Hair Metal is probably the most critisised genre to come out of the ultra-cheesy late 80's, and even though it's been gone for nearly 20 years no one has let up on it. Now I'll be honest I like hair metal. It's not my favorite rock genre but I still like it. Just curious but what do you really think about hair metal 15 years after it totally disappered?

I think hair metal gets more viciously criticized than ultra-cheesy synthpop like Duran Duran, ABC, and the Human League from the early-mid '80s for a few reasons. One, hair metal was more heavily similar to the raw classic rock of the '70s, and so seemed like a corporate subversion of that genre. Two, it had more of a heavy, vulgar image and was less purely "fun" than the synthpop of the previous period. Bon Jovi, Poison, Motley Crue, Warrant, White Lion, Winger, Ratt, Cinderella, and Def Leppard are definitely some of the more famous examples of the "hair metal" (technically "glam metal") subgenre of heavy metal. Also, the whole thing was seen as reeking of corporate creation rather than "street" or "garage" innovation, though this is not always the case, and the genre was extremely repetitive in its radio play (hard-rocking anthem always followed by power ballad, for example.) And the whole thing, as I said before, is much more heady cheese than the lite cheese of say the Human League. But there's definitely other cheesy stuff from the late '80s...I mean, Milli Vanilli, people?

They can call it anything they but I don't care..alot kick ass bands and songs in that so-called genre.  My genre that covers alot band from the 80s metal scene, i use Hard Rock.  Besides one of the best guitarists from the 80s came from that genre, a guitarists called George Lynch aka Mr Scary!!!! 8)

Night Ranger, an '80s hair metal band, do "Sister Christian", which I think is a great song. Alot of hair metal is actually pretty good pop-rock, and Bon Jovi, some of my favorite Jersey boys, can be great.

I remember when Bon Jovi first came out. I don't about everywhere else, but in my hometown, a lot of people made fun of Bon Jovi, not long after though they went big with Slippery When Wet and everyone all of a sudden looked like them in my hometown. I think the fact that they are still rocking today and making good music shows that they were much more than just a big hair band. As far some other big hair bands, some of the had the greatest rock ballads ever and though they aren't around, just reading their names takes me back to when I was a teenager, when it okay to dress dumb and have big hair.

I think hair metal gets more viciously criticized than ultra-cheesy synthpop like Duran Duran, ABC, and the Human League from the early-mid '80s for a few reasons. One, hair metal was more heavily similar to the raw classic rock of the '70s, and so seemed like a corporate subversion of that genre. Two, it had more of a heavy, vulgar image and was less purely "fun" than the synthpop of the previous period. Bon Jovi, Poison, Motley Crue, Warrant, White Lion, Winger, Ratt, Cinderella, and Def Leppard are definitely some of the more famous examples of the "hair metal" (technically "glam metal") subgenre of heavy metal. Also, the whole thing was seen as reeking of corporate creation rather than "street" or "garage" innovation, though this is not always the case, and the genre was extremely repetitive in its radio play (hard-rocking anthem always followed by power ballad, for example.) And the whole thing, as I said before, is much more heady cheese than the lite cheese of say the Human League. But there's definitely other cheesy stuff from the late '80s...I mean, Milli Vanilli, people?



I totally agree with this. It's repetitivness is what brought it's end. By 1991/'92 people were just fed up with the tired rock anthem power ballad fomula you mentioned. Also the subject matter of the songs is in such stark contrast to what we hear in rock today(sadism, overtly-heterosexual, violence, etc.) which probably has also led to the fact that people feel much the same way about it now they did 15 years ago.

Night Ranger, an '80s hair metal band, do "Sister Christian", which I think is a great song. Alot of hair metal is actually pretty good pop-rock, and Bon Jovi, some of my favorite Jersey boys, can be great.



"Sister Christian" is a great song. So is "Love is on the Way" by Saigon Kick. That's why I like hair metal. It's pretty much just good pop-metal when you get down to it.

