Prelude to Survivor: Hair Bands......

[BigJayStudd]

Here is the initial list I got for a Hair Bands Survivor. Any more suggestions would be appreciated.

::Bangs Head::


Autograph
Bad English
Bang Tango
Bon Jovi
Britny Fox
Bullet Boys
Cinderella
Damn Yankees
Danger, Danger
Dangerous Toys
Def Leppard
Dokken
Europe
Enuff Z'nuff
Extreme
Faster P*ssycat
Firehouse
Foreigner
Great White
Guiffria
Guns N Roses
Hanoi Rocks \ Michael Monroe
Jackyl
Kiss
Kix
LA Guns
Lita Ford
Motley Crue
Mr. Big
Nelson
Night Ranger
Poison
Queensryche
Quiet Riot
Ratt
Saigon Kick
Savatage
Scorpions
Shotgun Messiah
Skid Row
Slaughter
Steelheart
Stryper
Tesla
The Cult
Trixter
Twisted Sister
Ugly Kid Joe
Van Halen (Davis Lee Roth Version)
Van Halen (Sammy Haggar Version)
Vixen
Warrant
WASP
White Lion
Whitesnake
Winger
Y&T

[howyadoin]

Suicidal Tendecies???? Were they a hair band????Nope. They definitely were not.

[BigJayStudd]

Nope. They definitely were not.

Didn't think so. Thank you kind sir.

[howyadoin]

Didn't think so. Thank you kind sir.They're closer to hiphop and punk than anything else.

And I'm always willing to lend an opinion.

[Dennis K]

Neither Kiss or Van Halen should be on the list.

[Pepsigirl]

For our next Survivor can we maybe have one that doesn't suck?

[JeffreyWKramer]

I suppose you could count old-school Metallica as a hair band, except that they didn't suck - as opposed to 95% of the real hair bands.

[Chip Whitley]

How about The Cult?

And also, could we make the list alphabetical? It makes things easier to find, plus I did most of the work already:

Autograph
Bon Jovi
Britny Fox
Bullet Boys
Cinderella
Danger, Danger
Def Leppard
Dokken
Europe
Extreme
Faster P*ssycat
Firehouse
Great White
Guns N Roses
Hanoi Rocks \ Michael Monroe
Jackyl
Kiss
Kix
LA Guns
Lita Ford
Motley Crue
Mr. Big
Night Ranger
Poison
Queensryche
Quiet Riot
Ratt
Saigon Kick
Savatage
Scorpions
Skid Row
Slaughter
Steelheart
Stryper
Tesla
Trixter
Twisted Sister
Van Halen
Vixen
Warrant
WASP
White Lion
Whitesnake
Winger

[BigJayStudd]

I edited it so they are alphabetical and added The Cult, Chip.

I also Eliminated Kiss from the list. I agree with Dennis K. Shouldn't be there. Van Halen should probably be there. I split them up, though. We now have The David Lee Roth version and the Sammy Haggar versions. Any more bands that needed to be added?

[Dennis K]

I edited it so they are alphabetical, Chip.

I also Eliminated Kiss from the list. I agree with Dennis K. Shouldn't be there. Van Halen should probably be there. I split them up, though. We now have The David Lee Roth version and the Sammy Haggar versions. Any more bands that needed to be added?


I still say Van Halen shouldn't be there. They were without question the biggest influence on all the hair bands that came out of Los Angeles, but they were not one themselves.

[Chiasm]

To me if they had hair and they played hard rock they were a hair band. That doesn't necessarily imply suckiness. Just means they followed the commercialized trend requiring hair.

Thus I think Kiss should be back on the list as while they had substance they were also very hair bandy in that they were extremely image concious almost to the point that it mattered more than the music - thus the makeup and the theatrics. For the the same reason, Van Halen should be there since they helped usher in the video hair band age with their 1984 videos.

I'd leave Metallica off because while they clearly had the hair, they were very anti commercialization and image for a long long time. Thats a very unhair band thing to be.

Other possibles - Guiffria, Guns and Roses, and Foreigner.

And was Billy Squiers ever in a band or was he always solo?

[BigJayStudd]

To me if they had hair and they played hard rock they were a hair band. That doesn't necessarily imply suckiness. Just means they followed the commercialized trend requiring hair.

