Glam Metal

Now that we’ve talked about current heavy metal trends for the past few weeks, it’s time to take a step way back in time to talk about what very well might have been the most commercial form of heavy metal to ever exist. It’s time to discuss glam metal.

The most distinctive aspect of the glam metal subgenre is the image associated with it. Glam metal musicians usually have long, backcombed hair and very tight clothing. Denim and leather clothing are commonly worn, along with spandex and occasionally headbands. Makeup is common for male musicians in the glam metal scene, and they are rarely found without it. A picture of the glam metal band Mötley Crüe can be found below wearing stereotypical glam metal clothing. 

Musically speaking, glam metal is a hybrid of hard rock and heavy metal that also contains many punk and pop rock sensibilities. Glam metal is reliant on catchy guitar riffs and most songs usually contain a shredding guitar solo. Power ballads are also not uncommon in glam metal, with many of the subgenre's most successful songs being categorized as such. The lyrics of glam metal usually focus on love and sex, though other topics may be explored as well.

Glam metal’s origins can be traced back to bands of the 1970s such as Aerosmith, Kiss, Alice Cooper and The New York Dolls. It wasn’t until the 1980s when glam metal started to really take shape. Def Leppard’s High ‘n Dry, released in 1981, was arguably the first glam metal record. The band's follow-up album, Pyromania, gave this new style mainstream exposure, allowing a new wave of bands to take influence from them.

Major glam metal bands that formed following Def Leppard’s success were Mötley Crüe, Quiet Riot, W.A.S.P. and Ratt. Quiet Riot’s debut album, Metal Health, was the first metal record to reach number one on the Billboard music charts, and was proof that the subgenre was clearly reaching fans of mainstream rock. 

Of course, out of all of these bands in the first wave of glam metal, Mötley Crüe became the most successful. Shout at the Devil, Theatre of Pain, Girls, Girls, Girls and Dr. Feelgood would all become phenomenally successful records and establish them as a major rock act. 

In the mid-1980s, more glam metal bands began to form, establishing a second wave of the scene. Poison, Cinderella and Stryper were among this second wave, with Poison receiving the most success. Poison is particularly well-known for its first three albums, Look What the Cat Dragged In, Open Up and Say…Ahh! and Flesh & Blood.

In the late 1980s, glam metal took another huge step forward, gaining even more mainstream attention with Bon Jovi’s Slippery When Wet. Up until this point, glam metal appealed primarily to men, but Slippery When Wet was the first glam metal record to appeal to women, too. Slippery When Wet has sold over 28 million copies worldwide, and is without a doubt the most successful glam metal record of all time.

When the 1990s came around, glam metal experienced a sharp decline. Grunge took the mainstream spot of glam metal, and many famous glam metal acts either broke up or released a series of lackluster and unoriginal records. 

Since then, glam metal has seen a resurgence in the 2000s. Older bands such as Mötley Crüe, Poison and Bon Jovi have seen renewed popularity. Meanwhile, new glam metal acts have formed such as Black Veil Brides, The Darkness and Buckcherry. All of these new groups have brought new life to the subgenre, but glam metal will never be nearly as popular as it was in the 1980s.