Our record of 9 nice ’80s onerous rock bands that weren’t hair metallic is a reminder that the last decade had loads of movers and shakers exterior of the glammed-up Sundown Strip scene.
As bands similar to Motley Crue, Bon Jovi and Poison have been shifting albums by the truckload and blazing a brand new path with their pop-savvy spin on “heavy metallic,” tons of different acts ran parallel to them on each rung of the celebrity ladder.
Some bands initially discovered their footing within the so-called hair metallic scene or continuously mingled with these acts. For instance, Guns N’ Roses bore all of the markings of a glam metallic band after they acquired their begin in Hollywood, though they shortly established themselves as a grittier, harder-rocking different to their fairly boy friends.
Likewise, English rockers the Cult borrowed glam metallic sonics and aesthetics within the late ’80s, although they reinvented themselves too usually to be pegged to 1 specific scene or subgenre.
Different ’80s rockers have been extra firmly rooted within the AOR (album-oriented rock) custom, a pressure of hooky, radio-friendly rock that had delicate distinctions from hair metallic. Bands like Night Ranger and Bad English had no scarcity of blustery riffs, fiery solos and skyscraping choruses (to not point out huge hair), however they’d a decidedly slicker and extra company sound than their sleazy Sundown Strip contemporaries.
READ MORE: The Heaviest Song by 11 Big Hair Metal Bands
Essential: For probably the most half, we culled our record from artists whose careers started within the ’80s. Meaning ’70s holdovers similar to KISS, Aerosmith, Journey and Van Halen have been exempt.
We did make one main exception, which we’ll clarify beneath.
Learn on to see 9 nice ’80s onerous rock bands that weren’t hair metallic.
9 ’80s Onerous Rock Bands That Weren’t Hair Steel
They nonetheless had huge hair and greater riffs.
Gallery Credit score: Bryan Rolli
The ten Greatest Hair Steel Albums By Non-Hair Steel Bands
Some bands didn’t match the hair metallic mould, however performed alongside convincingly sufficient for at the very least one album.
Gallery Credit score: Sydney Taylor
The 9 Greatest Non-Hair Steel Albums by Hair Steel Bands
As hair metallic light, some bands persevered and adjusted up their type to one thing definitively not hair metallic.
Gallery Credit score: Sydney Taylor