SIGNALS FROM MARS | SUNSET STRIP
During this episode of Signals From Mars, my Patrons join me to discuss their favorite Sunset Strip-influenced albums. Call it Glam Metal, Hair Metal, Pop Metal, etc. we’ll be counting down our favorite bands and album from this genre.
The way this works is they submit a list of 10 albums. Each album is assigned a set of points. Number one gets 10 points, number two gets 9 points all the way down to their number ten which receives 1 point. I sum all of the points up and whichever album comes out with the most points ends up as number one.
Did your favorite make the list? Should it have ranked higher? What’s that album even doing on the list?
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Hair Metal: The Glamorous Legacy of Decadent Rock
Rock and roll has always been about rebellion, energy, and making a statement. One of the most iconic embodiments of these ideals is undoubtedly hair metal – a genre that was as much about the visual spectacle as it was about the music. This blog post delves into the extravagant world of hair metal, tracing its roots, its glory days, and its enduring legacy.
Origins and Influences
Hair metal, also known as glam metal, emerged in the late 1970s, heavily influenced by the glam rock movement of the early ’70s and hard rock bands of the ’60s. Bands such as The Sweet, Slade, and David Bowie with his Ziggy Stardust persona had a significant impact on the genre’s fashion and theatrical performance style. In terms of music, hair metal took its cues from earlier hard rock bands like Aerosmith and KISS, combined with pop’s melodic hooks and catchy choruses.
The Golden Age: Los Angeles, The Sunset Strip, and MTV
The ’80s were hair metal’s golden age, and no place was more significant to its evolution than Los Angeles’ Sunset Strip. Venues like the Whisky a Go Go and The Roxy were breeding grounds for bands that would later dominate the hair metal scene. Mötley Crüe, Ratt, and Quiet Riot cut their teeth in these clubs, honing their high-energy performances and developing their flamboyant aesthetics.
The advent of MTV, the music television network, was a game-changer for hair metal. This genre was a visual spectacle, and the medium of music videos was perfectly suited to its strengths. Bands like Bon Jovi, Def Leppard, and Poison gained massive popularity, their videos a riot of big hair, leather, spandex, and striking makeup, all backed by anthemic, catchy music.
The Music and Image
Hair metal’s sound was characterized by overdriven guitars, bombastic drums, and soaring vocals. The lyrics often focused on themes of rebellion, partying, love, and heartbreak, typified by Mötley Crüe’s “Girls, Girls, Girls,” or Bon Jovi’s “Livin’ On a Prayer.”
The image was just as crucial. Hair metal bands were known for their teased hair, heavy makeup, and flamboyant, often androgynous outfits. They sought to be as visually unforgettable as their music, pushing the limits of rock and roll fashion.
The Decline and Resurgence
By the early ’90s, the landscape of rock had shifted with the emergence of grunge. Bands like Nirvana and Pearl Jam, with their raw sound and anti-image stance, contrasted starkly with hair metal’s flamboyance. This shift marked a decline in hair metal’s popularity.
However, like all music genres, hair metal was not to be relegated to history. There has been a resurgence in interest over the past few decades. Bands from the ’80s have reunited and toured, while younger bands like Steel Panther carry the hair metal torch, embracing its over-the-top style and bombastic music. Moreover, rock festivals around the world often feature dedicated ’80s glam metal stages, proving that the appetite for hair metal is still strong.
Legacy
Despite the rollercoaster of popularity, hair metal’s legacy is undeniable. It was a genre that took the rock and roll ethos of rebellion and spectacle and turned it up to eleven. It pushed the boundaries of fashion and theatricality in rock, leaving an indelible mark on the genre. The visual aesthetics, the larger-than-life performances, and the anthemic music are all integral parts of rock and roll’s rich tapestry.
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Signals From Mars Trivia Tuesday on Twitch is a weekly live show where I throw out a bunch of hard rock and metal trivia questions to the audience.
Not only do you need to know the correct answer, but you also need to be the quickest to answer correctly. The faster you answer, the more points you obtain. But answer wrong, and you’ll lose points.
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Signals From Mars Trivia Tuesday 6 PM EST / 3 PM PST / 11 PM UK / 12 AM Wednesday CET
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