genre.
I really don't either. But, back in the day, shows like Headbanger's Ball grouped bands such as Poison, Queensryche and Megadeth all under one umbrella. I dig it all, so I have no complaints. I can't say the same for some of my friends. Some were too busy on their heavy metal power trip to even consider slipping a Bon Jovi cassette in between Slayer and Exodus playing on the boombox. One friend even said, "How can you listen to this (i.e. old Metallica or something) and then listen to that (i.e. Warrant or whatever)?" as if I was bouncing around from Metal to Classical to Blues in a matter of minutes. BTW, the first time I ever saw Queensryche live was opening for Def Leppard....
I do agree with you guys that Queensryche do not fit the mold as far as Hair metal goes. I listed them as they do seem to get played on the 80's metal shows getting lumped in with the Poison's, Ratt etc. Whatever the label Mindcrime and Empire are classics!!
Shawn's must have hair-metal CD list (I'm not counting Queensryche, GNR, Priest, Maiden, etc): Motley Crue: GH Ratt N Roll (GH) Poison: Greatest Hits; Look What The Cat Dragged In Heart (any Capitol Years GH) Dokken: Very best Of Cinderella: Once Upon A Time LA Guns: Millineium Collection (that's coming out soon) Whitesnake GH, s/t Bon Jovi: Slippery When Wet, New Jersey, Crossroads Def Leppard: Vault, Hysteria, Pyromania Warrant: Best Of Slaughter: Mass Slaughter best Of Winger: Very Best Of Nelson: After The Rain If I think of more, I'll add them...
Where did you hear about this? I submitted it to some people in the catalog division at Universal a few months ago and I was told that it has been tried before, but the sales staff didn't feel it would sell.