The Best Glam Metal Singers 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. Here are all of the best Glam Metal Singers of all time ranked.
See more: The Best Metal Singers Of All Time Ranked
See more: The Best Metal Guitarists Of All Time Ranked
20. Klaus Meine
“Klaus Meine is a German vocalist, best known as the lead singer of the hard rock band Scorpions. He and guitarist Rudolf Schenker are the only two members of the group to appear on every Scorpions album. Klaus is one of the greatest rock singers of all time. Keep rocking Scorpions.”
19. Kip Winger
“Kip is an extremely talented musician. I think his looks kept him from being taken too seriously. Which is a shame. His music does not cater too the record companies. He writes songs from the heart. He is not a sell out.”
18. Tom Keifer
“Tom is just awesome. A true musician. If it has strings he can make it sing. Bass, acoustic, electric, 12 string, piano, slide guitar. And he’s a badass sax player too. There’s nothing cooler in ROCK & ROLL than a frontman who also plays lead guitar and does it as well and with as much swagger and style as Tom Keifer!”
17. Eric Martin
“Eric Lee Martin is an American rock singer and musician who was active throughout the 1980s, 1990s, and 2000s, both as a solo artist and as a member of various bands. He earned his most prominent success as the frontman for the hard rock band Mr. Big, which scored a big hit in the early 1990s with “To Be with You”, a song that Martin wrote during his teen years.”
16. Axl Rose
“William Bruce Rose Jr., better known as ‘Axl Rose’, is an American singer born on February 6, 1962, in Lafayette, Indiana. He Is the founder and lead singer of the hard rock band Guns N’ Roses. He is a celebrated but controversial figure in the world of rock.”
15. David Coverdale
“David Coverdale is an English rock singer most famous for his work with Whitesnake, the commercially successful hard rock band he founded in 1978. Before Whitesnake, Coverdale was the lead singer of Deep Purple from late 1973 to 15 March 1976, when he resigned from the band and established his solo career.”
14. Jani Lane
“Jani Lane was an American recording artist and the lead vocalist, frontman, lyricist and main songwriter for the glam metal band Warrant. Brilliant songwriter, great singer, distinct voice and style. Definitely one of my favorite voices.”
13. Kevin DuBrow
“Quiet Riot was one of those bands that showed up anywhere music was playing. The really should’ve been much more popular than what they were. Kevin had a killer voice for the style music he sang. I was deeply saddened by his passing some years ago.”
12. Don Dokken
“I think Dokken was one of the most Underrated bands of the 80’s…the entire band was very talented musically and lyrically. They were light years above most ‘hair’ bands talent wise. In My Dreams is one of my favorites. I always loved Don Dokken’s voice.”
11. Vince Neil
“Vincent Neil Wharton is an American vocalist and musician, best known as the lead vocalist of glam metal/ hair metal band Mötley Crüe. Vince was one hell of a frontman back in the 1980’s. Had a damn great voice too. Just listen to “Live Wire” and “Without You”.
10. Bret Michaels
“With his glammed-up good looks and commercial songwriting skills, Bret Michaels became one of rock & roll’s most recognizable front man during the 1980s. Bret Michaels is a great vocalist. I love Poison. My favorite songs are Unskinny Bop and nothing’ But A Good Time.”
9. Paul Stanley
“Stanley Bert Eisen, known professionally by his stage name Paul Stanley, is an American musician, singer, songwriter and painter best known for being the rhythm guitarist and co-lead singer of the rock band Kiss.”
8. Stephen Pearcy
“Stephen Eric Pearcy, known as Stephen Pearcy, is an American musician. He is best known as the creator, singer, and songwriter of the heavy metal band Ratt. Stephen Pearcy jet-rocketed to multi-platinum success in the mid-’80s with the band, releasing a string of gold and multi-platinum albums like Out of the Cellar, Invasion of You Privacy, and Dancing Undercover.”
7. Dee Snider
“Daniel “Dee” Snider is an American singer-songwriter, screenwriter, radio personality, and actor. Snider came to prominence in the early 1980s as lead singer of the heavy metal band Twisted Sister. He was ranked 83 in the Hit Parader’s Top 100 Metal Vocalists of All Time.”
6. David Lee Roth
“David Lee Roth is an American rock singer. Best known for his wild, energetic stage persona, he was the original lead vocalist of the hard rock band Van Halen across three stints, from 1974 to 1985, in 1996 and again from 2006 to their disbandment in 2020.”
5. Joey Tempest
“Tempest made his name as the lead vocalist of heavy rock band Europe, his distinctive voice being internationally known from the success of ‘The Final Countdown’ in 1986. His self-titled debut was issued in 1995 and contained a selection of good-quality songs, most of which contained at least one melodic hook”
4. Jon Bon Jovi
“John Francis Bongiovi, Jr., better known by his stage name Jon Bon Jovi, is an American singer-songwriter, record producer, philanthropist, and actor, best known as the founder and frontman of the hair band Bon Jovi from, which was founded by Jon and his pianist, David Bryan, in 1983. He is famous for his band’s hit songs “Livin’ on a Prayer,” “You Give Love a Bad Name,” and “Wanted Dead or Alive” which were all released in 1986, on the album Slippery When Wet.”
3. Sebastian Bach
“He is (or was) an incredible singer. I love how emotional his voice sounds in slower power ballads like “Wasted Time”, “18 And Life”, and “Quicksand Jesus”. It’s a real shame that he got kicked out of Skid Row. I will pick him despite his outrages, due to the fact that he can damn near sing anything.”
2. Joe Elliott
“Arguably the most popular hard rock band of the ’80s (and definitely one of the most tragedy-prone) was Def Leppard, fronted by singer Joe Elliot. He has also been the lead singer of the David Bowie tribute band the Cybernauts and the Mott the Hoople cover band Down ‘n’ Outz.”
1. Miljenko Matijevic
“Miljenko Matijevic is a Croatian-American singer and songwriter. He is best known as the lead vocalist and songwriter of rock band Steelheart. He has a big following in South Korea and has worked on several South Korean TV series. Best vocal range! Hit high notes effortlessly… He’s so compassionate about his music, he feels the lyrics that he is singing.. Nothing can top that!”
