WAS HAIR METAL ACTUALLY GREAT?
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- Опубликовано: 2 авг 2024
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Was hair metal actually great? I look at the rise and fall of hair metal bands like Poison, Guns N Roses, Winger, Motley Crue, Dokken, Ratt, Skid Row, Warrant and more. Also, glam metal/hair metal songs like "Sweet Child Of Men" and "Every Rose Has Its Thorn" and the best hair metal guitarists/musicians like Reb Beach, Billy Sheehan, Paul Gilbert, Steve Vai, Slash and more.
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0:00 Intro
2:47 The history of hair metal
10:14 Hair metal's great songs
14:51 The amazing musicians of hair metal 
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There’s a few good songs in hair metal spanning across Motley Crue, Guns n roses, Cinderella, Winger, Skid Row and so on. But by and large it was devoid of substance or originality or creativity. It was extremely formulaic.
You had the party chest thumping song followed by an emotional power ballad. There was a total playbook.
And it championed rampant misogyny as well, even when considering the general atmosphere of misogyny in society at the time, glam and hair metal championed it to new heights. They literally treated women like objects.
And some of the vestiges of that thinking is evident in shows like Rock of Love, which you covered before with Brett Michaels.
how the fuck did you forget bon jovi? ...
@@arthasmenethil5748 I was going to say! Not the biggest Jovi fan, but aside from GNR they were easily the biggest band of this era. Plus they were more "hair metal" than GNR.
So right about APPITITE FOR DESTRUCTION, every single song on that album is great. Rare thing back then. Most had one or two good songs if they were lucky
Crazy how Johnny Thunders is a God but Brett Michael's is a joke
Bon Jovi, Mötley Crüe, RATT, Guns N Roses, Skid Row, Poison, Warrant, Def Leppard; they were or are, great bands with excellent albums and an impressive catalog of hits.
And der leppard still has more streams than metallica and most other guitar bands
Gun'N'Roses wasn't really a hair band. The heavier Guns sound began the death knell for the hair bands. That period from very late 1988 -1991 the music was getting heavier which spilt over to the Alternative/Independent or 'Indie' in Australia and the UK. Also Metallica and Slayer were seen as 'more real.'
Alternative morphed into grunge, which, in reality was basic rock and roll with all the ridiculous elements of 'hair metal' removed
e,g, the hair, lycra/spandex/leather, the make-up & lipstick. The play as fast as you can solos, with a few guitarists who shamelessly ripped of Ritchie Blackmore and added arpeggios to their playing. The lyrics were inane and outright terrible. . . mostly.
@@FrostedSeagull sleaze metal mf XD
@@FrostedSeagull Gun's n Roses definitely a 'hair metal', they're not too different than Skid Row and Motley Crue, they just added funk influenced in their music make it sound a bit different
I'm with you brother.
Dokken is the unsung hero of 80's metal. Incredible song writing and one of the best guitarists of that age. I could listen to "Tooth and Nail" forever.
Amazing album
Nightmare on elm street! Dream warriors!
I could, too. Well said.
Damn! They were so oooo close. Tooth hooked me. Key reeled me in.
Nightmare on Elm Street : Dream Warriors is a good ass movie
I always felt like Cinderella is a super underrated band from this era. Their lead singer/guitarist Tom Keifer is extremely talented and they made some great songs. Nobody’s Fool, Don’t know what you got til it’s gone, coming home…
Seen them live 3 times, twice in the 80's and again in 2011. Three of the best gigs I've ever been to. Makes me sad to know there'll never be a reunion due to Jeff's passing. RIP.
I think Cinderella and Badlands were both just straight up classic blues rock bands with long hair and tight pants
Their albums are all awesome
@@jeffcohnphoto for sure! Bad seamstress blues is one of my favorites by Cinderella. Perfect example of a blues/hard rock song
Ultra underrated. The only song people ever mention is Don't Know What You've Got, but I actually enjoy Gypsy Road and others better.
If you weren't there, you have no idea just how fun this era was.
Long live HAIR BANDS......
*IF* you were there you wouldn't be using that term. It was created after the fact to disparage the music, by using it yourself you're complicit in that.
💯agree. It was a blast 🤘🏼🔥
The most fun decade ever!! No internet, iPhones, or politics. Just great music, kegs of beer and Solo cups.
@@ThundersMcCoy Nah, it was created DURING the era by people who fucking HATED it at the time.
@@robertdouble559Maybe it was regional? I never heard the terms “hair metal” or “hair band” (except for ponytail elastics) until the late 90s. Around here, those of us who hated it called it glam or just called the bands poseurs. (No, I have no idea why we spelled it that way.)
I'm a 90's kid who grew up with this stuff. All my mom listened to was hair metal. Imagine me, a 3 year old having this stuff played during dinner until she remarried. I still find myself rocking out to this on hot summer nights.
Same here! The aesthetic was ridiculous, but the music was fuckin great.
Same here. Was born in 1992 and my mom loved the hair metal bands.
Same 94 kid here i remember my mom would listen to it even nowadays she’ll have it on classic rock station. Only thing she can handle lol.
I find myself rocking out to (Hot) Summer Nights.
My kids were born in '86 & '95 & I now have grandbabies & they all can identify music from George Strait to Metallica & everyone in between...as well as music from the '50's '60's & '70's...my oldest had my ringtone set as "18 & life" on her phone for a long time...& now when my 7yr old grandson gets in my truck he ask to listen to...as he calls them... "shock rockers"...LMAO...one of his fav songs at 3/4yrs was Thunderstruck by AC/DC...I LOVE IT!!!
The hair metal scene gave us some incredibly technical musicianship, and very catchy songs. It's underrated.
hair metal is far from "underrated" any one with more than 2 iq knows hair metal
@@Matt_Aero sounds like something a pompous douche would say.
