All of those albums behind your left shoulder are fantastic! Night Songs, Winger II (Winger 3 is their best btw), Cherry Pie, Hysteria, Appetite….classics!
Most of these bands have a lot of 70's/early 80's huge influences in common: without mentioning british Glam-Rock bands like T-Rex, Slade, Sweet or Classic-Rock bands like The Rolling Stones, Aerosmith, AC/DC, there were bands like Kiss, Starz, Brownsville Station, Suzi Quatro, Silverhead (with lead singer Michael Des Barres), Ian Hunter, Angel, even Queen and then Hanoi Rocks, Girl and of course Van Halen who heavily influenced most of these bands with their extravaganza. Speaking about Hanoi Rocks, we can still wonder what would have been their destiny if Razzle wasn't killed by a car accident... Being said that, we can also find different elements in their music: Heavy Metal/Melodic Metal (Mötley Crüe for their first 2 albums, Dokken, Ratt for their 1983 EP, Icon for their debut album, WASP, Skid Row, Lizzy Borden), Power-Pop (Poison, Enuff Z'Nuff who are influenced by Cheap Trick), bluesy Hard Rock (Cinderella, Guns N' Roses), AOR/Melodic Rock (Bon Jovi), Punk (Guns N' Roses, Skid Row, Faster Pussycat)... I also noticed another detail: almost all these bands had their glam image during a temporary period. Right now, these bands are present in the various Classic-Rock radios/webradios alongside Led Zeppelin, The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, AC/DC, Bad Company, Thin Lizzy... Personnally, I've always considered these 80's glam bands as an integral part of the whole Classic-Rock culture even if I can see the difference with acts from the 60's and the 70's.
In my opinion it never really went away, it just is no longer the dominate popular form of music. But plenty of these bands have continued to exist, tour, and make music for the last 30 plus years. See link for another video discussion I did called Where Did Glam Metal Go, & What Really Killed It th-cam.com/video/KEXnJsoGcZc/w-d-xo.html
Sir, I would like to see you on Sea of Tranquility sometime! Since you mentioned flashy guitar players, take my Top 10 Glam Metal Guitarists: George Lynch (Dokken) Warren DeMartini (Ratt) Vitto Bratta (White Lion) Mick Mars (Motley Crue) Harry K. Cody (Shotgun Messiah) CC DeVille (Poison) Tracii Guns (L.A. Guns) Bill Leverty (FireHouse) Dylana Nova Scott (Vain) Michael Kelly Smith (Britny Fox)
Glad some are finding it interesting. It’s amazing how many people think all music is just simply “rock n roll”. Seems like I hit a nerve with some people on this topic haha!
This is spot on. As a fellow Glam Metal fan that grew up in the 80's, I lived through it all as it unfolded. I like how the main focus was on the sound of the music and the attitude of the artists. How they dressed was certainly a part of it too because they wanted to get noticed, look like rock stars, and look good on MTV. Back in the day, it was all lumped together as Heavy Metal (think of Hit Parader and Circus magazines). Because of this, I like the term Glam Metal (or 80's Hard Rock to define the period). I hate the term Hair Metal because it came later and was used in a derogatory manner to put those bands down. We really can't use the term Heavy Metal for those bands anymore becsuse heavy music continued to become even heavier as time went on (we went from Van Halen to Metallica to Pantera to Lamb of God, etc.). Now I just say I listen to Hard Rock to cover all the type of music I listen to along with Glam Metal.
I agree with everything you said! I prefer to stick to terminology I heard used at the time. But as you said it’s all about the sound first and image second.
My favourite glam metal bands are Def Leppard Whitesnake Europe Cinderella Stryper Dokken Motley Crue Poison Firehouse Tyketto Nelson Slaughter Skid Row Kix Aerosmith Kiss..... The list is endless
@@BrendonSnyder The Roxy Troubadour Cat Club and of course They Whiskey on Sunset were happening places especially on Friday nights. Flyers up and down the strip on lamp posts . Tower Records. Man what happened to those days....
IMHO: hard rock is Aerosmith and all similar ones , glam rock is for 70’s bands such as Sweet, Slade, T-Rex etc...and now we come to the point: the word “metal “ seems to fit more for a chronological purpose rather than a stylistic one. “Sleaze”could be an helpful term..even though I prefer to use this one for bands such Skid Row, Wildside, Shake The Faith..those with a tougher sound than early Poison, early Faster Pussycat, Foxy Roxx, Spiral Fetish etc...
Yeah there is a sub-genre in Glam Metal called Sleaze Rock. So this could get very technical and specific but I draw the line at one term for the time period as just Glam Metal. And of course you’re right Glam Rock influenced a lot of the Glam Metal bands as well. But that was more of a British thing. Like Sweet heavily influenced Def Leppard. But I think most US bands were heavily influenced by Aerosmith. Of course it goes both ways too.
I think and i agree with you absolutely, Glam Metal is almost an attitude towards live. It represents a peroid of time round about 10 years. It was also the time of cold war and many were afraid of a nuclear attack. You probably didn't want to be very political as a counterpoint. Perhaps one wanted to hide it completely,or at least supress it. Grunge then ended that era abruptly and it was history. Here and there a little light flickers again but these are only marginal side effects. I couldn't define the term Glam Metal exactly but you did it awesome.
