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

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 broke away from the pop-metal mold with uncharacteristically hard, thrashy guitars and more unique songwriting while still relying on varying '80s metal formulas. Though personal differences and changing trends would eventually tear the band apart by 1996, Skid Row showed a tremendous amount of promise during their short run in the mainstream.

Skid Row was formed in 1986 by bassist Rachel Bolan and former Bon Jovi guitarist Dave "The Snake" Sabo. The pair added guitarist Scotti Hill, drummer Rob Affuso, and vocalist Sebastian Bach to the lineup by early 1987 and the band spent the next year and a half playing a series of local clubs in the eastern U.S. Still in connection with Jon Bon Jovi, Sabo convinced the established rock star to land Skid Row a record deal with Mercury. In 1989, the band released their first album, Skid Row, which went multi-platinum on the strength of the Top 40 singles "18 and Life" and "I Remember You." Success was not without backlash, however -- the band had naïvely signed away much of their royalties and Sebastian Bach's childlike behavior would land the group in additional trouble. During the subsequent tour, Bach received harsh criticism for a T-shirt he publicly sported displaying the message: AIDS KILLS FAGS DEAD. Suits were also filed against Bach after a concert during the supporting tour, where the singer allegedly threw a glass bottle into the crowd, injuring a young female fan.

Nonetheless, Skid Row retained a devoted audience. 1991's Slave to the Grind debuted at number one on the Billboard chart, an unprecedented accomplishment for a metal band. While the album did not chart any real radio hits, Grind received stronger critical praise and would eventually reach platinum status. Like so many of their peers, Skid Row lost much of their fan base during the grunge phase of the '90s. As Nirvana stormed the scene in 1992, Skid Row took a hiatus, waiting out the grunge period and pondering breakups (ironically, Nirvana had once gone under the name Skid Row in the '80s). Skid Row returned in 1995 with Subhuman Race, which surprisingly charted in the Top 40 but otherwise did not attract any real attention.

During the supporting tour, tensions between the group members ran high and Skid Row disbanded shortly afterward. Bach went on to form the Last Hard Men with Smashing Pumpkins drummer Jimmy Chamberlin, but the group broke up after recording a cover of Alice Cooper's "School's Out" for the Scream soundtrack in 1996. Plans to record new songs for the Skid Row greatest-hits album, 1998's Forty Seasons, fell through, as Bach went on to form a solo project and portray the title role in the Broadway musical Jeckyll and Hyde. In mid-2000, Skid Row re-formed with new singer Johnny Solinger and toured as the opening band for Kiss' farewell tour. They released Thickskin with Solinger in 2003. ~ Barry Weber, All Music Guide [-] Hide

Featuring ex-Ozzy Osbourne guitarist Brad Gillis and former Montrose keyboardist Alan Fitzgerald, Night Ranger was one of the most popular mainstream hard rock bands of the mid-'80s. The group formed in the early '80s in San Francisco; in addition to Gillis and Fitzgerald, the members included Jack Blades (vocals, bass), Jeff Watson (guitar),... [+] Read More

Featuring ex-Ozzy Osbourne guitarist Brad Gillis and former Montrose keyboardist Alan Fitzgerald, Night Ranger was one of the most popular mainstream hard rock bands of the mid-'80s. The group formed in the early '80s in San Francisco; in addition to Gillis and Fitzgerald, the members included Jack Blades (vocals, bass), Jeff Watson (guitar), and Kelly Keagy (drums). After a few local gigs, promoter Bill Graham managed to get them supporting slots on Judas Priest, Santana, and Doobie Brothers concerts. Night Ranger's first album, Dawn Patrol (1982), reached number 38 on the U.S. charts, yet it was 1983's Midnight Madness that established the band as a commercial force. Featuring the AOR hit "(You Can Still) Rock in America" and the number five single "Sister Christian," the record peaked at number 15 and sold over a million copies. 1985's 7 Wishes was just as successful, reaching number ten on the charts. Night Ranger's audience began to diminish after 1987's Big Life. Fitzgerald left the following year and the band released their last album, Man in Motion, which failed to go gold or spawn any Top 40 singles. Night Ranger broke up the next year. Jack Blades joined the supergroup Damn Yankees, which also featured Ted Nugent and Tommy Shaw. A reunited Night Ranger returned in 1998 with Seven. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide [-] Hide

Although Tesla emerged during the glory days of hair metal, they never completely fit the spirit of the times. Their music was well-produced pop-metal, to be sure, but they never indulged in the glammed-up excess that made cartoons out of many of their peers. Instead, Tesla's music was bluesy, no-frills, '70s-style hard rock; it concentrated... [+] Read More

