Favorite Hair Metal/ Metal Bands of the 80's

[mrcrazyhimself]

As everyone who usually comes on this site, are big hair guys or just plain metal. Im 18, and i'm a total 80's guy. I mean, alot of guys know bands like Poison, Bon Jovi, Dokken..etc...etc. Ive been trying to get a lil deeper into the genre. Uncover some bands i havent heard. Im a huge White lion fan, Dangerous Toys got a couple good ones. I just downloaded a some by Y&T, I see them becoming another favorite. Anybody have an over-looked and unrated bands they want to share? Can't have enough metal in your library! :headbang

[atomicholiday]

Check out Dangerous Toys. The album 'Pissed' to be more specific. It's right up that same alley. Very cool. Not my fav., but it was the first thing to come to mind. I'll think some more up later. I've got some fairly obscure 80's stuff in my collection. :thumbsup

[mrcrazyhimself]

Yea, Thanks man, I just downloaded Summertime Girls by Y&T, I can't believe i havent listened to this band before :headbang Its horrible how that whole genre was bunched into one cheesy group. If you could mix killer guitar and muscianship along with a catchy melody and chorus, poewr to ya. Thats wat kids need these days. I was born in 87 and taken home in my dads old Grey Firebird, I was MADE for the 80's but it sux cuz its 2006...lol I just wanna open my library to some more great, melodic music. I love almost anything to listen to but that stuff, it just begs to be cranked in my 90' Mustang... :headbang

[atomicholiday]

Yeah, there were some incredible musicians back then. Then Nirvana :eviltongu came along and all of a sudden it was cool to suck at guitar and brag about not having had lessons and only knowing two chord. :-x
Anyway, I'll look around when I get home and give you some more ideas. Good stuff! :headbang

[Tourpicx]

One of my favorite bands that constantly gets overlooked and underrated is Firehouse. Check them out. :thumbsup

[Rick S]

Ratt had alot of catchy tunes back then. One of my all time favorites is The Cult 'Electric' cd. Great guitar. How about Mr. Big. Or Cinderella (if you can get past that voice). Bands like Kiss and Van Halen had some great tunes from the earlier '80's. Dig in, the list is endless. :)

[atomicholiday]

One of the better band towards the end of the era was Ugly Kid Joe. Those boys freakin' rocked.

edit: Man, I haven't heard 'Electric' for years!

[Tourpicx]

True, the list can go on and on. There were some other decent bands that some may never have heard of before like Stratovarious, Lillian Axe, Steelheart and Tangier. All good stuff ! :headbang

[puddy]

Kix, Cinderella, Britny Fox, Stryper, Wolfsbane, Lynch Mob, Bullet Boys, Ratt, Ozzy, Judas Priest, Extreme, LA Guns. Queensryche.

Some of the Christian offerings were cool too like Bride, Gaurdian, Blood good, Neon Cross, Angelica.

It is good to hear that a youngin like yourself is into good music. My 14 year old son reports that most kids he knows would rather jam on 80's stuff rather than new stuff, I think the recording industry should listen to the masses.

Check out some of that stuff, you should like.

[Mr.Cool]

jason from dangerous toys is now throwing down in a band named broken teeth we have done several shows with them, but the 80's fer me I was corrupted early on seeing Randy Rhoads tear it up with Ozzy really made an impression then I'd have to say Yngwie,Vinnie Moore, Michael Shenker,Alex Masi,Paul Gilbert (Racer X) & of course Megadeth & Armored Saint & Tank whose album honor & blood kicks ass to this day

[TommysGs]

Judas Priest and Motley Crue are probably my all time favorites. If you listen to Judas Priest you will here most of the heavy metal riffs allot of people use even today. They were one of the trail blazers for heavy metal. No dought about it.

Get a copy of Metal Meltdown by Priest it is a two cd set.

[atomicholiday]

jason from dangerous toys is now throwing down in a band named broken teeth
Broken Teeth rocks too. Forgot about them.

[atomicholiday]

Here's a newer band following the same Genre: Beautiful Creatures. Formed by the singer from Bang Tango. Best newer band around (within the past 5 years or so).

[Rick S]

Joe Satriani, old U2, AC/DC, Keel, Wendy O Williams (ha), hundereds of local bands here in MN. I would say Motley Crue pretty much summed up the '80's. From Too Fast For Love right to Dr. Feelgood they were THE sound. Micks great!!! :headbang

[Rick S]

Yeah, Bang Tango! They were great. I have two of there cds. I'll dig em out tonight! :thumbsup

[TBDREE]

Kix, Cinderella, Britny Fox, Stryper, Wolfsbane, Lynch Mob, Bullet Boys, Ratt, Ozzy, Judas Priest, Extreme, LA Guns. Queensryche.