You’re right the attitude was a huge part of it all both musically and in expression of the band members. The 80’s was about excess and good times. Music was an escape. Most people did not want the news or political events. They wanted to party and have a good time!
He's from the British 'glam rock' era of the early 70s. Those are bands like Marc Bolan & T-Rex, The Sweet, Wizzard, Slade, Ziggy Stardust-era David Bowie and the Spiders from Mars, Mott the Hoople, maybe at a tangent Queen, Roxy Music, Bebop Deluxe, Cockney Rebel etc. It's a different era and movement but it perhaps had an influence on American 'glam metal'.
Awesome thanks Brendon! I think I need to watch this a few more times! Maybe take some notes ha! Some of my favorites: G n’ R, Slaughter, Van Halen and of course Poison -my first rock show and no adults tagging along 😃
I am really not a fan of being too strict with genre labels. I think it's very limiting. It's all just Rock n' Roll. But I do think, though there were many many mediocre bands out of the glam metal movement, a lot of the best Rock bands in the 1980s fell under that category. 80s Ozzy was as "glam" as anybody else. Mötley Crüe, Poison, Cinderella, and the often forgotten (London) Quireboys were all great Rock bands and it's a shame they are often Pidgeon holed
The labeling of a band doesn’t pigeon hole them. It makes it so you know generally what their style is. Saying it’s all just rock n roll is far too general. If someone is a fan of the Beatles and looking for Beatles music they aren’t going to be interesting in Ozzy who is Metal and Poison who is Glam Metal. If they were all said to be Rock N Roll then you expect them all sound about the same. Defining a band by genre let’s you know a particular style and sound so you can find more of it.
@@BrendonSnyder Yeah I see what you mean, but so many of the really great bands of the glam metal movement transcended into other genres, at least a little. And I think some Rock fans will never give them a chance because glam metal is so mocked in a lot of circles. For example, an alien coming to Earth would likely hear more of a sonic similarity between "I Want You (She's So Heavy)" and "Suicide Solution" then between "Heartbreak Station" and "Live Wire"
I hear what you’re saying. And that’s why I say in the video that this topic is always being debated. Honestly there is not just one answer to describe Glam Metal. And each person will have their own opinion. I just wanted to try and define it from my perspective since I’ve being doing a lot of videos related to Glam Metal.
Personally I detest the term "hair metal", it seems so dismissive of all of it. I didn't like all of it (not a fan of the obligatory ballad) but it was as valid an art form as any other type of music. Excellent take on it. That's as good a definition as I've ever heard.
Yeah towards the end I got tired of every band having a ballad and then that would be the only song MTV and radio would play. The radio became ballads all the time. That was around the same time where everyone was unplugging too. It just took the sizzle out of the whole movement.
The problem with a lot of these genre terms is their application. Take a band like Queen (who wasn't one-dimensional) and their music defied categorization. So, while you could say "Killer Queen" was a glam rock track, "Stone Cold Crazy" was thrash metal, "Crazy Little Thing Called Love" was a Rockabilly tune, and "Love of my Life" was a ballad.
You’re right about that! Hence the video. Everyone has a different opinion when it comes to what makes up certain genres and what genres bands fall under. Because of my recent Glam Metal Gems and Top 5 Glam Metal Albums videos I thought I’d try to define how I see it. But I also think people get too hung up on genre and labels attached to bands. IMO who cares if a band is tagged one way or the other. It’s a device used to define a sound and style but it doesn’t mean that’s the only thing a band can play. It’s like Def Leppard who started as a NWOBHM band, then became a glam metal band before growing into just a hard rock band. Which makes it hard to label them but if you need to let someone know what they sound like and reference the 80’s or Glam Metal they would immediately know what the music sounded like. That’s the benefit of genres and labels. But getting everyone on the same page seems to be a very difficult task.
@@BrendonSnyder yep. True. Maybe slightly off topic, but: How do you feel about bands who's styles shift dramatically? I love Def Leppard. But, many "classic rock" fans dislike anything they did from Hysteria on. I just shift my expectations (personally) and take the music for what it is and try not to impose those boundaries. For example, I really like "Slang", even though it's so different, while Pyromania remains my favorite. In fact, I think Pyromania is a nearly perfect "Hard Rock" album. Many would say no...it's High N Dry.
If the style is so drastic that they don’t sound anything like their previous selves then I hate it. LA Guns did that in the 90’s for one album going hard core Metal. Lynch Mob also did one album in the 90’s as rap metal. Both should should have changed their name. But for bands like Def Leppard and Bon Jovi who are more rock and less hard rock is just a factor or growth musically and getting older. But the sound is still there so I’m fine with it.
Glam metal was ALL about excess (sex, drugs, rock N' roll) with at least one power ballad per album to help drive radio play and sales. Looking forward to your next glam metal "hidden gems" video. Really enjoy learning about great bands who flew under the radar. Discovering new/old music this way is always a blast. Keep sharing your glam metal knowledge!