Van halen and kiss could have been mentioned as being pre-glammetal, i even think they are glammetal, the hair, the focus on looks, the hot girls, the combination and of songs with metal/hardrock.....
@@Matt_Aero But wait. Something being widely known doesn't mean it can't be underrated. Underrated means not given its due credit, or not appreciated to the extent it deserves to be. And personally, I do think it's underrated, especially since it's so widely known.
@@rigelb9025 you have a solid point, I think I agree with you.
Hair Metal was a super fun genre, all about 80s excessiveness and parties, just hard rocking and fancy solos
The 80s was kind of a high water mark for popular music. There was something for everyone that was getting played.
good comment. I think that a lot people say music sucks today because there is few styles in mainstream.
90s was more well rounded
Till this day I think Mick Mars is an amazing guitar player who doesn't get the cred he deserves just for being in Motley Crue. Seriously, songs like Too young to fall in love and Kickstart my heart have some of the best riffs ever made.
Also White Lion's Vito Bratta really elevated the band's sound with his talent.
totally agree with you!
Absolutely, Mick was the only reason I could sit through a Crue song till the end back then.
Mick Mars in Motley Crüe = 2 guitarists in any other band!
Mick Mars is absolutely amazing
You forgot wild side, shout at the devil and girls girls girls.
You hit the nail on the head with this video. Perfectly. Yes, hair metal looked goofy and had some cringy lyrics, but those guys were quite literally the greatest rock musicians we've ever had. So many of the guitarists were classically trained, singers could hit some operatic notes, and so on. Plus they knew how to write songs that were catchy to the masses, and ultimately that's what made it work.
On that note, I really don’t think Twisted Sister gets a ton of love despite being great rock musicians; they’re mentioned a lot less often than bands like AC/DC and Queen.
also the punk was the antithesis of what these people were trying to achieve but FmcFuck just loves that hair on the boys so he does not care. Also his morals are more in line with these industry puppets so it's no wonder he loves Bvb and the rest of the scenester babies - they were the natural continuation of this trend.
@@johnr6087 AC/DC and Queen are fantastic too though. I prefer AC/DC with Bon though
@@shewolfcub3
Love the song “ride on,” it’s so eerie the way Bon Scott sings “gonna change my evil ways… one of these days!”
@@johnr6087 Bon was a genuine lyrical genius! Yeah thats one of my favorites. If I had to pick a #1 it'd most likely be either Down Payment Blues or Gone Shootin'
80's rock lasted longer than Grunge and seems more loved today
At least all the glam bands didn't kill themselves like most of the Grunge bands did. Going to a concert in the 80's was a blast. Better than listening to bands sing about how miserable they are
@@garybrigham9538Grunge is deeply rooted in poor mental health while hair metal is rooted in partying and campy sex what did you expect?
Grunge as a term was another media invention. There's really no such thing as grunge, it's all just rock, a lot of it leaning towards classic heavy metal. Just like the term "alternative", one more example of music journalist invented horseshit terminology.
Glam metal had over ten years of mainstream dominance of singing about girls and parties. It was inevitable people were going to get sick of that. Plus, most hair bands switched over to playing lame power ballads as singles by the time grunge blew up.
I think the guitar work has a lot to do with it. The amount of shredding in the 80s was insane and so sick
If I had the chance to grow up again I wouldn't change a thing about the music I listened to. Hair Metal was my life. Now it's all about who can be the angriest or most depressing.
Exacto👍
Grunge > Hair Metal🤣
@@apoloflores3871 grunge is garbage
as pop punk fan I feel the same way and feel like rock sucks now because they trying to be the angriest or most depressing.
You are what you listen to
Some of greatest guitarplayers are from that era...Warren DeMartini, Mick Mars, George Lynch, Snake , Scotti Hill, Reb Beach !
Nuno Bettencourt,John Sykes ,Adrian vVndenberg,debatable if Eddie Van Halen as well.
Some were ok but if you listen to their albums it was different than the live performance guitar solos. Most of the solos were written by session guitarists and were very hard to play live!! And most of the bands partied hard and their live stuff was horrid lol That's why I liked bands like Slayer, Metallica, Mercyful Fate Judas Priest....those were the guys that could run circles around hair bands!
Not really though
But if you had to choose one out of that list, who would it be? For me it's DeMartini.
@@jeffthejinjer A few bands used session guitarists, but to say most used session guitarists is laughable as hell
I was expecting this video to be Finn totally dunking on hair bands, and was pleasantly surprised by his insightful and nuanced take on the scene. Well done, nailed it!
I don't dunk on bands! But thank you!
@@ThePunkRockMBA ....yeah you're looking for The Punk Rock NBA, wrong channel
White men can't jump....
@@ThePunkRockMBAdo you think the great hair metal musicians can compete with some of the top present day country musicians who are really good
Thank you for giving credit to Winger. They're great musicians indeed and I still listen to anything Kip Winger makes to this day
Kip and his band mates are all grossly underrated. I’ve been fortunate enough to meet Kip a few years ago and he’s such a nice guy. I also got completely star struck by him too! I think Winger’s downfall was they came too late and they just stuck to the whole copy and paste hair metal band of the time. Truly talented guy though. I’ll never not love them or rock out to ‘em.
I love Winger. Some awesome, dark, nostalgic sound, but super great.
Kip and Reb are so great. All of their albums are good. Such great vocals and guitar.
Cinderella is by far my favorite band from the genre, followed closely by Bach era Skid Row. Tom's song writing and the bands musicianship were fantastic. Songs like Shelter Me, Heartbreak Station, and Gypsy Road really show their bluesy side.