Although Tesla emerged during the glory days of hair metal, they never completely fit the spirit of the times. Their music was well-produced pop-metal, to be sure, but they never indulged in the glammed-up excess that made cartoons out of many of their peers. Instead, Tesla's music was bluesy, no-frills, '70s-style hard rock; it concentrated more on solid musicianship than enormous, arena-ready choruses (or hairdos), and it had a noticeable grit -- not so much the urban sleaze of Guns N' Roses, but a grounded attitude and a genuine affection for old school hard rock. Despite their refreshing lack of posturing, Tesla was just as hard-hit as the rest of the pop-metal world when grunge wiped out classic-style hard rock, but they did produce one of the more respectable bodies of work of the era. Tesla was formed in Sacramento, CA, in 1985, out of an earlier, locally popular group called City Kidd which dated back to 1982. Tesla's lineup featured vocalist Jeff Keith, the underrated guitar tandem of Frank Hannon and Tommy Skeoch, bassist Brian Wheat, and drummer Troy Luccketta. At management's suggestion, the band named itself after the eccentric inventor Nikola Tesla, who pioneered the radio but was given only belated credit for doing so. After playing several showcases in Los Angeles, Tesla quickly scored a deal with Geffen and released their debut album, Mechanical Resonance, in 1986; it produced a minor hard rock hit in "Modern Day Cowboy," reached the Top 40 on the album charts, and eventually went platinum. However, it was the follow-up, 1989's The Great Radio Controversy, that truly broke the band. The first single, "Heaven's Trail (No Way Out)," was another hit with hard rock audiences, setting the stage for the second single, a warm, comforting ballad called "Love Song" which substituted a dash of hippie utopianism for the usual power-ballad histrionics. "Love Song" hit the pop Top Ten and made the band stars, pushing The Great Radio Controversy into the Top 20 and double-platinum sales figures; the follow-up single, "The Way It Is," was also something of a hit. In keeping with their unpretentious, blue-collar roots, Tesla responded to stardom not by aping the glam theatrics of their tourmates, but by stripping things down. The idea behind 1990s Five Man Acoustical Jam was virtually unheard of -- a pop-metal band playing loose, informal acoustic versions of their best-known songs in concert, plus a few favorite covers ('60s classics by the Beatles, Stones, CCR, and others). Fortunately, Tesla's music was sturdy enough to hold up when its roots were exposed, and one of the covers -- "Signs," an idealistic bit of hippie outrage by the Five Man Electrical Band -- became another Top Ten hit, as well as the band's highest-charting single. Not only did Five Man Acoustical Jam reach the Top 20 and go platinum, but it also helped directly inspire MTV's Unplugged series, both with its relaxed vibe and its reminder that acoustic music could sound vital and energetic. The studio follow-up to The Great Radio Controversy, Psychotic Supper, was released in 1991 and quickly became another platinum hit. It didn't produce any singles quite as successful as "Love Song" or "Signs," but it did spin off the greatest number of singles of any Tesla album -- "Edison's Medicine," "Call It What You Want," "What You Give," "Song and Emotion." Perhaps that was partly because Tesla's workmanlike hard rock didn't sound ridiculous if it was played on rock radio alongside the new crop of Seattle bands. But regardless, the winds of change were blowing, and by the time Tesla returned with their 1994 follow-up Bust a Nut, those winds had blown pretty much any new blue-collar hard rock off the airwaves. Bust a Nut did sell over 800,000 copies -- an extremely respectable showing, given the musical climate of 1994, and a testament to the fan base Tesla had managed to cultivate over the years. But all was not well within the band. Tommy Skeoch had been battling an addiction to tranquilizers and his problems worsened to the point where he was asked to leave the band in 1995. Tesla attempted to continue as a quartet for a time, but the chemistry had been irreparably altered, and they broke up in 1996. Most of the bandmembers began playing with smaller outfits, none of which moved beyond a local level. When Skeoch's health improved, the band staged a small-scale reunion in 2000, which quickly became full-fledged. In the fall of 2001, the group released a two-disc live album, Replugged Live, which documented their reunion tour. Into the Now, which was co-produced by Michael Rosen (Testament, AFI), appeared in March 2004. ~ Steve Huey, All Music Guide [-] Hide

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

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 success was rather short-lived, one cannot deny the major effect that Poison had on the music industry during their career.