@@BrendonSnyder Awesome! You probably have them in your collection, but (if not) check out the band TNA. Their s/t album from 1989/90 was re-released by Eonian Records. Good-N-sleazy glam. And you know about Demon Doll Records. Most folks probably don't know the majority of the bands on DDR and there are several gems.
Funny thing about the ballads....Ratt was one of the leading bands of the genre and didn't have a ballad until their final album of the era. Of course, that may have kept them from truly going supernova like the Crue, Whitesnake, etc.
You had bands in the UK in the early 70s that were Glam Rock. T-Rex,David Bowie,Slade,Suzi Quarto (Who is American) Another example where Britain led & America follows 10 years later?... P.S. Slade & T.Rex and Bowie were awesome...
I take it you’re British? But while glam rock certainly influenced Glam Metal. Glam Metal did not grow out of and was not a continuation from Glam Rock. So no this is not a case of Britain doing it first. In fact it’s well documented that Glam Metal is an American sound and Britain scramble to try and replicate it to cash in as well. Some good bands like The Quireboys came out of London. But Glam Metal was purely American. America for the win…..SCOOOOOOORE! Haha
@@BrendonSnyder Actually, Iam English...lol And T.Rex,Slade,Bowie ect were doing their thing from about 1971 onwards... Ha!!!... Anyway best regards from England, tc Stephane
I agree with your definition, and can see that Hair Metal grew (no pun intended) out from Glam Metal though there are maybe some of those 'Hair Metal' bands that may not quite be 'Glam Metal' - White Lion and Extreme sort of come to mind, though Extreme were also tagged as Funk metal, which I think stretched that point a bit. When I hear the term Glam Metal I immediately think 1980's US hard rock aimed at partying and having a good time. I think it was predominantly an American thing - in the UK we did have one or two bands of that ilk, like Tigertailz and Wratchchild UK, however they were few and far between - though I think Wrathchild UK may have started off around the same time as Motley Crue but didnt release their fist album until '84. However I think Motley Crue are probably where the Glam in Glam metal started from - with the wearing of lace and make up on top and alongside the sometimes coloured leather; though I suppose you could argue that the New York Dolls were a precursor (proto-Glam Metal?) and were like a bridge between Glam Rock from the UK and Glam Metal from the US - same up to a point with Alice Cooper maybe?
Yea, I can see it being an American-focused thing, but for sure there were bands from all over the globe taking that angle too. Loudness (from Japan) comes to mind.
Well “Hair Metal” is “Glam Metal”, they’re one in the same. The difference is that the term Hair Metal was applied later and used derogatorily. Of course now it has come to be a term of endearment. But most artists of that era hate the term “Hair Metal” so that’s why I go with Glam Metal which was a term used at the time and has continued on through until now.
Having Lived threw this time, even Spending 88 -90 in L.A.. Hanging out on the Strip ( West Hollywood, Santa Monica Blvd ). It Was A Fun Time. TONS of Bands Down There Trying to " Make" It. Posting Flyers up, Handing them Out. The Girls were Amazing. The Only Problem with this Decadence was MOST of the Bands Weren't that Good. MTV was Driving Much Of the Sales in Music Then..MTV Loved this Scene because of the " Pretty Boy" Image Of theses Bands. Once Again NOT for the Quality of the Music. I Met & Partied with A Few Guys That Became Real Famous. ( I wont Be that " Name Dropper Guy " ). But it was Fun Down There. I Knew That this " Scene" Had No real Staying Power Because it Was All " Made for TV ".. Your right Nobody called It " Hair" Metal Back Then. It was Just " Metal". Personally - I Liked the Rough Stuff Back Then. - Thrash, Motorhead, Punk, NYHC... I was Out of Place in My Preference of Music. But Hey, Having Long Hair down too My Ass & A Thick New York Accent helped Me Have My Fun & Fulfill My California Dreams for 2 Years..
I think in any genre you can make the claim that there are plenty that aren’t very good and were simply singed by the labels to cash in on the trend. Glam Metal was certainly no different. But if you like that era, and the sound then it was all welcomed. And it leaves so much for me to dig up now.
@@BrendonSnyder Great Point Brenden..From San Francisco Psychedelic in the Late 60s to Rap " Hip Hop" In the 80s, Once A Trend is recognized the " Industry "Jumps All In.. Its Not Likely Frank Zappa would Have been Signed if the " Industry" Had Heard His Full Body Of work... They Just Signed the " Hippy" Bands...
Now a lot of these more extreme metal heads realize glam metal wasn't that bad compared to the shit we have today. I'm a huge fan of thrash metal, traditional heavy metal etc.. but I also like some glam. Music doesn't have to be heavy or metal for me to enjoy it lol
Dokken was less about the sex, drugs and rock n roll. Mostly lyrics about heartbreaks and various serious topics. Lost behind the wall (about the berlin wall and communism) Kiss of death (about contracting HIV aids) Will the sun rise and when heaven comes down more philosophical I'd argue that Dokken had recorded like pure traditional heavy metal tracks
Sure they were an influence especially on Guns N’Roses. Axl alone stole the “sway” that he does from Hanoi Rocks frontman Michael Monroe. He’s even admitted to it.
