Hair metal

Hair metal is a type of heavy metal music that arose in the late 1970s, in the United States, and was a strong force in popular music throughout the 1980s and early 1990s. Such bands are frequently called hair bands. Pejorative terms for hair metal include poodle rock, due to the teased, bushy hair of many performers, or other derogatory terms, such as cock rock reflect a fixation on sexual lyrics and deeds and the lack of respect afforded by some music critics.

Hair metal in the 1980s

In the early 1980s, heavy metal spawned several sub-genres, including thrash metal and black metal; however, hair metal became its most popular manifestation. Drawing inspiration from earlier bands like T. Rex, New York Dolls, Judas Priest and Alice Cooper, early hair metal bands included Mötley Crüe, W.A.S.P., Quiet Riot, and Fastway. Their music was less melodic than their younger contemporaries, like Ratt, and Cinderella, whose music and image ultimately became synonymous with the genre.

Related Topics:
Thrash metal - Black metal - T. Rex - New York Dolls - Judas Priest - Alice Cooper - Mötley Crüe - W.A.S.P. - Quiet Riot - Fastway - Ratt - Cinderella

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Hair metal was aggressive, with lyrics often focusing on girls, drinking, drug use, and the occult. Musically, hair metal songs often featured distorted guitar riffs, “hammer-on” solos, anthemic choruses, frenzied drumming, and complimentary bass. Hair metal performers became infamous for their debauched lifestyles, their long, teased hair, and effeminate use of make-up, clothing, and accessories, (traits somewhat reminiscent of glam rock). Following Def Leppard’s wildly popular Pyromania, and Van Halen’s seminal 1984, hair metal became ubiquitous on radio and television. Many other hair metal bands were one-hit wonders, or as David Lee Roth once said of them, “here today, gone later today” (for example, Europe and Autograph).

Related Topics:
Def Leppard - Pyromania - Van Halen - 1984 - Europe

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By the mid-1980s, hair metal was drawing inspiration from other sources, such as the romantic rock of the late-1970s. Bands like Boston, Journey, and Foreigner, influenced Bon Jovi, Def Leppard, and Poison, among others, to record power ballads. Despite hair metal’s popularity at the time, many began to consider it unimportant or derisory, due to a common perception that the bands were more focused on their make-up, clothing (usually spandex), lyrics, and stage shows, than on their music. By the mid-1980s, a discernible formula developed in which a hair band had two hits--one a power ballad, one a hard-rocking anthem.

Related Topics:
Bon Jovi - Def Leppard - Poison - Power ballad

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In 1987, Guns N' Roses completly changed the meaning of hair metal. They incorporated sound of thrash metal, blues and punk to the music, while keeping some of the images of glam rock. However, Guns N' Roses’ next releases went into another musical directions. Therefore, many music critics do not consider Guns N' Roses a hair metal band.

Related Topics:
Guns N' Roses - Thrash metal - Blues - Punk

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