I totally agree with this. It's repetitivness is what brought it's end. By 1991/'92 people were just fed up with the tired rock anthem power ballad fomula you mentioned. Also the subject matter of the songs is in such stark contrast to what we hear in rock today(sadism, overtly-heterosexual, violence, etc.) which probably has also led to the fact that people feel much the same way about it now they did 15 years ago.


Yeah, its repetitiveness is what brought it down. The repetitiveness of commercial synthpop is also what brought that down, and the same applies for teen pop (all the late '90s teen pop songs ultimately sound the same), nu metal, and lots of other dead genres. There's certainly more nostalgia for hair metal now than say in 1998, when it was still a recent enough phenomenon to be totally maligned. I think it's both the current wave of '80s nostalgia and the VH1 network, with it's "I Love the '80s" and Behind the Music specials on semi-forgotten hair metal bands, that brought back hair metal slightly. Also, alot of radio stations, particularly in NJ (big Italian-American hair metal state, being the home of Bon Jovi), now play '80s hair metal hits mixed in with classic rock from the '60s, '70s, '80s, and early '90s.

I think hair metal gets more viciously criticized than ultra-cheesy synthpop like Duran Duran, ABC, and the Human League from the early-mid '80s for a few reasons. One, hair metal was more heavily similar to the raw classic rock of the '70s, and so seemed like a corporate subversion of that genre. Two, it had more of a heavy, vulgar image and was less purely "fun" than the synthpop of the previous period. Bon Jovi, Poison, Motley Crue, Warrant, White Lion, Winger, Ratt, Cinderella, and Def Leppard are definitely some of the more famous examples of the "hair metal" (technically "glam metal") subgenre of heavy metal. Also, the whole thing was seen as reeking of corporate creation rather than "street" or "garage" innovation, though this is not always the case, and the genre was extremely repetitive in its radio play (hard-rocking anthem always followed by power ballad, for example.) And the whole thing, as I said before, is much more heady cheese than the lite cheese of say the Human League. But there's definitely other cheesy stuff from the late '80s...I mean, Milli Vanilli, people?


Wel.. if we're gonna be technical then Def Leppard were technically NWOBHM :)

I like a lot of Hair Metal and Glam Metal. (Crue being v. glam).
Some.. however sucks.

How anybody could listen to Cinderella I don't know.

I think hair metal gets more viciously criticized than ultra-cheesy synthpop like Duran Duran, ABC, and the Human League from the early-mid '80s for a few reasons.

Eh? I wouldn't call Duran Duran ultra-cheezy. I think they're great! I've had "Wild Boys" playing in my head all day, actually.

They're way better than lame hair-metal.  :P

How anybody could listen to Cinderella I don't know.



Dont know what you got(till its gone) is a pretty good song, but other than that one I really dont know any other songs by Cinderella so i'm not sure whether there good or not.

Yeah, I like some 'hair metal' bands....Motley Crue kicked A$$ in the '80s and early 90's..

Anyone here remember Skid Row? "18 and Life" and "Youth Gone Wild" rocked!

I like some of Poison's stuff...

Oh yeah, I liked Def Leppard too.

How about Guns N' Roses...Oh yeahhhhhh!!

I have GnR stuff downloaded...but when "Appetite for Destruction" came out, I bought the tape and played it every freakin' day...

Yeah, I like some 'hair metal' bands....Motley Crue kicked A$$ in the '80s and early 90's..


Hell Yeah Crue kicked ass!

Did you see any shows on the most recent tour? They still fukken rock!

I played with a Motley Crue cover band for a few months, really cool, (Nikki) was a prick though  ;D


How about Guns N' Roses...Oh yeahhhhhh!!

I have GnR stuff downloaded...but when "Appetite for Destruction" came out, I bought the tape and played it every freakin' day...


Fukken GnR again, kick major ass!