Some of the Christian offerings were cool too like Bride, Gaurdian, Blood good, Neon Cross, Angelica.

It is good to hear that a youngin like yourself is into good music. My 14 year old son reports that most kids he knows would rather jam on 80's stuff rather than new stuff, I think the recording industry should listen to the masses.


Another good christian group is Deliverance.

The record industry is run by college graduates and most people know COLLEGE MUSIC SUCKS!!!
Most A&R people are college types too. Old school label types werent influenced by Gay college rock.

[Tourpicx]

Another good christian group is Deliverance.

The record industry is run by college graduates and most people know COLLEGE MUSIC SUCKS!!!
Most A&R people are college types too. Old school label types werent influenced by Gay college rock.

Don't forget another good christian group was Whitecross.

[Krameration]

ABBA... :D Sorry couldn't help myself :bong

[Tourpicx]

ABBA... :D Sorry couldn't help myself :bong

You've got the wrong thread here, Mike. :bong :D

[KramerGeek]

Don't forget another good christian group was Whitecross.

BINGO!!!!!

I met their guitar player when they were still around. I think they are from this area and he was doing a guitar clinic at a local guitar store.

AWesome band and awesome guitar player.

[Krameration]

You've got the wrong thread here, Mike. :bong :D
:bong Sorry...that was a typo...I meant Scorpions :headbang :bong

I used to get whitecross 4 for a dollar :D

[Lynch]

Ahh.. I'd post my Winamp list but it's 2,359 songs long :D

Try:
Ratt
Queensryche
Blue Murder
Warrent
Y&T
Coney Hatch
Tora Tora
Haywire
Judas Priest
Killer Dwarfs
Saigon Kick
Scorpions
Sinner
Skid Row
Slik Toxic

That should keep you busy for a while ;)

[Tourpicx]

BINGO!!!!!

I met their guitar player when they were still around. I think they are from this area and he was doing a guitar clinic at a local guitar store.

AWesome band and awesome guitar player.

I think they recorded some of their albums at a recording studio here in Elgin, IL back then. If you are talking about the original guitarist pre 1993 or so then that would be Rex Carroll. Tremendously talented guitar player indeed.

I don't know if you are familiar with the band Guardian (1989-1999). But that guitarist was very good too....his name - Tony Palacios. Yup He had a great VH type of tone good chop's I still break that cd out ....well once in a while

[Lightningdan]

Hell yeah Blue Murder!! John Sykes is awesome!


Kix (Don't Close Your Eyes)
Lynch Mob
D.A.D. - (sleeping my day away)
Accept

and while not exactly a hair band, if you can find Pantera's first big album "Power Metal" you'll be blown away. And plus, they look really funny in their spandex and big hair on the cover.

[KramerGeek]

be Rex Carroll. Tremendously talented guitar player indeed.

I don't know if you are familiar with the band Guardian (1989-1999). But that guitarist was very good too....his name - Tony Palacios.

That's the guy. Cool dude. I remember Guardian too. There was also White Heart. I met all those guys a couple times too. Great guys.

How about Tourneguit? Christian speed metal band.

And yes....I do remember the 'other' White Crosses from the 70s. :afroI used to love those things.

[SINNER]

Young man...you need some direction in your life, you need Annihilator (http://www.annihilatormetal.com/annihilator_main.html) Ive been stuck on this band since the 80's Jeff waters is a great geetarist. And their one of the few true oldschoolers that are still rockin today. O n the website they let you sample their tunes from their first release to the most recent plus they give you free proffesionally written tabs for most of their songs. Unfortunately i am not good enough yet to play most of their stuff.

Another good hairband was Helloween (mike kiske era was my favorite) keeper of the seven keys..They were heavily influenced by Iron Maiden.

You should also check out Alcatraz...Yngvei Malmsteen AND Steve Vai...Need i say more !!1!!

Nitro...with Micheal Angelo Batio on the axe..

King diamond/mercyful fate...great geetar work. Theirs way too many too list, do a google for hairmetal see what that turns up. Laterz...

[KramerWolf]

Alcatraz, Racer X, Vinnie moore, gary moore, tony Mcalpine... Can't forget skid row, winger,tesla... Iron Maiden....