Thus I think Kiss should be back on the list as while they had substance they were also very hair bandy in that they were extremely image concious almost to the point that it mattered more than the music - thus the makeup and the theatrics. For the the same reason, Van Halen should be there since they helped usher in the video hair band age with their 1984 videos.

I'd leave Metallica off because while they clearly had the hair, they were very anti commercialization and image for a long long time. Thats a very unhair band thing to be.

Other possibles - Guiffria, Guns and Roses, and Foreigner.

And was Billy Squiers ever in a band or was he always solo?

Gun N Roses is up there. I'll add Foreigner and Guiffria. I'll see what everybody else has to say on re-adding Kiss. Thanks, Chiasm.

[tangentman]

Don't forget Nelson, although they were "Hair Light". Scandal might also be appropriate for the list. YES, keep KISS and Van Halen.

[BigJayStudd]

Don't forget Nelson, although they were "Hair Light". Scandal might also be appropriate for the list. YES, keep KISS and Van Halen.

How the hell could I forget about Nelson?

IIIIIIIIII can't live without thier love and affection.

[tangentman]

I think your list is complete now, BigJay! :)

[Chip Whitley]

I say keep Kiss on the list. They were as guilty as the rest. ;)

[howyadoin]

I say keep Kiss on the list. They were as guilty as the rest.They certainly were in this era:

http://shopbizshop.com/kiss1.JPG

[Chiasm]

Ugly Kid Joe would hate everything about you Big Jay if they didn't make the list. ;)

And how about Bad English?

[BigJayStudd]

Ugly Kid Joe would hate everything about you Big Jay if they didn't make the list. ;)

And how about Bad English?

Added and Added. How the heck did Bad English slip my mind? "When I see you smile" just might be my most hated song of all time.

[BigJayStudd]

I suppose you could count old-school Metallica as a hair band, except that they didn't suck - as opposed to 95% of the real hair bands.

I'm afraid if I add them to a "Hair Bands" list James Hetfield will hunt me down and kick my ass.

[howyadoin]

I'm afraid if I add them to a "Hair Bands" list James Hetfield will hunt me down and kick my ass.Didn't you see Some Kind of Monster? He's a gigantic pussy now.

[BigJayStudd]

Didn't you see Some Kind of Monster? He's a gigantic pussy now.

Well then Lars can fuck him because he's a gigantic dick. Bwuahahahaha.

Man, I need to see that movie.

[howyadoin]

Man, I need to see that movie.I used to think that, till I witnessed all the group hugs, the crying, and Lars's weirdo father.

[Deathstroke]

I don't think Foreigner belongs on the list, they are more a classic rock band than anything else.

[JeffreyWKramer]

I don't think Foreigner belongs on the list, they are more a classic rock band than anything else.


Yeah, but guys like Foreigner, REO and Journey arguably all helped create the arena rock/guitar pop that evolved into the hair band - plus, unlike other influences (Zep, etc.), they all sucked. For those reasons, I think they all belong on there. I also agree that the KISS of that era was *definitely* a hair band. Back in the mid-80s, Gene and Paul were bopping around in the fishnets just like Twisted Sister.

[Slam_Bradley]

Kiss was very much a "hair band" in the 80s. Listen to Animalize or Asylum and watch the videos. It will leave no doubt.

Though this one is a foregone conclusion what with all the G n R love from everyone on the planet except me.

[JeffreyWKramer]

Though this one is a foregone conclusion what with all the G n R love from everyone on the planet except me.


Yeah, I really have to agree with you there as to it being foregone. Mind you, I think that is simply because GnR stands far, far above every other band on this list, and that a win from anyone else would be just so wrong as to be perverse.

Personally, I downright *hate* more than half the bands on this list.

[Indigo Al]

Are we missing Megadeth? I think they belong there.

Wasn't there another girl hair metal band besides Vixen and Lita Ford? Warlock, perhaps?

[Corsair]

Other possibilities:

Y&T(?)
Enuff Znuff
Dangerous Toys
Steeler
Lynch Mob
Shotgun Messiah

[Chiasm]

I don't know enough about these groups to say for sure yay or nay but I'll throw them out for those more familiar:

Iron Maiden
Anthrax
Slayer

[Indigo Al]

I don't know enough about these groups to say for sure yay or nay but I'll throw them out for those more familiar:

Iron Maiden
Anthrax
Slayer

Definitely. It might be arguable to leave out Anthrax due to their beginnings in 80's hardcore (and the lead singer's shaved head) but Maiden and slayer should definitely be there.

