Hair Metal Bands Of The 80s And 90s

The 1980s and early 90s saw many hard rock bands often nicknamed “Hair Metal” bands because of the amount of hair, usually hairsprayed and poofed up, many of these bands but not all also crossed over into being called “Glam Metal” with those bands often wearing makeup and brightly colored clothes. You will not find bands like AC/DC, Judas Priest, Iron Maiden, Metallica, and others on this list as they were considered traditional hard rock and metal. Here’s a list of over 150 bands that contributed to the Hair Metal movement.

Here’s The Entire List In Alphabetical Order:

Autograph

The original lineup of Autograph got together in 1983. The band consisted of vocalist Steve Plunkett, guitarist Steve Lynch, Randy Rand on Bass, Keni Richards on Drums, and Steve Isham on Keyboards. Known primarily for their biggest hit single “Turn Up The Radio”, Autograph released three major albums for RCA Records with this lineup including “Sign In Please”, “That’s The Stuff” and “Loud and Clear”.  “Turn Up The Radio” was one of the last songs that the band had recorded for the “Sign In Please album. Apparently, the band thought it was just okay and didn’t feel as strongly about it as some of the other songs on the album. Lucky for them that they included it. It took the album to Gold record status and made it into the top 30 songs chart. The band went back into the studio and recorded the follow-up album “That’s The Stuff” in a rather quick fashion. While it didn’t sell as well as the first album, it came close to achieving the Gold album level as well.

 

Babylon A.D.

Babylon A.D. released their self-titled album in 1989, barely arriving in the 80s. Original members, Derek Davis vocalist/songwriter, guitarist, and music writers Dan De La Rosa and Ron Freschi, drummer Jamey Pacheco and bassist Robb Reid were all in childhood rival bands. They signed to Arista Records and made quite a splash with their debut.  Primarily considered a glam or hair metal band, Babylon A.D. was talented and crafted great songs.  The band continued to release several great albums with their latest release being “Revelation Highway in 2017.

 

 

 

Bad4Good

This band of teenagers was put together by none other than guitarist Steve Vai. The band only recorded one album called “Refugee” released in 1991. Brooks Wackerman would go on to become the drummer for Avenged Sevenfold and he also played with the punk band “Bad Religion”. Vocalist Danny Cooksey was also an actor who appeared on the 80s TV show Different Strokes and was the voice of Montana “Monty” Max in Tiny Toon Adventures.

 

 

Bangalore Choir

Lead singer David Reece (Ex-Accept) hit the ground running with a spectacular debut album that suffered from the changing trend in mainstream music. The grunge / alternative movement put this album in the cut-out bin in most record stores. What a shame! The band features members of Hericane Alice and later Bad Moon Rising members. Reece is phenomenal form and this is a great album for people who love melodic metal.

 

 

 

Bang Tango

Bang Tango was formed in L.A. in 1988. The original Bang Tango lineup consisted of Joe Leste, Mark Knight, Kyle Kyle, Kyle Stevens, and Tigg Ketler.  The band released their critically acclaimed debut album Psycho Cafe in 1989 after signing with MCA records, which included the smash hit “Someone Like You”.

 

 

 

Beau Nasty

By The Time Beau Nasty released “Dirty But Well Dressed” in 1989, the glam/hair metal scene was starting to fade. That’s a shame for Beau Nasty because the band showed real potential. With a sound similar to Britny Fox, the band produced some great songs including the album opener “Shake It”, “Piece Of The Action” and “Love Potion #9”.

 

 

 

Big House

This Canadian band released their self-titled debut album in 1991. Unfortunately, they were late to the hair metal party by the time it was released. The band had a catchy yet commercial hard rock sound that most likely would have been a lot more well-received if it had been released in the mid-to-late 80s.

 

 

 

Blacklace

Blacklace released their debut album “Unlaced” in 1984 and their second album “Get It While It’s Hot” in 1985. Blacklace had a sound reminiscent of early Motley Crue with female vocals. Their sound was a bit heavier than that of most of the female lead bands at that time. Unfortunately, the band disbanded after the second album.

 

 

 

Black N’ Blue

Black N’ Blue is one of those bands that you just simply have to scratch your head as to why they never hit the top. The band had top-notch talent and delivered four great albums for Geffen records. Guitarist Tommy Thayer would later go on to replace Ace Frehley in KISS. The demos that lead to their debut album were produced by none other than Don Dokken. Every song on this album was great and should have cemented the band as the next big thing. The band reached the pinnacle of their success with MTV airplay for the song “I’ll Be There For You”. The band still performs live and still releases new albums, albeit without Tommy Thayer.

 

 

Blonz

Glamsters Blonz released their debut album in 1990 simply called “Blonz. Led by vocalist Nathan Utz, the band only recorded one album for Epic Records before disbanding. Utz has performed with guitarist George Lynch on several occasions as the live vocalist for Lynch Mob. Good news for collectors as it has been re-issued in 2018 as is available through DDR Music Group.

 

 

 

Blue Murder

Blue Murder was formed when guitarist John Sykes left Whitesnake and teamed up with Carmine Appice and Tony Franklin.  The results were an incredible debut album.  Still maintaining a similar sound to the material that he had recorded with Davide Coverdale for the best-selling album “Whitesnake”, Blue Murder had a decent hit with their first single “Valley Of The Kings”.  Sykes followed it up several years later with a second Blue Murder album called Nothin’ but Trouble in 1993. The musicianship is excellent and Sykes does an admirable job handling the vocals as well as guitar work.

 

 

Bonfire

German band Bonfire started out under the name Cacumen, later changing to Bonfire for the 1986 album “Don’t Touch the Light” which was followed up by Fireworks (1987) and Point Blank (1989).  The band found modest success with their first two albums but were never quite able to break out big in the U.S. They are most often associated with the glam metal scene. The band still exists and has varied lineups throughout the years with guitarist Hans Ziller being the only constant member.

 

 

Bonham

Barely squeaking in at the end of the 80s is Bonham.  The band was formed by Jason Bonham, son of the late Led Zeppelin drummer John Bonham. The band earned a Gold record with their debut album “The Disregard Of Timekeeping”.  The band was rounded out by John Smithson, Ian Hatton, and vocalist Daniel MacMaster. The band only released one more album together before Jason Bonham ended the group to pursue a solo career. Daniel MacMaster died in 2008 from a Group A streptococcal infection.

 

 

Brighton Rock

These Canadian rockers recorded Young, Wild and Free (1986) and Take a Deep Breath (1988) during the 80s. They followed it up with one more studio album, Love Machine (1991).  The album Young Wild and Free brought the singles “We Came to Rock” and “Can’t-Wait for the Night” which charted highly in Canada and eventually went Gold.  Take a Deep Breath also garnered the band a Gold record in Canada. However, their success did not expand outside of Canada on a larger scale. The band still has devoted fans and they have reunited several times for charity events.

 

 

Britny Fox

Britny Fox was formed by former Cinderella members Johnny Kelly and Tony Destra and bassist Billy Childs. Destra was killed in a car accident and was replaced by Johnny Dee.  Vocalist Dizzy Dean Davidson sang on the debut album Britny Fox (1988)  as well as the follow-up album “Boys In Heat” (1989). The debut album went Gold and earned the band many awards.  Boys In Heat failed to be a commercial success and vocalist Dean left the band, later being replaced by Tommy Paris. The band released two more albums before eventually breaking up for good.

 

 

Bulletboys

The debut album by the Bulletboys was released in 1988. It was produced by former Van Halen producer Ted Templeman.  The band received comparisons to Van Halen by many who saw vocalist Marc Torien as the heir apparent to David Lee Roth. The album went Gold from the airplay of the single “Smooth Up In Ya”.  The band received heavy rotation of the video on MTV as well. The original lineup did two more albums in the early 90s before splitting up.  2020 saw the Bulletboy’s original lineup reunite and they were recording material for a new album.  However the reunion was short lived.

 

 

Cats In Boots

Another band to unfortunately release their debut album at the end of the glam/hair metal era was Cats In Boots. Vocalist Joel Ellis provided a gritty vocal style and the guitarist and bassist were from the Japanese metal band Seiki Matsu, now known as Seikima. The band’s sound was sleazy and brought to mind a more raw sound of bands like early Motley Crue, Vain, Faster Pussycat, and other sleaze bands. The album was released on EMI in 1989 and critics and fans both seemed to like it.

 

 

Cherry St.

Cherry St. was formed in 1988 featuring Tom Mathers (who now owns and operates Perris Records), and Taz on guitars, Chris Van Dahl (L.A. Guns vocalist on American Hardcore) on bass, We Kimball on vocals, and Tom Dobrenty on drums. They were another glam metal band that missed the height of the scene by being a few years late to the party. Their debut album was released in 1992. Later releases by the band would feature a revolving door of vocalists.

 

 

Child’s Play

Comprised of John Allen drums, percussion, backing vocals, Brian Jack lead vocals, guitars, Idzi bass, backing vocals, and Nicky Kay guitars, backing vocals, Child’s Play released their first album “Rat Race” in 1990. While they would follow it up with the album “Long Way” in 1993, they never made a huge splash. Hard rock fans like the sleazy style of the first album and it’s still a favorite of many, albeit an underground favorite.

 

 

Cinderella

Formed in 1982 by Tom Keifer and Eric Brittingham, Cinderella was one of the biggest bands of the ’80s rock and metal era. Following several lineup changes, the band solidified its members with Jeff Labar and Fred Coury. The band’s debut album “Night Songs” was an instant success with comparisons being made to Aerosmith and AC/DC. Cinderella released four critically-acclaimed studio albums, Night Songs (1986), Long Cold Winter (1988), Heartbreak Station (1990), and Still Climbing (1994).

 

 

Cold Sweat

Notable for featuring former Keel guitarist Marc Ferrari. Cold Sweat was poised to achieve fame and fortune. Featuring a then-unknown vocalist, Rory Cathey, the band often brought comparisons to Dokken. With outstanding vocals and a guitar virtuoso, the comparison to Dokken was easy to see. Unfortunately, the band failed to reach the mainstream heavy metal and rock crowd in terms of taking the next step to the top. Break Out is currently out of print and is a sought-after collector’s item by metal fans. Marc Ferrari has recently written a children’s book and Cathey now fronts the band “The Fifth”

 

 

Cry Wolf

Glam metal band, Cry Wolf released their self-titled album in 1989.  They received a decent buzz among rock journalists and fans.  The band released the album Crunch (1990) which would be their most successful release. The band was originally named Heroes, and the band consisted of Tim Hall (vocals), Steve McKnight (guitar), Phil Deckard (bass), John Freixas (drums), and JC Crampton (Keyboards). Vocalist Tim Hall has drawn comparisons with the vocal style of Stryper’s Michael Sweet.

