Best '80s Hair Metal Bands

The Top Ten
1 Bon Jovi Bon Jovi is a hard rock/pop rock band formed in 1983, which had a streak of successful albums in the late 1980s. The band originally consisted of lead vocalist Jon Bon Jovi, guitarist Ritchie Sambora (left in 2013), bassist Alec John Such (left in 1994), keyboard David Bryan, and drummer Tico Torres. The band's most famous album is Slippery When Wet, released in 1986, and had multiple hit singles such as "You give love a bad name", "Livin' On A Prayer", and "Wanted Dead Or Alive". The band's success continued well into the 1990s and 2000s, and the group still makes music to this day. They have sold around around 83 million albums worldwide.The band's first four albums blended the glam metal and hard rock genres. Their first two albums used a heavier mixture of glam metal and hard rock while their follow up which were Slippery When Wet and New Jersey featured a more mainstream commercialized mixture of glam metal and hard rock. They had shed the glam metal sound by their fifth studio album, ...read more.

I love Bon Jovi I love their music what's not to love about these guys. They created good and fine music alter ought the 80s Like Runaway, Livin on a prayer, You give love a bad name, wanted dead or alive, Ultimate classics. I know some people who hate and I tell them to get a life they are way beyond number 1

These guys should be number one, songs like Livin' On A Prayer, You Give Love A Bad Name, Bad Medicine, Born To Be My Baby, Runaway, It's My Life, Lay Your Hands On Me, In And Out Of Love (man I could continue this for days) are reason enough.

I quote this comment: "This band should be in top five of every list"! Bon Jovi the greatest legend of rock in the world! By Paola S.

Best hair band of all time! I'd put their song writing in top 20 of all genres all time. Jon Bon Jovi and Richie Sambora have magic together. Lots of talent in this band. My top 10 hair bands below:
0. Guns n Roses ( not a hair band but if categorized that way they should be #1)
1. Bon Jovi
2. Cinderella
3. Mötley Crüe
4. Van Halen
5. definitely Leppard
6. Poison
7. Twisted Sister
8. Quiet Riot
9. Ratt
10. Dokken

2 Mötley Crüe Mötley Crüe is an American metal band formed in Los Angeles, California on January 17, 1981. The group was founded by bassist Nikki Sixx and drummer Tommy Lee, lead vocalist Vince Neil and lead guitarist Mick Mars.

Motley Crue all the way! This band has been together for thirty something years?! They have definitely earned the number one spot! In my opinion Motley Crue is the best band on the planet, but then again no one asked for my opinion. I'm just saying that the Crue has had multiple albums and number one hits, they have been an inspiration for so many bands today and I'm surprised they aren't in the rock n roll hall of fame. Its such a shame that a Japanese band is at #1... smdh

"too fast for love" has been certified platinum and bon jovi's "slippery when wet" 12 times platinum. Well my friends "too fast for love" has so much superior and much better songs than the so overrated "slippery when wet". People have no taste, they buy anything that is crap. "theatre of pain" was a bit disappointing compare to the first 2 albums but was even better than slippery when wet. No question.

Motley Crue is the all time best hair metal band. They started hair metal. All the other bands were originated by Motley Crue.

Motley Crue pretty much defines the hair metal band. Peace on Earth and good will towards all humankind. I love you Maggie.

3 X Japan X Japan is a Japanese heavy metal band from Chiba, formed in 1982 by drummer Yoshiki and lead vocalist Toshi.

This legendary metal band from the 80s is totally awesome from the music, the dramas, the stage performance to their appearance.
Their make up rocks! (especially the hair).

At the 80s their name is X, tough &. And oh yeah, they did have the best hair. Look at Hide's peacock tail's hair, Yoshiki's half-spiked hedgehog hair, Pata's pink mowhawk,... I'm running out of words to describe Toshi's & Taiji's hair

They got cool hairstyles for sure.

I love their hair naming hide's I still think it's awesome wouldn't mind wearing it

4 Guns N' Roses Guns N' Roses is an American hard rock band from Los Angeles formed in 1985. The classic lineup, as signed to Geffen Records in 1986, consisted of vocalist Axl Rose, lead guitarist Slash, rhythm guitarist Izzy Stradlin, bassist Duff McKagan, and drummer Steven Adler. Apart from hard rock they are also associated with heavy metal. ...read more.

