# Were any of the Hair Bands in the 1980s any good? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [November 7, 2015, 6:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/were-any-of-the-hair-bands-in-the-1980s-any-good/736929 "2015-11-07T18:12:47Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![MrDibble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrdibble/32/114_2.png) [@MrDibble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDibble)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2015, 12:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/were-any-of-the-hair-bands-in-the-1980s-any-good/736929/61 "2015-11-10T12:11:15Z")
> [@Hail\_Ants](#): > > Iands like Van Halen, […] just wore mostly regular clothes. Sometimes leather jeans or jackets etc. but just off-the-rack stuff. Not Diamond Dave, at least. ---
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2015, 12:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/were-any-of-the-hair-bands-in-the-1980s-any-good/736929/62 "2015-11-10T12:22:56Z")
> [@River\_Hippie](#): > > I always thought \*\*Dokken \*\*and particularly George Lynch were a cut above as hair metal bands went. I thought _Operation Mindcrime_ by **Queensrÿche** was pretty good stuff. Mindcrime is one of the best albums of all time regardless of genre. ---
**Author:** ![WordMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e8c25b/32.png) [@WordMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WordMan)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2015, 1:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/were-any-of-the-hair-bands-in-the-1980s-any-good/736929/63 "2015-11-10T13:52:59Z")
Operation: Mindcrime is not remotely hair metal. More like proggy metal, like Rush’s 2112… ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2015, 2:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/were-any-of-the-hair-bands-in-the-1980s-any-good/736929/64 "2015-11-10T14:13:50Z")
> [@Hail\_Ants](#): > > I would disagree, and I would say so because the other defining element of ‘hair metal’ was: _Wardrobe!_\*\* > > Along with big, poofy, stylized hairdos hair metal bands all had similarly flamingly-styled wardrobes. If they wanted to be seen as more ‘metal’ it was spikes & leather, but usually it was, well, just horrible 80s clothes. Bright colors, big shoulders, long flowing layered jackets & sleeves, leather boots etc. Bands like Van Halen, Def Leppard and Guns 'n Roses just wore mostly regular clothes. Sometimes leather jeans or jackets etc. but just off-the-rack stuff. And never, **EVER** makeup\*!\* That’s the key to why hair metal sucked, the bands appearance was always _ **just** _ as important (and often more so) as their music. If it wasn’t for the dominant 80s visual medium of MTV, ‘hair metal’ bands would never have been successful because their music alone just wasn’t good enough for FM radio. This mostly makes sense, except, what about KISS, which owed much of its success to its appearance but which predated MTV? ---
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2015, 2:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/were-any-of-the-hair-bands-in-the-1980s-any-good/736929/65 "2015-11-10T14:37:09Z")
> [@WordMan](#): > > Operation: Mindcrime is not remotely hair metal. More like proggy metal, like Rush’s 2112… Oh I agree. Queensryche never fit into a category easily and they changed through the years. But they are often played on the Sirius Hair Nation station and if you look at some of their [old videos](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A4duZjxusGM) they were going for the look somewhat but not as flamboyant. Geoff Tate still has one of the best voices in rock. ---
**Author:** ![alted315](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/cc9497/32.png) [@alted315](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/alted315)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2015, 2:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/were-any-of-the-hair-bands-in-the-1980s-any-good/736929/66 "2015-11-10T14:40:00Z")
A band that gets lumped into this genre and does fit many of the criteria listed earlier is Extreme ( particularly the acoustic hit) but personally one of my favorite bands from that era musically closer to Pat Travers than hair metal. One of the best guitar players from that time, Nuno Bettencourt ---
**Author:** ![WordMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e8c25b/32.png) [@WordMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WordMan)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2015, 2:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/were-any-of-the-hair-bands-in-the-1980s-any-good/736929/67 "2015-11-10T14:43:13Z")
I hear you - but there were SO many amazing guitarists that got co-opted into hair metal bands. Nuno, George Lynch, Reb Beach with Winger, heck, Steve Vai played with Whitesnake for a bit. Having an amazingly brilliant guitarist is not a “get out of hair metal free” card. Unless you are Eddie, and were the first. ---
