The Best Glam Metal Albums Of All Time Ranked
Glam metal (also known as hair metal or pop metal) is a subgenre of heavy metal that features pop-influenced hooks and guitar riffs, upbeat rock anthems, and slow power ballads. It borrows heavily from the fashion and image of 1970s glam rock. Early glam metal evolved directly from the glam rock movement of the 1970s, as visual elements taken from acts such as T. Rex, the New York Dolls, and David Bowie (and to a lesser extent, the punk and new wave movements taking place concurrently in New York City) were fused with the decidedly more heavy metal leaning and theatrical acts such as Alice Cooper and Kiss. The first examples of this fusion began appearing in the late 1970s and early 1980s in the United States, particularly on the Los Angeles Sunset Strip music scene. Early glam metal bands include Mötley Crüe, Hanoi Rocks, Ratt, Quiet Riot, Twisted Sister, Bon Jovi, and Dokken. Glam metal achieved significant commercial success from approximately 1983 to 1992, bringing to prominence bands such as Poison, Skid Row, Cinderella and Warrant. From a strictly visual perspective, glam metal is defined by flashy and tight-fitting clothing, makeup, and an overall androgynous aesthetic in which the traditional “denim & leather” aspect of heavy metal culture is replaced by spandex, lace, and usually heavy use of bright colours. Here are all of the best Glam Metal albums of all time.
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15. Stay Hungry – Twisted Sister
“By 1984, Dee Snider’s makeup-clad mug and enormous, frizzy, bleach-blonde hair was plastered virtually everywhere. The face of ultimate expression and empowerment for the youth was also a target for Tipper Gore and the PMRC, who found Twisted Sister’s “We’re Not Gonna Take It” to tout violence. The band authored another multi-generation-spanning hit in “I Wanna Rock,” but it wasn’t just the hits that made ‘Stay Hungry’ so impactful. Their prideful energy found in the title track resonated with an impassioned fanbase, to which the closing track “S.M.F.” was dedicated. In 1983, the band declared ‘You Can’t Stop Rock and Roll’ and just one year later they proved it.”
14. Night Songs – Cinderella
“The debut album from Cinderella is masterful in both its economy and mood-setting abilities. Tom Keifer’s yowl had Brian Johnson’s bite and Janis Joplin’s yearning, while the muscular take on bluesy hard rock put forth by his bandmates helped the punchy “Somebody Save Me” and the pummeling title track stand out in an increasingly crowded landscape.”
13. Dirty Rotten Filthy Stinking Rich – Warrant
“No, this isn’t the album with “Cherry Pie” on it and no, we didn’t make a mistake! By all accounts, Warrant’s ‘Dirty Rotten Filthy Stinking Rich’ is a more formidable effort than its successor, even if it doesn’t have an genre-defining (non ballad) hit. “Sometimes She Cries” and “Heaven” are the two ballads that were certainly of no detriment to the band’s superstardom, but it’s the other eight tracks that oozed with a ceaseless libido (“Down Boys”) and carefree attitude (“32 Pennies”).”
12. Shout at the Devil – Motley Crue
“Motley Crue’s ‘Shout at the Devil’ stands at the top of our list of the 30 Best Hair Metal Albums! The sophomore effort from the L.A. glam rockers was as scathing as the boys were pretty, with a visceral production that aligned with the band’s notorious reputation. Packed with sleazy riffs, a street-born attitude and just enough glitter, the Crue delivered timeless hits like “Shout at the Devil,” “Looks That Kill” and “Too Young to Fall In Love,” all anthems of angsty youth while they saved their more mean-spirited moments for “Bastard” and the sizzling “Red Hot.”
11. Ride the Lightning – Metallica
“Released in 1984, Metallica’s second album Ride The Lightning gave the band some radio attention with hits Fade To Black and For Whom The Bell Tolls. Ride The Lightning became popular amongst the Glam Rock scene after the low success rate of their Thrash metal album Kill Em All in 1983. A good quality glam metal album with some mind blowing guitar work from Kirk Hammet and James Hetfield.”
