Best Ever Albums

Re: Hair Metal

rkm — Mon, 12 Aug 2019 18:18:20 GMT

Author: rkm

Posted: 08/12/2019 22:18

Thanks everyone for your input to this thread, and particularly Rocky for your top 100 (I think I listened to all of them). I’ve enjoyed my tour through Hair Metal, ironically at an age when I’m losing my hair.

I’ve come up with a chronological list of 30 albums that I like from the era, and there are many isolated songs that I appreciate. It’s probably fair to say that hair metal isn’t my thing, as I don’t really like Motley Crüe and only truly like one Guns ‘n’ Roses song.

If anyone is interested, here is my list. I still like Van Halen, have an increased admiration and genuine like for Dokken and Stryper, a new found appreciation of Mr. Big, and concede reluctantly that Def Leppard and Whitesnake are really pretty great, maybe not in spite of their kitsch factor, but because of it.

The guitarists of the era were really pretty amazing.

https://www.besteveralbums.com/addchart.php?c=54463

Re: Hair Metal

RockyRaccoon — Thu, 1 Aug 2019 13:41:29 GMT

Author: RockyRaccoon

Posted: 08/01/2019 17:41

Jasonconfused wrote:

RockyRaccoon wrote:

Oh my man, Ozzy was wayyyy in on hair metal with those first two albums, look at this dude:

No way that's during the first two albums. I don't see Randy Rhoads or Kerslake or Daisley or Aldrige... who are these people!?

That's the Jake E. Lee, Ultimate Sin-era Ozzy band, so about 1986ish

Re: Hair Metal

Romanelli — Mon, 29 Jul 2019 09:52:54 GMT

Author: Romanelli

Posted: 07/29/2019 13:52

The closest thing I think we ever got to a hair metal / alt country album:

Heartbreak Station by Cinderella

And these guys were pretty great, especially live:

Wake Me When It's Over by Faster Pussycat

Re: Hair Metal

Graeme2 — Sat, 27 Jul 2019 16:08:12 GMT

Author: Graeme2

Posted: 07/27/2019 20:08

Looks very '86 that photo. Could almost be Motley Crue, Bon Jovi, Cinderella from that time. I guess '86-'87 was peak hair metal. I'm not really a fan of most of this era, though a couple of the big hair metal bands did have good early albums that I'm a fan of. Whether they are classed as hair metal, I don't know.

High 'n' Dry by Def Leppard

Too Fast For Love by Mötley Crüe

Re: Hair Metal

Jasonconfused — Thu, 25 Jul 2019 14:26:59 GMT

Author: Jasonconfused

Posted: 07/25/2019 18:26

RockyRaccoon wrote:

Oh my man, Ozzy was wayyyy in on hair metal with those first two albums, look at this dude:

No way that's during the first two albums. I don't see Randy Rhoads or Kerslake or Daisley or Aldrige... who are these people!?

Re: Hair Metal

rkm — Thu, 25 Jul 2019 08:54:53 GMT

Author: rkm

Posted: 07/25/2019 12:54

I grew up in the church, and my folks didn’t like me listening to Van Halen, but tolerated me listening to Stryper. I’ve been listening to them today in the context of all the other ‘hair metal’ albums I’ve been exploring, and I’m kind of surprised that they hold up. The ballads are pretty awful, but some of the tracks are killer.

I’m also surprised that they are still around making albums, and they sing and play as well as ever. Must be all that clean living?

This is the last track from their 1990 album, ‘Against the Law’.

Link

Re: Hair Metal

RockyRaccoon — Thu, 25 Jul 2019 08:20:44 GMT

Author: RockyRaccoon

Posted: 07/25/2019 12:20

rkm wrote:

When do you think hair metal started and ended?
What year was it’s peak?

This write up doesn’t take itself too seriously, but argues that it really began in 1981 with Motley Crüe and ended in 1991 with its demolition via Nirvana, which rounds it out neatly at a decade.

https://www.pantsandfizz.com/hair-metal/

I know others argue that ‘Appetite for Destruction’ from 1987, while being part of hair metal, was a nail in the coffin.

I’d agree that ‘Slippery When Wet’ in 1986 was the mainstream peak.

1988-1992 seems like an interesting period, in that there were definitely bands that perfected the hair metal image and sound a little too late, or seem like a parody of the genre now, or alternately took the sound in other directions (ie. Extreme with Funk/Metal etc.)

It's hard to say, because the genre can still pop up every now and then. I mean, The Darkness wasn't all that far off from hair metal, and they're still around. Europe is still together making music, as is Tesla (though both have changed their sounds).

I think I would say hair metal kid of fizzled out by about 1992-93. There are some fantastic hair metal releases from those years (like Steelheart and Giant for example) that got overlooked. But yea, I'd say hair metal's heyday was about 1980-1992ish

Re: Hair Metal

RockyRaccoon — Thu, 25 Jul 2019 08:14:00 GMT

Author: RockyRaccoon

Posted: 07/25/2019 12:14

rkm wrote:

Rocky, at 28 you’re a fairly young dude, to be into this stuff. What was your entry point into it? Did you grow up with it?

Nah, I didn't grow up with it. I grew up with Motown and 60s pop with a little bit of traditional classic rock.