Best hair metal band EVER. Axl's voice, Slash's guitar playing and the rest of the band are doing their best. One of the best bands ever.

Axl at the time of appetite for destruction is the most sexy teens!... let me say these people wanted to show that they damn cared abt anything and they were gorgeous teens with some talent!... and they showed!... ROCK N ROLL baby!

They are not hair metal.

Good god do you people know nothing putting motley Crüe and x Japan in front of Guns N' Roses!

5 Def Leppard Def Leppard are an English hard rock band formed in 1977 in Sheffield as part of the new wave of British heavy metal movement.

Ahh definitely Leppard these English guys put the Metal in Glam. Though if they "Pour Some Sugar On Me" or create a "Rock of Ages" they kick ass.

Agreed they kick ass, way more than X Japan. Long live definitely Leppard.

Definitely Leppard should be number 1 for sure! Long live the Leppards!

6 Skid Row Skid Row is an American heavy metal band, formed in 1986 in Toms River, New Jersey. They were very successful in the late 1980s and early 1990s, with their first two albums certified multi-platinum.

Skid Row considering energy, charisma, and the spirit of real hair metal Skid row has it, should be on the top 10.

Skid Row are highly underrated. They have wonderful songs. Go listen, I Remember You.

Bas' is the Boss. If you don't agree, this party is over so get the...

7 Scorpions Scorpions are a German rock band formed in 1965 in Hanover by Rudolf Schenker. Since the band's inception, its musical style has ranged from hard rock to heavy metal.

Nobody likes the vocalist I'd say but their riffs are pretty good on some songs. Solid 1.5/10 (out of mercy).

Great ballads songs

8 Whitesnake Whitesnake are a rock band formed in England in 1978 by singer David Coverdale, after his departure from his previous band Deep Purple.

Is This Love is a fantastic song and one of my favorite love songs.

Whitesnake are not hair metal.

9 Kiss Kiss is an American hard rock band formed in New York City in January 1973 by Paul Stanley, Gene Simmons and the band's original manager, Lew Linet.

Who ever votes 4 metallica 4 hair metal is an idiot. lmfao they're thrash.. by the way ozzy, judas priest and ac/dc rnt even close 2 hair metal either... KISS RULEZZ!

10 Europe Europe is a Swedish rock band formed in Upplands Väsby, Stockholm in 1979 under the name Force by vocalist Joey Tempest, guitarist John Norum, bassist Peter Olsson and drummer Tony Reno.

Should definitely be higher this band is still putting out albums today.

The Contenders
11 Poison Poison is an American glam and hard rock band that achieved great commercial success in the mid-1980s to the mid-1990s.

Poison should really be #1 because they were the band that recived the most comercial success in the 80s when hair/glam bands really were popular. Most of their songs are known by almost every person, like Every Rose Has Its Thorn and nothing But A Good Time. They also really stood out more then every other band to.

I voted for poison because they're one of the two bands on this list that is really hair metal

12 Dokken Dokken are an American metal band formed in 1979. They split up in 1989 and reformed four years later.

Great band. Very underrated

I agree very under rated

Should be in top five.

13 Iron Maiden Iron Maiden are an English Heavy Metal band formed in Leyton, East London, in 1975 by bassist and primary songwriter Steve Harris. The most critically acclaimed period for the band was from 1983-1989. With vocalist Bruce Dickinson, bassist Steve Harris, lead guitarist Dave Murray, rhythm guitarist Adrian ...read more.

Best British band ever, nothing beats watching Zombie Apocalypse and Iron Maiden playing in the background.

Black Sabbath invented metal... Iron maiden perfected it!
Up the irons!... Keeping it real!

Yeah and Blind Guardian is the best pop group, I suppose?

14 Ratt Ratt is an American heavy metal band that had significant commercial success in the 1980s, with their albums having been certified as gold, platinum, and multi-platinum by the RIAA.