 

 

D’Molls

The D’Molls featured Desi Rexx on vocals, bassist Lizzy Valentine, guitarist S.S. Priest (Diamond Rexx), and Billy Dior on drums. They released their debut album in 1988 on Atlantic Records. The band got their video for “777” featured on MTV, but it did little to sell more copies of the album. The band would go on to release two more albums “Warped” (1990) and Beyond D’Valley Of D’Molls (1997).

 

 

Danger Danger

Danger Danger released their self-titled debut in 1989 and with the help of MTV had success with the single “Naughty Naughty”.  The band mixed a lighter keyboard sound with glam metal to offer a radio-friendly sound. They didn’t release their second album until 1991 and by then the 80s metal genre was already in decline due to changing tastes in music. Currently, the band continues to record and perform and though they have had a few lineup changes over the years including different vocalists, they still have a devoted fanbase.

 

 

Def Leppard

Def Leppard is arguably one of the most successful bands to emerge from the 80’s hard rock and heavy metal scene. The band found success early on, hitting the scene with their debut full-length album “On Through The Night” in 1980. Following up, only one year later with “High N’ Dry”, the band was quickly gaining a large fan base and praise worldwide. Def Leppard hit the big time with “Pyromania” in 1983 striking up huge record sales sparked by the enormously popular single “Photograph”.  It would be three years of recording before the band would release “Hysteria” to massive critical acclaim. It’s Def Leppard’s biggest-selling record to date.

 

 

Diamond Rexx

Diamond Rexx is a unique band. The band seemingly combines glam metal, sleaze, and punk all into one unified sound. That uniqueness may also be their Achilles heel. Admittedly, the mixture of sounds might not be everyone’s cup of tea, but it was good enough to get them signed to Island Records in 1986. The band comes from Chicago which also contributes to the fact that they sound different than a lot of the other glam bands that were flooding the L.A. music scene at the time. The band released the following albums, Rated Rexx (1990), Golden Gates (1991), Rexx Erected (2001), The Evil (2002), and are set to release a new album in 2020 called Psycho Ward.

 

Dirty Blonde

Dirty Blonde is a diamond in the rough. Having released their only album, “Passion” in 1989.  By this point in the 80s, glam metal bands were practically everywhere. This made it much more difficult to get noticed and Dirty Blonde was a victim of being one of many in a scene that was already jam-packed. The band was quite talented and remains an underground favorite for many fans of the genre. Their album is still highly sought after by collectors.

 

 

Dokken

Dokken released their first album “Breaking The Chains” in 1981 which garnered the band their first taste of success with a hit single for the title track.  The lineup for the first album included Don Dokken on vocals, George Lynch on Guitar, Mick Brown on Drums, and Juan Croucier on Bass.  Croucier would soon depart Dokken to become the bassist in Ratt. Jeff Pilson joined the band with Croucier’s departure.  Dokken continued to grow their fanbase with their next few albums Tooth and Nail (1984), Under Lock and Key (1985), and Back for the Attack (1987). In-fighting between the band members led to their breakup and the original members wouldn’t reunite again until 1995 with the album Dysfunctional. The band reached the commercial peak of their career with the albums “Tooth and Nail” and Under Lock and Key.  Guitarist George Lynch is widely regarded as one of the best metal guitarists in the world.

 

Electric Angels

Comprised of Shane vocals, Ryan Roxie guitars, Jonathan Daniel bass, and John Schubert drums, these guys had a sleazy glam sound with a heavy blues influence. Guitarist Ryan Roxie would later go on to play with Alice Cooper, Slash, and Doro among others. Their self-titled debut album was released in 1990 and the band most recently released an album in 2017 called Lost In The Atlantic on Demon Doll Records/Metal Legacy.

 

 

Electric Boys

Swedish upstarts Electric Boys took a different approach to melodic metal by merging a bit of 70’s rock and interesting rhythms to create something unique. The single “All Lips and Hips” was a minor hit, but success eluded them. The band is still active and still releases new material. (The debut album was actually released in 1989 but is included in this list because it suffered the same fate as most of the bands of this genre released after 1990)

 

 

Enuff Z’Nuff

Enuff Z’Nuff was founded by vocalist Donnie Vie and Chip Z’Nuff back in 1984.  They released their self-titled debut album in 1989. “New Thing” and “Fly High Michelle” were both hits for the band in terms of sales and video rotation on MTV.  It is still regarded as the band’s greatest album.  The band’s fans have often compared their sound to that of a harder rocking Beatles with a psychedelic edge. The band would go to produce many great albums but failed to live up to the commercial success of the first album. Donnie Vie parted ways with the band and now only Chip Z’Nuff remains as the only original member who now handles vocals for the band as well.

 

 

Europe

Europe originally started in 1979 in Sweden. Their first studio album wouldn’t arrive until 1983, simply called “Europe”. The band would release the following albums during the 80s: Wings of Tomorrow (1984), The Final Countdown (1986), and Out of This World (1988).  The band finally achieved worldwide commercial success with the album “The Final Countdown”. The single of the same name gave the band their first number 1 single in over 25 countries and went triple platinum in album sales.  The Out Of This World album was also a platinum-selling album for the band in the U.S. Currently, Europe continues to perform and record new albums with their latest album “Walk The Earth” being released in 2017.

 

Every Mother’s Nightmare This band released their self-titled album in 1990 to a decent amount of success. Combining Southern charm with bluesy pop metal the band found minor success but struggled to keep afloat in the mainstream rock world with their later album releases. The band is still together and has released consistently solid material over the last few years.

 

 

 

Extreme

Extreme released their debut, self-titled album in 1989. Fronted by future Van Halen vocalist Gary Cherone and guitar wiz Nuno Bettencourt, the band received rave reviews for their first album.  However, the commercial success and peak of the band culminated with the release of their second album Extreme II: Pornograffiti. The singles “More Than Words” and “Hole Hearted” brought the band international acclaim and put them at number 1 and 4 on the billboard singles charts. The band disbanded in 1996 and while Cherone joined Van Halen for one album, Bettencourt pursued a solo career. The band eventually reunited and continue to record and perform with a new album in the works for a possible 2021 release.

 

EZO

In terms of mainstream success in the United States, E-Z-O was probably one of the closest to breaking through. The band’s video for the single Flashback Heart Attack” received airplay on MTV’s Headbanger’s Ball. The band was helped along by Gene Simmons of Kiss and released their debut album on Geffen Records. The band wore leather and black and white makeup that represented the different elements of Japanese folklore. The band was originally called “Flatbacker” and recorded several albums in Japan before changing their name to E-Z-O at Simmons’s request. After the band disbanded, leader singer Masaki Yamada joined Loudness for a succession of albums replacing vocalist Mike Vescera, who had replaced original Loudness vocalist Minoru Niihara.

 

Faster Pussycat

Faster Pussycat debuted in 1987 with their self-titled album which garnered the band several hits including “Bathroom Wall” and “Don’t Change That Song”.  Faster Pussycat leans more into the sleaze rock genre and has been compared to everyone from Hanoi Rocks to Guns ‘N Roses.  After a successful first album, the band released Wake Me When It’s Over in 1989 which became a Gold-selling record for the band primarily from the hit single “House Of Pain”.  The band would record one more album,  Whipped! in 1992 before breaking up.  The band members were in a legal dispute over the rights to the band name for many years with vocalist Taime Downe ultimately becoming the only original member of the band. The current lineup has been together for many years and last released the studio album “The Power and the Glory Hole” in 2006.  The band tours relentlessly and has a great reputation for its live shows.

 

Femme Fatale

Femme Fatale, led by vocalist Lorraine Lewis released their self-titled album in 1988 and immediately found success on MTV with their video for “Waiting For The Big One”.  It was enough to propel them into the top 200 charts in the U.S. However Femme Fatale didn’t release a second studio album with MCA records.  Essentially, a one-hit-wonder when it comes to commercial sales, the band still attracted a decent audience. Sadly, guitarist Bill D’Angelo died of a heart attack in 2005.  Lorraine Lewis had a brief solo career and now fronts the band “Vixen”  replacing Janet Gardner as the vocalist.

 

 

Firehouse

After hitting the scene in 1990 with their debut album, Firehouse leveraged rock radio and MTV airplay to gain overnight popularity. Their second album also contained several radio hits.  The band still performs and records to this day.  Each album released by the band has been a solid outing and the band still draws a huge crowd for their live shows.

 

 

 

Funny Money

After Kix disbanded, vocalist Steve Whiteman continued on with Funny Money.  While similar to Kix in sound the band did develop its own personality. Another victim of wrong time and wrong place, the band eventually disbanded and Kix reformed to continue doing what they do best.

 

 

 

Girl

Girl is famous for having two members that went on to be in successful bands in the 80s. Frontman Phil Lewis would later go on to be the vocalist for L.A. Guns and guitarist Phil Collen would find fame with Def Leppard. While the band only released two studio albums before breaking up, Sheer Greed (1980) and Wasted Youth (1982) they left a lasting impression and had a significant impact on the future work of Lewis and Collen. The song “Hollywood Tease” from Girl’s Sheer Greed album would reappear on the self-titled L.A. Guns album.

 

 

Giuffria

Originally a side project formed by Greg Giuffria after his band Angel ended, Giuffria became a full-fledged band.  During the 80s they released Giuffria (1984), and Silk + Steel (1986) to good reviews. Singer David Glen Eisley drew comparisons in vocal style to that of Journey’s Steve Perry. The band had their first taste of success with the single “Call To The Heart” which helped push the album to #26 on the U.S. charts.  The band received MTV airplay for their single “I Must Be Dreaming” from their sophomore album Silk + Steel but failed to break into the big time commercially.  Greg Giuffria would go on to form the band House Of Lords and then ultimately retire from music altogether.  David Glen Eisley and Craig Goldy reunited in 2017 for an album called Blood, Guts, and Games. The album also included work from former Giuffria member Chuck Wright.

 

Great White

Great White originally started in the 70s as Dante Fox but later changed their name to that of the shark.  They didn’t release their debut album until 1984. The band was offered tour slots with other metal bands which helped their exposure.  During the 80s the band released Great White (1984), Shot in the Dark (1986), Once Bitten (1987), and …Twice Shy (1989).  The band peaked commercially with the Twice Shy album and a huge hit with their cover of Ian Hunter’s song “Once Bitten, Twice Shy”.  This propelled the band to superstar status with heavy rotation on both radio and MTV. While fans still followed the group in the 90s, trouble was brewing within the band and ultimately they parted ways with singer Jack Russell.  Jack Russell went on to form his own band under the name Jack Russell’s Great White, while Mark Kendall kept going with the original name.  Both bands still exist, record, and perform live with Great White now being on their second replacement singer since Jack Russell’s departure.