I love Cinderella... I can't get enough... I wish they kept going after Still Climbing
Ratt is still my favorite band. I saw Guns 'n Roses in a packed 20k seat arena in 2021. Poison, Motley Crue, Def Leppard, and Joan Jett had a successful stadium tour in 2022. People my age (early 50s) still love this stuff. I'm also a big emo fan, having seen Simple Plan, Sum 41, Bowling for Soup, and New Found Glory just about 3 months ago.
I'm seeing def leppard and motley crue next year, here in the uk. Sadly poison and Joan Jett won't be joining them.
I lived through this. At the time it was so driven by image. Most of which was being pushed on MTV and the band's music videos. It was cheesy and over the top! I knew this at the time. Was I buying the albums and singles? HELL YEAH! All these decades later I look back on it and laugh. You were 100% on the money about the band's being able to play. What I love about having the perspective of time on my side is the ability to separate "hype" or "fashion" from the equation! Now when I hear a song, from back then, it is usually popping up on a playlist or on the radio. All that is left is the song. I am not watching MTV or being bombarded by the images anymore. The "hype" of the bands is dead. So the "good songs" win through. All the Z league hair bands or those who never really had talent have faded into the past. I can now appreciate the bands and their music for what they are.
I found myself an agent before graduating high school and he was good at getting me auditions and gigs, but it was funny, every band I talked to said, "Hey, before you drive out here...do you have long hair?" Which I did. The color and texture of Dave Mustaine's.
But I told them, "It's long but no girly bullshit, I've refused to cut it going all the way back to Christian private school when it got me kicked out.They forced my parents to accept a refund and I've been growing it in public school for 3 years"...still it was sad that you couldn't even get an audition without long hair.
The thing about glam metal that made it so great, similar to most 80s pop tunes were the underlying deep or dark messages over the pop upbeat melodies and songwriting. I think it was Vince Neil who said something along the lines of being aware that life sucks and is full of hardships, so music should be a driving force to keep up going, for that reason music should be smth that brings about happiness, rather than a constant reminder of all the pain and problems we get put through everyday.
that remind me of pop punk writing style for songs. sad thing encouraging songs are rare on pop radio. It either bubble gum pop or dark songs.
Considering the success that Måneskin has had in recent years, there is something about fun light hearted rock that can still catch on to a young contemporary audience
I love that band!
*_The instrumental of “Photograph” by Def Leppard is such a beautiful piece of music. Chorus and solos, especially._*
I think the secret sauce is where a lot of two guitar bands has one guitarist chugging on power chords and another just play some fast scales/riffs on top of it, Clark and Collen would play two separate riffs and melodies that would intertwine and work together.
Exactly! It is instantly recognizable! Even younger folks like myself will probably remember it from Grand Theft Auto V, which is actually the game that introduced me to the Leppard! And boy, am I glad it did. Such a great band!
I just wrote in another comment that def leppard changed the game in 83 with pyromania. What an album that was.
@@andrewhudson7108 that's the brain child of Mutt Lange. Literally every thing he touched went platinum.
Mutt Lange had a lot to do with that, still in the analogue era I heard the recording sessions on that album was brutal
Thing is: hair metal had a more serious side to it that most people forget about. Just like Grunge's more fun side that most people ignore.
18 and life was about a kid who literally shot his friend because he was too drunk to know what he was doing. Warrant had the song "Uncle Tom's Cabin", telling that dark story. There's Queensryche which is what happens when you're hair metal band writes songs about headier stuff instead of about getting laid. Their biggest hit is about a woman using Lucid Dreaming to remember her dead lover. The list goes on and on.
*KNOCK EM DEAD KID*
*You're all I need*
*Rocket Queen*
The Crimson Idol from W. A. S. P. is one of the darkest hair metal album and it's honestly pretty realistic. Hell, Fallen Angel from Poison, of all band, has a pretty serious topic despite the cheery tune it has.
I was unaware of any of that, seriously thanks for sharing.
Don't close your eyes by Kix is a song about talking a friend out of commiting suicide
When The Children Cry by White Lion.
Dude! This was the most fair review of Glam Metal I've heard from someone who is too young to have lived it. We did the hair and makeup and clothing because it was fun. Living in Hollywood at that time was like being a hippie and living in Haight-Ashbury in the 60s.
Yes, it was great. The 80s were a blast. I was just a child and I'd love to go back. The movies. The music. The fashion. The fun. All of it. ♡
Guns and Roses was like a transition from glam to more traditional metal in my opinion. Yeah they had hair, but they had much more to offer than most other glam metal bands of the era.
I’d say that’s more like Skid Row that did that.
there’s no such thing as glam metal. it’s rock. and gnr is just rock n roll
They were more hard rock but ok
@@renatovillatoro4746 exactly
They r def not metal. Hard rock yes.
I could listen to Finn's takes on music forever. Mr. Mckenty you are an extremely intelligent and very talented musical documentarian.
Same here. I've learned about several genres I did not know existed, some of them may not be my cup of tea but I believe there is value in knowing what's out there.
I feel his approach on music can be applied to so many industries. So not only does he entertain, he teaches, and leaves us with more.
Did finn write this
@@PinHead-1337 No he didn't.
He is hilarious too
So I wasn't quite sure where you were going with this video at first, but it pretty much sums up everything I could say about why I think 80's rock is one of the greatest music genres of all time. It seems ridiculous on the surface, but the musicianship of these bands, as well as the strong pop and songwriting sensibilities they possessed, is what drew me to it 20+ years ago and keeps me coming back.
I was a musician at that time and that was my biggest frustration with Grunge. I seriously TRIED to appreciate it, but I wrote my own music and realized it was just trash. It became clear that the record companies wanted to get rid of the talented musicians who can come back and ask for more money. The best evidence that Grunge was a corporate hype job fad is that nobody cares about it anymore, it was very short lived. People are still filling stadiums for GnR.
