# Best 80's hair metal band? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [December 14, 2010, 4:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-80s-hair-metal-band/564132 "2010-12-14T16:43:00Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![DCnDC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dcndc/32/2842_2.png) [@DCnDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DCnDC)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2010, 4:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-80s-hair-metal-band/564132/1 "2010-12-14T16:43:00Z")
Hair metal. Defined as-- if you were alive in the 80’s you’d instantly know it when you see or hear it. If you ever looked at the cover of _Look What the Cat Dragged In_ and thought, “Those chicks are hot!” then you know what I’m talking about here. Poll including the biggest bands off the top of my head. Forgive me for overlooking some other shitty band you liked. However, if you’re going to be extolling the virtues of the likes of **Trixter** , **Firehouse** or **Enuff Z’Nuff** I offer no apologies for pointing and laughing. ---
**Author:** ![StusBlues](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/dc4da7/32.png) [@StusBlues](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/StusBlues)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2010, 4:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-80s-hair-metal-band/564132/2 "2010-12-14T16:44:40Z")
Either Metallica or Van Halen. Metallica has aged much better, but everybody wanted to play like Eddie back in the day. ETA: Perhaps neither of these are hair metal. If so, I got no pick. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2010, 5:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-80s-hair-metal-band/564132/3 "2010-12-14T17:40:53Z")
Put me down for “Wouldn’t touch that stuff with a 12 ft. Lithuanian.” ---
**Author:** ![The\_Peyote\_Coyote](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/5f8ce5/32.png) [@The\_Peyote\_Coyote](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Peyote_Coyote)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2010, 5:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-80s-hair-metal-band/564132/4 "2010-12-14T17:59:17Z")
They all sucked. ---
**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2010, 6:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-80s-hair-metal-band/564132/5 "2010-12-14T18:00:06Z")
How is Van Halen NOT [hair metal](http://images.starpulse.com/Photos/pv/Van%20Halen-14.JPG)? ---
**Author:** ![DCnDC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dcndc/32/2842_2.png) [@DCnDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DCnDC)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2010, 6:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-80s-hair-metal-band/564132/6 "2010-12-14T18:11:44Z")
Sorry. I was going off the top of my head and for whatever reason Van Halen doesn’t ring the “hair metal” bell for me. But I see how they should. ---
**Author:** ![Paintcharge](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/paintcharge/32/7946_2.png) [@Paintcharge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Paintcharge)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2010, 6:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-80s-hair-metal-band/564132/7 "2010-12-14T18:16:55Z")
GreatWhiteLionSnake ---
**Author:** ![Barkis\_is\_Willin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a183cd/32.png) [@Barkis\_is\_Willin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Barkis_is_Willin)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2010, 6:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-80s-hair-metal-band/564132/8 "2010-12-14T18:46:20Z")
Of the bands on that list, I picked Def Leppard because I’ve seen them in concert twice in the lsat decade and they still rock. Plus, they’re one of the very few bands on that list you can even see in concert now-a-days. ---
**Author:** ![Tangent](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tangent/32/3098_2.png) [@Tangent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tangent)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2010, 6:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-80s-hair-metal-band/564132/9 "2010-12-14T18:53:39Z")
**Guns N Roses** - their _Appetite for Destruction_ is, IMO, the best album put out by any of these bands. ---
**Author:** ![River\_Hippie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/river_hippie/32/26_2.png) [@River\_Hippie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/River_Hippie)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2010, 10:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-80s-hair-metal-band/564132/10 "2010-12-14T22:09:14Z")
I would have voted for GNR, because Appetite _was_ freakin’ great but I have come to loathe Axel to the point that I can’t. So…Dokken. George Lynch is a fantastic guitar player. ---
**Author:** ![Sateryn76](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a88e4f/32.png) [@Sateryn76](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sateryn76)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2010, 1:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-80s-hair-metal-band/564132/11 "2010-12-15T01:38:48Z")
I picked Poison - they are the epitome of everything 80s Sunset Strip hair metal was supposed to be. And, I’ve seen them several times, and they still rock and roll. Guns and Roses have the most talent/are the best songwriters, but I don’t consider them pure hair metal. They’re just too good. ---