 

 

Guns N’ Roses

Guns ‘N Roses split into two bands. Originally having Tracii Guns as the guitarist and Axel Rose as vocalist, thus explaining the name of the band.  However, Tracii Guns left to start L.A. Guns, while Axel Rose recruited new members for what would become the classic lineup of Guns ‘N Roses.  With the lineup of Axel Rose, Slash, Duff, Izzy Stradlin, and Steven Adler on drums, the band made a huge impact on the Sunset strip scene that was already thriving.  The band presented a sound that mixes the bluesy hard rock of AC/DC with the punk stylings of The Sex Pistols.  When the band released a limited EP called Live ?!*@ Like a Suicide, fans and critics alike began to spread the word that a new rock juggernaut was about to emerge.  In 1987 the band released their debut album “Appetite For Destruction”. The album went 18X Platinum in sales and earned it a rare rating of Diamond in album sales. Pushed by the singles “Welcome to the Jungle”, “Sweet Child O’ Mine, and “Paradise City” the band dominated the airwaves and MTV and quickly became one of the most popular rock bands of the 80s.

 

Gypsy Rose

Gypsy Rose was one of the first bands to sign to Gene Simmons’ record label. This Canadian band released two singles, “Poisoned By Love” and “Don’t Turn Your Back On Me Now” from their debut album “Prey” and garnered them a growing fanbase. While the band disbanded when the height of the glam metal era began to fade, vocalist Michael Ross returned with solo material and has also returned with a new lineup of Gypsy Rose. The band has since released several albums with FNA Records.

 

 

Hanoi Rocks

Hanoi Rocks are one of the bands that helped the glam metal image into the scene during the early 80s.  The band released Bangkok Shocks, Saigon Shakes, Hanoi Rocks (1981), Oriental Beat (1982), Self Destruction Blues (1982), Back to Mystery City (1983), and Two Steps from the Move (1984).  Unfortunately, the band became even more famous for the death of their drummer Razzle in a car accident in which Vince Neil of Motley Crue was driving.  Hanoi Rocks never received the commercial success that their contemporaries did, but were quite influential on the music scene.  The band eventually completely broke up and vocalist Michael Monroe now has a thriving solo career.

 

Harlow

Notable for featuring Tommy Thayer (Black N’ Blue, KISS) on guitar and included Teresa Straley vocals, Pat Regan keyboards, Todd Jensen bass, and Steven Klong drums. The band only released one album, the self-titled “Harlow” in 1990. The band had more of an AOR sound, despite looking more like a glam band. While it was a commercial failure, it wasn’t terrible either.

 

 

Hawk

Hawk was the band founded by Doug Marks, which you may remember from all of the 80’s Metal magazine ads for his “Metal Method” Guitar Lessons. Members of Hawk included: Doug Marks (MetalMethod.com), Scott Travis (Judas Priest), Charles Morrill (Charlie Wayne Morrill), Lonnie Vencent (Bullet Boys), David Fefolt, and Matt Sorum (Guns ’N Roses). The band imploded due to personal differences after releasing only one studio album. However, that self-titled Hawk album remains a hard-to-find classic metal album.

 

 

Heaven’s Edge

I will probably go to my grave thinking that if the debut album by Heaven’s Edge had only been released a few years earlier, they would have been one of the biggest names is 80’s hard rock. Unfortunately, it wasn’t released until 1990, just as grunge and alternative rock were becoming all the rage. The very day that I bought this album, I must have played it at least twenty times. It’s really that good. And thanks to the shift in the musical climate at that time, it just wasn’t given the great record label support that it deserved. This album is all killer and no filler. These carefully crafted songs were well written and balanced with a few ballads that didn’t feel cheesy and full-on rockers that metalheads like me were all about. So, in essence, a complete band that you and your girlfriend could listen to without an argument. Once Play Dirty gets going, it doesn’t take long to realize that this is a killer album. Skin To Skin, Daddy’s Little Girl, and the live, acoustic-tinged, Is That All You Want are my absolute favorites, but it’s a great cohesive album that’s awesome from beginning to end. Heaven’s Edge did release a second album entitled Some Other Place Some Other Time that’s also a great testament to their sound, incredible songwriting ability, and musicianship. The band still does select live concert appearances.

 

Heavy Pettin

Heavy Pettin is a Scottish band that released its debut “Lettin Loose” in 1983. The band’s sound was often similar to that of early Def Leppard material. They seemed to be a band on the rise with the release of their second album “Rock Ain’t Dead”(1985) but their sound became more commercial and keyboard-heavy by the time they released “Big Bang” in 1989. Melodic metal fans still seek out all three albums and recently the band has re-formed to release a new EP called 4Play.

 

 

Heist

Heist was a glam metal band that featured Paul Holdgate (vocals), Kurt Fry (guitar, backing vocals), Craig Truman (bass), Steve Robello (guitar, backing vocals, keyboards), and Darryl Hill (drums). They released their only album High Heel Heaven in 1989 which features cameos by Night Ranger’s Kelly Keagy and Jeff Watson as well as a cameo by the late Ronnie Montrose.

 

 

Helix

This Canadian band deserves far more credit than they have received over the years. During the 80s they released White Lace & Black Leather (1981), No Rest for the Wicked (1983), Walkin’ the Razor’s Edge (1984), Long Way to Heaven (1985), and Wild in the Streets (1987).  Helix had their first hit with “Heavy Metal Love” from the No Rest For The Wicked album. The next album would be the one to launch the band to superstar status. With the release of Walkin’ The Razor’s Edge, the band had two singles chart with “Gimme Gimme Good Lovin’ and the song that Helix is most famous for “Rock You”. Brian Vollmer and company continue to record new albums with Old School in 2019 being their latest release

 

Hellion

Hellion released their self-titled Ep in 1983 and the album Screams in the Night (1987), and another EP, Postcards from the Asylum (1988) during their run in the 80s.  Led by vocalist Ann Boleyn, the band often headlined shows on the Sunset Strip clubs but failed to find a major record label offer. Ronnie James Dio offered his help to the band and worked on demos with Boleyn.  The members of the band decided to split from the singer. Undeterred, Boleyn reformed Hellion and formed her own record label, New Renaissance Records. The band continued to release material into the 2000s.

 

 

Hericane Alice

Here’s a band who was poised for success in the glam metal world, but the timing was just “Too Late”, referring to the great song of the same name on this album. They had the look, the sound, and a vocalist that was reminiscent of David Lee Roth, yet still came up short by arriving just a few years behind the glam metal tidal wave that marked the 80s music scene. I highly recommend this album to anyone who loves glam metal. It’s a great addition to any collection.

 

 

Holy Soldier

When glam metal hit it big in the ’80s, many Christian metal bands went the same route. Holy Soldier had two really good albums before changing personnel and going in a more acoustic-based alternative. Holy Soldier is a band that has secured its position as one of the most important and identifiable bands of Christian rock & roll history. The group, which formed in Los Angeles in 1985, distilled so much of the music that had come before them and has exerted a decisive influence on so much that has come after. Very few artists and musicians in their genre have achieved that stature, and stand proudly among them. They looked the part and had a decent sound, but ultimately they just faded away like so many bands from the era.

 

House Of Lords

When former Angel keyboardist Gregg Giuffria ended his solo band Giuffria, he started House Of Lords and signed to Gene Simmons’s record label. Their debut album launched in 1988 with vocalist James Christian as the frontman. The band had a hit with “I Wanna Be Loved” and followed it up with “Love Don’t Lie” which also received airplay. The band would change band members over time including losing Gregg Giuffria after The Demons Down album in 1992. The band has a lengthy discography including House of Lords, Sahara, Demons Down (1992), The Power and the Myth (2004), World Upside Down (2006), Come to My Kingdom(2008), Cartesian Dreams (2009), Big Money (2011), Precious Metal (2014), Indestructible (2015), Saint of the Lost Souls (2017) and New World – New Eyes (2020)

 

Hurricane

Hurricane is notable for having the brothers of Carlos Cavazo and Rudy Sarzo from Quiet Riot, Tony Cavazo, and Robert Sarzo as bassist and guitarist. Kelly Hansen, who now fronts Foreigner was the fantastic vocalist that rounded out the band along with drummer Jay Schellen. The band had the biggest success with 1988’s “Over The Edge” album, but never quite made it to the level of bands like Motley Crue, Ratt, and others that were dominating the L.A. music scene at the time. Recently, Hurricane has reunited with only Sarzo and Cavazo as the original members and has plans to record new material in the near future.

 

 

Icon

Icon released their debut album Icon in 1984. The band showed extreme talent and promise for the future. Then in 1985, they released the appropriately named “Night Of The Crime”, because it’s simply a crime that this album didn’t top the hard rock and metal charts at the time. If any band had everything that it needed to hit the big time it was Icon. One of the best albums to come out in the 80’s it’s criminally underrated. The band seemed to suffer from a lack of exposure problems, which cost them their rightful place as one of the best bands in the ’80s. While bands like Quiet Riot, Motley Crue, Ratt, and Cinderella were getting airplay on radio and coverage on MTV, this Arizona band simply seemed to fall through the cracks. Night Of The Crime is a brilliant album from beginning to end, with outstanding production and talent to spare. The band released several albums after this with a different vocalist, A More Perfect Union (1987), and Right Between the Eyes (1989) but it just didn’t have the same magic that Night Of The Crime did.

 

Jailhouse

Jailhouse released its debut EP “Alive In A Mad World” in 1989. The band featured three Rough Cutt members, Amir Derakh, Matt Thorr, and Dave Alford along with guitarist Michael Raphael and vocalist Danny Simon (who now fronts the band Autograph). The band would later release three more albums but never achieved commercial success.

 

 

Jetboy

Originally based in San Francisco, Jetboy relocated to L.A. in the 80s to be a part of the growing glam/hair metal scene at the time.  Jetboy fused everything from metal, punk, and rockabilly into their sound.  Their debut album, Feel the Shake (1988) was a modest success, but it took the band two years to release a follow-up and by then the scene had begun to disappear. Undaunted, Jetboy would go on to release the albums Damned Nation (1990), A Day in the Glamorous Life (1997), Make Some More Noise (1999), One More for Rock N’ Roll (2002), Off Your Rocker (2010) and their most recent release, Born to Fly (2019).

 

 

Julliet

Formed by guitarist Jimmy DeLisi and bassist Ty Westerhoff, Julliet would add vocalist Kenny McGee and drummer Greg Pecka to round out their lineup. They would eventually sign to Enigma Records to release their debut album in 1990. The album received decent praise from listeners and critics alike. Changing trends in music would overshadow glam metal bands and it would be 12 years before their second album “Passion” was finally released which featured Quiet Riot’s Kevin DuBrow on backup vocals and Frankie Banali on drums.