I just loved that every Hair Metal band had to have their signature power ballad hoping it would become their Stairway to Heaven.
That and one "behind the scenes on tour" music video.
I got laid a lot because of the power ballads. Love them!
I was in high school back in '87 when GnR's Appetite dropped...it was HUGE.
Everyone had that album, cassette or even CD. You would go to a party and GnR was getting played at that party. It didn't matter if you were a punk, metalhead, jock, preppy boy or cheerleader, because everyone loved it and rocked out to it. They really did bring everyone together to agree on at least ONE band that everyone thought were cool. It is STILL a killer record with zero filler.
It really was
I’m a little bit (not much) older than you. I never understood the appeal. I absolutely love a song or two, but I was completely fed up with their existence a week after Sweet Child of Mine hit the radio.
100%
I still love Skid Row. Slave to the Grind was a hard album
Pretty trash compared to their first
@@benjamingrant9100 Disagree always thought it was a step up from the debut A great metal album
@@arejaycee5484 He may have meant to say "thrash"
@@CitizenSnips Yeah get it now thanks for pointing that out 👍 In that case I'd agree 100 % with that .🤘
I always considered Slave to the Grind as a real metal album. Monkey and Slave were hard ass songs.
Great point about the pop song writing influence. I think that's one of the things that had made Ghost so successful: Tobias is really good at both catchy hooks and heavy riffs.
Ghost is litterally inspired by hair metal.
I was a teenager during this era, graduating in 91. I can’t tell you what a Time to be alive it was. And there were so many great deep cut hair metal bands as well that I still listen to today, like Lillian Axe. And this decade will never be repeated.
Heartbreak station by Cinderella is very underrated, it’s really just a rock album not a glam one
cinderella is THE only actually smart 80s hair metal band no one can say otherwise
I have just discovered that band this week and they're awesome, specially that song but their name sounds very 80s hair metal lol.
YES! My favorite album of theirs!
I agree, they're a great band!
I am the same age as Finn, born in the late 70s, a kid in the 80s, teen in the 90s and young adult in the 2000s. I remember hair metal well. My mom and step brother were into it which got me into it. Give me all those bands, they had great music! Sure I moved on when Nirvana came along and around 94 is when I got into punk. But dammit, I still listen to hair metal from time to time and it hits hard!
I'm 15, yet I totally agree that the '80s L.A. scene was metal at its peak. My favorite hair band's gotta be Warrant, Jani Lane's fast rocks and amazing beautiful ballads just make my ears happy. Too bad he died so young. Great video!
You are an awesome 15 year old.
@@jessielakes8118 Thanks!
I was a teen girl in the 80's. Janie was also very HOT!!!😊
Warrant rocks. Heaven was thier best song, but Uncle Tom cabin is what I always think of when I hear thier name.
Skid Row’s Slave to the Grind album was one of the very best as well, and was the first heavy metal album to debut at number one when Billboard started using their new “sound scan” system at record stores. That album is a gem, from start to finish.
To me the pinnacle of musicianship in this era was David Lee Roth’s solo band: Billy Sheehan, Steve Vai, and Greg Bissonette. Along with DLR’s golden pipes it was the greatest collection for musicians in one band.
Eat 'em and smile was Dave's ultimate fuck you to VH
They had the chops but lacked in songwriting. There was Yankee Rose not much else. There were a couple of blips on the charts that no one remembers anymore.
@@roberteltze4850 just like paradise ? Good times? I wouldn’t say no one remembers them.
DLR's solo act was like V/H on steroids, especially the "Eat 'Em" tour which required more V/H material to fill out the set. Sheehan on V/H material sounded like Eddie and Alex and a brother on bass and Greg Bissonette's jazz background made for some tasty drumming that wasn't really Alex's thing.
@@nic8577 I liked skyscraper, probably more than Eat ‘em and Smile.
Ay 48 years old, I still can't get enough of this music. Thank God this music exists.
Hair metal scene was the greatest era of rock music that has ever been, in every way. I really appreciate the positive things you said about that era. Let's not forget that the term hair metal didn't even exist in the '80s. And other bands like ACDC and Van Halen were also part of it. And that was cool that you gave a shout out to Pretty Boy Floyd. They deserve more recognition. I think a great example of stereotypical hair metal if there ever was such a thing, would be Vinnie Vincent Invasion, Boys are Gonna Rock video.
greatest era of rock music ? To each their own I guess. I hated that stuff, and I was around back then. Much preferred the "fusion" era of the 90's.
It was great, fun, life affirming music. Those gigs in the 80's were incredible, no phones and people having an amazing time. There's a reason a lot of the bands still survive. I will love the likes of Cinderella and Poison to my dying day.
As a teenager coming of age in the 80’s.. Glam was a HUGE part for me.. but I also listened to Slayer, Metallica, and a lot of other music! Those crazy Glam days will always hold a place in my heart!!
I feel the exact same way. I’m Also a huge thrash metal fan .
Same here. I can go from Slayer to Poison at any time.
Being a 90’s baby I was raised heavy on 80’s Hair Metal through my Dad. And Growing up being a musician the more fascinated I am at just how insanely talented these bands were from the insane Vocal ranges, super difficult guitar solos, crazy lifestyles, and amazing song writing and that was normal for every band back then. Like even if people wanna make fun of a band like Poison not only would CC Deville out shred you but Brett Michaels would also steal you girl for the night and write a hit song while in bed with her lol.