Another great video where once again I pretty much agree with what you say. It’s an interesting debate tho’. Is Def Leppard Glam Metal? I don’t think so but they are often included. Is Twisted Sister Glam Metal? I think they’re a pioneer along with Crue, but I may be alone in this. Anyway keep the Glam flag flying.
Yeah the debate regarding Def Leppard is a big one because remember they actually started as a NWOBHM band first in 1980, graduated to Glam Metal and then rose above it all to be one of the biggest rock bands today. And now I think they qualify as Classic Rock! Haha
Do you really consider Dokken Glam metal? It started in 1986? I would say 1983 personally because there were so many glam metal releases between 1983-1986
Been into rock since 1986 too. Glam metal : Glamorous image + melodic/pop metal music. But it's really hard to say after all. Was Poison a glam metal band? Well, first of all I don't think they were metal. But they got that glam image. To the Americans everything with distorted guitars was metal. Bon Jovi was metal. To us in Europe Bon Jovi was never a metal band. Not even close. It's fair to say those were glam bands but when some say 80's hard rock everything's clear to me.
The problem with calling it 80’s Hard Rock is that also includes bands like Aerosmith who were no Glam Metal. The point is that there is a further distinction between Poison and Aerosmith. You can choose to just call it all “rock” and be fine or you can be more specific. Glam Metal was more than a sound or image it was also an era. I’ve never considered Bon Jovi metal and even though they came up during glam Metal I don’t consider them glam metal either. No all of us Americans lump it all together. Haha
@@BrendonSnyder Well Aerosmith are 70's hard rock band or classic hard rock band. Sure they released 4 albums in the 80's (Pump is my favourite album by this band) but Poison and Cinderella released albums in the 90's and it still doesn't make them 90's bands, right? 80's hard rock is something not so very specific but the image, the image is a key factor. The music gotta be melodic that's all.
@@BrendonSnyder Ok, but hard rock is not metal. So 80's hard rock makes more sense to me than glam metal. When I think of metal bands like Iron Maiden, Judas Priest, Manowar first come to mind.
You're right some of these bands who had the glam image weren't metal but a lot of 80s metal bands had the glam image and played metal. Some of them were even US power metal.
Brendon all definitions given in the video are 100% accurate but this music is not metal. It is hard rock. Back then in Europe we were using the term "pop metal" for bands like Poison, Bon Jovi and Europe.
Well I explained how the term generated despite the it not being full on Metal like Black Sabbath or Metallica. Pop Metal is another term but it never stuck the way Glam Metal did and eventual use of the term Hair Metal. Anyway, we are both talking about the same thing.
I think some of it falls into metal. Glam metal is a sub-genre of metal music and officially categorized as such. Glam metal is essentially traditional heavy metal elements with pop elements or various types of music including blue rock. Some of these glam metal bands played straight forward heavy metal, take Dokken's "Kiss of death" for instance. A lot of these albums had a song or two that were heavy enough to be considered heavy metal at the time
Ratt for instance had riffs that were clearly traditional heavy metal riffs but they incorporated other elements. Perfect example of early glam metal or first wave glam.
Imagine off warrant would have did rhubarb pie how big it would have been had most of these acts cinderella was a great one could have seen most of them if ididnt have to work and now I can't drive big music fest about forty five minutes away from me ozzy was supposed to play the last one had to back out health reason I think would have been great
You don’t listen to glam metal with your ears you listen to it with your eyes. That is the difference between Glam and hard rock blues rock heavy metal. It’s the same songs it just comes with different packaging. Tesla was never a glam band, yet you dress them up like Pretty Boy Floyd and now they are glam. Ratt was always glam change the way they look to more like Tesla and now they are more metal/hard rock.
Interesting video.
Thanks!
All of those albums behind your left shoulder are fantastic! Night Songs, Winger II (Winger 3 is their best btw), Cherry Pie, Hysteria, Appetite….classics!
I agree that Winger’s third album Pull is their best. Also their 4th album too. Those two albums are amazing!
Image and sound.
Most of these bands have a lot of 70's/early 80's huge influences in common: without mentioning british Glam-Rock bands like T-Rex, Slade, Sweet or Classic-Rock bands like The Rolling Stones, Aerosmith, AC/DC, there were bands like Kiss, Starz, Brownsville Station, Suzi Quatro, Silverhead (with lead singer Michael Des Barres), Ian Hunter, Angel, even Queen and then Hanoi Rocks, Girl and of course Van Halen who heavily influenced most of these bands with their extravaganza. Speaking about Hanoi Rocks, we can still wonder what would have been their destiny if Razzle wasn't killed by a car accident...
Being said that, we can also find different elements in their music: Heavy Metal/Melodic Metal (Mötley Crüe for their first 2 albums, Dokken, Ratt for their 1983 EP, Icon for their debut album, WASP, Skid Row, Lizzy Borden), Power-Pop (Poison, Enuff Z'Nuff who are influenced by Cheap Trick), bluesy Hard Rock (Cinderella, Guns N' Roses), AOR/Melodic Rock (Bon Jovi), Punk (Guns N' Roses, Skid Row, Faster Pussycat)...
