Well, Sweet’s Ballroom Blitz is definitely a 70’s song Krokus did an excellent remake of it in the 80’s. May I also suggest another 80’s remake of a 70’s song? “Smokin’ in the Boys Room” by Motley Crue.
It’s okay… no worse than my Kip Winger fascination. 
Speaking of Winger- “Seventeen” was an awesome song.
You guys are great! I should have been able to think these up by myself but I just sorta hit a wall trying to remember.
Definitely need some Scorpions, Ratt, AC/DC, Dokken on there. I totally forgot about King Crimson, and Motorhead will be good, too.
I am not ashamed to admit that I Love Hair Bands. The hairrier, the better. But I wanted to ease him into it…
And Yes, Clear Channel sucks. Too bad they own everything…
Thanks folks! He’s gonna love it!
OP-wise (maybe not strickly 80’s, but close)…
Motorhead - No Sleep to Hammersmith (anything off the album)
Anthrax - Persistence of Time (especially the excellent cover of “Got The Time”)
Metallica - Kill 'Em All (Motorbreath would be a good starting point)
AC/DC - Back in Black or Highway to Hell (anything)
Iggy Pop - New Values (for the song, I’m Bored. I recommend his stuff with The Stooges more highly… but it’s not even close to 80’s)
And most pre-Hagar Van Halen is pretty entertaining
Straying slightly from the OP, but still Rock from the 80’s…
Green River - Dry As A Bone/Rehab Doll (song: Unwind)
Mudhoney - Superfuzz Bigmuff (song: No One Has)
Agent Orange - Living in Darkness (song: Everything Turns Grey)
Husker Du - New Day Rising (song: I Apologize)
The Replacements - Sorry Ma, Forgot To Take Out The Trash (song: Shiftless When Idle)
Soul Asylum - Made To Be Broken (song: Tied To The Tracks)
The Minutemen - Double Nickels on the Dime (song: Political Song For Michael Jackson To Sing)
Ramones - Subterranean Jungle (song: Psycho Therapy… although you would be doing you son a great favour turning him on to any and all Ramones albums up to this point, with the possible exception of End of the Century)
Cum On Feel the Noize was Quiet Riot.
But it definitely needs to be added. Or anything off Mental Health for that matter.
Cum on Feel the Noize was Slade first.
How bout Cherry Pie (Winger I think)?
Welcome to the Jungle–Guns N Roses
18 and Life–SkidRow
Nothin’ but a Good Time–Poison
I Remember You–Posion
Talk Dirty to Me–Poison
When Doves Cry–Prince (Ok…so it’s not EXACTLY metalhead music but it does rock 
)
Sweet Child O’ Mine–Guns N Roses
And if you’re in a ballads kinda mood I suggest:
Every Rose Has It’s Thorn–Poison
Cold November Rain–Guns N Roses
I Saw Red–Warrant
Heaven–Warrant
Knocking On Heaven’s Door–Guns-n-Roses (Yeah I know it was a Dylan song but GnR really kicks ass on that one)
Only Time will Tell–Nelson
Don’t You Cry Tonight–Guns n Roses
After the Rain–Nelson
CJ
CJ, you’re too young. “I Remember You” was Skid Row. “Cherry Pie” was Warrant.
And there’s a lot else out there other than the junk that got played on the radio. Excuse me for being a erk about this, but hair metal was much more than just waht made it to the radio. I grew up in the scene, and it was widespread and amazing. The songs that you mentioned are all decent songs, but I’m willing to bet that if you listened to the entire albums on which tey appeared, you’d find a new bunch of favorites.
Warrant’s “Cherry Pie” is not (IMHO) as good a song as “You’re the Only Hell Your Mama Ever Raised.” I LOVE that song.
The best ballad on Look What the Cat Dragged In was “Cry Tough.” And they covered “Your Mama Don’t Dance” by Loggins & Messina on Open up and Say… Aah! and it was SWEET.