 

 

Keel

Formed by former Steeler vocalist Ron Keel, Keel featured two guitarists, Marc Ferrari and  Brian Jay with exceptional skills, that managed to play completely different styles and still create a cohesive sound. Keel released their debut album, “Lay Down The Law” in 1984. It showcased the vocal dominance of Ron Keel, the thunderous drumming of Dwain Miller, and a massive guitar sound.  Their second album, “The Right To Rock (1985) put the band squarely on the map with the single of the same name.  MTV played the video in heavy rotation and suddenly, along with Ratt, Dokken, and Motley Crue were on every rock magazine around.  While the Right To Rock got them known, it would be their next album The Final Frontier (1986) that would chart the highest. It was powered by the band’s cover of The Patti Smith song “Because The Night” which showed the band was more than all hair and screams.  The band would continue to sell well on their self-titled album, Keel (1987), and Larger Than Live (1989). The band would eventually split up. However, the band reformed again and released two more studio albums. The band is still technically together at the present time.

 

Kik Tracee

While Kik Tracee’s fame was short-lived, their debut album received decent airplay thanks to MTV with their cover of “Mrs. Robinson”. The album was an attempt to create a more alternative glam metal sound but never quite succeeded in finding the right audience.

 

 

 

Kill For Thrills

Kill For Thrills was a sleazy/glam band that featured Gilby Clarke (Guns N’ Roses) lead vocals, rhythm guitar, Todd Muscat bass, background vocals, Jason Nesmith (son of The Monkees Michael Nesmith)  lead, acoustic, and sitar guitars, background vocals, and David Scott drums, percussion, background vocals. They released a five-song EP in 1989 called “Commercial Suicide” and released their only full-length album “Dynamite From Nightmareland” in 1990.

 

 

Killer Dwarfs

This product of Canada released its debut album in 1983. The original lineup consisted of Russ Graham (vocals), and Darrell Millar (drums),  Bryce Trewin (guitar) and,  Ange Fodero (bass).  Guitarist Mike Hall and bassist Ron Mayer were the latter members soon after. The band found a decent amount of success with their second album “Stand Tall”. Armed with a sense of humor, (all the band members adopted the stage surname Dwarf) the band found MTV airplay helpful to reaching a larger audience outside of Canada. Big Deal would be their last album during the 1980s and it also did moderately well. The band is currently still performing and released the album Start @ One, most recently in 2013.

 

King Kobra

King Kobra was the brainchild of drummer Carmine Appice, who had played with Rod Stewart and the king of metal, the madman himself, Ozzy Osbourne. The band featured band members that would later go on to other bands like W.A.S.P. and the Bulletboys. King Kobra’s look was unusual, to say the least with all members except for Appice having extremely bleached blonde hair. Ready To Strike was a great album and promised great things to come, but unfortunately the band never quite reached this level again. The band recorded the soundtrack to the movie Iron Eagle” and several other albums but ultimately disbanded. Lead vocalist Mark Free has since changed his gender to female now known as Marcie Free. Carmine Appice is currently performing with his brother Vinnie Appice in Drum Wars.

 

 

Kingdom Come

Kingdom Come was founded by singer Lenny Wolf who had previously found some success with his band Stone Fury. Critics accused Kingdome Come of being a rip-off of Led Zeppelin, but that didn’t stop them from being successful with their debut album. Unfortunately, the band didn’t quite live up to the same hype or commercial sales for their second album, cleverly titled “In Your Face”.  While the band only released two albums in the 80s, they would go on in different lineups through 2013 before vocalist Wolf decided to end the band.  The band has been resurrected in recent years with Keith St. John taking over the vocals.

 

 

KISS

While KISS had already been around for several years, the 80s proved to be a decade of huge change for the band including changing members and removing their trademark makeup. KISS released the following albums in the 80s: Unmasked (1980), Music from “The Elder” (1981), Creatures of the Night (1982), Lick It Up (1983), Animalize (1984), Asylum (1985), Crazy Nights (1987) and Hot in the Shade (1989).  The first two albums in the 80s were not well received by most fans or critics. Things started to change when KISS brought in Vinnie Vincent to replace Ace Frehley. Even though he wasn’t actually a member of the band yet, Vincent played on The Creatures Of The Night album. Eric Carr was also brought in to replace longtime drummer Peter Criss.  New blood in the band seemed to energize KISS and they decided to remove their makeup with the release of Lick It Up in 1983.  The move turned out to be a good choice as metal bands were becoming more mainstream in the 80s and KISS jumped right into the mix. Not only did the albums sell more, but KISS was again receiving radio airplay and MTV airtime for most of the new videos. The band would move on from Vincent, only to replace Mark St. John after one album. Eventually, the band enlisted Bruce Kulick and the band continued to be a big success throughout the 80s.

 

Kiss Of The Gypsy

Kiss Of The Gypsy released their self-titled debut album in 1992. The band is comprised of Scott Elliott drums, backing vocals, George Williams keyboards, backing vocals, Tony Mitchell lead vocals, guitars, harmonica, Martin Talbot bass, backing vocals, and Darren Rice guitars, backing vocals. Kiss Of The Gypsy has often been compared to House Of Lords as far as their sound goes. But, Kiss Of The Gypsy incorporated a little bit more blues styling in their overall presence.

 

 

Kix

This Maryland band released its debut album in 1981 fusing an AC/DC sound with glam rock. They released the following albums in the 80s: Kix (1981), Cool Kids (1983), Midnite Dynamite (1985), and Blow My Fuse (1988). The band really got noticed with the release of Midnite Dynamite and went platinum with the release of Blow My Fuse, driven by the single “Don’t Close Your Eyes”.  Kix continues to record new music and is a regular on the touring circuit and metal festivals. The band’s most recent album was 2014’s Rock Your Face Off, which received great reviews from fans and critics alike.

 

 

Krokus

Krokus had already released three albums in Switzerland during the 70s before releasing the albums: Metal Rendez-vous (1980), Hardware (1981), One Vice at a Time (1982), Headhunter (1983), The Blitz (1984), Change of Address (1986) and Heart Attack (1988). The band had gone both gold and platinum overseas but sought success in the U.S. They received their first U.S. Gold record with the release of Headhunter. “Screaming In The Night” proved to be a big commercial hit and the album hit 25 on the U.S. Billboard charts. The follow-up album, The Blitz would also achieve a Gold record driven by the singles “Midnite Maniac” and their cover of The Sweet’s “Ballroom Blitz”. This would prove to be the commercial peak of the band but the band released albums through 2017 and is now finishing their farewell worldwide tour.

 

L.A. Guns

After Tracii Guns left Guns N’ Roses, he started L.A. Guns, originally featuring singer Paul Black. Former Girl vocalist Phil Lewis would join the band as the new vocalist and the classic lineup of L.A. Guns with Phil Lewis, Tracii Guns, Steve Riley, Mick Cripps, and Kelly Nickels would get signed to a major record deal. The band released their debut album, simply called L.A. Guns in 1988, and had a hit single with the song “Sex Action” and the album would reach number 50 on the Billboard album charts.  The band followed it up Cocked And Loaded in 1989, this time finding a hit with the ballad “The Ballad Of Jayne”. Cocked and Loaded would make it to 38 on the Billboard charts and MTV played L.A. Guns’ video on frequent rotation. The band would then split multiple times starting in the 90s and continues to this day, with two versions of L.A. Guns around, one with Tracii Guns and Phil Lewis and another with Steve Riley and Kelly Nickels. Since Steve Riley owns a percentage of the name, the band name is essentially split between two very different groups of musicians.

 

Le Mans

Le Mans was an underrated band that released two albums and featured original Enuff Z’ Nuff guitarist Derek Frigo. Their first release “On The Streets”(1983) was straight ahead classic-sounding heavy metal with a glam look, but the band quickly went to a much softer overall sound for their second album, simply titled Le Mans (1986). The band was obviously trying for radio airplay and MTV attention with the more commercial material, but it failed to materialize into anything long-term. The band briefly featured Randy Castillo (Ozzy Osbourne, Lita Ford, Motley Crue) and Leonard Haze (Y&T).

 

 

Leather Angel

Releasing their debut and only release “We Came To Kill in 1983, Leather Angel was an all-female metal band in the style of early Motley Crue and W.A.S.P. Consisting of Terry O’Leary, Debbie Wolf, Cathy Amanti, and Krissi North. They would later change their name to Jaded Lady and had a very brief appearance in the movie “The Decline Of Western Civilization Part II: The Metal Years”.

 

 

Lillian Axe

This New Orleans-based band received a nice start when Ratt’s Robbin Crosby produced their debut album in 1988. The band led by guitarist Steve Blaze included Ron Taylor (lead vocals), Jon Ster (rhythm guitar, keyboards, backing vocals), Rob Stratton (bass guitar, and Danny King (drums). Their second album. 1989’s Love + War was a critical success but failed to chart the band highly on commercial charts.  Lillian Axe has since released the albums Poetic Justice, Psychoschizophrenia, Fields of Yesterday, Waters Rising, Sad Day On Planet Earth, Deep Red Shadows, and XI The Days Before Tomorrow. The lineup has changed over the years but Steve Blaze is still the mainstay of the band. They are the first hard rock band to be inducted into the Louisana Music Hall Of Fame.

 

Lion

Lion came out of nowhere with Dangerous Attraction to deliver one of the most underrated metal albums of the ’80s. Featuring Doug Aldrich on guitar who would later go on to work with bands like Dio, Whitesnake, and currently Dead Daisies. Kai Swan’s vocals were incredibly powerful. In an untimely and unfortunate accident, drummer Mark Edwards suffered a broken neck which lead to the band breaking up a month later. Aldrich and Swan continued on in a new band called Bad Moon Rising. Lion was probably best known for recording the Transformer’s Movie Theme. While the band was on a major label at the time of Dangerous Attraction’s release they were never truly exposed to the large American mainstream metal audience that could have helped them reach the level of bands like Whitesnake, Motley Crue, Def Leppard who were dominating the airwaves at the time.

 

Lita Ford

When The Runaways disintegrated as a band, Lita Ford decided to pursue a solo career. She released the following albums in the 80s: Out for Blood (1983), Dancin’ on the Edge (1984), and, Lita (1988).  She scored her first hit with the song “Gotta Let Go” from the Dancin’ On The Edge album. But it would prove to be her self-titled album “Lita” in 1988 that was her most successful. The duet with Ozzy Osbourne, “If I Close My Eyes Forever” was a huge hit and would reach #8 on the Billboard charts. “Kiss Me Deadly” would also become one of her most well-known songs. She took a hiatus for almost 14 years before returning to the music scene. Her latest release was “Time Capsule” in 2016, but she tours on a regular basis and is known for her energetic live shows.