**Author:** ![thelurkinghorror](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7c8e57/32.png) [@thelurkinghorror](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thelurkinghorror)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2010, 1:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-80s-hair-metal-band/564132/12 "2010-12-15T01:52:28Z")
I don’t like this genre so I thought that Twisted Sister was the most tongue-in-cheek and least douchy. I didn’t see Def Leppard on first scan though, maybe they qualify, although I consider them more pre-hair. ---
**Author:** ![FoieGrasIsEvil](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foiegrasisevil/32/16638_2.png) [@FoieGrasIsEvil](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FoieGrasIsEvil)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2010, 1:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-80s-hair-metal-band/564132/13 "2010-12-15T01:59:49Z")
> [@Sateryn76](#): > > I picked Poison - they are the epitome of everything 80s Sunset Strip hair metal was supposed to be. And, I’ve seen them several times, and they still rock and roll. > > Guns and Roses have the most talent/are the best songwriters, but I don’t consider them pure hair metal. They’re just too good. I agree about your GnR assessment, I never thought of them as a hair metal band as to me, hair metal implies a certain amount of cheese and schlock WRT not only appearance but trite lyrics, mundane musical arrangements, etc. GnR weren’t ever really any of that although Axl certainly had his hairspray phase. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2010, 2:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-80s-hair-metal-band/564132/14 "2010-12-15T02:24:00Z")
You forgot Spinal Tap. Otherwise, **Sateryn76** has it right, Poison was the epitome of the 80s hair band. ---
**Author:** ![NDP](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ndp/32/55_2.png) [@NDP](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NDP)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2010, 3:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-80s-hair-metal-band/564132/15 "2010-12-15T03:25:03Z")
> [@FoieGrasIsEvil](#): > > I agree about your GnR assessment, I never thought of them as a hair metal band as to me, hair metal implies a certain amount of cheese and schlock WRT not only appearance but trite lyrics, mundane musical arrangements, etc. GnR weren’t ever really any of that although Axl certainly had his hairspray phase. I hate hair metal and even I think GnR doesn’t belong on the same list with Poison and Motley Crue. ---
**Author:** ![handsomeharry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e9c0ed/32.png) [@handsomeharry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/handsomeharry)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2010, 4:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-80s-hair-metal-band/564132/16 "2010-12-15T04:14:23Z")
> [@NDP](#): > > I hate hair metal and even I think GnR doesn’t belong on the same list with Poison and Motley Crue. Exactly right. GNR isn’t hair. Neither is Metallica. Neither is Van Halen. And, even that pic earlier doesn’t make Van Halen a hair band. Only DLR wore makeup, and that was about as hair bandish that they got. Look at M. Anthony in the background: don’t tell me he hasn’t just changed out a set of pistons. Best wishes, hh ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2010, 4:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-80s-hair-metal-band/564132/17 "2010-12-15T04:24:41Z")
> [@Alessan](#): > > How is Van Halen NOT [hair metal](http://images.starpulse.com/Photos/pv/Van%20Halen-14.JPG)? They might be borderline to some, I dunno, but I would not consider them hair metal at all. I voted for Def Leppard. Guns N Roses would normally get my nod, but they’re not hair metal, either, so I didn’t consider them in the poll. ---
**Author:** ![BaneSidhe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/c5a1d2/32.png) [@BaneSidhe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BaneSidhe)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2010, 6:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-80s-hair-metal-band/564132/18 "2010-12-15T06:31:36Z")
> [@Barkis\_is\_Willin](#): > > Of the bands on that list, I picked Def Leppard because I’ve seen them in concert twice in the lsat decade and they still rock. Plus, they’re one of the very few bands on that list you can even see in concert now-a-days. Leppard wasn’t really hair metal [despite the HAIR], I’d put them more as “melodic hard rock.” They’ve held up pretty well over the years and I can’t wait for their next album and tour. ---
**Author:** ![Steophan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/steophan/32/9595_2.png) [@Steophan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Steophan)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2010, 8:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-80s-hair-metal-band/564132/19 "2010-12-15T08:54:25Z")
> [@NDP](#): > > I hate hair metal and even I think GnR doesn’t belong on the same list with Poison and Motley Crue. I love hair metal and I agree - G’n’R were something unique. I voted for the Crue, they started the Sunset Strip scene and are still going strong today. Saints Of Los Angeles from a couple of years ago is a killer album. From the poll, I’d question Whitesnake being hair metal, or Skid Row being 80s though. And where’s Wales’s finest export Tigertailz? ---
**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2010, 9:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-80s-hair-metal-band/564132/20 "2010-12-15T09:23:14Z")
I think there’s a lot of One True Scotsmanning going on in this thread. Just because you think a band is good, that doesn’t mean it isn’t hair metal. And yes, that applies to Van Halen. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-80s-hair-metal-band/564132.md?page=2)