Formerly known as Paris, Poison was formed in 1984 by singer Bret Michaels, bassist Bobby Dall, and drummer Rikki Rockett. After traveling from Harrisburg, PA, to Los Angeles, CA, the band added guitarist C.C. Deville to their lineup. The group was signed to Enigma Records in 1986, where they released their first album, Look What the Cat Dragged In. The record, spawning the Top Ten hits "I Want Action," "Talk Dirty to Me," and "I Won't Forget You," was a surprise success, selling two-million copies within a year following its release.


While the band was already quite popular by the end of 1987, 1988's Open Up & Say...Ahhh! was their commercial breakthrough, due to the massive hits "Fallen Angel," "Nothin' But a Good Time," and "Every Rose Has Its Thorn." After a prosperous tour with David Lee Roth, the group returned to the studio to record Flesh and Blood in 1990. The album, which included the upbeat "Unskinny Bop" and the sentimental "Something to Believe In," was another major success. The dynamic tour supporting the record brought on the release of Swallow This Live, a double-disc set which included live versions of their biggest hits, along with four new studio tracks. The band was secretly falling apart, as an infamous appearance on MTV showed Deville perform nearly half of "Talk Dirty to Me" with his guitar unplugged. The band broke into a brawl backstage after the disastrous performance.


Shortly after the release of Swallow This Live, Poison fired Deville due to his increasing addiction to drugs and alcohol. His replacement, Richie Kotzen, made his commercial debut with the band on the 1993 Native Tongue album, which, despite some strong reviews and a hit single, "Stand," was a commercial disappointment. Kotzen was fired during the subsequent tour, and Blues Saraceno became Poison's third guitarist. The band recorded their fifth studio album, Crack a Smile, for release in 1996, but the record was shelved and replaced with the Greatest Hits: 1986-1996 disc. Toward the end of 1996, Saraceno left and Deville returned to the band, which eventually resulted in a successful reunion tour in the summer of 1999; the Crack a Smile sessions were finally released the following spring, soon followed by the mostly live Power to the People. Another tour was cut short by an accident that left Dall with serious back surgery and at least a six-month break from the band. By the time he got back into shape, the band stepped into the studio and recorded Hollyweird, which was released in the summer of 2002. The following tour was promoted as a nostalgia experience and was funded by VH1. ~ Barry Weber, All Music Guide [-] Hide

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

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 drummer Bobby Blotzer. The band released their self-titled first album independently in 1983, which led to a major label contract with Atlantic Records. Their first album under this deal, 1984's Out of the Cellar, was a major success, reaching the American Top Ten and selling over three million copies. "Round and Round," the first single drawn from the album, hit number 12, proving the band had pop crossover potential. While their second album, 1985's Invasion of Your Privacy, didn't match the multi-platinum figures of Out of the Cellar, it also reached the Top Ten and sold over a million copies. By that time, the band could sell-out concerts across the country and were a staple on MTV and AOR radio. Both Dancin' Undercover (1986) and Reach for the Sky (1988) continued the band's platinum streak and their audience, had only slipped slightly by the time of their final album, 1990's Detonator.

In 1992, Pearcy left Ratt to form his own band, Arcade, issuing a pair of releases -- 1993's self-titled debut and 1994's A/2, before forming another new band, Vertex (issuing a lone self-titled release in 1996). With their brand of glam metal out of step with the then-burgeoning alt-rock movement, Ratt decided to sit out much of the '90s -- during which time DeMartini issued a solo album, Crazy Enough to Sing to You. But by the late '90s, the public's interest in '80s rock began to perk up, leading to Ratt reuniting in time for 1997's Collage. Two years later, Ratt's second self-titled release of their recording career was issued, following the same formula as its predecessor.

Shortly thereafter, Pearcy left the group once again, as he soon began fronting two bands, the more modern-sounding outfit Vicious Delite (a self-titled debut appeared in 2000) and Nitronic. Pearcy also formed his own record label (Top Fuel Records), and released several collections of archival material -- Arcade's A/3: Live & Unreleased, Mickey Ratt's The Garage Tape Dayz 78-81, and under his own name, the demo collection Before and Laughter. 2001 saw the release of Pearcy's first true solo album, Social Intercourse. Despite Pearcy's exit of the band, Ratt continued to carry on with new members Jizzy Pearl (former Love/Hate) on vocals, John Corabi (former Mötley Crüe) on guitar, and bassist Robbie Crane joining original members DeMartini and Blotzer. In the summer of 2001, long M.I.A. Ratt guitarist Robbin Crosby disclosed to the public that he was battling AIDS, and Croucier soon began organizing a benefit album for his former bandmate. After struggling for years with the resulting health problems, Crosby died in Los Angeles in June 2002. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine & Greg Prato, All Music Guide [-] Hide