 

Lizzy Borden

Lizzy Borden was started in 1983 by brothers Lizzy Borden (real name Gregory Harges) and Joey Scott.  Lizzy Borden had a large output during the 1980s including the following albums: Give ‘Em the Axe EP (1984), Love You to Pieces (1985), The Murderess Metal Road Show Live (1986), Menace to Society (1986), Terror Rising EP (1987), Visual Lies (1987) and Master of Disguise in 1989. The band reached its commercial peak with the Visual Lies album. They were featured in the documentary The Decline of Western Civilization Part II: The Metal Years and still continue to this day.

 

 

London

Sadly London is more famous for being a stepping stone for other band members that went on to bigger things including Blackie Lawless (WASP), Nikki Sixx (Motley Crue), Steven Adler (Guns N’ Roses), Slash (Guns N’ Rose), Izzy Stradlin (Guns N’ Roses) and Fred Coury (Cinderella).  London released two albums in the 80s, Non-Stop Rock (1985) and, Don’t Cry Wolf (1986). Led by Nadir D’Priest and guitarist Lizzie Grey these albums are worth listening to but failed to chart commercially.  The band was a staple on Sunset Strip during the glam metal years and appeared in the documentary The Decline of Western Civilization Part 2: The Metal Years. London has released two albums since then with the latest being in 2018.

 

Lost Boys

The Lost Boys was a spectacular band that literally slipped through the cracks. Released on Atlantic records, it featured vocalist Randy “O” from Odin and was also featured in the film “The Decline Of Western Civilization Part 2; The Metal Years”.  The music was interesting, moody and possibly a great precursor to the sound bands like Alice In Chains would invoke soon after. This is a great and unique album if you can find it.

 

 

Loudness

The first Japanese metal band to secure a major record deal with a company from the United States. That band is “Loudness”. Loudness started in 1981 and is one of the most popular metal exports from Japan. In May of 1981, Munetaka Higuchi (drums) and Akira Takasaki (guitar) from the Japanese band, Lazy decided to form their own band to pursue their favorite music style. Minoru Niihara (Vocals), a former member of Earthshaker, became the original lead singer of Loudness after auditioning. Masayoshi Yamashita (bass), an old friend of Takasaki, was also selected after a few auditions. The band released six releases consisting of full albums and EPs before recording their debut album for Atlantic Records, entitled “Thunder In The East”. Loudness had made an intentional attempt to reach international fame. When Thunder In The East was recorded, Minoru Niihara did not speak English and learned to sing all of the vocals phonetically. The band received airplay on MTV, which brought them to a whole new audience of American rock fans. The album was released in 1985, reached no. 4 on Japanese charts, and landed at no. 74 in the U.S. They toured the U.S. with Motley Crue and became the first Japanese rock band to play Madison Square Garden. The band released Lightning Strikes and Hurricane Eyes in the United States and Akira Takasaki began to get noticed as a guitar hero, alongside the likes of Eddie Van Halen, George Lynch, Yngwie Malmsteen, Jake E. Lee, and others. The band went through a few lineup changes when Niihara left the band and was replaced by American vocalist, Mike Vescera and later by Masaki Yamada of the Japanese band EZO. Niihara returned to the band in 2001. To date, Loudness has released a total of 26 studio albums and remains a legendary band, both in Japan and the United States. Today, Akira Takasaki is considered among the best rock guitarists in the world.

 

Love/Hate

Blackout In The Red Room hit in 1990 and this band seemed to have the swagger of a young AC/DC. The band received great airplay on MTV but was just another victim of bad timing in a changing musical scene. Vocalist Jizzy Pearl has since served as frontman for Ratt, L.A. Guns, and Quiet Riot among others. Without a doubt, Love/Hate was one the best of the 90’s hair metal scene.

 

 

Lynch Mob

When Dokken split up after The Back For The Attack album, George Lynch started his own band called Lynch Mob which included Dokken drummer, Wild Mick Brown. Their debut album Wicked Sensation found moderate success for the band with Oni Logan handling the vocals.  However, Logan and Lynch had issues with each other and future Warrant vocalist Robert Mason sang on the second self-titled album which had a minor hit with the song “Jungle Of Love”.  Oni Logan would return in 2009 and the band has continued to record new albums and perform live ever since. However, George Lynch has stated that he will no longer use the name Lynch Mob again because he doesn’t feel it’s politically correct with the negative connotations that the name brings.

 

Madam X

Formed by sisters Maxine and Roxy Petrucci and including Bret Kaiser and Chris Doliber, the band actually once featured a young Sebastian Bach. They released the album We Reserve the Right in 1984 and scored a minor hit with the song “High In High School”. The band would break up in 1988 but returned again in 2017 to release the album Monstrosity. After the original breakup, Roxy Petrucci would join Vixen and is still a member of the band today.

 

 

Mass

Christian metal band Mass released the following albums during the 80s: Mass (1985), New Birth (1985), Take You Home (1988), and, Voices In The night (1989). The band was comprised of Gene D’Itria guitars, Joey Vadala drums, Louie St. August vocals, and, Kevin Varrio bass. The band hailed from Massachusetts and signed with Medusa Records which distributed their album “Take You Home” and found the band going down a similar path to Stryper who signed with Enigma records.  However, Mass was never able to achieve mainstream success as Stryper did.

 

 

MQueen Street

Releasing their self-titled debut album in 1991, McQueen Street made a name for themselves in a time when traditional hard rock and metal were starting to be displaced at the top of the charts by alternative rock and hip-hop. They received airplay on MTV, but the band disbanded shortly thereafter. Tragically, drummer, Chris Welsh died in 1994. After a 10-year hiatus, singer Derek Welsh released “McQueen Street 2” and has released two singles in recent years “Outside In” and “One Way Ticket” for a reported third album in the future.

 

Motley Crue

Motley Crue was formed in 1981 with the band featuring Vince Neil on vocals, Nikki Sixx on bass, Mick Mars on guitar, and Tommy Lee on drums. The band ruled the 80s metal scene by appealing to both male and female fans and crossing the lines between traditional metal, glam rock, and radio-friendly ballads. Motley Crue released the following albums during the 80s: Too Fast for Love (1981), Shout at the Devil (1983), Theatre of Pain (1985), Girls, Girls, Girls (1987), and Dr. Feelgood (1989).  Shout At The Devil has been considered one of the top metal albums of all time and the band score numerous hit singles throughout the 80s. Along with bands like Ratt, Quiet Riot, Great White, and Dokken, Motley Crue helped to shape the Sunset Strip, the Hollywood glam metal era that dominated the 1980s.

 

 

Nitro

Nitro was formed in 1988 and the group featured vocalist Jim Gillette (Ex-Tuff), guitarist Michael Angelo Batio, bassist T. J. Racer and drummer Bobby Rock (Vinnie Vincent Invasion, Nelson, Lita Ford). Hailing from Hollywood, these guys set out to be over the top on everything with Michael Angelo Batio’s double-necked guitar that he played with both his right and left hand at the same time and Jim Gillette’s incredibly high-pitched screams. They released their debut album O.F.R which stands for Out-Fucking-Rageous in 1989 and followed it up with Nitro II: H.W.D.W.S. in 1991 before disbanding. They received some MTV airplay with the video for Freight Train but failed to connect with a larger audience as far as commercial sales are concerned.

 

Noisy Mama

Noisy Mama released their only album “Everybody Has One” in 1991. They mixed an AC/DC-like bluesy rhythm with a Faster Pussycat-like sleaze factor, but just didn’t get much promotion and virtually no airplay to seal their fate. This album is another sought-after collector’s item for hair metal fans.

 

 

 

 

Odin

Odin is now recognized as one of the bands featured in the Penelope Spheeris documentary,  The Decline Of Western Civilization Part II: The Metal Years. The band was featured prominently in the film and performed two songs in it “Little Gypsy” and “12 O’Clock High”. Odin is Jeff Duncan – Guitars, Shawn Duncan – Drums, Randy O. – Vocals, Aaron Samson – Bass.  Odin was well known all over the Sunset Strip area in L.A. during the 80s metal boom. Odin is the only unsigned band as a headliner to have shattered attendance records on multiple nights at both Gazarri’s on the Sunset Strip and The Palace. Odin”s entire catalog was re-issued on EMP/Universal/SPV worldwide in 2018.

 

 

Poison

Poison released their debut album “Look What The Cat Dragged In” in 1986 and opened a whole new door for glam metal bands.  While glam metal was already developing in the Hollywood club scene, Poison cranked the glam factor up to 11. The band, with the help of MTV and radio airplay went all the way to #3 on the charts, fueled by the singles “Talk Dirty to Me”, “I Want Action”, “I Won’t Forget You” and “Cry Tough”. The band released only one other album during the 80s, Open Up and Say… Ahh! (1988) which featured their only #1 hit,  “Every Rose Has Its Thorn”. The album made it to #2 on the charts and propelled Poison to the forefront of the 80s metal scene as the era was coming to an end.

 

Pretty Boy Floyd

Pretty Boy Floyd is a glam metal band that was formed in 1987. They released their debut album Leather Boyz with Electric Toyz in 1989. The album spawned two singles that were a hit with the glam metal fans “Rock and Roll (Is Gonna Set the Night on Fire)” and “I Wanna Be with You”.  The band broke up in 1991 but reunited again in 1995. Pretty Boy Floyd has since released two albums called Size Really Does Matter (2004) and Public Enemies (2017) both to critical acclaim. The original lineup of the band was Steve “Sex” Summers, Aeriel Stiles — guitar, Kristy “Krash” Majors – Guitar, Vinnie Chas — bass, and, Kari Kane – drums. The current lineup is Steve “Sex” Summers – Vocals (1987–1991, 1995–Present), Kristy “Krash” Majors – Guitar (1988-1990, 1995–2003, 2006–Present), Criss 6 – Bass (2019–Present) and Vik Foxx – Drums (2019–Present).

 

Princess Pang

Featuring vocalist Jeni Foster, Princess Pang was an exciting glam metal band that played sleazy hard rock. Unfortunately, they only released one album, the self-titled release in 1989. The album is available through Metal Blade Records and is still sought after by glam metal collectors worldwide.

 

 

 

Quiet Riot

Quiet Riot was the first heavy metal band to have a number-one single on the U.S. chart with “Cum On Feel The Noize”.  Prior to their Metal Health album, the band had released two albums in Japan and had changed band members. The lineup of Kevin DuBrow, Rudy Sarzo, Carlos Cavazo, and Frankie Banali would become recognized as the classic lineup of Quiet Riot.  The band released Metal Health (1983), Condition Critical (1984), QR III (1986), and QR in 1988, which featured former Rough Cutt vocalist Paul Shortino. Original vocalist Kevin Dubrow would return to the band until his death in 2007. Drummer Frankie Banali died in 2020 from complications of pancreatic cancer.