Ratt should be in the top 10 for sure. These boys had the coolest songs and Stephen Pearcy's voice is ultimately unique; it's raw and a bit gravelly in a truly good way. I agree with the other poster who said they have awesome riffs and great lyrics. The songs stick in your head because of their distinctive style and their lyrics have a brutal sexiness to them (I'm a girl, so I am more in tune to this, ha). Ratt has a gritty lyrics style, but they are romantic in a sense, and they made you feel as if the singer really had some exceptional insight into the workings of the female mind. Even if that's not so, they made you believe it and wrapped it up in songs that kick ass and stay with you. I rocked out to their music this morning while getting ready for work and blow-drying my hair! Love them!

Awesome riffs and great lyrics! How is Ozzy "hair-metal? " Ratt defines hair metal better than anybody!

Ratt kicks ass! My favorite hair metal band.

15 Van Halen Van Halen was an American hard rock band formed in Pasadena, California, in 1972. From 1974 until 1985, the band consisted of guitarist Eddie Van Halen, vocalist David Lee Roth, drummer Alex Van Halen, and bassist Michael Anthony.

Are you kidding me! Van Halen basicaly invinted 80's hair bands. They started the whole 80's sunset strip movement. They would have Eddie play with back to the crowd so up and comers wouldn't steal his style.

They're classic rock. Not metal

16 Cinderella Cinderella was an American glam metal and hard rock band from the suburbs of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The band emerged in the mid-1980s with a series of multi-platinum albums and hit singles whose music videos received heavy MTV rotation.

Cinderella is the second best hair band of all time behind Bon Jovi. Unlike most of the other lead vocalists from the hair band era, Tom Keifer's voice doesn't sound dated. Along with Jon Bon Jovi, his song writing was excellent. Cinderella had a bluesy Black Crowes feel to them with better vocals.

17 Aerosmith Aerosmith is an American rock band, sometimes referred to as "the Bad Boys from Boston" and "America's Greatest Rock and Roll Band".
18 Twisted Sister Twisted Sister was an American heavy metal band originally from Ho-Ho-Kus, New Jersey, and later based in Long Island, New York.
19 W.A.S.P. W.A.S.P. is an American heavy metal band formed in 1982 by Blackie Lawless, who is the only remaining original member of the band.

Just listen to their first two albums...you'll see. They put the metal in Hair Metal

20 Quiet Riot Quiet Riot is an American heavy metal band. The band was founded in 1973, by guitarist Randy Rhoads and bassist Kelly Garni under the name Mach 1. They then changed the name to Little Women, before settling on Quiet Riot in May 1975. The band's name was inspired by a conversation with Rick Parfitt of the British band Status Quo, who expressed desire to name a band "Quite Right," and his thick English accent made it sound like he was saying "Quiet Riot." The band is ranked at No.

Metal health forever! Did you see their cover, " Come on feel the noise"?

Opened the door for all of these other 80's hair bands in the metal music industry. Should be higher. BP

21 Judas Priest Judas Priest are a British heavy metal band that formed in Birmingham, England, in 1969. They are often referred to as one of the greatest metal bands of all time, and are even commonly called “The Metal Gods”, after one of the songs on their 1980 album “British Steel”.

They are known for several of their hit songs, which include “Painkiller”, “Breaking The Law”, You’ve Got Another Thing Coming”, and “Turbo Lover”.
Their original lineup consisted of Al Atkins (vocals), K.K. Downing (lead/rhythm guitar), Ian Hill (bass), and John Ellis (drums). Atkins never recorded on any Judas Priest releases, but contributed to several songs.
Their current lineup consists of Rob Halford (vocals), Glenn Tipton (lead/rhythm guitar, studio only as of 2018), Scott Travis (drums), Ian Hill (bass), Richie Faulkner (lead/rhythm guitar), and Andy Sneap (lead/rhythm guitar, touring only as of 2018.) Tipton, as of 2018, no longer tours with the band due to Parkinson’s disease. ...read more.

They only had one hair metal album.

22 Tesla Tesla is an American rock band formed in Sacramento, California in late 1981 by bassist Brian Wheat and guitarist Frank Hannon as Earthshaker, and later City Kidd. Lead vocalist Jeff Keith, drummer Troy Luccketta, and guitarist Tommy Skeoch joined them by 1984.
23 Fastway
24 D'erlanger
25 Dead End
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