👍🎸🪡
Another great video Finn! Congrats on the baby too :). I got into heavy music with Warped Tour metalcore, and to this day I love that kind of music a lot. My dad was a huge metal head when he was growing up, but he didn't pass down his music to us so we formed our own interests. Over the past couple years, I started listening to a lot of the legendary bands from previous eras, especially glam rock and the likes because of how ubiquitous and influential those bands are. You're spot on with your view of why they were so successful and how modern rock has lost the plot. I think the big factor in anyone being an inspirational and amazing creator is to be loose and have fun. The people that change the game are people that aren't afraid to be crazy, but they work hard to be able to try big things. It would make me a happy fellow to see fun, talented, heavy bands start making waves again. Rock has a spirit that other genres do not have. It's contagious and powerful.
Much love sir!
I feel like Hair Metal had two separate distinct periods. You had the earlier glam period and then by the late 80s the bands got more mature and ditched the glam. I think the bands that came about in the later half of the 80s offered far better songs then the first half of the 80s. I always think of this period as just the hard rock period with killer solos and songs.
Basically it goes from Mötley Crüe, straight to Bon Jovi, Mötley Crüe was not exactly poppy but brought rock (and metal) to the forefront, Bon Jovi was poppy and radio friendly and really had some of the best musicians of the era
I respectfully disagree. I think like most other genres, hair/glam was stronger when it started. Van Halen, early Motley Crue and Hanoi Rocks sounded a lot better than later bands.
@@robwalsh9843I can't agree more
Hysteria by Def Leppard is one of my all time favorite albums - just so catchy and consistent, it's awesome
The song Gods of War is up there with my all time favorites.
The drummer's injury forced D/L to build a new sound around the Simmons electronic drumkit. I mean what can you do if you're gonna stick by your boy when he looses an ARM?! Okay, fellas, get ready for that Phil Colins gated-snare sound, 'cause your boy's doing it with one of his feet.
@@troyevitt2437 that’s one of the most impressive parts of the album, the drums are minimal and awesome. The songs still feel huge too
Hair metal took a really cool direction during grunge (92-94), it didn't all die at once, the music got darker and more experimental to compete with grunge. Checkout bands like Pariah (anything off of to mock a killingbird), Ice Cold July - City, Heavy Bones - the hand that feeds, Spread Eagle scratch like a cat, even the major bands picked up on this direction like Warrant's dog eat dog album, Poison's native tongue album with Richie Kotzen which is probably the best material they ever released, Winger's album Pull, Dee Sniders band the Widowmaker, etc. there was so much good stuff during those final years it was just more underground..
I'll secilond WIDOWMAKER. I saw them live and they killed.
Slave to the Grind. Killer album.
Agreed 💯
@@JustJoshLTRB just wanted to say the exact same thing
Ugly kid joe is a favorite of mine from this era.
Winger's Rainbow in the Rose is such an underrated song from the era.
I graduated high school in 1982 - so I grew up with that stuff. It was such an amazing time to be young. It was all about fun and having a good time. Honestly I wish my kids could have experienced it b/c I think it was way more fun time than we have nowdays.
You killed it. These guys were musicians first, and second understood the packaged presentation of music for marketing and appeal. That’s a lethal understanding on how to perform and present your act.
This is one of my favorite genres of music largely because of the musicianship and songwriting craft. Another band that really deserves a mention for those two reasons is White Lion. Their guitarist Vito Bratta was basically Eddie Van Halen on steroids and probably the best in that whole scene.
I'd put Nuno Bettencourt from Extreme on that list as well with Vito. Both were really great, underrated guitarists.
@@chriswheatley3146 Yup, him too.
Same with Mr Big, they could nail pretty much any sound they wanted
This is one of my favorite musical topics, I’m so glad you’re covering this! (Yes I was a fan of hair metal when I was a 12 year old boy.)
Great review! It was a great time to be alive! But yeah, around that 2nd wave of Poison, Cinderella etc. (except for G&R) I started checking out and gearing up for Thrash. I still stuck with The Main 3 - Dokken, Ratt, and Motley.
Thanks for doing it justice.
Super happy to see Winger getting some love. I thought i was crazy for liking them so much.
Kip Winger is a great great bass player
The album Pull was really good but the genre was buried and dead by then.
@ghost mall I've had the exact same experience. Kip wasnt joking when he claimed they could outplay Metallica
I grew up on hair metal so I’m a little biased but I’m glad you brought up the timelessness of the music. I’ve told people that it’s not surprising that Poison still tours and has new fans because they wrote good songs.
I still really like Guns N’ Roses albums too. November Rain is really brilliant.
Poison and GNR are the bottom of the heap
I think you summed it up and made a few really good points, which is why I still listen to a few select songs from that era. Nice job!!!!
Def Leppard and Guns N Roses were the two greatest hair metal bands of all time . The best hair metal album was Def Leppard's "Pyromania" because it's timeless and it sounds incredible .
I know it's all subjective and personal preference but while I do like pyromania, I think Hysteria is the better album.
Can't go wrong with either.
The whole "scene" of 2006-2012 I always saw as a revival of 80s hair metal. It focused on fashion, had a large number of female fans, and had memorable choruses. The symmetry was always obvious to me.
Asking Alexandria was the Def Leppard of metalcore.
Escape the Fate was the Van Halen.
The haircuts were almost identical.
@@onlychild5213 To be fair, Asking Alexandria was inspired by a lot of 80s Rock
"TriStarr" The difference between Hair Metal and 00s Warped Tour Scene bands is that Hair Metal is more looked upon fondly by rock fans while Scene Warped Tour bands aren't (Despite the genre being nostalgically vindicated by Millennials) mostly because of the high pitch clean vocals (e.g., Kellin Quinn, Vic Fuentes) and problematic artists to come out of the scene (e.g., Ronnie Radke).
Also add the fact that most scene bands from that era had diverse influences aside from Hair Metal such as Nu Metal, Post Grunge, 90s Boy Bands/Teen Pop, Pop Punk and Trance music.