I also noticed another detail: almost all these bands had their glam image during a temporary period. Right now, these bands are present in the various Classic-Rock radios/webradios alongside Led Zeppelin, The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, AC/DC, Bad Company, Thin Lizzy... Personnally, I've always considered these 80's glam bands as an integral part of the whole Classic-Rock culture even if I can see the difference with acts from the 60's and the 70's.
May be the best summation I’ve heard yet.
Thanks!
I wish this style would come back
In my opinion it never really went away, it just is no longer the dominate popular form of music. But plenty of these bands have continued to exist, tour, and make music for the last 30 plus years. See link for another video discussion I did called Where Did Glam Metal Go, & What Really Killed It th-cam.com/video/KEXnJsoGcZc/w-d-xo.html
@@BrendonSnyder in Scandinavia it is still one of the major genres in popularity.
And thank goodness for that too!!
It has made a significant comeback. There are acts out there playing in that style, especially in Europe
Sir, I would like to see you on Sea of Tranquility sometime! Since you mentioned flashy guitar players, take my Top 10 Glam Metal Guitarists:
George Lynch (Dokken)
Warren DeMartini (Ratt)
Vitto Bratta (White Lion)
Mick Mars (Motley Crue)
Harry K. Cody (Shotgun Messiah)
CC DeVille (Poison)
Tracii Guns (L.A. Guns)
Bill Leverty (FireHouse)
Dylana Nova Scott (Vain)
Michael Kelly Smith (Britny Fox)
I’d gladly guest on his channel if the invitation is ever made. Hopefully when I get a bit bigger, he’ll invite me.
😊👍. Hi Brendon. Interesting discussion. - Heather
Glad some are finding it interesting. It’s amazing how many people think all music is just simply “rock n roll”. Seems like I hit a nerve with some people on this topic haha!
This is spot on. As a fellow Glam Metal fan that grew up in the 80's, I lived through it all as it unfolded. I like how the main focus was on the sound of the music and the attitude of the artists. How they dressed was certainly a part of it too because they wanted to get noticed, look like rock stars, and look good on MTV. Back in the day, it was all lumped together as Heavy Metal (think of Hit Parader and Circus magazines). Because of this, I like the term Glam Metal (or 80's Hard Rock to define the period). I hate the term Hair Metal because it came later and was used in a derogatory manner to put those bands down. We really can't use the term Heavy Metal for those bands anymore becsuse heavy music continued to become even heavier as time went on (we went from Van Halen to Metallica to Pantera to Lamb of God, etc.). Now I just say I listen to Hard Rock to cover all the type of music I listen to along with Glam Metal.
I agree with everything you said! I prefer to stick to terminology I heard used at the time. But as you said it’s all about the sound first and image second.
That is one of the things I like about 80s metal and glam metal is the high pitch vocals, love that shit.
My favourite glam metal bands are
Def Leppard
Whitesnake
Europe
Cinderella
Stryper
Dokken
Motley Crue
Poison
Firehouse
Tyketto
Nelson
Slaughter
Skid Row
Kix
Aerosmith
Kiss..... The list is endless
Well like you say that list could go on and on, there are ridiculous amounts of those bands. I myself have over 1,400 albums from that era.
You should of been on the strip on Sunset boulevard in Hollywood Brendon in the 80s. Pretty cool times my friend.
Oh I wish I could have been but I was only 10 yrs old in 1986 haha!
@@BrendonSnyder The Roxy Troubadour Cat Club and of course They Whiskey on Sunset were happening places especially on Friday nights. Flyers up and down the strip on lamp posts . Tower Records. Man what happened to those days....
IMHO: hard rock is Aerosmith and all similar ones , glam rock is for 70’s bands such as Sweet, Slade, T-Rex etc...and now we come to the point: the word “metal “ seems to fit more for a chronological purpose rather than a stylistic one. “Sleaze”could be an helpful term..even though I prefer to use this one for bands such Skid Row, Wildside, Shake The Faith..those with a tougher sound than early Poison, early Faster Pussycat, Foxy Roxx, Spiral Fetish etc...
Yeah there is a sub-genre in Glam Metal called Sleaze Rock. So this could get very technical and specific but I draw the line at one term for the time period as just Glam Metal. And of course you’re right Glam Rock influenced a lot of the Glam Metal bands as well. But that was more of a British thing. Like Sweet heavily influenced Def Leppard. But I think most US bands were heavily influenced by Aerosmith. Of course it goes both ways too.
I think and i agree with you absolutely, Glam Metal is almost an attitude towards live. It represents a peroid of time round about 10 years. It was also the time of cold war and many were afraid of a nuclear attack. You probably didn't want to be very political as a counterpoint. Perhaps one wanted to hide it completely,or at least supress it. Grunge then ended that era abruptly and it was history. Here and there a little light flickers again but these are only marginal side effects. I couldn't define the term Glam Metal exactly but you did it awesome.
You’re right the attitude was a huge part of it all both musically and in expression of the band members. The 80’s was about excess and good times. Music was an escape. Most people did not want the news or political events. They wanted to party and have a good time!
