Recommended, Many Essential, Hair /Glam Metal Albums

By: Rich Catino, Asylum Owner

What constitutes a band, or album, to make the list?... Glam/Hair/Pop Metal is both a sound and style, and image. Several bands, while might not have been glam or a “hair band”, still may have released an album(s) which was in that genre.

So, in order to make our list, unlike others who have compiled similar recommendations, we at Metal Asylum made sure the band, and/or album, was considered because of the most important thing… the music, not the fashion. But, as we know, more often than not the clothes and hair went hand in hand with the music.

With sooo many hard rock and metal bands from the 70s, mostly 80s, and 90s, to prevent the list from losing its value, we had to of course establish criteria and guidelines. The artist must have met 2/3 of the following: 1. Big production, catchy, or sleazy riffs, and even bigger hooks to sing along to. 2. A power ballad(s). 3. The image; big hairdo, glitzy, androgynous clothing.

1980-1985: Obviously had to include those who were from the first generation (thus influential), several multi- platinum album sellers with hit singles and MTV videos, and some arena headliners.

Hanoi Rocks - Two Steps From The Move (1984)
Motley Crue – Too Fast For Love (1982)
Great White – Once Bitten (1985)
Ratt – Out Of The Cellar (1984)
Twisted Sister – Stay Hungry (1984)
Quiet Riot – Metal Health (1983)
Night Ranger - Midnight Madness (1983)
Def Leppard – Pyromania (1983), Hysteria (1987)
Van Halen – 1984 (1984)
Autograph - Sign In Please (1984)
Rough Cutt - Rough Cutt (1984)
Black 'N Blue - 'Black 'N Blue' (1984)
Helix - Walkin' the Razor's Edge (1984)

1986-1989: The mid-late 80s when the genre exploded was a mixed bag of strong second wave contenders who had been working the scene since the early 80s, had either platinum or a couple gold albums, and videos in rotation on MTV. Several were arena headliners, but many openers for the A-listers, or never made it out of the club scene.

Dokken – Under Lock And Key (1986)
Cinderella – Night Songs (1986)
David Lee Roth - Eat 'Em and Smile (1986)
Stryper – To Hell With The Devil (1986)
Poison – Look What The Cat Dragged In (1986)
Whitesnake – Whitesnake (1987)
W.A.S.P. – Inside The Electric Circus (1987)
LA Guns – LA Guns (1988)
Faster Pussycat – Faster Pussycat (1987)
Kix – Blow My Fuse (1987)
White Lion – Pride (1987)
Europe – The Final Countdown (1986)
Tesla - Mechanical Resonance (1986)
TNT - Tell No Tales (1987)
Bon Jovi - Slippery When Wet (1986)
BulletBoys – Bulletboys (1987)
Guns N' Roses - Appetite for Destruction (1987)
EZO - EZO (1987)
Loudness – Lightning Strikes (1986)
Lion – Dangerous Attraction (1987)
Keel – Keel (1987)
Warrant - Dirty Rotten Filthy Stinking Rich (1989)
Winger – Winger (1988)
Hurricane - Over the Edge (1988)
Vain - No Respect (1989)
Skid Row - Skid Row (1989)
Lita Ford – Lita (1988)
Britny Fox - Britny Fox (1988)
Saigon Kick - Saigon Kick (1988)
XYZ - XYZ (1989)
Dirty Looks - Cool from the Wire (1988)
Junkyard – Junkyard (1989)
American Angel – American Angel (1989)
Prophet - Cycle of the Moon (1988)
Danger Danger – Danger Danger (1989)
Enuff Z'Nuff - Enuff Z'Nuff (1989)
Dangerous Toys – Dangerous Toys (1989)
Tora Tora - Surprise Attack (1989)
Vinnie Vincent Invasion - All Systems Go (1988)
Badlands – Badlands (1989)
Sleeze Beeze - Screwed Blued & Tattooed (1989)

1990- 1995: The tail end of the 80s into the early 90s saw some who struggled throughout the decade in clubs earn some success, while others underrated and underground who (with several), deserved to be bigger but never quite got that break. Only a select few to be from the third and fourth generation from the late 80s/early 90s made the list because of lack of originality or just not all that good.

Slaughter - Stick It to Ya (1990)
Lynch Mob – Wicked Sensation (1990)
Vince Neil – Exposed (1992)
Trixter - Trixter (1990)
Tyketto - Don't Come Easy (1991)
Killer Dwarfs - Dirty Weapons (1990)
Firehouse – Firehouse (1990)
Steelheart – Steelheart (1990)
House Of Lords – Sahara (1990) <
Wildside – Under The Influence (1992)
Mr. Big - Lean Into It (1991)
Damn Yankees – Damn Yankees (1990)
Extreme – Pornograffitti (1990)
Spread Eagle – Spread Eagle (1990)
Sleeze Beez - Screwed Blued & Tattooed (1989)

The Left-Field Albums: Bands who obviously were not stylistically in the genre but put out a good album that did.

Pantera - Projects in the Jungle (1984)
Kiss – Asylum (1985)
Aerosmith - Permanent Vacation (1987)
Judas Priest – Turbo (1986)
Scorpions - Savage Amusement (1988)
Ozzy Osbourne – The Ultimate Sin (1986)
Alice Cooper – Trash (1989)
Y&T – Contagious (1987)