We polled the Hudson Valley favorite and have come up with a list of top favorite 80's hair bands.
National Hair Day is Saturday, Oct. 1. According to National Day Calendar, National Hair Day gives a nod to all the styles, products, tools, and people who keep our hair healthy and looking its best.
But when I think hair, I think of all those lovable, hair bands from the decade of decadence. I choose to celebrate this day by cranking up the hair metal all day! I love my 80's hard rock and heavy metal. Whether it be hair metal or just straight-up heavy metal. (G n' R, Bon Jovi, Def Leppard, Judas Priest, Iron Maiden). I love it all. The '80s were a great time to grow up in, especially for the music.
Hair metal, or Glam metal, is a subgenre of heavy metal that features pop-influenced hooks and guitar riffs, upbeat rock anthems and slow power ballads. It borrows heavily from the fashion and image of 1970s glam rock.
We decided to poll the Hudson Valley, and find out who their favorite 80's hair band was (keep in mind, we use the term "hair band" loosely).
W.A.S.P. formed in 1982 out of the Los Angeles metal scene, that started bands like Van Halen, Motley Crue, Dokken, Quiet Riot, Ratt, Guns N’ Roses, Great White, L.A. Guns, and many others. Led by frontman Blackie Lawless, the band gained notoriety for their shock rock-themed image, lyrics, and live performances. They signed to Capitol Records and released their debut album W.A.S.P. in 1984 and have sold over 12 million albums.
Tesla was formed out of Sacramento, California in 1981. The hard rock/metal outfit released their first album 'Mechanical Resonance' in 1986 and toured with bands like David Lee Roth, Alice Cooper, Def Leppard, and Poison. The band released its second album in 1989. 'The Great Radio Controversy' produced the hit power ballad 'Love Song. in 1990, the band released the live album 'Five Man Acoustical Jam' and had a hit with their cover of 'Signs' (A 1971 hit for Five Man Electrical Band).
Tesla would release their third studio album 'Psychotic Supper' in 1991, and their fourth studio album 'Bust a Nut' in 1994 before going on hiatus. The band reunited in 2000 and has continued on ever since. The band has sold an estimated 14 million albums in the United States.
Skid Row was formed out of Toms River, NJ back in 1986. The band was very successful during the late ’80s and early ’90s. The classic band lineup featured Sebastian Bach (vocals), Rachel Bolan (bass), Dave ‘Snake’ Sabo (guitar), Scotti Hill (guitar), and Rob Affuso (drums). They released their debut album in 1989 and the album went multi-platinum with hit singles ’18 and Life’, ‘I Remember You’, and ‘Youth Gone Wild’. The band went in a heavier direction for their second album, the double-platinum #1 release ‘Slave to The Grind’. Skid Row has sold 20 million records worldwide.
Ratt formed out of Los Angeles, California and had a successful career with a string of hits during the glam metal scene of the 1980s. The band is best known for the songs "Round and Round" and "Lay It Down". Other singles included "Wanted Man", "You're in Love" and "Dance" among others. The band went through several hiatuses and lineup changes over the years. The band's classic lineup consisted of Stephen Pearcy on lead vocals, Robinn Crosby on lead and rhythm guitar, Warren DeMartini on lead and rhythm guitar, Juan Croucier on bass and Bobby Blotzer on drums. The band has sold nearly 10 million albums worldwide.
Dee Snider joined Twisted Sister in 1976 and became the main songwriter of the band. They released their first studio album Under the Blade in 1982. Their second album You Can’t Stop Rock ‘n’ Roll was released in 1983. The band achieved major success in 1984 with the release of their third album Stay Hungry featuring the hits “We’re Not Gonna Take It” and “I Wanna Rock”. Stay Hungry went multi-platinum selling 3 million copies with videos for the singles receiving heavy airplay on MTV.