 

 

Rage Of Angels

Christian metal band Rage Of Angels released their only self-titled album in 1989.  Featuring a sound that resembled secular metal which Christian metal fans were seeking, the band made a big splash on the Christian rock scene with just this one album. lead guitarist Chris Risola, rhythm guitarist Frank DiCostanzo, and the now-deceased drummer John Fowler would go on to form the original lineup of the glam metal band Steelheart featuring vocalist Miljenko Matijevic which was released in 1990.

 

 

Ratt

Ratt hit the big time with gold, platinum, and multi-platinum album releases. Along with bands like Motley Crue, Quiet Riot, and Great White, Ratt helped form the Hollywood glam metal scene of the 80s. Ratt’s biggest hit came in the form of the song “Round and Round” from the album “Out Of The Cellar”. Led by enigmatic frontman Stephen Pearcy the band toured with Bon Jovi and continued creating best-selling albums throughout the 80s.  Ratt released the albums: Ratt (EP) (1983), Out of the Cellar (1984), Invasion of Your Privacy (1985), Dancing Undercover (1986), and Reach for the Sky (1988) during their 80s reign.  Inner turmoil within the band caused Ratt to disband several times with Stephen Pearcy developing a successful solo career simultaneously. The band has featured different line-ups since the 80s but has kept the Ratt sound alive with Pearcy at the helm. Sadly, guitarist Robbin Crosby died in 2006.

 

 

Rough Cutt

Rough Cutt was managed by Wendy Dio, wife of the late, great Ronnie James Dio. Their debut album got them decent notice and their association with Dio didn’t hurt. The band became an overnight success in Japan. Their second album “Wants You!” saw their exposure improve through MTV and press coverage in rock magazines. While the band looked poised for a full-fledged breakout, they disbanded when vocalist Paul Shortino joined Quiet Riot, replacing original singer Kevin DuBrow. Shortino only recorded one album with Quiet Riot. Guitarist, Amir Derakh went on to form the glam band Jailhouse and later re-invented himself in the industrial rock band Orgy who had a hit single with the cover of New Order’s “Blue Monday”.

 

Roughhouse

Originally called “Teeze” in 1983, the band changed their name to Roughhouse in 1988 and released their only album simply called “Roughhouse”. The album was a solid hard rock, glam metal release but was released into an already crowded metal scene at the time. An interesting fact is that their guitarist Rex Eisen would later go on to join the band Static-X under the name Tripp Eisen.

 

 

Roxanne

Roxanne released their debut self-titled album in 1988. They garnered the most attention for their cover of the song “Play That Funky Music”. The album had some great hard rock songs on it but seemed to get lost in the shuffle with so many hard rock and metal bands filling the shelves of the record stores. Amazingly Roxanne reunited and released the new album “Radio Silence” 30 years after their debut album in 2018.

 

 

Roxx Gang

Glam rockers Roxx Gang released the album “Things You’ve Never Done Before” in 1988. It received critical acclaim and glam metal fans thought they had found the newest sensation in the scene, but the band would implode and change lineups before releasing new albums in the 90s. It all came out a little too late though, as the music climate had changed and record companies were looking at alternative bands to e the next big thing. The band’s albums were generally quite good and entertaining with vocalist Kevin Steele keeping things somewhat consistent.

 

 

Roxy Blue

Roxy Blue is almost infamous for not only arriving too late but for trying so hard to sound like Van Halen.  While the band had musical talent and decent songwriting ability, they were often derided for being un-original.

 

 

 

Salty Dog

Salty Dog comprised of Jimmi Bleacher – vocals, guitar, keyboard, piano, harmonica, Pete Reeven – guitar, banjo, backing vocals, Michael Hannon – bass, backing vocals, and Khurt Maier – drums, percussion released their debut album “Every Dog Has Its Day” in 1990. The band would implode soon after and replace vocalists but they never made it to record another major-label album. Salty Dog is another hidden gem in the hair metal scene that collectors often look for.

 

 

Saraya

Featuring vocalist Sandi Saraya, this female lead band was really quite good and deserved a shot at the big time. Releasing the album, Saraya (1989), the band found success with the single “Love Has Taken Its Toll” and eventually released a second album in When the Blackbird Sings (1991).  Originally Polygram Records wanted to create a sex symbol out of vocalist Sandi Saraya similar to a female Bon Jovi. Musically the band was solid and has been one of the bands that flew under the radar but were known to 80s hard rock fans and collectors.

 

 

The Scream

The Scream is probably most known for having John Corabi as their lead singer who would go on to replace Vince Neil in Motley Crue for one album. The band released their debut album “Let It Scream” in 1990 and it was well-received by hard rock and metal fans. They received airplay on MTV with their single Father, Mother, Son but Corabi left to join Motley Crue before the band could record a second album. The band also featured Bruce Bouillet on guitar and John Alderete on bass, both of whom were members of Racer X.

 

 

Sea Hags

Sea Hags were a San Franciso-based band that showed up at the end of the era of glam metal with their self-titled album in 1989. The band had actually started in 1985, but the band struggled with both time and finances to record an album until 1989. The Sea Hags had a bluesy sleaze metal sound that resonated with listeners but just came along at the wrong time. Guitarist Frank Wilsey would later join Stephen Pearcy in the bands Arcade and Nitronic.

 

 

Shark Island

Shark Island debuted their major label album “Law Of The Order” in 1989 for Epic Records. Prior to this album’s release, the band was known around the L.A. music scene simply as “The Sharks”. The band was a regular on the Sunset Strip but failed to turn their success in the clubs into successful album sales. While “Law Of The Order” was well received by the band’s fans it simply didn’t get much promotion because of the changing musical climate. Shark Island has since reformed with different lineups and released the albums “Gathering Of The Faithful” (2006) and the critically acclaimed “Bloodline” in 2019.

 

 

Shogun

Shogun featured former Tokyo Blade vocalist Alan Marsh along with two other former members of Tokyo Blade, Andy Wrighton on bass and drummer Steve Pierce. they released their self-titled debut album in 1986 and followed it up with “31 Days” in 1987. While commercial success eluded the band, fans of Tokyo Blade gave the band a boost in interest.

 

 

 

Shotgun Messiah

Swedish glam metallers “Shotgun Messiah” impressed a lot of people with their trashy, sleaze sound on their self-titled debut in 1989. The band was originally called Kingpin but changed their name to Shotgun Messiah with their sights set on the L.A. Music scene. Original vocalist Zinny J. Zan left the band one year after the debut album and Bassist Tim Tim (Tim Skold) took over vocal duties. The band released the albums Second Coming (1991), I Want More EP (1992), and Violent New Breed (1993). Tim Skold would later go on to join industrial rockers KMFDM and perform with Marilyn Manson as well as a solo artist with his own band SKOLD. Original vocalist Zinny J. Zan released a solo album and two albums with his band The Zan Clan. Rumors have swirled recently that Tim Skold may be planning to reform Shotgun Messiah.

 

Shout

Ken Tamplin founded the band Shout in 1987 and the band went for the hair band look and sound.  Their first album, “It Won’t Be Long”, was recorded by session musicians including future Megadeth guitarist Marty Friedman, House Of Lords guitarist, Lanny Cordola, and Michael Angelo, guitarist for Nitro. While they racked some success in the Christian market, they never were able to go outside of it.  Tamplin later worked with several members of the band House Of Lords on a few projects.

 

 

 

Show-Ya

This all-female Japanese metal band was originally formed in 1981 and released its first studio album in 1985.  The band’s main lineup included: Keiko Terada – lead vocals, Miki “Sun-go” Igarashi – guitar, backing vocals, Miki “Captain” Nakamura – keyboards, backing vocals, Satomi Senba – bass, backing vocals, Miki “Mittan” Tsunoda – drums, backing vocals and Mitsuko Numata – guitar (1981-1984). Show-Ya was a stand-out in the 80s metal genre in Japan because the band was comprised of all female members. Show-Ya forged the way for modern female metal bands like BabyMetal and LoveBites in Japan. They have released the following albums to date: Masquerade Show (1985), Queendom (1986), Ways (1986), Trade Last (1987), Immigration (1987), Glamour (1988), Outerlimits (1989), Hard Way (1990), Touch the Sun (1995), Genuine Diamond (2012), Progress (2015) and Aurora (2017). Show-Ya is set to release its latest album “Showdown” in 2021.

 

Shy

Shy who would later change their name to Shy England to avoid being confused with another band already using the name Shy was led by a great vocalist named Tony Mills who would later join TNT for several albums. The band came close several times to breaking into the mainstream charts but just couldn’t quite make it to the top. The band received the most critical praise for the albums Brave the Storm (1985), Excess All Areas (1987), and Misspent Youth (1989). Sadly original vocalist Tony Mills died from pancreatic cancer on September 18, 2019, at the age of 57.

 

 

Silent Rage

Silent Rage released their debut album “Shattered Hearts” in 1987 The band scored a minor hit with the song “Rebel With A Cause”. Unfortunately, in 1987 there was a significant amount of competition for attention among bands, and Silent Rage suffered from a limited amount of promotion. The band followed up “Shattered Hearts” with “Don’t Touch Me There” in 1989. And while it was a hit with fans, it was a little too late to gain the attention of mass record buyers as the scene was moving toward grunge and alternative rock. Silent Rage released a third album called “Still Alive” in 2002.

 

 

Skid Row

After hitting the charts with their debut album in 1989 the band scored a 5 Times platinum album with this debut for Atlantic Records.  With singles like “Youth Gone Wild and 18 And Life, the band was almost instantly propelled to the top of the metal scene. The classic lineup would only record two more albums and an EP before splitting with singer Sebastian Bach.  Skid Row is probably one of the 80s metal bands that fans would most like to see reunite. Skid Row continues as a band these days with a different vocalist and drummer, while Sebastian Bach has managed to carve out a very successful solo career over the years.

 

 

Slaughter

After Mark Slaughter left his position as lead vocalist for the Vinnie Vincent Invasion, he started his own band, simply called Slaughter. He brought former VVI bass player Dana Strum along for the ride and the rest as they say is history. Slaughter amassed a sizable following through constant radio airplay and heavy rotation on MTV. The band went on to produce quite a few albums, all of which carried the band’s signature sound. Mark Slaughter is currently a solo artist and has released two successful solo albums to date.

 

 

Sleeze Beez

The Netherlands spawned this band who found the most success in the U.S. with their single “Stranger Than Paradise”. Their subsequent albums are actually quite good and they are a best-kept secret for melodic metal lovers. (This one is also released in 1989 but hit big in 1990)

 

 

 

Slik Toxik

Slik Toxik was a Canadian band that released their debut full-length album “Doin’ The Nasty” in 1992. A victim of the changing musical direction from hair metal to grunge, the band surprisingly did well with their first album but faded quickly afterward. Singer Nick Walsh now fronts the band Famous Underground.

