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.
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):
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.
Last edited by rkm on 07/25/2019 01:17; edited 1 time in total
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?
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.
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.)
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. _________________ 2023 Chart
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.
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 _________________ 2023 Chart
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’.
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