Twisted Sister followed up the success of Stay Hungry with their not as successful Come Out and Play album in 1985. The album sold 500,000 copies. Twisted Sister split up after the release of 1987’s Love Is For Suckers. The band reunited in 2001 and had done some recording and touring ever since. They called it quits in 2016 with a 40th-anniversary farewell tour. Twisted Sister has sold over 12 million albums.
Cinderella emerged out of the 80's hair metal scene with a series of multi-platinum albums and hit singles whose music videos were in heavy rotation on MTV. The band has sold over 15 million albums worldwide. Cinderella’s debut album Night Songs was released on Mercury Records in 1986. The album peaked at number 3 on the U.S. Billboard 200 chart and went on to sell 3 million copies, thanks in part to the breakthrough single "Nobody's Fool" receiving rock radio airplay and heavy rotation on MTV. The success was also contributed to the fact that the band toured with Bon Jovi on the band's Slippery When Wet tour. Singles off the album included "Shake Me", "Nobody's Fool", and "Somebody Save Me". 1988's Long Cold Winter and 1990's Heartbreak Station were other successful releases from the band.
Poison had great success in the mid-1980s through the 1990’s selling over 40 million records worldwide with 15 million alone sold in the United States. The band released their breakthrough, multi-platinum debut album Look What the Cat Dragged in 1986 and hit their peak with the album Open Up and Say… Ahh! in 1988. Open Up and Say… Ahh! was the band’s most successful release with four hit singles: ‘Nothin’ but a Good Time’, ‘You’re Mama Don’t Dance’, ‘Fallen Angel’, and ‘Every Rose Has It’s Thorn’. It Peaked at number 2 on the Billboard 200 in the U.S. and sold 5 million copies.
Guns N' Roses formed out of Los Angeles, California in 1985 and had great success in the late '80s and early '90s. Their first album Appetite for Destruction is the best-selling debut album in U.S. with sales of 18 million. The album has sold over 30 million copies worldwide. The successful Use Your Illusion albums were released in 1991. After 1994, Rose disappeared from the public eye following the Use Your Illusion Tour. He resurfaced with a new Guns N' Roses lineup in 2001. The band was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2012. In 2016, the core of the classic Guns N’ Roses lineup reunited with Axl Rose being rejoined by guitarist Slash and bassist Duff McKagan. Guns N' Roses have sold over 100 million records worldwide, including 45 million in the U.S. alone.
Def Leppard has sold over 100 million records worldwide. They continue to record and remain a popular touring act. The band achieved the most commercial success throughout the 1980s and early 1990s. Initial success came with the 1981 album High 'n' Dry, but it was 1983’s Pyromania that would become their breakthrough album, getting certified Diamond in the U.S. for 10 million copies sold and the mega hit “Photograph”. The band reached even greater success with the album Hysteria in 1987 with 12 million copies sold in the U.S. and over 25 million sold worldwide.
By an overwhelming number of votes in this poll, Motley Crue placed number 1 as the top favorite 80's hair band according to the Hudson Valley. Motley Crue formed out of L.A. in 1981 with bassist Nikki Sixx and drummer Tommy Lee, singer Vince Neil and guitarist Mick Mars. The band has sold over 100 million albums worldwide, including 25 million in the US alone.
Motley Crue released their self-recorded debut Too Fast For Love in 1981 on their own label and would re-release the album after signing with Elektra Records. They released their breakthrough album Shout at The Devil in 1983, followed by Theater of Pain in 1985, Girls, Girls, Girls in 1987, and Dr. Feelgood in 1989. Dr. Feelgood would become Motley Crue’s most successful album spending 114 weeks on the charts and selling over 6 million copies in the U.S. The compilation Decade of Decadence was released in 1991. Many other releases would follow with a Farewell tour being announced in January of 2014.
Motley Crue announced in 2018 that they were reuniting to work on new material. On March 22, 2019, the band released The Dirt soundtrack and Netflix biopic based on their New York Times best-selling autobiography of the same name. Motley Crue embarked on its first major tour in seven years in the summer of 2022, co-headlining The Stadium Tour with Def Leppard. It was one of the most successful tours of the year.