It is probably true that Bon Jovi's breakthrough success with Slippery When Wet, their third album, had more to do with lead singer Jon Bon Jovi's mop of curls and winning smile than with anything in the grooves of the record. Nevertheless, the album contained competent contemporary pop/rock, from its Eddie Van Halen-inspired guitar solos to the... [+] Read More

It is probably true that Bon Jovi's breakthrough success with Slippery When Wet, their third album, had more to do with lead singer Jon Bon Jovi's mop of curls and winning smile than with anything in the grooves of the record. Nevertheless, the album contained competent contemporary pop/rock, from its Eddie Van Halen-inspired guitar solos to the singer's enthusiastic, husky wail (which owed a lot to Bruce Springsteen). Jon Bon Jovi, guitarist Richie Sambora, and songwriter-for-hire Desmond Child had little more on their minds than girls and rock-as-mythology (even the working-class anthem "Livin' on a Prayer" featured a character who was forced to hock his "six string"), but that may only mean they had identified their audience -- young white adolescent males -- and were targeting it accurately. ~ William Ruhlmann, All Music Guide [-] Hide

Since Winger was marketed largely on the looks of lead singer Kip Winger, and since their sleazy rockers and lovelorn ballads cover the same old pop-metal territory, the band's high-quality musicianship tended to get overlooked. Guitarist Reb Beach earned wide praise from other musicians, and he, ex-Dixie Dregs drummer Rod Morgenstein, and... [+] Read More

Since Winger was marketed largely on the looks of lead singer Kip Winger, and since their sleazy rockers and lovelorn ballads cover the same old pop-metal territory, the band's high-quality musicianship tended to get overlooked. Guitarist Reb Beach earned wide praise from other musicians, and he, ex-Dixie Dregs drummer Rod Morgenstein, and keyboardist Paul Taylor bring a distinct progressive metal influence to many of the tunes on Winger. Even if the lyrics are standard issue, the album is impeccably composed, crafted, and played, with melodies, riffs, and guitar solos taking off in unexpected directions and keeping the listener slightly off balance -- no easy task in the cookie-cutter hair metal genre. The only misstep is an overdone, tight-assed, totally misguided recasting of "Purple Haze." Otherwise, Winger is a surprisingly accomplished debut. ~ Steve Huey, All Music Guide [-] Hide

A rather skimpy ten-track best-of that overlooks highlights from ...Twice Shy and inexplicably includes only one song from Hooked, a flaccid remake of the Small Faces' fiery "Afterglow." Still, key tracks like "Once Bitten, Twice Shy," "Rock Me," and "House of Broken Love" are here, and casual fans will be satisfied simply by having Great...

A rather skimpy ten-track best-of that overlooks highlights from ...Twice Shy and inexplicably includes only one song from Hooked, a flaccid remake of the Small Faces' fiery "Afterglow." Still, key tracks like "Once Bitten, Twice Shy," "Rock Me," and "House of Broken Love" are here, and casual fans will be satisfied simply by having Great White's best-known songs on one disc. ~ Steve Huey, All Music Guide [-] Hide

Big Hits and Nasty Cuts: Best of Twisted Sister rounds up ten of the metal band's best-known songs, including "We're Not Gonna Take It" and "I Wanna Rock," adding five live tracks as an enticement for hardcore Sister collectors. Even though the live tracks are of questionable quality, the disc remains an excellent summation of the group's...

Big Hits and Nasty Cuts: Best of Twisted Sister rounds up ten of the metal band's best-known songs, including "We're Not Gonna Take It" and "I Wanna Rock," adding five live tracks as an enticement for hardcore Sister collectors. Even though the live tracks are of questionable quality, the disc remains an excellent summation of the group's career. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide [-] Hide

L.A. Guns' most consistent and effective album, Cocked & Loaded manages to balance the underlying darkness of Guns N' Roses' urban outlook with Mötley Crüe's party-anthem glam metal. The songwriting is among their best; "Never Enough" was successful on MTV, and "The Ballad of Jayne," a tribute to actress Jayne Mansfield, was a Top 40 hit. ~...

L.A. Guns' most consistent and effective album, Cocked & Loaded manages to balance the underlying darkness of Guns N' Roses' urban outlook with Mötley Crüe's party-anthem glam metal. The songwriting is among their best; "Never Enough" was successful on MTV, and "The Ballad of Jayne," a tribute to actress Jayne Mansfield, was a Top 40 hit. ~ Steve Huey, All Music Guide [-] Hide