And alternative isn't repetitive? Same look, sound, and lyrical content in almost every alt band. But it still lives on in various forms in todays music and doesn't get ripped on like "hair" metal does and it's been 15 years since it really became popular. Makes one wonder......

And alternative isn't repetitive? Same look, sound, and lyrical content in almost every alt band. But it still lives on in various forms in todays music and doesn't get ripped on like "hair" metal does and it's been 15 years since it really became popular. Makes one wonder......


.. What a marvelous guy you are.

So true, plus you play a BC Rich!

ROCK ON!

Wel.. if we're gonna be technical then Def Leppard were technically NWOBHM :)

I like a lot of Hair Metal and Glam Metal. (Crue being v. glam).
Some.. however sucks.

How anybody could listen to Cinderella I don't know.

In defense of Cinderella:  "Gypsy Road" - at 3 in the morning on your first 12-hour road trip. 

But that was when I didn't know any better :)

In defense of all hair metal:  Zodiac Mindwarp (and the Love Reaction). The guy who took hair metal to its logical extension -- he parodied himself.  Anyone who hasn't seen the video for 1988's "Prime Mover" (or sung "Elvis Died for You!", ca. 1991) hasn't truly experienced hair metal.

Zodiac Mindwarp is so delightfully cheesy you'll be laughing *with*  him, not *at* him.  Even 20 years later.  Which is exactly what he intended almost 20 years ago.

Wel.. if we're gonna be technical then Def Leppard were technically NWOBHM :)


Ahh, they started out as NWOBHM and then found the bleach bottle and hairspray !  ;D

I love Glam Metal always have and always will.As with any genre there were a lot of dire bands out there who looked amazing but sounded cr*p ! I find going back to play albums that I loved at the time, some are shockingly bad and others have held up to the test of time.
I class Appetite for Destruction as one of the most important albums of the 80's no question.
I'll add the Dog's D'amour to this page the best damn British Glam band going bar none !

Ahh, they started out as NWOBHM and then found the bleach bottle and hairspray !  ;D

I love Glam Metal always have and always will.As with any genre there were a lot of dire bands out there who looked amazing but sounded cr*p ! I find going back to play albums that I loved at the time, some are shockingly bad and others have held up to the test of time.
I class Appetite for Destruction as one of the most important albums of the 80's no question.
I'll add the Dog's D'amour to this page the best damn British Glam band going bar none !


Oh God I know.. hairspray mist.
Never have really liked Leppard to be honest, always more in to Maiden, Fate, Priest etc.

it's all good...just hate the hair.

it's all good...just hate the hair.
Oh god ! the hair was one of the best bits about it *SWOON*

When I met my other half he had hair down to his backside, actually now I come to think of it his hair and gorgeous arse were the first two things I noticed about him !!  ;D

Oh god ! the hair was one of the best bits about it *SWOON*

When I met my other half he had hair down to his backside, actually now I come to think of it his hair and gorgeous arse were the first two things I noticed about him !!  ;D


It gets wrapped around your socks in the dryer. ew.

And alternative isn't repetitive? Same look, sound, and lyrical content in almost every alt band. But it still lives on in various forms in todays music and doesn't get ripped on like "hair" metal does and it's been 15 years since it really became popular. Makes one wonder......



I agree, alternative rock is very repetitive(as are most genre's of music). The reason that it dosen't get dumped on like hair metal does is because even after it became mainstream in 1991 it's STILL popular in 2006. I must be honest I like but i'm even starting to get a little tired of it myself.

It gets wrapped around your socks in the dryer. ew.