“Love of a Liftime” by Firehouse was a damn fine ballad, “Don’t Walk Away” was better. The two best songs on the record (again, IMHO) were “Lover’s Lane” and “Shake and Tumble.” ESPECIALLY “S&T.” It fit CJ’s voice like you would not believe.
I really hate to do this. But I grew up in North Jersey in the 80’s. The “club scene” that you keep hearing so much about? It was my scene. And I love glam as only a Jersey glam boy can.
If your going to go outside the 80s, why not throw in Blue Cheer’s cover of “Summertime Blues”. Definitely hard rock.
Motorhead - “Eat The Rich”
Black Sabbath - “Mob Rules”, if we had to stick to 80s stuff, way too many Ozzy era songs to name.
Rainbow - “Man On The Silver Mountain” and “Since You Been Gone”
Frank Zappa - “You Are What You Is”
King Crimson - “Thela Hun Ginjeet”
Too bad their 80’s stuff was so disappointing…somehow for me the first album I listen to from an artist seems to define the sound for me, and the first Crimson I had was Red. Anyways, I wouldn’t consider their 80’s stuff to be essential hard rock, not to dis on Fripp though, he’s a great player.
About 2/3 of Chocolage Jesus’s selections would be on my list. Additionally:
[ul][li]Poison, “Something to Believe In”[/li][li]The Scorpions, “The Winds of Change”[/li][li]“Mama, I’m Comin’ Home”[/li][li]The Metallica song based on the Dalton Trumbo novel, which I cannot remember the titles of either, but it’ll click for somebody[/li][li]G & R – almost anything off Lies. “Patience” comes to mind.[/ul][/li]
Absolutely not hard rock but something from the period that ought to speak to him – Mike & the Mechanics, “The Living Years”
“Wot we got here, is a failure to communicate…” 
Again, venturing a little into the 90s at times where necessary to accomodate within a certain “feel” even though it doesn’t fit the timeframe, but here goes (I tried not to duplicate):
Extreme - Get The Funk Out
RATT - Round and Round
Damn Yankees - Coming of Age
Slaughter - Up All Night
Europe - Final Countdown
White Lion - Wait
ZZ Top - Legs
Ace Frehley - New York Groove
Billy Idol - Flesh for Fantasy
Headpins - Don’t It Make Ya Feel
Platinum Blonde - Doesn’t Really Matter
Accept - Fast As A Shark
Faith No More - Epic
Autograph - Turn Up The Radio
Georgia Satellites - Keep Your Hands to Yourself
And don’t forget the power ballads:
Mr. Big - To Be With You
White Lion - When the Children Cry
KISS - Beth
Queensryche - Silent Lucidity
Ozzy Osbourne and Lita Ford - Close My Eyes Forever
that’s all I can think of right now.
Just get him the Monsters of Rock CD. All the Hair Metal you can stand.
How about this cd?
I’m planning on buying it myself, nearly 45 songs for $15 is a pretty good deal.
If the credits on the CD have as many errors as the ones on the website, it’ll be a collector’s item to boot.
Thanks. I was invited. beams
But I’m affraid the forum loads very slowly for me on ocassions, so I may not display what a babble-mouth I am as often as I’d like to.
Thanks, Moods.
Let’s see here…
You’ve GOT to have Cheap Trick’s Surrender.
And if you’re gonna include G & R, make it estranged. Their finest work, IMHO.
Pantera- Walk, though this might be a little heavier than you want.
Queen and David Bowie- Under Pressure. Can’t go wrong with that song, although it isn’t really metal.
If he likes the guitar more than the lyrics, Iron Maiden’s “Afraid to shoot strangers” has (IMHO) the best solo EVER.
I wouldn’t be me if I didn’t beg you to include some Queensryche. If you want a ballad, I’d suggest Silent Lucidity. For straight-up rock, see Take Hold of the Flame, or Eyes of a Stranger.
I think noone has mentioned ** ZZ Top ** yet.