James

[unchained1984]

MRCrazy head on over to Dave Meniketti's site & dig deeper into Y & T:
Y & T (http://www.meniketti.com/)

Personally I always felt only a few of the top bands warranted ( if you'll pardon the pun) the hair metal tag : bands like Poison & Tigertailz maybe Winger. For me the big guns were all hard rock acts but maybe I'm just being picky with genre descriptions :D

Sandy

[short_circus]

In my humble opinion, Tesla's first album is the quintessential 80's album, every song on the album is a killer tune :headbang . I also noticed no one mentioned W.A.S.P., another good band from the 80's. They may not have been the best around, but for 80's music, they did pretty good. :jazz: Also be aware that the whole 80's hair metal sound is coming back, and it is ok for you to totally kick butt on guitar (or whatever you play) again :toast . Just check out the band "Hammer Fall" and you'll see. Most of the bands carrying the 80's sound torch now (like the afore mentioned Hammer Fall) are from overseas, and I'm sure that with the quality of music coming out of places like Germany, it won't be long til the sound comes full circle and again rules the U.S. airwaves. :thumbsup

[bkeen]

Judas Priest
Motley Crue
Scorpions

[mrcrazyhimself]

Great guys! :headbang I didnt expect so many people to chime in! You all def gave me some research. ALot of those bands i was following also. Helloween, GREAT 2 guitar attack. Alot of those bands never got the recognition they all deserve. Think of all the great talent...just got lumped...Even as firehouse is sorted into that lame hair metal, I'll throw the cassette i have into the deck in the car when its dark with my girlfriend. Great stuff guys, keep it coming. It's too bad we couldnt just have one long list that could be added too. It would give young guns like me and older guys a place to go for some good music. I aint gunna sit here and cut my wrists, id rather throw on some Spandex and play a pink Kramer! :D

[SINNER]

In my humble opinion, Tesla's first album is the quintessential 80's album, every song on the album is a killer tune :headbang . I also noticed no one mentioned W.A.S.P., another good band from the 80's. They may not have been the best around, but for 80's music, they did pretty good. :jazz: Also be aware that the whole 80's hair metal sound is coming back, and it is ok for you to totally kick butt on guitar (or whatever you play) again :toast . Just check out the band "Hammer Fall" and you'll see. Most of the bands carrying the 80's sound torch now (like the afore mentioned Hammer Fall) are from overseas, and I'm sure that with the quality of music coming out of places like Germany, it won't be long til the sound comes full circle and again rules the U.S. airwaves. :thumbsup

Pleeeease let it be true....

[jeff]

No one mentioned Winger. Reb Beach freakin rocks :headbang

[lefthandedshredder]

True, the list can go on and on. There were some other decent bands that some may never have heard of before like Stratovarious, Lillian Axe, Steelheart and Tangier. All good stuff ! :headbang

Steelheart rock! I have their self titled album! I can't believe how high his voice is...anyway most of you will know him as the voice off the Rockstar movie.

[lefthandedshredder]

Ratt had alot of catchy tunes back then. One of my all time favorites is The Cult 'Electric' cd. Great guitar. How about Mr. Big. Or Cinderella (if you can get past that voice). Bands like Kiss and Van Halen had some great tunes from the earlier '80's. Dig in, the list is endless. :)

Ratt had some great songs. I love playing the solo from Round & Round! (need another guitarist though to do it properly)

I reckon Cinderella would've kicked a lot more serious ass if Tom Keifer didn't sound bang on Brian Johnson!(ac/dc!)

Jeff LaBar is just great. I'm getting their live DVD. The Cult were great but not what i'd call Hair Metal.

who remembers the electric drill song.

And DON'T FORGET anything with Andy Timmons like Danger Danger!

[lefthandedshredder]

Great guys! :headbang I didnt expect so many people to chime in! You all def gave me some research. ALot of those bands i was following also. Helloween, GREAT 2 guitar attack. Alot of those bands never got the recognition they all deserve. Think of all the great talent...just got lumped...Even as firehouse is sorted into that lame hair metal, I'll throw the cassette i have into the deck in the car when its dark with my girlfriend. Great stuff guys, keep it coming. It's too bad we couldnt just have one long list that could be added too. It would give young guns like me and older guys a place to go for some good music. I aint gunna sit here and cut my wrists, id rather throw on some Spandex and play a pink Kramer! :D

The emo's can take their attitude and shove it. I can go on for hours about how much i HATE todays music , culture e.t.c. Get yourself some spandex, or alternatively leopard skin leotards, 'borrow' remy's pink baretta and there you go!