**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:** [November 10, 2015, 2:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/were-any-of-the-hair-bands-in-the-1980s-any-good/736929/68 "2015-11-10T14:51:49Z")
> [@RickJay](#): > > Well, Van Halen were around before “Hair metal” was even a concept, so it’d be hard to include them. > > But why isn’t GnR a hair band? They sure had hair. They had a standard hair band presentation and arrangement - singer, two guitars, bass and drums - and sang hair band songs. What sets them apart from hair bands you never think much about anymore, like Ratt, is that they were REALLY good. > > If we dismiss a band that’s really good as “not a hair band” then it becomes a circular argument; no hair bands can be good because a band that is good isn’t a hair band. But GnR was absolutely a hair band. > > Def Leppard was pretty good, too - not as good as GnR, but quite talented and they had a number of really good songs - and was absolutely a hair metal band. I agree. They’re all hair bands. Obviously GnR had more success, ability, range, and so on than your typical hair band. But they still fit the genre. I say this as a huge GnR fan and a fan of almost all hair metal. It’s no knock on GnR to put them in the category. ---
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2015, 3:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/were-any-of-the-hair-bands-in-the-1980s-any-good/736929/69 "2015-11-10T15:11:09Z")
> [@Barkis\_is\_Willin](#): > > I agree. They’re all hair bands. Obviously GnR had more success, ability, range, and so on than your typical hair band. But they still fit the genre. I say this as a huge GnR fan and a fan of almost all hair metal. It’s no knock on GnR to put them in the category. I disagree. GnR was the blacklash against Hair Metal. You might as well say Nirvana was Hair Metal. ---
**Author:** ![scabpicker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scabpicker/32/8268_2.png) [@scabpicker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scabpicker)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2015, 3:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/were-any-of-the-hair-bands-in-the-1980s-any-good/736929/70 "2015-11-10T15:35:19Z")
> [@Loach](#): > > I disagree. GnR was the blacklash against Hair Metal. You might as well say Nirvana was Hair Metal. I’d say they’re the outro of Hair Metal. They certainly did hair ballads (e.g. Sweet Child of Mine), and did have largely the same attitude as the hair bands. But they were into leather instead of spandex, and usually were into a bit harder version of rock than most hair bands. ---
**Author:** ![Lucas\_Jackson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lucas_jackson/32/303_2.png) [@Lucas\_Jackson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lucas_Jackson)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2015, 3:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/were-any-of-the-hair-bands-in-the-1980s-any-good/736929/71 "2015-11-10T15:37:31Z")
DLR has stated on numerous occasions the Queen was VH’s biggest influence. ---
**Author:** ![wguy123](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wguy123/32/3161_2.png) [@wguy123](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wguy123)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2015, 3:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/were-any-of-the-hair-bands-in-the-1980s-any-good/736929/72 "2015-11-10T15:38:39Z")
According to the [Map of Meta](http://mapofmetal.com/)l, Hair Metal is also known an Glam Metal, descended directly from Heavy Metal and Shock Rock. Go study the map and then we can discuss further. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2015, 3:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/were-any-of-the-hair-bands-in-the-1980s-any-good/736929/73 "2015-11-10T15:40:18Z")
> [@White SIFL](#): > > DLR has stated on numerous occasions the Queen was VH’s biggest influence. You mean Elizabeth II? ---
**Author:** ![Death\_of\_Rats](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a6a055/32.png) [@Death\_of\_Rats](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Death_of_Rats)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2015, 3:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/were-any-of-the-hair-bands-in-the-1980s-any-good/736929/74 "2015-11-10T15:49:14Z")
> [@Hail\_Ants](#): > > I would **NOT** consider the following to be ‘Hair Bands’: > [ul] > [li]Def Leppard[/li][li]Van Halen[/li][li] **Guns 'n Roses** [/li][li]Tesla[/li][li]Cheap Trick[/li][li]Ozzy Osbourne[/li][li]Metallica (blasphemy!)[/li][/ul] Excuse me? Have you never seen the video for “Welcome to the Jungle”? GnR were the Hairiest of Hair Bands during the Appetite for Destruction era. They just dropped the look after they got successful. Just like Motley Crue and Ratt and Poison and Twisted Sister and Warrant and every other band going into the late 80’s/early 90’s. ---