 

 

 

Smashed Gladys

Smashed Gladys hit the L.A. glam scene and released 3 great singles from their album “Social Intercourse”. The songs”17 Goin’ on Crazy”, “Lick it Into Shape” and “Legs Up” were all great tracks that should have brought the band way more attention and exposure than they did. The band seemed to be another victim of lack of promotion. Rarely seen in rock magazines, on MTV, and with virtually no radio airplay, it’s a mystery what happened with their promotional team. Led by singer Sally Cato, the band released “Social Intercourse as their major-label debut. The band released one more album, years later, which appeared to be early songs and possibly pre-released EP material. It’s a shame that they didn’t receive more acclaim.

 

SouthGang

This band seemed poised for fame in the glam metal market but couldn’t quite gain the traction needed to get them to the top. The band featured vocalist Jesse Harte. The band received rotation on MTV with the single “Tainted Angel” but didn’t keep the momentum going after that. The album is really quite good and would have been most likely very successful if it was released only a few years prior to its 1991 release. The band would release a second album called “Group Therapy” in 1992 before officially calling it quits.

 

 

Spread Eagle

Releasing their debut album in 1990, Spread Eagle comprised of Ray West vocals, Paul DiBartolo guitar, Rob DeLuca bass, and Tommi Gallo on drums got some decent press with their sleazy style of metal, with some critics drawing comparisons to Guns N’ Roses and Skid Row. However, their second album didn’t sell well and the band split afterward.

 

 

Steeler

Steeler released their debut album with featured Ron Keel on vocals and the first U.S. appearance of Swedish guitar master Yngwie Malmsteen. The brainchild of Shrapnel Records founder Mike Varney brought the project together. Although the band didn’t hold together for very long with Malmsteen departing for Alcatrazz before his own solo career and Keel leaving to concentrate on the band that would ultimately bear his name, this is a great notable piece of heavy metal history. While the band is most famous for having Keel and Malmsteen together, the other musicians were unfortunately overshadowed. Both Rik Fox on bass and Mark Edwards would turn up in other influential bands throughout the 80’s such as W.A.S.P. and Lion.

 

Steelheart

Steelheart’s debut album sold quite well in 1990 thanks to airplay by MTV.  But follow-up albums, although still quite good, just didn’t live up to the level of the first release. The band still records and recently released a new album to critical acclaim.

 

 

 

Stryper

Stryper’s contribution to Christian metal is the equivalent of Black Sabbath, Iron Maiden, and Judas Priest in the non-christian metal world. I never really got the goofy outfits that looked like bumblebees. They are however quality musicians who brought Christian metal to the mainstream in the 1980s. During the 80s they released the following albums: The Yellow and Black Attack (1984), Soldiers Under Command (1985), To Hell with the Devil (1986), and In God We Trust (1988). The band received heavy rotation on MTV and fans have applauded their work in recent years as some of the best of their entire career.

 

 

Sweet F.A.

Merely a flash in the pan, Sweet F.A. was sort of a Tesla meets Southern rock hybrid that didn’t make it on most people’s radar. However, if you like a good bar-room boogie-woogie sound mixed with hair metal, you’ll probably really like Sweet F.A.

 

 

 

Sweet Pain

Sweet Pain took their name from the KISS song, signed to Combat Records, and released their only album in 1985. Notable for featuring a then-unknown Kelly Nickels on bass, who would later go on to join L.A. Guns. The album actually features the recording of the song “Shoot For Thrills (In The Night)” written by Nickels, which would also appear on L.A. Guns’ self-titled album. Sweet Pain was a decent glam rock band that literally disappeared overnight. The album is quite rare and sought out by collectors since it has long been out of print.

 

 

Sweet Savage

Sweet Savage was a glam band based out of Texas that just never reached the next level. I’m sure the cover photos of all 4 members appearing shirtless with bleached blonde hair didn’t help their case. Musically, they were considered a little more bubblegum glam than bands like Poison but had great catchy songs that earned them a following. Their debut EP was produced by none other than Dana Strum, who later go on to play bass in the Vinnie Vincent Invasion and Slaughter. They received the most attention with their cover version of Sweet’s “Fox On The Run”.

 

 

Tattoo

Tattoo featured band members Dave Injeski Bass, Vocals, Gary Stewart Vocals, Glenn Miller Guitar, Vocals, Joe Minor Guitars, Vocals, and Tommy Salzburg Drums, Vocals. They released their first album “Blood Red” in 1988 on Metal Blade Records. While they built a sort of cult following, they never quite hit the mainstream. Musically they fit in the same vein as Quiet Riot or Y & T. They would release two more albums “Out Loud” (1990) and Kings Of The White Trash Neighborhood (1993).

 

 

Tattoo Rodeo

Tattoo Rodeo released their first album “Rode Hard-Put Away Wet” in 1991. The band featured three ex-members of the band White Sister: Dennis Churchill Dries lead vocals, bass, Rick Chadock guitar, and Rich Wright drums, along with Michael Lord keyboard. With Tattoo Rodeo they went for a sleaze rock meets southern rock sound. The album is quite good and worth checking out but just didn’t sell well due to changing musical tastes.

 

 

Tigertailz

Tigertailz was the U.K.’s version of Poison. Musically their debut was much heavier than Poison’s. The band featured vocalist Steevi Jaimz on vocals, who had a more gruff voice that contributed to the band sounding less like a bubblegum glam band and more like a sleaze rock band in the vein of L.A. Guns or Faster Pussycat. Young And Crazy was a fantastic debut, but the band parted ways with Steevi Jaimz after this release. While they continued on with other vocalists, and still do today, they never reached the level that they achieved with the first album. Young And Crazy was one of the best glam metal releases of the ’80s. If you can find this one, you should get it. It’s great on every level.

 

TNT

Norwegian metal band TNT started in 1982 and featured an amazing guitarist named Ronni Le Tekro. Originally the band featured Dag Ingebrigtsen on vocals but would recruit California singer Tony Harnell who appeared on their second album.  With Harnell on vocals, the band reached a wider audience and increased its sales and presence worldwide. MTV helped the band with a heavy rotation of several videos but TNT never made it to the top of the charts. TNT released the following albums circa the 80s: (1982) TNT, (1984) Knights of the New Thunder, (1987) Tell No Tales, and (1989) Intuition

 

 

Tokyo Blade

This English heavy metal band hit the scene in 1982. While they’re considered part of the New Wave Of British Heavy Metal, the band would change their sound and image as well as lineups a little too frequently. By 1987 the band sounded closer to the glam metal bands of Hollywood than their original sound which was closer to early Diamond Head. Their 80s albums are: Tokyo Blade (1983), Night of the Blade (1984), Black Hearts & Jaded Spades (1985), Ain’t Misbehavin’ (1987), and, No Remorse (1989).  The album Night Of The Blade released in 1984 is probably their most popular and well-known release.  Tokyo Blade is still alive and well and making new albums as of 2020.

 

Tora Tora

Tora Tora comprised of members Anthony Corder – vocals, acoustic guitar, Keith Douglas – guitar, backing vocals, Patrick Francis – bass, backing vocals, and John Patterson – drums started in Memphis, Tennessee in 1985. They released their debut album Surprise Attack in 1989 got airplay and attention with their first single “Walkin’ Shoes” and followed it up with the album Wild America (1992) before taking a long hiatus. They returned with Revolution Day (2011) and Bastards of Beale (2019) and are currently working on material for a new album

 

 

Torme’

Guitarist Bernie Torme’ who was the guitarist for Ozzy Osbourne briefly after Randy Rhoads’s death put together a band simply called Torme’ with singer Phil Lewis (L.A. Guns, Girl) and Chris Heilman on bass and Ian Whitewood on drums. They released “Back To Babylon” in 1986 and followed it up with “Die Pretty, Die Young” in 1987. Lewis’s vocals are really good and he would move on to L.A. Guns right after his stint with Torme’.

 

 

Trash Broadway

Trash Broadway released only one self-titled album in 1989 which featured guitar shredder, Joe Stump. Stump would later have a solo career and join Alcatrazz in recent years. Trash Broadway had the sound of most early Sunset Strip bands but failed to move to the next level. This CD, cassette, and vinyl are all difficult to find and are sought after by metal collectors.

 

 

Treat

This hard rock band from Sweden has been an under-the-radar gem for years now. They released their debut album “Scratch And Bite” in 1985. The band was originally comprised of Robert Emlund lead vocals, Anders Wikstrom lead guitars, backing vocals, Jamie Borger drums, backing vocals, Joe Larson bass, backing vocals, and Patrick Appelgren keyboards, backing vocals. They would go on to release the albums The Pleasure Principle (1986), Dreamhunter (1987), Organized Crime (1989), Treat (1992), Coup de Grace (2010), Ghost of Graceland (2016), and Tunguska (2018).

 

 

Trouble Tribe

Consisting of Jimmy Driscoll vocals, Steve Durrell drums, Eric Klaastad bass, and Adam Wacht guitars, Trouble Tribe released their only album in 1990. Trouble Tribe was another victim of the over-saturated metal scene of the 80s and early 90s. The album has some great songs and the band was definitely talented, they were fighting against the odds to get noticed in the early 90s and the musical climate was moving toward alternative rock and grunge.

 

 

Trixter

The biggest problem with Trixter was they appeared to metalheads as a glam metal version of New Kids On The Block. Most people wrote them off as a boy band that was only liked by teenage girls, but in reality, the band had incredible talent and were great songwriters. If you give them a chance they actually had some good rockers on their albums and still continue to record albums periodically. Guitarist Steve Brown has filled in with Def Leppard for both Phil Collen and Vivian Campbell when needed.

 

 

Tuff

Tuff was the epitome of the 80’s glam scene. Vocalist Stevie Rachelle looked like Brett Michaels of Poison with more muscles. Rachelle’s voice was much deeper and added a darker sound to their version of glam rock but just couldn’t catch up to the rising tide of alternative rock that was taking over at the beginning of the ’90s. Tuff, however, created some great albums and should still appeal to fans of the genre.

 

 

Tuff Luck

Tuff Luck was a really talented band that fell victim to not being able to land a big record contract. The band was based in South Florida and was drawing thousands of people to their local shows. they did however release one album for Ann Boleyn’s New Renaissance Records. The album is still sought after by collectors and fetches top dollars in auctions. The self-titled album had some great tracks like “Sleaze if you Please”, “Take It or Leave It” and “Tonight, Tonight”. The band released a second album in 1993 but it failed to capture the spirit of the original album. A documentary DVD was also filmed showing the band’s struggles that kept them from reaching the top of the charts alongside bands like Dokken, Ratt, and Motley Crue.