And honestly people can say what they will about the Late 00s Early 2010s scenecore bands, but if not for them we would have not likely had a Nu Metal revival as I think they are responsible for reviving it because they grew up on it when they were kids
@@lethybridtheorygolucastheo2191 so was a7x Slash was syn gates favorite guitarist
No mention for Bon Jovi? They literally survived grunge and went through 90s and 00s with hits. Grunge was already way dead but they still kicking. Not to forget that Richie Sambora is a badass guitarist.
Europe, Whitesnake, Scorpions , KISS, Van Halen and Aerosmith also deserved a mention.
@JasonWilliamC I agree. Bon Jovi is known as a commercial band and they often being view as an "average musicians". A lot of people see Richie as an okay guitarist. Which is not wrong but that's only because the song that he play does not need much of a complex playstyle.
But as a fan of Bon Jovi, I got to say they have some deep stuff as well if people care to explore more of their discographies. When Richie wants to go off, he definitely can. :)
@@faiz7180 anyone who actually wants to know how good Richie Sambora was would have to listen to the songs that didn't get as much air play. His use of the Spanish/Mexican sound blended with Hard Rock Guitar was distinct.
Finn says new york dolls and david bowie invented the genre but KISS and Van Halen IMO is the bands that really started it. Van Halen started the whole guitar hero thing and kiss the pyrotechnics and over the top costumes.
Aerosmith was an established band and objectively not hair metal. They were playing bluesy hard rock like Led Zeppelin and Hendrix. Then they came back in the 80s with a glam phase but that never made them into a hair band either just like Guns N' Rose's was hard rock and not hair metal
Bon Jovi was a rock band before transitioning into a pop rock band!
Motley crues first album Too Fast For Love is actually an incredible album. The songs are great, and its imo as far as detail, song writing, the perfect mix of metal/punk/70s glam, and that's what makes it the best motley album hands down. Shout at the Devil was really good too but the songwriting was a little more watered down, yes it was a little heavier, but TFFL had some damn good deep cuts like "Piece Of Your Action" "Come On and Dance" "On with The Show" "Starry Eyes" "Merry Go Round" "Public Enemy #1" and of course "Stick To Your Guns" (which only appeared on the Leathur Records release which the entire leathur records mix is superior to the Elektra mix as far as being able to hear the bass, its less polished, and it's how it's supposed to sound) then TFFL also had its timeless classics like "Live Wire" "Too Fast for love" and "Take Me To the Top"... the 3rd motley album Theatre of Pain was their last album that had some good metal songs that still had their early feel of the first 3 albums but it was definitely starting to go more poppy and by "Girls girls girls" the band totally had lost its heart and roots
C'mon, the self titled is the heaviest
@@eugenemonfourny6119 yeah but it was absolutely nothing like the first 3 albums, it's not from the 80s, and it's got a different singer so it sounds like a grunge album. This video was about 80s metal bands so their 1994 grunge sounding album didn't really apply in this context. Yes it's a good album but I still say the Leathur records mix of Too Fast for love is their best album for sure.
You failed to mention the Godfathers of hair metal Van Halen. They were shredding, teasing their hair, wearing spandex and playing party music in the late 70s.
You also never mentioned that hair metal benefitted hugely from Mtv.
How does Van Halen not get a mention? Soundwise, they were the blueprint for all this stuff
VH is in a weird position. Always bums me out lol, I think because they were so early and set such a blueprint they got copied so quickly they get kinda trampled.
'78 with thier debut album hard rock and metal music was being predicted to get eradicated by punk and disco, and they paved the way to make room for the future of the scene again. But it's like they were so hot, that I think everyone was quick to follow them in some shade. From sound to the look, like they never went full glam or did the makeup, but they inspired a whole lot on the scene, to the point that even we'll established bands older than them ended up having shades of their sound after they got off
I think too because they never went full glam or flash that they don't count in as "hair metal" exactly if you're going more by look and feel, because they focused on the music much more
Yes!! VH, Kiss and AC/DC were HUGE influences on Hair metal. Far more than the New York Dolls.
everybody forgets about Sweet: ruclips.net/video/P-RTCRPMoaQ/видео.html
Skipped Aerosmith too somehow. No one's perfect lol
And scorpions lol
Guns n Roses are by far the best of this era. My dad loved them and I grew up listening with him.
Yeah… nah.
Always thought they were a hard rock band definitely not 'hair'.
@ghost mall
Yeah they were more pure hard rock without the Van Halen influence and more Aerosmith and Led Zeppelin influenced with a little glam influence but also kinda foreshadowing the grunge era a little bit.
But they definitely carried Mainstream Rock (not Metal) through the whole 90’s until they disbanded
Them disbanding kinda was the nail in the coffin for Rocks Mainstream presence only thing still there still was, was Pop Punk, Emo and Alternative and Metal which all is more their own thing and also became less mainstream in the 2000’s and early 2010’s.
Motley Crue!?!
@ghost mall GNR has an Hair/Glam sound RIGHT!?!?! so yeah the are a Hair/Glam band!
I didn't know this channel and I must confess that I was skeptical of what a channel called The Punk Rock MBA had to say about Hair Metal, which is a genre that I love, but it's pretty good video. Great job.
Wow such a great video.As a huge punk,new wave & anthem rock (Aka hair metal) fan I really appreciate the kudos you gave to the great bands.
Thank you so much for breaking into different waves of hair metal. But growing up in that time, bands like Motley Crue, Def Leppard, Quiet Riot, Scorpions, were just considered Heavy Metal. Of course back then we also considered Van Halen and AC/DC as Heavy Metal as well. I would argue it became to be considered hair metal with Motley Crue's Theater of Pain, and the band Poison.
