Who Had the Biggest Hair and Hits in the 80s Glam Metal Scene?
Remember when rock stars’ hair was bigger than their amplifiers? When guitar solos melted faces, and the makeup budget rivaled the recording costs? Welcome to the wild world of 80s hair bands; the higher the hair, the closer to rock heaven!
What’s In This Guide
- The rise and definition of hair metal
- MTV’s role in launching the genre
- Top 10 most influential big hair bands
- Signature looks and styles
- The music behind the mayhem
- Where are they now?
- Legacy and influence on today’s music
What Exactly Was a “Hair Band,” Anyway?
If you lived through the 80s, you already know. If you’re discovering this era through TikTok revivals and Spotify playlists, let me break it down.
A “hair band” wasn’t just a group of musicians who happened to have long hair. Nope! It was a full-blown cultural phenomenon that combined hard rock, heavy metal, and glam aesthetics into something that horrified parents and thrilled teenagers across America.
HAIR METAL DEFINED: A musical subgenre born in the late 70s and early 80s that blended heavy metal with elements of rock, punk, and pop, characterized by elaborate hairstyles, makeup, flamboyant clothing, and music that was both aggressive and commercially accessible.
What made these bands stand out wasn’t just their music; However, those power ballads could make lighters wave in arenas nationwide; it was the complete package: the hair teased to defy gravity, the spandex, the makeup, the pyrotechnics, and the pure, unadulterated spectacle of it all.
The Perfect Storm: How Hair Metal Conquered the World
Ever wondered why hairbands exploded when they did? Three words: right place, timing.
MTV Changed Everything
In August 1981, MTV launched with the prophetic “Video Killed the Radio Star.” Little did they know they were about to create the perfect launching pad for hair metal’s visual excess. Suddenly, it wasn’t enough to sound good you had to look outrageous.
For bands with big hair, bigger personalities, and a flair for the dramatic, MTV was like hitting the jackpot. While earlier rock acts could hide behind album covers, hair bands lived and died by their visual appeal.
The Mount Rushmore of Hair Metal: The Biggest of the Big Hair Bands
Let’s be real there were hundreds of bands sporting Aqua Net and eyeliner in the 80s, but some truly defined the genre. Based on album sales, cultural impact, and yes, hair volume, here are the undisputed kings of the hair metal mountain:
80s/90s Rock & Metal Band Chart
Def Leppard (1977): When British Sophistication Met Hair Metal
While technically formed in the late 70s in Sheffield, England, Def Leppard reached their commercial peak during the hair metal era with a more polished, radio-friendly sound than many of their contemporaries.
Their 1987 album “Hysteria” is often called the “Thriller” of heavy metal—a meticulously crafted, sonically perfect collection of songs that dominated both rock and pop charts. Producer Mutt Lange created layers of guitars and vocals to create a wall of sound that defined the era.
Did you know? Drummer Rick Allen lost his arm in a car accident in 1984 but continued with the band using a custom electronic drum kit, becoming one of rock’s most inspiring comeback stories.
Where are they now? Unlike many hair bands who faded in the 90s, Def Leppard maintained their commercial appeal and continued to tour arenas worldwide. In 2022, they released “Diamond Star Halos,” proving they can still create new music that connects with fans.
Signature song: “Pour Some Sugar On Me” – The ultimate combination of hard rock crunch and pop sensibility that still packs dance floors in 2025.
Hair rating: 3.5/5 Aqua Net cans – More feathered and styled than teased to the heavens, Def Leppard had great hair that still looked somewhat natural.
Poison (1983): The Pretty Boys of Hair Metal
If some bands tried to maintain a hint of danger, Poison went all-in on hair metal’s “party good times” aesthetic. Frontman Bret Michaels, guitarist C.C. DeVille, bassist Bobby Dall, and drummer Rikki Rockett created a visual and sonic template that screamed, “We’re here to have fun and look fabulous doing it.”
VH1 ranked them #3 on their “Hair Metal 100” list, and for good reason—they embodied the colorful, excessive style that defined the era. Their debut album, “Look What the Cat Dragged In,” reportedly cost only $23,000 to record but sold over 4 million copies.
Where are they now? Bret Michaels found reality TV fame with “Rock of Love” and continues to tour solo and with Poison. In 2024, they completed a successful nostalgia tour with other 80s giants, proving the appetite for hair metal remains strong.
Signature song: “Talk Dirty To Me” (1986) – The perfect encapsulation of hair metal’s celebration of sexuality with a catchy chorus that’s impossible not to sing along to.
Hair rating: 5/5 Aqua Net cans – CC DeVille’s blonde explosion and Bret’s bandana-topped locks were the envy of glam rockers everywhere.
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Bon Jovi (1983): When Hair Metal Went Mainstream
Born in New Jersey (not the Sunset Strip like many of their contemporaries), Bon Jovi brought a blue collar sensibility to hair metal that helped them transcend the genre. Led by the photogenic Jon Bon Jovi and guitar virtuoso Richie Sambora, they crafted anthems that even your mom couldn’t help but sing along to.
Their 1986 album “Slippery When Wet” wasn’t just successful—it was a global phenomenon that sold more than 20 million copies worldwide. Think about that: in today’s streaming numbers, that would break the internet.
Fun fact: The iconic “Slippery When Wet” album cover was originally supposed to feature a wet model in a T-shirt, but was changed to the simple water-on-plastic bag design after pushback from retailers. Even hair metal had its limits!