Marc Bolan
No
He would define glam *rock*
He's from the British 'glam rock' era of the early 70s. Those are bands like Marc Bolan & T-Rex, The Sweet, Wizzard, Slade, Ziggy Stardust-era David Bowie and the Spiders from Mars, Mott the Hoople, maybe at a tangent Queen, Roxy Music, Bebop Deluxe, Cockney Rebel etc. It's a different era and movement but it perhaps had an influence on American 'glam metal'.
@@jimmycampbell78 although, the sweet did eventually move towards more of a hard rock and metal sound for about five years.
Awesome thanks Brendon! I think I need to watch this a few more times! Maybe take some notes ha! Some of my favorites: G n’ R, Slaughter, Van Halen and of course Poison -my first rock show and no adults tagging along 😃
Poison with Slaughter opening was my second show. One of my best memories.
I am really not a fan of being too strict with genre labels. I think it's very limiting. It's all just Rock n' Roll. But I do think, though there were many many mediocre bands out of the glam metal movement, a lot of the best Rock bands in the 1980s fell under that category. 80s Ozzy was as "glam" as anybody else. Mötley Crüe, Poison, Cinderella, and the often forgotten (London) Quireboys were all great Rock bands and it's a shame they are often Pidgeon holed
The labeling of a band doesn’t pigeon hole them. It makes it so you know generally what their style is. Saying it’s all just rock n roll is far too general. If someone is a fan of the Beatles and looking for Beatles music they aren’t going to be interesting in Ozzy who is Metal and Poison who is Glam Metal. If they were all said to be Rock N Roll then you expect them all sound about the same. Defining a band by genre let’s you know a particular style and sound so you can find more of it.
@@BrendonSnyder Yeah I see what you mean, but so many of the really great bands of the glam metal movement transcended into other genres, at least a little. And I think some Rock fans will never give them a chance because glam metal is so mocked in a lot of circles. For example, an alien coming to Earth would likely hear more of a sonic similarity between "I Want You (She's So Heavy)" and "Suicide Solution" then between "Heartbreak Station" and "Live Wire"
I hear what you’re saying. And that’s why I say in the video that this topic is always being debated. Honestly there is not just one answer to describe Glam Metal. And each person will have their own opinion. I just wanted to try and define it from my perspective since I’ve being doing a lot of videos related to Glam Metal.
What defines Glam Metal? Hairspray.
You missed the point
Hey Brendon your top three personal favorite glam metal albums?
IDK that would need to be a whole episode. Maybe after I get more of these Top 5 Glam Metal Albums by year videos posted I’ll do a Top 5 Of All Time.
@@BrendonSnyder Sounds good!!
Personally I detest the term "hair metal", it seems so dismissive of all of it. I didn't like all of it (not a fan of the obligatory ballad) but it was as valid an art form as any other type of music. Excellent take on it. That's as good a definition as I've ever heard.
Yeah towards the end I got tired of every band having a ballad and then that would be the only song MTV and radio would play. The radio became ballads all the time. That was around the same time where everyone was unplugging too. It just took the sizzle out of the whole movement.
The problem with a lot of these genre terms is their application. Take a band like Queen (who wasn't one-dimensional) and their music defied categorization. So, while you could say "Killer Queen" was a glam rock track, "Stone Cold Crazy" was thrash metal, "Crazy Little Thing Called Love" was a Rockabilly tune, and "Love of my Life" was a ballad.
I’m just attempting to provide a clearer explanation of what it means to be Glam Metal and what sounds are associated with it. Queen is Queen.
@@BrendonSnyder I think you did a fine job at that. Im only highlighting the difficulty in defining genres-not critiquing your attempt.
You’re right about that! Hence the video. Everyone has a different opinion when it comes to what makes up certain genres and what genres bands fall under. Because of my recent Glam Metal Gems and Top 5 Glam Metal Albums videos I thought I’d try to define how I see it. But I also think people get too hung up on genre and labels attached to bands. IMO who cares if a band is tagged one way or the other. It’s a device used to define a sound and style but it doesn’t mean that’s the only thing a band can play. It’s like Def Leppard who started as a NWOBHM band, then became a glam metal band before growing into just a hard rock band. Which makes it hard to label them but if you need to let someone know what they sound like and reference the 80’s or Glam Metal they would immediately know what the music sounded like. That’s the benefit of genres and labels. But getting everyone on the same page seems to be a very difficult task.
@@BrendonSnyder yep. True. Maybe slightly off topic, but: How do you feel about bands who's styles shift dramatically? I love Def Leppard. But, many "classic rock" fans dislike anything they did from Hysteria on. I just shift my expectations (personally) and take the music for what it is and try not to impose those boundaries. For example, I really like "Slang", even though it's so different, while Pyromania remains my favorite. In fact, I think Pyromania is a nearly perfect "Hard Rock" album. Many would say no...it's High N Dry.
If the style is so drastic that they don’t sound anything like their previous selves then I hate it. LA Guns did that in the 90’s for one album going hard core Metal. Lynch Mob also did one album in the 90’s as rap metal. Both should should have changed their name. But for bands like Def Leppard and Bon Jovi who are more rock and less hard rock is just a factor or growth musically and getting older. But the sound is still there so I’m fine with it.