Yeah I was around back then. I agree. I didn't really hear the terms "Hair Metal" or "Hair Band" until around the time Grunge came in. After Thrash entered the scene I called it Glam Metal or mainstream Metal.
@Elkster Eidolon It was called Heavy Metal long before they came along by over a decade. The term has been redefined several times. If you don't believe me look at old copies of Circus, Creem, Hit Parader and Rolling Stone. Look at the Heavy Metal Special issue Creem did in 1979. Not one Thrash Metal band in it. That's because it didn't exist as a genre yet. I remember reading a review in RS in 1978 calling Aerosmith "a dumb Heavy Metal" and that there were "at least a half dozen bands that play Metal better than Aerosmith". I also remember Aerosmith's 1978 tour shirts that said "The Masters of Metal".
@@bloppysloppy2283 nobody's fault was one of kurt's favorite songs. crazy hard for 1976...
ruclips.net/video/Ze6h1t7Z734/видео.html
I also grew up in this era and back then we just labelled all these bands as Hard Rock, Hair or Glam Metal was never even mentioned. Metal back then was Metallica, Megadeth, Judas Priest, Accept, Iron Maiden etc. The Hard Rock bands always felt like they occupied a space between Rock and Metal. To this day my mates and I still refer to the bands we loved in this era as Hard Rock. Hair Metal seems like a term that came later to bring derogatory to the music.
I think hair metal is one of the best things that's ever happened to metal in general. Great musicians, great songs. They're one of the reasons metal i still kinda relevant in 2022
A lot of these bands such as Def leppard, Europe, Bon jovi, whitesnake ect have amazing talent producing catchy riffs,chorus and so much energy on stage. Yeah lots of hair and leather but that was the era and at least most are still producing new material now.
True!
The GnR guitar parts and bridge on that album Tends to be very different. Good upload.
There actually is a pretty thriving glam metal scene here in Europe (where else would hair metal still live?!) with great bands such as Crashdiet, Crazy Lixx, Hardcore Superstar, Reckless Love etc. There are dedicated glam festivals that are pretty successful and that don't rely on the old guard at all!
Those are exactly the bands I listen to today. ASdd to that Chez Kane, Devil's Train, Kissin' Dynmaite. and Grand Design
Skid Row's new album has Erik Grönwall from H.E.A.T on vocals and is a really good record, imo. If you enjoy this genre I think you'll like it.
There is also the M3 festival that takes place in Columbia Maryland. Not the EU, but its a glam metal festival none the less.
@@cptmoregn That record is insane. It's just as good as Slave To The Grind and I go back to the clubs with Skid Row.
When it comes to metal, Europe knows what it's doing. I always tell aspiring metal bands in the US to just move to Europe. Metal is not only a joke of a scene in US but almost dead and takes itself way too seriously, too elitist.
Some of those glam metal guitar riffs are all time greats. Dr. Feelgood alone has like half a dozen riffs that are instantly recognizable
The musicality of the 80's musicians was incredible. True virtuosity. Thanks for this video.
80’s rock was so much fun. The entire vibe and feel won’t be duplicated ever again
my 3 favourite Glam bands are Extreme Winger & Mr. Big. Absolutely phenomenal musicians, technically as good as you can get, but at the same time with an incredible knack for songwriting.
Mr. Big, that was the one band my ex wife could take.
Winger is super underrated!
Extreme and Mr. Big were incredible despite their jingly jangly acoustic chart-toppers.
Agreed. In the 80s I drifted from new wave to hardcore. A lot of us were also into a sort of purist scene that worshiped the psychedelic rock of the 60s. (Hendrix, The Beatles, The Doors, Cream and so on.) We all thought of hair metal as a big joke. But it was impossible to ignore. It was definitely one of the things that made the 80s the 80s. Now, it's almost impossible to not look upon it with at least something resembling nostalgia. Yes, there was something great about it and here Finn gets to the heart of what made the genre so enduring at least in terms of memory. Thanks again, Punk Rock MBA.
Another overlooked point is that hair metal was a gateway for many to something heavier. Those who started witg Bon Jovi and Def Leppard in 1987 were likely listening to Metallica and Megadeth in 1992.
awesome video. Guitarists such as Steve Clark and Mick Mars had some real incredible sound to add to the great list!
I'm still stuck in the '80's. Best era of my life. The fashion, the music the fun. So yeah Hair Metal rocked my world, and still does to this day.
Great Video.
I lived thru this era, bought the albums and went to the shows. Yes the image was absurd many times, but many songs still hold up today & bottom line, it’s about the song.
And I agree, GNR was in a whole other league, that’s why when Nirvana & grunge hit GNR was still playing stadiums then and still do in 2022.
I really enjoy this channel, I watch it all the time.
My favorite era for metal. Some of my best memories are watching VH1 Classic as a kid and seeing videos from bands like Mötley Crüe, Quiet Riot, Warrant, Guns N Roses, Cinderella and Poison.
Born in ‘75. “Hair Metal” was great. Yes, there were throw always, but their were absolutely some great bands and classic albums. And…it was fun! There were some really great songwriters in that era too. I also miss the guitar solos that had feel to them, and were so memorable.
You have done an excellent job of highlighting both the tremendous talent by the players and the reasons for the longevity of the genre. One point I think is missed is although Hair Metal gets dragged for the Party Hardy attitude, what people miss is the reason for the play hard antics. Most young people accepted the fact that entry level jobs sucked but realized that was how life worked: you started at the bottom and worked your way up. After a tough week of work, you wanted to bust loose, drink, chase girls, crank the tunes with your buddies, while you slogged through early life. There was no introspection or angsty whining. The over-the-top look and sound represented a respite from the weekly drudgery. Fantastic episode!
Def Leppard was one of my first favorite bands. Guns and Roses, Cinderella, Skid Row. They were all good
@ghost mall
And their early albums were very much not in the same sphere as Hair metal. They were a NWOBHM band.