I've never had a dryer so I've never had that problem !  Believe me trying to vacuum it off the carpet is by far the worst.  ::)

I've never had a dryer so I've never had that problem !  Believe me trying to vacuum it off the carpet is by far the worst.  ::)


I cut mine off because I finally got sick of finding them all over the place.. I'd make a sandwhich and find a long brown hair in it.. having dog hair floating around the house is bad enough  :P

I like all kinds of music (except the cheesy bubble gum stuff).  Glam metal holds a dear place in my heart.  We have to accept it for what it is.  Good time party music that sounds really great turned up loud!  8)

I recently made a couple of compilation CDs of this kind of music and burnt them for a few friends that enjoy this stuff.  The first one is called "Buzzard's Nest", named after a local record store that was geared toward rock fans.  The second is called "The Return Of Spuds Mackenzie."  Spuds was the king of his era and the "Original Party Animal" knew how to rock!  ;D 

Buzzard's Nest
1.  Let It Rock - Bon Jovi
2.  Round And Round - Ratt
3.  Don't Treat Me Bad - Firehouse
4.  Summertime Girls - Y&T
5.  Wait For You - Bonham
6.  Don't Close Your Eyes - Dokken
7.  Heading For A Heartbreak - Winger
8.  Love And Affection - Nelson
9.  Nobody's Fool - Cinderella
10. Nothin' But A Good Time - Poison
11. Rainbow In The Dark - Dio
12. Uncle Tom's Cabin - Warrant
13. Jellyroll - Blue Murder
14. Fly High Michelle - Enuff Z'Nuff
15. 18 & Life - Skid Row
16. Coming Of Age - Darn Yankees
17. Home Sweet Home - M

I love Glam Metal always have and always will.As with any genre there were a lot of dire bands out there who looked amazing but sounded cr*p ! I find going back to play albums that I loved at the time, some are shockingly bad and others have held up to the test of time.
I class Appetite for Destruction as one of the most important albums of the 80's no question.
I'll add the Dog's D'amour to this page the best damn British Glam band going bar none !


Agreed! :D
Skid Row, Crue, Ozzy, Cinderella, Queensryche, Def Leopard, GnR just a fraction of what sounded good and looked good

And alternative isn't repetitive? Same look, sound, and lyrical content in almost every alt band. But it still lives on in various forms in todays music and doesn't get ripped on like "hair" metal does and it's been 15 years since it really became popular. Makes one wonder......


I agree.  Hair metal was popular for like 5 years, from late 1986 to mid 1991.  Alt has been popular for 14 1/2 years.  Both are repetitive and monotonous, but one gets endless love and the other died almost overnight.

I agree.  Hair metal was popular for like 5 years, from late 1986 to mid 1991.  Alt has been popular for 14 1/2 years.  Both are repetitive and monotonous, but one gets endless love and the other died almost overnight.



Agreed. And alt is alot more repeititve now than than 14 years ago.

Agreed. And alt is alot more repeititve now than than 14 years ago.


Yeah, the alt rock scene say in 1992 (and definitely in the late '80s), was quite varied. I mean, look at the difference between say R.E.M, Sonic Youth, Husker Du, Nirvana, RHCP, Nine Inch Nails, Tori Amos, and the B-52s. Now, despite minor stylistic differences, it's all the same snooty posturing, bad derivatives of 1977-1985 underground rock, whininess, over-cerebreality, and hipsterism.

Agreed. And alt is alot more repeititve now than than 14 years ago.


Or even compared to 7 years ago.  I think alt rock became generic around 1999-2000, when you got artists like Creed and Three Doors Down.

Or even compared to 7 years ago.  I think alt rock became generic around 1999-2000, when you got artists like Creed and Three Doors Down.


And Maroon 5 and Incubus and Nickelback and Fall Out Boy and Good Charlotte. All these incredibly generic artists.

And Maroon 5 and Incubus and Nickelback and Fall Out Boy and Good Charlotte. All these incredibly generic artists.


You know who I dislike strongly? LIFEHOUSE!  >:(

You know who I dislike strongly? LIFEHOUSE!  >:(



Their song You and Me is beautiful.

Their song You and Me is beautiful.


It's okay, a little too Pearl Jam-ish though.