Where are they now? Unlike many of their peers, Bon Jovi never really went away. They evolved their sound, cut their hair, and maintained a career that’s lasted over 40 years. Jon Bon Jovi was recently inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2024, proving you can grow out of hair metal with your dignity intact.
Signature song: “Livin’ on a Prayer.” That talkbox guitar intro is instantly recognizable across generations. In 2025, it’s still being played at every wedding, sports event, and karaoke night across America.
Hair rating: 4/5 Aqua Net cans – Jon’s feathered mane and Richie’s massive curls set the standard for non-metal guys to grow their hair out.
Mötley Crüe (1981)
Mötley Crüe challenged every moral standard in America.
Born in 1981 from the chaotic minds of bassist Nikki Sixx and drummer Tommy Lee, Mötley Crüe didn’t just embrace the hair metal lifestyle; they wrote the blueprint for it. Later joined by guitarist Mick Mars and vocalist Vince Neil, they became the poster boys for everything rock & roll.
Their 1983 album “Shout at the Devil” didn’t just mark the history of glam metal; it practically wrote it in lipstick on the bathroom mirror of rock history. With pentagrams, fire, and enough hairspray to deplete the ozone layer (back when we didn’t worry about such things), they perfectly embodied what parents feared and kids adored.
Where are they now? After multiple “final” tours, a Netflix biopic “The Dirt” in 2019 introduced them to a new generation, and as of 2025, they’re still occasionally touring—with slightly less hair but the same attitude.
Signature song: “Kickstart My Heart” (1989) – A song literally written after Nikki Sixx was revived from a heroin overdose. You can’t get more hair metal than that.
Hair rating: 5/5 Aqua Net cans – Particularly Nikki Sixx’s gravity-defying creation that looked like it could house small wildlife.
Ratt (1978)
Ratt is one of the best-known bands of this era. It was born early, in 1978, in San Diego. It was very commercially successful during the eighties, but its success declined considerably only the following decade, in the nineties. The band has sold more than thirty million albums worldwide and VH1 also listed it on its “100 Greatest Heavy Metal Artists” ranking.
With their hit song Round and Round’ (1984) they managed to reach 12 of the singles list of the best sellers in the United States, with one of their most sensual songs.
Cinderella (1983)
Cinderella was born in Philadelphia in the middle of the golden decade of hair metal. They did that with multiple singles and albums whose music videos were hugely successful on the MTV channel. The band had various influences: rock & roll, the fusion of blues and rock, and even southern rock. They worked together with great sponsors who helped them get their careers off the ground, including Jon Bon Jovi.
Two of their great songs are Shake me’ and Nothin’ for nothin”, great songs characteristic of the hair metal era.
Whitesnake (1978)
Whitesnake was another of the bands born in British territory. It was founded in 1978 by David Coverdale (one of the greatest rock singers in history), who created it after breaking up from his old band Deep Purple. The first years the band was focused on the rock, blues, and soul genres, and little by little they were tending more to hard rock, heavy metal, and hair metal. His rock is very characteristic and famous, with that vigorous and sexy tone.
They continue to release new music nowadays, such as Flesh & Blood’ which came out this past 2019.
W.A.S.P (1982)
W.A.S.P. is another of the great groups in the history of hair metal. It was born in 1982 in Los Angeles, California, and was led by singer and guitarist Blackie Lawless. Although this band reached its climax that same decade, they continue to record albums and make tours to this day. They have sold over twelve million copies worldwide throughout these thirty years of career.
Their great song was I Wanna Be Somebody’ (1984), written in their early years, it was a great hit with an unforgettable chorus.
These were some of the best-known long hair, hairspray, and makeup glam bands of the eighties. They are not ordered by success, nor by their years of work, but all the bands are more or less part of the history of hair metal. And many were also successful in the rock world.
The Queens of Hair Metal: Female-Fronted Bands That Rocked Just as Hard
Hair metal wasn’t just a boys’ club, though history sometimes paints it that way. Several all-female or female-fronted bands brought just as much hair and heaviness to the scene:
Vixen: The All-Female Answer to Bon Jovi
Formed in Minnesota but making their mark on the Sunset Strip, Vixen proved women could rock just as hard as the guys. Their hits “Edge of a Broken Heart” and “Cryin'” showcased both technical proficiency and commercial appeal.
Lita Ford: From Runaway to Solo Star
After her time in the pioneering all-female rock band The Runaways, Lita Ford embraced the hair metal aesthetic for her solo career, collaborating with Ozzy Osbourne and creating the iconic ballad “Kiss Me Deadly.”
Warlock/Doro Pesch: Europe’s Metal Queen
German band Warlock, fronted by the powerful Doro Pesch, brought European heavy metal sensibilities to the hair band scene with less glam but just as much musical intensity.
The Hair-Band Lifestyle: More Than Just Music
Hair metal wasn’t just about the songs—it was a complete lifestyle and aesthetic that influenced fashion, language, and attitudes throughout the 80s.
The Fashion: Beyond Just Big Hair
- The Hair: Achieved through backcombing, hairspray, and occasionally hair extensions
- The Makeup: Eyeliner, foundation, and sometimes full faces of makeup regardless of gender
- The Clothes: Spandex, leather, bandanas, torn denim, and animal prints
- The Accessories: Bullet belts, studded wristbands, chains, and scarves