Glam metal was ALL about excess (sex, drugs, rock N' roll) with at least one power ballad per album to help drive radio play and sales. Looking forward to your next glam metal "hidden gems" video. Really enjoy learning about great bands who flew under the radar. Discovering new/old music this way is always a blast. Keep sharing your glam metal knowledge!
Hi Jared! More episodes of Glam Metal Gems will be coming. Maybe I can squeeze one on this weekend!
@@BrendonSnyder Awesome! You probably have them in your collection, but (if not) check out the band TNA. Their s/t album from 1989/90 was re-released by Eonian Records. Good-N-sleazy glam. And you know about Demon Doll Records. Most folks probably don't know the majority of the bands on DDR and there are several gems.
Funny thing about the ballads....Ratt was one of the leading bands of the genre and didn't have a ballad until their final album of the era. Of course, that may have kept them from truly going supernova like the Crue, Whitesnake, etc.
You had bands in the UK in the early 70s that were Glam Rock.
T-Rex,David Bowie,Slade,Suzi Quarto (Who is American)
Another example where Britain led & America follows 10 years later?...
P.S. Slade & T.Rex and Bowie were awesome...
I take it you’re British? But while glam rock certainly influenced Glam Metal. Glam Metal did not grow out of and was not a continuation from Glam Rock. So no this is not a case of Britain doing it first. In fact it’s well documented that Glam Metal is an American sound and Britain scramble to try and replicate it to cash in as well. Some good bands like The Quireboys came out of London. But Glam Metal was purely American. America for the win…..SCOOOOOOORE! Haha
@@BrendonSnyder
Actually, Iam English...lol
And T.Rex,Slade,Bowie ect were doing their thing from about 1971 onwards... Ha!!!...
Anyway best regards from England, tc Stephane
I agree with your definition, and can see that Hair Metal grew (no pun intended) out from Glam Metal though there are maybe some of those 'Hair Metal' bands that may not quite be 'Glam Metal' - White Lion and Extreme sort of come to mind, though Extreme were also tagged as Funk metal, which I think stretched that point a bit.
When I hear the term Glam Metal I immediately think 1980's US hard rock aimed at partying and having a good time. I think it was predominantly an American thing - in the UK we did have one or two bands of that ilk, like Tigertailz and Wratchchild UK, however they were few and far between - though I think Wrathchild UK may have started off around the same time as Motley Crue but didnt release their fist album until '84. However I think Motley Crue are probably where the Glam in Glam metal started from - with the wearing of lace and make up on top and alongside the sometimes coloured leather; though I suppose you could argue that the New York Dolls were a precursor (proto-Glam Metal?) and were like a bridge between Glam Rock from the UK and Glam Metal from the US - same up to a point with Alice Cooper maybe?
Yea, I can see it being an American-focused thing, but for sure there were bands from all over the globe taking that angle too. Loudness (from Japan) comes to mind.
Well “Hair Metal” is “Glam Metal”, they’re one in the same. The difference is that the term Hair Metal was applied later and used derogatorily. Of course now it has come to be a term of endearment. But most artists of that era hate the term “Hair Metal” so that’s why I go with Glam Metal which was a term used at the time and has continued on through until now.
Not Just American But A Los Angeles Thing. There were A bands from Elsewhere , But LA was Ground Zero for this.
UK also had "Shy" which released a fairly big hit called "break down the walls"
Having Lived threw this time, even Spending 88 -90 in L.A.. Hanging out on the Strip ( West Hollywood, Santa Monica Blvd ). It Was A Fun Time. TONS of Bands Down There Trying to " Make" It. Posting Flyers up, Handing them Out. The Girls were Amazing. The Only Problem with this Decadence was MOST of the Bands Weren't that Good. MTV was Driving Much Of the Sales in Music Then..MTV Loved this Scene because of the " Pretty Boy" Image Of theses Bands. Once Again NOT for the Quality of the Music. I Met & Partied with A Few Guys That Became Real Famous. ( I wont Be that " Name Dropper Guy " ). But it was Fun Down There. I Knew That this " Scene" Had No real Staying Power Because it Was All " Made for TV ".. Your right Nobody called It " Hair" Metal Back Then. It was Just " Metal". Personally - I Liked the Rough Stuff Back Then. - Thrash, Motorhead, Punk, NYHC... I was Out of Place in My Preference of Music. But Hey, Having Long Hair down too My Ass & A Thick New York Accent helped Me Have My Fun & Fulfill My California Dreams for 2 Years..
I think in any genre you can make the claim that there are plenty that aren’t very good and were simply singed by the labels to cash in on the trend. Glam Metal was certainly no different. But if you like that era, and the sound then it was all welcomed. And it leaves so much for me to dig up now.
@@BrendonSnyder Great Point Brenden..From San Francisco Psychedelic in the Late 60s to Rap " Hip Hop" In the 80s, Once A Trend is recognized the " Industry "Jumps All In.. Its Not Likely Frank Zappa would Have been Signed if the " Industry" Had Heard His Full Body Of work... They Just Signed the " Hippy" Bands...