**Author:** ![WordMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e8c25b/32.png) [@WordMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WordMan)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2015, 3:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/were-any-of-the-hair-bands-in-the-1980s-any-good/736929/75 "2015-11-10T15:56:22Z")
> [@White SIFL](#): > > DLR has stated on numerous occasions the Queen was VH’s biggest influence. DLR can say what he wants. Go find the album **Montrose** , featuring Ronnie Montrose on guitar and Sammy Hagar with his first recorded vocals. Rock Candy, Rock the Nation, Bad Motor Scooter, etc. It was produced by Ted Templeman and engineered by Donn Landee. When VH was around in Pasadena, they couldn’t get signed until Ted Templeman picked them up. He basically saw another attempt to do Montrose - last name of guitarist as the name of the band and all - and went for it. Templeman produced their albums until EVH got itchy and built his own studio - and worked with Donn Landee when producing those albums. Sure they liked Queen, but they were packaged up by Warner Brothers to be a more successful Montrose. When DLR left/was fired, the fact that they turned to Sammy Hagar was the biggest inside joke. Not laughing at them; more just making the connection back to Montrose that much more clear. ---
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2015, 4:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/were-any-of-the-hair-bands-in-the-1980s-any-good/736929/76 "2015-11-10T16:04:18Z")
> [@Death\_of\_Rats](#): > > Excuse me? Have you never seen the video for “Welcome to the Jungle”? GnR were the Hairiest of Hair Bands during the Appetite for Destruction era. They just dropped the look after they got successful. Just like Motley Crue and Ratt and Poison and Twisted Sister and Warrant and every other band going into the late 80’s/early 90’s. They never had the look. It was someone’s bright idea for their first video. Once they had one hit and more say in their direction the ridiculous hair went away. ---
**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:** [November 10, 2015, 6:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/were-any-of-the-hair-bands-in-the-1980s-any-good/736929/77 "2015-11-10T18:32:29Z")
The biggest hair band of all time was Great White Lion Snake. ---
**Author:** ![WordMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e8c25b/32.png) [@WordMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WordMan)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2015, 6:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/were-any-of-the-hair-bands-in-the-1980s-any-good/736929/78 "2015-11-10T18:46:20Z")
> [@Paintcharge](#): > > The biggest hair band of all time was Great White Lion Snake. I know, right? It’s like Britny Rockit Boyz or something. ---
**Author:** ![GargoyleWB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gargoylewb/32/199_2.png) [@GargoyleWB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GargoyleWB)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2015, 7:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/were-any-of-the-hair-bands-in-the-1980s-any-good/736929/79 "2015-11-10T19:47:12Z")
> [@adaher](#): > > I agree that Van Halen was never metal, they’ve always just been a hard rock band… Some other proto-hair bands that come to mind…not High Hair but definitely play to the tropes and trappings: Dio / Rainbow Scorpions Sammy Hagar ---
**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:** [November 10, 2015, 8:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/were-any-of-the-hair-bands-in-the-1980s-any-good/736929/80 "2015-11-10T20:09:06Z")
> [@Death\_of\_Rats](#): > > Excuse me? Have you never seen the video for “Welcome to the Jungle”? GnR were the Hairiest of Hair Bands during the Appetite for Destruction era. They just dropped the look after they got successful. Just like Motley Crue and Ratt and Poison and Twisted Sister and Warrant and every other band going into the late 80’s/early 90’s. I agree with **Hail Ants**. The may have had the hair, but they weren’t “hair metal” (which is what I assume is meant by “hair bands.”) The bands that dropped the look were still “hair metal.” [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/were-any-of-the-hair-bands-in-the-1980s-any-good/736929.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/were-any-of-the-hair-bands-in-the-1980s-any-good/736929.md?page=5)