 

Twisted Sister

Twisted Sister became a 12-year overnight sensation when they broke it big with their “Stay Hungry” album. Originally from New Jersey and later relocating to New York, these East coast rockers paid their dues for ten years playing the local club scene. The band would little by little collect new fans along the way. The band became an underground hit with their first album and opened a tour for Motorhead. Their second album was released on a major label and helped build their fanbase even further. Stay Hungry pushed the band into superstar territory and the album went multi-platinum in sales. However, the band would never reach this level of fame or sales again. The band began to fight amongst themselves and eventually disbanded for many years. Dee Snider has since forged a solo career. Drummer A.J. Pero died from a heart condition in 2015. Twisted Sister’s 80s albums: Under the Blade (1982), You Can’t Stop Rock ‘n’ Roll (1983), Stay Hungry (1984), Come Out and Play (1985) and Love Is For Suckers (1987)

 

Tyketto

Tyketto was formed in 1987 by former Waysted vocalist Danny Vaughn. The band released their first album Don’t Come Easy in 1991. They would go on to release the albums Strength in Numbers (1994), Shine (1995), Dig in Deep (2012), and Reach (2016). With Vaughn’s vocals they definitely had that radio-friendly rock sound but failed to reach a large audience quickly enough. Tyketto still performs and has released several albums on Frontiers Music in recent years.

 

 

Vain

With the release of “No Respect”, which was actually released at the end of 1989, Vain should have been superstars. They make the list because they didn’t really get known on a more mainstream level until 1990. This is a great album that received some help from MTV, but couldn’t quite garner huge success.  No Respect is still a favorite of mine and their follow-up albums, including their most recent release, are all great additions to any hair metal fans collection.

 

 

Valentine

Comprised of Hugo lead vocals, Neil Christopher drums, Adam Holland guitars, Craig Pullman keyboards, and Gerard Zappa bass, Valentine released their self-titled album in 1990. Often compared to sounding like a heavier version of Journey, Valentine most likely would have struck gold if they had released this album a few years earlier. Recently, the band released the album “Demos From The Attic” which is filled with tracks that the band was working on for a future album that was never released.

 

 

Vamp

Vamp released their only release “The Rich Don’t Rock” in 1989 and it’s a totally underrated hidden gem of the hair metal scene. The album was released on Atlantic Records and is hard to find. Collectors are often on the lookout for this album and those who have it and have heard it, know that it’s a great album from the era. Drummer Dicki Fliszar would go on to work with Jack Russell’s Great White.

 

 

Vinnie Vincent Invasion

After being released as the guitarist in KISS, Vinnie Vincent formed his own band called the Vinnie Vincent Invasion. Featuring Vinnie, Dana Strum on bass, Bobby Rock on drums, and former Journey vocalist Robert Fleischman. This lineup recorded the debut album and found success touring with bands like Iron Maiden after the album’s release in 1986.  The band’s look was entirely over-the-top glam. Fleischman would be replaced before the first tour and the second album “All Systems Go” which featured Mark Slaughter on vocals. However tension between the band members and Vinnie Vincent lead to Mark Slaughter and Dana Strum leaving to form the band “Slaughter”. Bobby Rock would go on to play drums with Nelson and Lita Ford among others. The Vinnie Vincent Invasion received great reviews from fans and critics alike, but the band’s implosion lead to Vincent becoming somewhat of a recluse and rarely releasing any new material afterward.

 

Vixen

While the band was formed in 1980, Vixen wouldn’t find commercial success until they released their debut album, Vixen in 1988. It was a successful debut album and it reached #41 on the Billboard charts. This all-female outfit found fame and fortune in the 80s rock scene. Sadly, guitarist Jan Kuehnemund died from cancer in 2013 at the age of 59. Vixen has released four studio albums and the band continues on today with vocalist Lorraine Lewis (Femme Fatale) replacing Janet Gardener.

 

 

W.A.S.P.

W.A.S.P. was formed in 1982 in Los Angeles. The original lineup featured Blackie Lawless, Randy Piper, Rik Fox, and Tony Richards. Rik Fox left the band and went on to work with Steeler. Chris Holmes would be added as lead guitarist before the band would record their debut album in 1984. W.A.S.P. released the albums: W.A.S.P. (1984), The Last Command (1985), Inside the Electric Circus (1986), and, The Headless Children (1989), the first two albums reached Gold record status in the U.S. Known for wild stage shows and raunchy performances that often included throwing chunks of raw meat into the audience, W.A.S.P. created a reputation of mixing metal with shock value. The band still records and tours today with Lawless being the only original member.

 

Warrant

While Warrant is considered one of the most popular 80s metal acts, they actually only released one album during that period which was Dirty Rotten Filthy Stinking Rich (1989). Warrant started in the L.A. club scene in 1984 but wouldn’t release their debut album until some five years later.  Dirty Rotten Filthy Stinking Rich reached #10 on the Billboard Charts and spawned four hit singles including the power ballad “Heaven” which made it all the way to # 2.  The band would release the hit album Cherry Pie in 1990 which cemented their place in the metal scene. Singer Jani Lane tragically died at the age of 47 in 2011 from acute alcohol poisoning. The band has since recruited singer Robert Mason (Lynch Mob) to handle the vocals and the band continues on to this day.

 

White Lion

White Lion formed in 1983 and released their first album “Fight To Survive” in 1985. The band featured Mike Tramp – lead vocals, rhythm guitar, Vito Bratta – lead guitar, backing vocals, James LoMenzo – bass, backing vocals, and Greg D’Angelo – drums. The band hit it big with the release of the 1987 album “Pride”. The Pride album went double platinum in sales behind the singles “When The Children Cry” and “Wait”. White Lion released “Big Game” in 1989 which still went gold. White Lion would only release one more album in 1991 before calling it quits.  Singer Mike Tramp briefly formed a new band called Freak Of Nature, attempted a new version of White Lion, and eventually went on to a successful solo career. Guitarist Vito Bratta basically dropped out of sight and now owns the rights to the entire White Lion music catalog. James LoMenzo and Greg D’Angelo joined Zakk Wylde’s band Pride & Glory which released one album.

White Sister

White Sister was formed in 1980 in the L.A. area and released two albums: (1984) White Sister and (1986) Fashion by Passion. The band was featured on several movie soundtracks including Fright Night, Thrashin’, and Halloween 5: The Revenge of Michael Myers. The band had a slightly more AOR, melodic rock sound with heavy keyboards.  After White Sister, three of the band members would go on to form another band called Tattoo Rodeo.

 

 

White Tiger

White Tiger was notable for featuring former KISS guitarist Mark St. John who played on the Animalize album, only to be released by the band and replaced by Bruce Kulick after being unable to play with acute tendonitis. St. John was a great player, but this album suffers from really poor production that burdens this album throughout. With more support and clean production and mix, Mark St. John might have re-established himself in the world of metal guitarists, but the album was purchased mostly by die-hard KISS fans and virtually no one else. This was the only album released by White Tiger. St. John released a few solo albums independently but never to the level of his previous success. Sadly, St, John died in 2007 from a brain hemorrhage.

 

Whitecross

Whitecross was formed in 1985 by singer Scott Wenzel and guitarist Rex Carroll and sounding like the Christian version of Ratt helped these guys find an audience of fans who desperately wanted a Christian band that sounded like the secular bands that were dominating the airwaves. Whitecross could have been up there with Stryper but was relegated to being sold mostly in Christian Book stores.

 

 

Whitesnake

Originally the name of David Coverdale’s solo album, Whitesnake started as a full band in 1978 following David Coverdale’s exit from Deep Purple. In the early years, the band had a more blues-based sound, but would slowly move in the direction of hard rock and metal. Whitesnake was prolific during the 80s releasing the following albums: Ready an’ Willing (1980), Come an’ Get It (1981), Saints & Sinners (1982), Slide It In (1984), Whitesnake (1987), and Slip of the Tongue (1989).  The band managed to reach a larger mainstream rock audience with the release of Slide It In in 1984 and reached the peak of fame with the release of the self-titled “Whitesnake” album in 1987 which went 8 times Platinum in the U.S. Whitesnake continues to record and tour, but vocalist David Coverdale has indicated that he may retire from touring soon.

 

Wildside

“Under The Influence” is still a great album by a band that found great success in the L.A. club scene of the late ’80s but just recorded too late. Signed by Capitol Records and touted as the next big band, they couldn’t survive the record company’s abandonment of metal for alternative rock.

 

 

 

Winger

In 1985, Kip Winger joined Alice Cooper’s band where he recorded for two albums and toured with the band. He left in 1987 to start his own band. Winger released their debut album Winger in 1988. The album hit #21 on the Billboard charts with singles like “Madalaine”, “Seventeen”, “Headed for a Heartbreak” and “Hungry”. The band would continue to find success into the early part of the 90s. Winger still has a devoted fanbase and the band continues to release new material every few years.

 

 

Wrathchild

Over-the-top glam, metal, and leather all mixed together, U.K.’s Wrathchild was a rumbling glam-metal band resembling early Motley Crue in looks, but going for a more excessive style, Wrathchild released their debut album Stakk Attakk in 1984. Critics claimed they were big on looks, but lacked real talent. After Stakk Attakk they released the following albums: Trash Queens (1985), The Biz Suxx (1988), Delirium (1989), and Stakkattakktwo (2011).

 

XYZ

XYZ was originally located in France where members Terry Ilous and Pat Fontaine are from.  The band moved to L.A. during the 80s glam metal scene and got a deal in 1989 with Don Dokken as their producer. The band released their self-titled debut in 1989 and received airplay from the hit singles “Inside Out” “What Keeps Me Loving You” and “Maggy”.  While the band never achieved huge success in the U.S. they released several albums afterward and singer Ilous would go on to front the band “Great White” for several years after they parted way with singer Jack Russell.

 

Y & T

After originally starting out in the 70s as Yesterday And Today, the band shortened their name to Y & T and found a decent amount of fame during the 80s with the following albums: Earthshaker (1981), Black Tiger (1982), Mean Streak (1983), In Rock We Trust (1984), Down for the Count (1985) and, Contagious (1987). The band still exists and tours regularly with only singer, guitarist Dave Meniketti remaining as an original member.  Former members Leonard Haze, Phil Kennemore, and Joey Alves have all sadly passed away.

 

Zan Clan

For everyone who likes the first Shotgun Messiah album, vocalist Zinny Zan released three albums under the band name Zan Clan. The first album “Citizen Of Wasteland” was released in 1994 and didn’t set the world on fire. Most people got the album they really wanted with the second release called “We Are The Zan Clan…Who The Fuck Are You?” (2005) Sounding remarkably like the first Shotgun Messiah album, it’s been called a sleazy masterpiece. The band would go on to release a live album as well in 2006.

 

 

Hair metal took the rock music scene by storm during the 80s and held a firm grasp on the top spots in hard rock music until later in the 90s when Alternative rock, finally overpowered them for airplay on the radio.

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