Motley Crue, Skid Row, Wasp, Guns N Roses, that’s all you need.
Punk Rock MBA....you never cease to impress...great take on the 80s metal scene. Thanks man!!
Hair metal is my favorite music genre ever! I’ve been listening to the heavier stuff for the last few years but I just recently started getting back into hair metal. I really think that some of my favorite artists that make heavier music than what hair metal had to offer were highly influenced by it though.
Same bro! It’s awesome! Greatest genre ever🤘🤘🤘🤘
If it was REALLY your favorite music you would call it what it is. Hard Rock. and not use a term created after the fact to disparage it. "Hair Metal" was never a thing.
Hater
My first music love! 😍 I will always have a special place in my heart for these bands and this music! 💕 I graduated in ‘94. These bands got me through junior high school, and I carried them into high school. From there, I also got into classic rock, power metal, thrash, punk, and grunge. Growing up in small town Alabama, we metalheads, punks, and alternative kids all stuck together and influenced each other. You’ve mentioned in many videos about how metal and punk just did not mix back in the day, and it makes me chuckle. That certainly was not true here. 😂 Love your videos and the nostalgia! 🤘🏻🖤 Thank you!
Awesome video... I saw Poison and Ratt play a live show and they both were shredding, Brett Michaels had to leave the show early because he was Poisoned (with rat Poison) and CC stepped in to sing the rest of the songs. I think about that every time a performer cancels a show for some reason. Poison was Hardcore for that in my mind.
I hated Poison in their heyday, but my sister somehow got me into them in the late 90s. I’ve seen them live twice since then, and they’re honestly a really good live act.
WAIT WAIT WAIT. So Poison and Ratt played a show together and Bret had to leave because he was poisoned with… RATT POISON??
@poultonboys3108 Yes, it happened in San Diego like 10 years ago or so.
Agree 100%. Hair metal bands were super talented and most of them just wanted to entertain and have fun. Metal/Rock could use some more of that these days. Great vid!
they are using it. there are bunch of newer clowns all over the scene.
That’s the problem with rock and metal music nowadays. The fun is gone, the machismo is gone, and the women were gone. All this seriousness bs is plaguing the genre
The takeaway is: rock has to be fun and not take itself too seriously if it ever wants to be anywhere as big as it was in the 80s.
Love it, thanks for making this one! My favorite band out of this era has got to be White Lion! 👌💚🤘
Hell yes. I 100% agree. I still put on Poison, Skid Row, and and Guns n' Roses regularly. Though I spent most of my teen years listening to thrash, punk, and grunge, it was the hair metal bands that first inspired me to pick up the guitar. There's a reason I chose the Use Your Illusion II "easy guitar" book from which to learn my first few songs.
I love that you pointed out how well known some of those songs are. Those choruses are so easy to sing along with, which I think is a big part of their appeal.
I'm an eighties kid. I was a total nerd into country music and had just moved to a new high school. A couple of girls befriended me (probably out of pity), and introduced me to Scorpions' Savage Amusement & Def Leppard's Hysteria. I was hooked... by the hooks. Been my favorite genre ever since. The musicianship and songwriting are unjustifiably maligned or outright ignored. You're right, these are some of the most perfect pop songs ever written, reinforced by fantastic performers. Just attended the most successful tour of the year, featuring Def Leppard & Motley Crue, with Poison and Joan Jett. 40k people in the stadium proves this music is still important to a lot of people.
I went as well in San Antonio and it was so good! I had a blast. One of the highlights of my life for sure. Def Leppard and Poison killed it❤️
I was kinda the opposite.... I was in high school in the late 80s/ early 90s and i was into metal and hair bands big time, and in my opinion country music was Satan.... swore i would never ever listen to country. I had that stupid mindset that listening to other genres was a betrayal to metal. Then i grew up and realized that all genres are great in their own ways. Got into country in my 30s. Now i really do enjoy a lot of country music. And of course i still enjoy metal and punk, always will. Once i realized that you can enjoy many different styles of music, i was much happier
Obviously all these glam bands had to be good players because Eddie Van Halen had just seriously raised the bar a few years before this scene blew up.
Glam still rules to me. I was born in 1969 and am currently in a black metal band (Post Mortem Superstar) and a deathrock band (Black Heroin Gallery) and I was raised on this style. I still wear heavy makeup, leather, chains, big boots, dye my hair black, nail polish, etc.
The glam bands looked cool and normal people are still fascinated because they have an inner secret desire to look and be that rebellious and awesome looking themselves. In fact there are many bands worldwide still holding the flame aloft. For instance- Salems Lott, Lipz, Crash Diet, Sister, The Midnight Devils, Mangusta, Cobraspell, Sleazy Cheetah, Santa Cruz, etc. as well as some of the old guard still going strong like- Pretty Boy Floyd, The Zeros, L.A Guns, Stryper, etc.
The idea that appetite for destruction is right up there with nevermind is crazy. Nevermind might be up there with appetite for destruction. Appetite is crazy good musically and lyrically and the stories are about the realities of street life when you participate in it and not watch it from your bedroom window.
I didn't like Twisted Sister but I saw them live 4 years ago and their music sounded so great, they got so much energy and fun. Since then I'm a fan of their music.
I love TS!! Amazing back then and still now ^_^. Great performances live!!!
great video - I lived in LA during the later hair metal years and I thought this video was right on the mark
The solo for wingers heading for a heartbreak is killer, Red Beach is a shred machine
Loved this stuff. I was born in rural America in ‘76 so this stuff was custom made for me. It all seemed like a dream world or fantasy to me. I had no idea where these band bought their clothes, their guitars, their girls… but it was absolutely somewhere I aspired to be.