[Corsair]

With Megadeth, Anthrax and Slayer you're talking thrash which is a whole other animal than hair/glam metal.

Maiden is...Maiden.

[Corsair]

Couple more:

Bang Tango
Aldo Nova

[Crimson Avenger]

Should Kroukus be on the list?

[Adam Crocker]

Definitely. It might be arguable to leave out Anthrax due to their beginnings in 80's hardcore (and the lead singer's shaved head) but Maiden and slayer should definitely be there.

Maiden and Slayer? Neither of them, visually or musically really fit the aesthetic of hair metal. Between that and Metallica, it seems that people are throwing in bands just because they had long hair (which has always been a feature of metal, no matter what style it is) irregardless of the music. Iron Maiden was part of the British New Wave of Heavy Metal and musically speaking they were always much tougher as well as darker than the slick pop metal of the 80s and little in common with it., unlike Def Leppard. And Slayer...well they were one of the louder and punkier of the speed/thrash metal bands on the eigthies. They belong on the list even less than Maiden.

[PunkMC]

I think there needs to be some guide lines on what we consider a Hair Band. When I think of Hair band, the Cult and Van Halen dont come to mind. If you basing that on a time period where yes some of them did have bigish hair, then You must include Pantera on this list as seen Here (http://perso.calixo.net/~kristoff/PHOTOS%20PANTERA%20GLAM.htm). And I doubt anyone would call Pantera a hair band. But man those are some funny pics haha.

Edit:

Listen to Crocker the man speaks the truth.

[Dennis K]

Having some of those bands on the list, or being considered for the list is ridiculous. You might as include every rock band whose members had long hair.

[Slam_Bradley]

Having some of those bands on the list, or being considered for the list is ridiculous. You might as include every rock band whose members had long hair.


Other than Kiss and Van Halen, you haven't pointed out anyone who shouldn't be there and you didn't give any meaningful reasons.

While I might agree with you on Van Halen, Kiss was right in the middle of the hair band scene in the 80s. There is nothing about their mid-80s output that distinguishes them from anyone else on the list...except maybe that Kiss' output was worse.

[Pinball]

http://svc087.bri7h.webmetrix.com.au/shopimages/d63.jpg

Now that's wot *I* call a hair band. :D

[Dennis K]

Other than Kiss and Van Halen, you haven't pointed out anyone who shouldn't be there and you didn't give any meaningful reasons.

While I might agree with you on Van Halen, Kiss was right in the middle of the hair band scene in the 80s. There is nothing about their mid-80s output that distinguishes them from anyone else on the list...except maybe that Kiss' output was worse.


By even suggesting that bands like Maiden, Anthrax, Metallica or Megadeth should be on the list demonstrates a lack of understanding about the bands or the era itself. The same goes for middle of the road power ballad specialists like REO Speedwagon and Foreigner. Pretty obvious stuff really.

[PunkMC]

Ugly Kid Joe shouldn't be on there either. I dont like the band per say, but they came out in the 90's riding more on the grunge era than the hair band era.

Also off of Allmusic.com, dont know if this will help with defining, but this is what they have as hair metal. Yes I know it's hair bands, but i think most people think of the same thing as hair metal :


Hair Metal is a derisive term applied to the slick, pretty, and pop-oriented heavy metal and hard-rock bands of the late '80s. These bands expanded the approach of the loud but safe arena-rock bands, only they had a more distinctive visual image because they were living in the post-MTV era. Wearing flashy clothing, heavy makeup, and large, teased hair, the bands had an appearance that was more distinctive than their music, though both their look and their sound became a curse in the early '90s.

Kiss, Van Halen, and The Cult I personally think fall into the arena-rock band catagory instead of Hair Metal.

This list (again allmusic.com) I think is closer to what I would do:

1st Bon Jovi
1st L.A. Guns
1st Mötley Crüe
1st Poison
1st Warrant
2nd Cinderella
2nd Def Leppard
2nd Faster Pussycat
2nd Firehouse
2nd Great White
2nd Mr. Big
2nd Skid Row
2nd Slaughter
2nd Tesla
2nd Vixen
2nd White Lion
2nd Whitesnake
2nd Winger
3rd Babylon A.D.
3rd Bad English
3rd Badlands
3rd Bang Tango
3rd Britny Fox
3rd Bulletboys
3rd Damn Yankees
3rd Danger Danger
3rd Dangerous Toys
3rd Dokken
3rd Enuff Z'nuff
3rd Europe
3rd Extreme
3rd Lita Ford
3rd Giant
3rd Gorky Park
3rd Kingdom Come
3rd Kix
3rd London Quireboys
3rd Love/Hate
3rd Nelson
3rd Nuno
3rd Pretty Boy Floyd
3rd Ratt
3rd Shotgun Messiah
3rd Smashed Gladys
3rd Tora Tora
3rd Trixter
3rd Twisted Sister
3rd Vinnie Vincent
3rd Y&T