[Sirion]

...Night Ranger anyone? :D :D :D

I like night ranger..what was the lead guitar players name? According to an ozzy interveiw hes the one that finished the tour after randy rhodes died.

[Lynch]

I don't think anyone mentioned Extreem... Nuno rips.

BTW, congradulations on listening to some real music involving real musicians instead of all that mindless violence oriented rap/crap MTV is feeding you! :headbang

[KramerWolf]

the scorpions... great white (former Kramer endorcer)... damn yankee's....steelheart...bad english...vandenberg....DIO (vivian Cambell anyone?)...
there were so many great bands during the 80's... some noticed, and some went un-noticed,,,

James

[SINNER]

...Night Ranger anyone? :D :D :D

I like night ranger..what was the lead guitar players name? According to an ozzy interveiw hes the one that finished the tour after randy rhodes died.

WTF!! did i just edit someone elses post?? Thats pretty scary!! Sorry bout that Sirion i got trigger happy and clicked edit instead of quote. Not sure why it would allow me to edit another post anyway. maybe im seeing things, it is early, or maybe i have super web forum powers?

[KramerWolf]

Brad Gillis... he use to play a Kramer as well...

I don't think anyone has mentioned David T. Chastain... he STILL endorces Kramer....



James

[Mad-Mike]

Hmmmm, I'm a young urchin too (23)......long list for me, did'nt read all the posts, but here's my faves......

Europe (TFC Sucked, but the rest of the album rocked!)
Loverboy (turned Hair on their 4th album)
Whitesnake (right from the start even before Hair)
Lita Ford (Way to underated at guitar)
Night Ranger (Heard em referred to as Hair Metal)
Bon Jovi (One of the first Hair Bands I got into)
Poison (Proof "Playing For The Song" is a copout cliche phrase)
Twisted Sister (Proof the 80's was not ALL about good looks, Dee Snider can be pretty scary looking)
The Scorpions (One of the few still around!)
Winger (more tasteful guitar acrobatics)
Dokken (Sounds a lot like I do sometimes for some reason)
RATT (way underrated)
Cinderella (Nobody's Fool is one of my favs)
Kix (I don't know if they apply but I'll put em here anyway)
Def Leppard (Rock Brigade!!! ROCK BRIGADE!!!)
Pantera (They were hair metal once too, POWER Hair Metal!)
Queensryche (Dunno if they apply, but it's like Hair Metal for the thinking man)

I liked grunge, but I'm pretty ticked at Kim Thayal for bashing these guys, as well as my generation. Not like he could speak anyway, he's a damn good guitarist himself, good enough to be one of these guys, and he plays pretty fast too. Hence I think the whole arguement about "playing for the music" is pretty damn funny. I once read an interview with EVH, he said "if it sounds good, it is good", I agree.

:rant
As far as Emo/Punk/Nu-Metal/Boybands, they are the bane of my existance right now. Anyone noticed how my generation seems to still act like teenagers all through their 20's. I've met 28 year olds who act like they are SIXTEEN! Jebus. my peers spend their time trying to push me to listen to Evenessance "till I like it" or Crapboard Confessional. Just let me listen to my Whitesnake and Ted Nugent in peace then, at least Ted and Coverdale have it right from what I read. Makes it hard to form a band, find LTR's, and just plain ol friends into music, cause it's either join the sheep or be hated, like if you don't agree, you're the enemy. It's like High SChool never ended. (at my peers) Jebus People, just grow up, take the bad with the good, and be happy for once.

[Mad-Mike]

James.....on the Brad Gillis with Kramer thing...

Funny you mention that, one of the funniest memories of my guitar learning days was when I saw the inner sleeve to the Midnight Madness album with a live photo of GIllis with the old red strat....That darned thing looked almost EXACTLY LIKE My Focus 3000 at the time! Same pickups, same switching, only sans the FEnder headstock and wireless. Talk about coincidence.

[sumrnitz]

Props to Puddy for bringing up some of the Christian Metal bands (Angelica!!!!!!!). Add some Ken Tamplin, Shout, Idle Cure, Petra....man I could go on for days!!!!!
Chris

[mrcrazyhimself]

Damn, All those Bands will keep me busy for a while...too bad i got dialup :eviltongu Lefthandedshreader is right, I can't stand those whinny emo kids. I've gotten more humble with my playing over the past year or 2, but those fags, everytime i play a quick lick or somethin, automatically im showing off. Hey, if i got somethin to show they can kiss my ass. Most of um are on :bong anywayz. Great replies guys! It sux so bad for me tho, cuz ive only had my hands on 2 kramer guitars in my whole life. A red striker i parted out that played actually pretty nice, and a nightswan that came in on repair in the shop i worked at. The boss got gay and wouldn't let me plug it in...As much as everyone here loves a kramer/kramers, i rely dont wanna buy before i atleast have a good idea...But i think this site speaks for itself... :thumbsup

[Phred]

Mad-Mikes list is just about the same as mine.