My entry point into hair metal was probably Van Halen, though at the time I didn't really know them as a hair metal band. I really started getting into hair metal because of the power ballads at first. I dunno why, but I just love me a good power ballad, which is how I first discovered Steelheart and FireHouse, with their songs "I'll Never Let You Go" and "Love Of A Lifetime" respectively.

And I'm kind of an obsessive person, so once I get into something, I get into *all* of it, so once I started diving into hair metal, I dove into it as far as I could.

Re: Hair Metal

rkm — Wed, 24 Jul 2019 21:32:43 GMT

Author: rkm

Posted: 07/25/2019 01:32

When do you think hair metal started and ended?
What year was it’s peak?

This write up doesn’t take itself too seriously, but argues that it really began in 1981 with Motley Crüe and ended in 1991 with its demolition via Nirvana, which rounds it out neatly at a decade.

https://www.pantsandfizz.com/hair-metal/

I know others argue that ‘Appetite for Destruction’ from 1987, while being part of hair metal, was a nail in the coffin.

I’d agree that ‘Slippery When Wet’ in 1986 was the mainstream peak.

1988-1992 seems like an interesting period, in that there were definitely bands that perfected the hair metal image and sound a little too late, or seem like a parody of the genre now, or alternately took the sound in other directions (ie. Extreme with Funk/Metal etc.)

Re: Hair Metal

rkm — Wed, 24 Jul 2019 21:16:19 GMT

Author: rkm

Posted: 07/25/2019 01:16

By 1988, I was 16, and the heavier bands I was into were King’s X and Living Colour. At the time, I think it was because they seemed more interesting to me than typical hair metal, blurring the lines of the genre. Thirty years later, I’m not sure whether they qualify as hair metal or not?

Re: Hair Metal

rkm — Wed, 24 Jul 2019 21:11:22 GMT

Author: rkm

Posted: 07/25/2019 01:11

Rocky, at 28 you’re a fairly young dude, to be into this stuff. What was your entry point into it? Did you grow up with it?

I agree, Vito Bratta is fantastic. I’m enjoying White Lion if just for the solos. I’m not sure that the rest of the band or the songs are quite as great as Vito’s solos, though.

Re: Hair Metal

RockyRaccoon — Tue, 23 Jul 2019 14:26:11 GMT

Author: RockyRaccoon

Posted: 07/23/2019 18:26

I've also personally found Tesla to be horribly underrated, especially since Frank Hannon is such an incredible guitarist.

I feel similarly about White Lion. While some of their music is somewhat unremarkable (though good luck not having When The Children Cry stuck in your head), Vito Bratta is absolutely phenomenal on the guitar, best exemplified here (skip to about 4:56):

Link

Re: Hair Metal

RockyRaccoon — Tue, 23 Jul 2019 14:20:39 GMT

Author: RockyRaccoon

Posted: 07/23/2019 18:20

Sorry to come to this so late because this genre is like my life blood. I love some of the recommendations mentioned here (and Tilly, thanks for mentioning my chart!)

I especially love the Giant recommendation, they don't get enough love, but I truly truly cannot recommend the two most underrated hair metal bands ever: Steelheart and Firehouse.

Especially their debuts

Steelheart by Steelheart

FireHouse by FireHouse

Also, Steeler's self-titled is absolutely killer

Steeler by Steeler

If you love guitar porn like I do, there's nothing better than hair metal with Yngwie Malmsteen in it.

Re: Hair Metal

RockyRaccoon — Tue, 23 Jul 2019 14:16:34 GMT

Author: RockyRaccoon

Posted: 07/23/2019 18:16

Fischman wrote:

Plenty on Rocky's list I don't consider hair metal (especially the first two Ozzy albums and Triumph).

Oh my man, Ozzy was wayyyy in on hair metal with those first two albums, look at this dude:

Re: Hair Metal

Romanelli — Mon, 22 Jul 2019 21:22:43 GMT

Author: Romanelli

Posted: 07/23/2019 01:22

Link

Re: Hair Metal

Tha1ChiefRocka — Mon, 22 Jul 2019 20:39:04 GMT

Author: Tha1ChiefRocka

Posted: 07/23/2019 00:39

Eh, it's like an HR Giger type thing. I'm sure there's still a metal band out there today with something like this.

Re: Hair Metal

rkm — Mon, 22 Jul 2019 20:21:12 GMT

Author: rkm

Posted: 07/23/2019 00:21

I can’t imagine an album cover like this coming out today, unless the woman on the cover was the artist.

Slave To The Thrill by Hurricane

Re: Hair Metal

rkm — Mon, 22 Jul 2019 20:02:54 GMT

Author: rkm

Posted: 07/23/2019 00:02

@Fischman I’m listening to Hurricane’s
‘Slave to the Thrill’ at the moment. If you like ‘Over the Edge’, ‘Slave to the Thrill’ seems like an improvement to me. Very similar sound to Giant, by the way.

Re: Hair Metal

Repo — Mon, 22 Jul 2019 12:34:06 GMT

Author: Repo

Posted: 07/22/2019 16:34

Tha1ChiefRocka wrote:

Blackout In The Red Room by Love/Hate

digging this one! 😁

Re: Hair Metal

Repo — Mon, 22 Jul 2019 10:40:18 GMT

Author: Repo

Posted: 07/22/2019 14:40

Two more great ones...

Kix by Kix

Michael Schenker Group by Michael Schenker Group