[Dennis K]

http://svc087.bri7h.webmetrix.com.au/shopimages/d63.jpg

Now that's wot *I* call a hair band. :D


Damn, just how many cliches did they manage to work into that photo?

[Adam Crocker]

I think there needs to be some guide lines on what we consider a Hair Band. When I think of Hair band, the Cult and Van Halen dont come to mind.

Agreed. Van Halen actually have a better claim on this list than Slayer or Maiden because they had a large influence on the hair metal bands that followed them, kind of like the New York Dolls on punk, though it's still a rather gray area. I didn't say anything about the Cult because my familiarity with their work is shakey. Of what I know they seemed to jump around stylistically (which is supported by what I've read of the band's history) from goth, to psych influenced hardrock, to just hardrock. Some of the straight hardrock stuff, like "Fire Woman" and "Soul Asylum" sound like stabs commercial 80s rock, if not hair metal. But "Wild Flower" sounds more like AC/DC. And "She Sells Sanctuary" seems to owe more to early 70s hardrock and pyschedelia than glam and Kiss.

Anyways, "hair bands" were tied to a slick form of hard rock that dominated in the 1980s commercial music scene. While it was clearly rooted in 70s hard rock it also owed strong debts to 70s glam and the pop metal of Kiss and Hanoi Rocks. It also took Van Halen's blues-free party metal as a starting point. Its hard rock put loaded with (obvious and heavy handed) pop hooks and often has very, very slick production values. Often they favoured heavy use of reverb everywhere, and synthesizers to give it extra gloss. Basically most hard rock on 80s rock radio.

(Which makes me wonder if Guns'n'Roses belong on the list. They were a lot tougher and less polished than hair metal in its entirety.)

If you basing that on a time period where yes some of them did have bigish hair, then You must include Pantera on this list as seen Here (http://perso.calixo.net/~kristoff/PHOTOS%20PANTERA%20GLAM.htm). And I doubt anyone would call Pantera a hair band. But man those are some funny pics haha.

Or Anthrax. Whatever the influence of hardcore punk or the sound they built their reputation on Anthrax pretty much started out as a Judas Priest/Iron Maiden knockoff though with less hair-spray than early Pantera and a better fashion sense.

[Dennis K]

Agreed. Van Halen actually have a better claim on this list than Slayer or Maiden because they had a large influence on the hair metal bands that followed them. Anyways, "hair bands" were tied to a slick form of hard rock that dominated in the 1980s commercial music scene. While it was clearly rooted in 70s hard rock it also owed strong debts to 70s glam and the pop metal of Kiss and Hanoi Rocks. It also took Van Halen's blues-free party metal as a starting point. Its hard rock put loaded with (obvious and heavy handed) pop hooks and often has very, very slick production values. Often they favoured heavy use of reverb everywhere, and synthesizers to give it extra gloss. Basically most hard rock on 80s rock radio.


Van Halen may have been the template for the hair metal bands that followed them out of the L.A. music scene, but Van Halen was never really glam, an important element that true hair metal bands had. Hair band frontmen may have been doing their best Diamond Dave routine, and the lead guitarists may have been doing their best Eddie Van Halen impersonation, but I don't agree with the assertion that being an influence on a genre makes you a part of it. I mean, I can hear a lot of the In Color... & Heaven Tonight era Cheap Trick in the hair metal bands of the '80s, but there's no way I'd ever say Cheap Trick was a hair metal band.

[Adam Crocker]

Fair enough. As I said it was a 'grey area' since I really wasn't sure myself if they counted or not.

[BigJayStudd]

Thanks to everybody for the input. It was much appreciated. As with all list there is always going to be debate. So I went with the majority. Survivor: Hair Bands is launched. My money is on Mr. Big.



Or not.

[Eliot Johnson]

For our next Survivor can we maybe have one that doesn't suck?

SECONDED!!!!!!!