10. Pyromania – Def Leppard
“Initially lumped in with the New Wave of British Heavy Metal as denim-clad teens even though they’d later insist they’d been weaned on Seventies glam rock, Def Lep were still young and sprightly enough to manage pop-metal’s Stateside breakthrough with their third album, one of the year’s biggest selling in any genre. They got even bigger on 1987’s Hysteria, but here they’re still more a working band than Mutt Lange’s studio concoction. Both sides close with mythic mini-Zep power-prog, and “Stagefright” still sports that NWOBHM overdrive.”
9. Whitesnake – Whitesnake
“After Fronting Deep Purple, David Coverdale finally formed what would become “Whitesnake”. after 6 commercially successful albums, Whitesnake released their self titled album. along side a massive tour, this album gave the world some of rocks greatest songs including Here I Go Again, Is This Love, Crying In The Rain and Still Of The Night.”
8. The Number of the Beast – Iron Maiden
“The first album from Iron Maiden that featured Bruce Dickinson on lead vocals. This album gave Iron Maiden support from international radio stations with hits Run to The Hills and Number Of The Beast and went #1 in the US, UK and Australia. Iron Maiden then set out on the Number Of The Beast world tour before recording Powerslave and taking on the world again”
7. Dr. Feelgood – Motley Crue
“Motley Crue’s Dr Feelgood album became a popular product on the Sunset Strip in the late 80’s. This features Crue classics Same Ol Situation, Dr Feelgood, Don’t Go Away Mad and Kickstart My Heart and is the last album that features Vince Neil on vocals before his departure and return in 1997. The album’s success rate sent the Crue on a 2 year world tour. A must have for hard rock fans.”
6. 1984 – Van Halen
“Jump, I’ll Wait, Panama and Hot For The Teacher. any album with classics like these is destined for greatness. released in 1984, The Van Halen brothers again showed the world their talent. from high speed screaming guitar solos to quality songwriting and performance, Van Halen’s 1984 album is an absolute classic.”
5. Open Up and Say… Ahh! – Poison
“Based on just the album cover and title alone, Open Up and Say… Ahh! screams “quintessential hair metal.” Add in weekend-warrior anthem “Nothin’ But a Good Time” and Number One single “Every Rose Has Its Thorn,” and you have a genre classic. The latter tune, from the opening acoustic strums, to the lighter-waving chorus, to singer Bret Michaels’ shirtless sigh as he rolls out of bed at the beginning of the music video, is a master-class in Eighties metal power balladry, and has since been tackled by everyone from Miley Cyrus to Tom Cruise.”
4. The Final Countdown – Europe
“A great song and a great album. The Swedish rock band gave the world a fantastic album. with hits like Love Chaser, Rock The Night and The Final Countdown, Europe had achieved major success with their first multi platinum album and single”
3. Hysteria – Def Leppard
“With Hysteria, Def Leppard and producer Mutt Lange set out to create, in guitarist Phil Collen’s words, “a hard-rock version of Thriller.” Which meant leaning hard on the “pop” side of the pop-metal equation, and putting the focus on rhythm and vocals rather than guitars. The result? More than 20 million copies sold. Most impressively, the songs were surprisingly varied, from the Burundi-beat thump of glitter ode “Rocket,” to the nursery-rhyme electro-rap of “Pour Some Sugar on Me,” to the cyborg country ballad “Love Bites.”
2. Appetite for Destruction – Guns N Roses
“Guns N Roses hold the record for the highest selling Debut album in rock history. Appetite For Destruction went #1 all over the world in 1987 and continued to stay at number throughout 1988 and 1989. This album features the “Classic” lineup of Guns N Roses Featuring Slash, Axl Rose, Izzy Stradlin, Duff Mckagen and Steve Adler. This album features classic radio hits Sweet Child O Mine and Paradise City, as well as Guns N’ Roses fan favourites Welcome To The Jungle, It’s So Easy, Nightrain, Rocket Queen, my Michelle and many more.”
1. Slippery When Wet – Bon Jovi
“Slippery When Wet saw Bon Jovi rise from moderately successful New Jersey hard rockers to one of the world’s biggest acts, inside or outside of spandex. Loaded with storytelling (“Wanted Dead or Alive”) and Richie Sambora’s wall of guitars (“Raise Your Hands”), the album has moved more than 12 million copies to date. With key songwriting assists from Desmond Child (Aerosmith, KISS, Cher) on “You Give Love a Bad Name” and the Guide to Trickle-Down Economics for Stadiums of “Livin’ on a Prayer,” Slippery endures as a karaoke classic.”