Now a lot of these more extreme metal heads realize glam metal wasn't that bad compared to the shit we have today.
I'm a huge fan of thrash metal, traditional heavy metal etc.. but I also like some glam.
Music doesn't have to be heavy or metal for me to enjoy it lol
@@spaghetti.lee-69 Including grunge in fact
Dokken was less about the sex, drugs and rock n roll.
Mostly lyrics about heartbreaks and various serious topics.
Lost behind the wall (about the berlin wall and communism)
Kiss of death (about contracting HIV aids)
Will the sun rise and when heaven comes down more philosophical
I'd argue that Dokken had recorded like pure traditional heavy metal tracks
Hanoi Rocks? I know they had more of A NY Doll Glam Rock/Punkish edge to them but I would say their image was huge influence.
Sure they were an influence especially on Guns N’Roses. Axl alone stole the “sway” that he does from Hanoi Rocks frontman Michael Monroe. He’s even admitted to it.
Another great video where once again I pretty much agree with what you say. It’s an interesting debate tho’. Is Def Leppard Glam Metal? I don’t think so but they are often included. Is Twisted Sister Glam Metal? I think they’re a pioneer along with Crue, but I may be alone in this. Anyway keep the Glam flag flying.
Yeah the debate regarding Def Leppard is a big one because remember they actually started as a NWOBHM band first in 1980, graduated to Glam Metal and then rose above it all to be one of the biggest rock bands today. And now I think they qualify as Classic Rock! Haha
Do you really consider Dokken Glam metal?
It started in 1986? I would say 1983 personally because there were so many glam metal releases between 1983-1986
Excellent definition....
Thanks Sean!
Been into rock since 1986 too.
Glam metal : Glamorous image + melodic/pop metal music.
But it's really hard to say after all. Was Poison a glam metal band? Well, first of all I don't think they were metal. But they got that glam image. To the Americans everything with distorted guitars was metal. Bon Jovi was metal. To us in Europe Bon Jovi was never a metal band. Not even close. It's fair to say those were glam bands but when some say 80's hard rock everything's clear to me.
The problem with calling it 80’s Hard Rock is that also includes bands like Aerosmith who were no Glam Metal. The point is that there is a further distinction between Poison and Aerosmith. You can choose to just call it all “rock” and be fine or you can be more specific. Glam Metal was more than a sound or image it was also an era. I’ve never considered Bon Jovi metal and even though they came up during glam Metal I don’t consider them glam metal either. No all of us Americans lump it all together. Haha
@@BrendonSnyder Well Aerosmith are 70's hard rock band or classic hard rock band. Sure they released 4 albums in the 80's (Pump is my favourite album by this band) but Poison and Cinderella released albums in the 90's and it still doesn't make them 90's bands, right? 80's hard rock is something not so very specific but the image, the image is a key factor. The music gotta be melodic that's all.
But that’s my point, it’s already confusing. You’re having to distinguish by year. Give a genre a name instead of a year does the same thing.
@@BrendonSnyder Ok, but hard rock is not metal. So 80's hard rock makes more sense to me than glam metal. When I think of metal bands like Iron Maiden, Judas Priest, Manowar first come to mind.
You're right some of these bands who had the glam image weren't metal but a lot of 80s metal bands had the glam image and played metal. Some of them were even US power metal.
Brendon all definitions given in the video are 100% accurate but this music is not metal. It is hard rock. Back then in Europe we were using the term "pop metal" for bands like Poison, Bon Jovi and Europe.
Well I explained how the term generated despite the it not being full on Metal like Black Sabbath or Metallica. Pop Metal is another term but it never stuck the way Glam Metal did and eventual use of the term Hair Metal. Anyway, we are both talking about the same thing.
I think some of it falls into metal.
Glam metal is a sub-genre of metal music and officially categorized as such.
Glam metal is essentially traditional heavy metal elements with pop elements or various types of music including blue rock.
Some of these glam metal bands played straight forward heavy metal, take Dokken's "Kiss of death" for instance.
A lot of these albums had a song or two that were heavy enough to be considered heavy metal at the time
Ratt for instance had riffs that were clearly traditional heavy metal riffs but they incorporated other elements. Perfect example of early glam metal or first wave glam.
Imagine off warrant would have did rhubarb pie how big it would have been had most of these acts cinderella was a great one could have seen most of them if ididnt have to work and now I can't drive big music fest about forty five minutes away from me ozzy was supposed to play the last one had to back out health reason I think would have been great
poison, motley, warrant,
pretty boy floyd,
44magnum from japan
pure motley 😃
You don’t listen to glam metal with your ears you listen to it with your eyes. That is the difference between Glam and hard rock blues rock heavy metal.
It’s the same songs it just comes with different packaging. Tesla was never a glam band, yet you dress them up like Pretty Boy Floyd and now they are glam. Ratt was always glam change the way they look to more like Tesla and now they are more metal/hard rock.
That’s not the case at all. There is far more to the sound of Glam Metal as I made clear in the video. Maybe you want to rewatch the video! Haha
I actually kinda agree with you on this. There are examples of bands with the glam look but played straight forward heavy metal