Ratt, Dio, Black Sabbath, White Cross, Ozzy w/ Gillis, Night Ranger.

Check out LOUDNESS they rock You can really hear their Japanese accent, but the guitarist Akira Takasaki is smokin. Crazy Nights is a must listen.

P

[Sirion]

Night Ranger guitarists were Brad Gillis and Jeff Watson. Since they pretty much shared solo duties, calling either one the lead guitarist would be wrong.
As for a Kramer, I am not aware that Brad ever used them. His main guitar was a heavilly modified Fender Stratocaster, sporting (among other things) a non-fine-tuner Floyd Rose, a bridge humbucker, a wireless unit and a mid-booster.
This guitar was given multiple brand names over the years, first Fender, then a brief period with Fernandes (who made a cheesy asian copy of it for a while), then Hamer. Brad and Jeff also had signature humbuckers made by P.J. Marx (I have the Jeff one, although I haven't gotten to try it yet).

[Sirion]

As for spandex, you can get it all here:

www.spandexhouse.com

Seriously, I'm 19, and I use spandex when I am playing live. People may say whatever they want, but you surely get some attention :lol

[sumrnitz]

Loudness :D :lol :lol :D
"Wok and Woll Cwazy Nauuughtts......" Man I used to roll on the floor laughing everytime I saw that video for Crazy Nights!!!!!!! Oh my gosh that was friggin' hilarious. Now, to be fair, their music was great. They had the metal thing down. Heh heh..they should of given up on trying to do :usa lyrics

Chris

[James D]

Oh man! This is awesome! I didn't know there were so many Christian rockers here. Some of my fav's

Secular essentials imo:
Cinderella
Guns N Roses
Skid Row

Some Christian fav's:
Angelica
Barren Cross
Bloodgood
Bride
Guardian
Holy Soldier
Ken Tamplin
Laudamus
Narnia
Recon
Sacred Warrior
Saint
Shout
Stryper
Whitecross
X-Sinner


Good Christian Speed/thrash:
Deliverance
The Crucified
Possession
Vengeance Rising!!!
Ultimatum
Tourniquet
Sacrament
Betrayal
Opprobrium (formally Incubus)

[sumrnitz]

Here's a few more:

Savatage
Vixen :drool :drool :drool :drool
Girl School :drool :drool :drool (not the song)
Blu Blood
Honeymoon Suite
Fastway

James D: Man I forgot about Tourniquet!!! I have one of their tapees somewhere. Remeber "The Rez Band"?

Chris

[Midnight_Highway]

My 80s picks are:

NWOBHM and Glam Metal-
Accept, Arcade, Cinderella, Faster Pussycat, Hanoi Rocks, Kiss, Kix, Motley Crue, Ozzy, Pretty Boy Floyd, Ratt, Shotgun Messiah, Twisted Sister, Vain

Thrash-
Megadeth, Metallica, Testament

I'm leaving off a bunch of stuff in the last 20 years,(mostly from overseas) but you did say 80s. :)

George

[KramerWolf]

Brad Gillis played a pacer for a short while, and was even featured in some of the Kramer ads in the mid to late 80's.... I have seen one of the pacers he owned and gave away... Ed Roman did have it...

James

[Sirion]

I see. I have seen Brad in some Kramer sponsored Floyd Rose ads, but not in any sporting a pacer. Then again, my Kramer knowledge is marginal at best.

[KramerWolf]

did anyone know that Derik Trailer of Overkill is now endorcing Kramer?

James

[James D]

sumrnitz: Tourniquet is very awesome! I still need to pick up their first album though. I don't know Rez too well, but I have a cdr of Civil Rites and really like it.

[jumbowolfe]

Here's my 80's rundown of favorite "hair" bands, some that really weren't hair but fall into that category these days....

1) Dokken
2) Ratt
3) Skid Row
4) Cinderella
5) Y&T - Contagious is the fucking BOMB!
6) Winger - Pull - the best CD they made, and the least remembered, may have been released in the 90's

Thats all I can think of off the top of my head.
Mike