Although Bang Tango was often lumped in with the whole '80s glam metal movement (perhaps due to their pretty boy looks and the fact that they hailed from Los Angeles, CA), the hard rockin' quintet was one of the few L.A. glam groups to incorporate funk into its sound -- some time before the Red Hot Chili Peppers and Faith No More made it... [+] Read More

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Sleazy Hollywood metal band (whose name was lifted from a Russ Meyer flick) Faster Pussycat released their first album in 1987 and peaked commercially two years later with the gold album Wake Me When It's Over, and the Top 40 single "House of Pain." Although their next album, 1992's Whipped, hit number 90 on the charts, it fell off quickly; with... [+] Read More

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At a time when pop was dominated by dance music and pop-metal, Guns N' Roses brought raw, ugly rock & roll crashing back into the charts. They were not nice boys; nice boys don't play rock & roll. They were ugly, misogynist, and violent; they were also funny, vulnerable, and occasionally sensitive, as their breakthrough hit, "Sweet Child O'... [+] Read More

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Finland's major export to the world of heavy metal, Hanoi Rocks, drew much of their sound and inspiration from '70s glam-rock and were thought by some to have fused the two styles more successfully than similar acts such as Motley Crue. Hanoi Rocks was founded in 1980 by singer Michael Monroe (born Matti Fagerholm) and guitarist Andy McCoy (born... [+] Read More

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Ex-Angel and ex-Giuffria guitarist Gregg Giuffria formed House of Lords out of complete boredom, but for his love of music. His close friend, Gene Simmons of Kiss, soon signed his new band to his newly formed label, Simmons Records, and they have been successful ever since. ~ John Book, All Music Guide

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With a gritty reputation that was arguably equaled only by Guns N' Roses, Mötley Crüe's infamous antics made them a force to be reckoned with in the '80s. As one of the first and most influential hair metal bands of the '80s, Mötley Crüe had a series of hit albums, the biggest and most noteworthy being 1989's Dr. Feelgood. The band continued to... [+] Read More

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In a decade fueled by party anthems and power ballads, Poison found a high amount of popularity, with only Bon Jovi and Def Leppard outselling them. While the group had a long string of hits, they soon became just as renowned for their stage show, and continued to be a major attraction over the course of their first three albums. Although their... [+] Read More

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In a decade fueled by party anthems and power ballads, Poison found a high amount of popularity, with only Bon Jovi and Def Leppard outselling them. While the group had a long string of hits, they soon became just as renowned for their stage show, and continued to be a major attraction over the course of their first three albums. Although their... [+] Read More

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Ratt's brash, melodic heavy metal made the Los Angeles quintet one of the most popular rock acts of the mid-'80s. The group had its origins in the '70s group Mickey Ratt, which had evolved into Ratt by 1983; at that time the band featured vocalist Stephen Pearcy, guitarist Robbin Crosby, guitarist Warren DeMartini, bassist Juan Croucier, and... [+] Read More

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Hard rockers Saigon Kick formed in Miami in 1988 with a lineup including Matt Kramer, Jason Bieler, Tom DeFile and Phil Varone. The band played around the region, and signed with Third Stone/Atlantic in 1990. Saigon Kick's self-titled debut LP did okay, but the following year's album, The Lizard, broke the band with the number-12 single "Love Is... [+] Read More

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Skid Row was one of the last hair metal bands to hit the mainstream before grunge took over in the early '90s. They were also arguably the last of such bands to have any originality. While their 1989 self-titled release used standard pop-metal riffs and contained a handful of generic lyrics, 1991's Slave to the Grind and 1995's Subhuman Race... [+] Read More

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Vocalist Danny Bowes and lead guitarist Luke Morley first played together when they were 15-year-old classmates in London. The two later formed the band Terraplane, which released two albums but broke up in 1988. Bowes and Morley then formed Thunder, recruiting drummer Gary James, bassist Snake and rhythm guitarist Ben Matthews. The group's... [+] Read More

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Of all the glam/pop-metal bands that crawled out of hair salons coast to coast during the mid- to late '80s, one of the more talented acts was New York's White Lion, led by singer Mike Tramp (originally from Denmark) and guitarist Vito Bratta. The group originally formed in 1983 and despite several bassists and drummers coming and going... [+] Read More

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