The Best Glam Metal Songs Of All Time Ranked
Musically, glam metal songs traditional hard rock or heavy metal songs with catchy hooks over hard-hitting drumming. Some songs feature flashy shred guitar solos where the lead-guitar sound is effects-processed. The overall sound is much more studio-engineered than earlier styles of heavy metal, such as the rough, raw sound of the New Wave of British Heavy Metal bands. The vocals have a softer melody, sometimes with an anthemic “sing-along” chorus. In addition, they were usually sung with a clean hard rock tone, in contrast to many other heavy metal subgenres that often employ a more extreme vocal style. Glam metal performers became infamous for their debauched lifestyles of late-night parties – widely covered in the tabloid press – , very long teased hair (hence the alternative “hair metal” tag), use of make-up, and gaudy clothing and accessories (chiefly consisting of tight denim or leather jeans, spandex, and headbands). Many of these traits are somewhat reminiscent of glam rock, a music genre which first emerged in the United Kingdom during the early 1970s. Here are all of the best Glam Metal songs of all time.
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15. Nothin but a Good Time – Poison
“Released in 1988, Nothin But A Good Time by the glam metal band Poison is one of the anthems of the era. The song reached number 6 in the Billboard Hot 100 chart and was loved by metal fans. The song is a classic glam metal tune played with power chords and great guitar solos.”
14. Nobody’s Fool – Cinderella
“Cinderella never got as much press and attention as Poison and Mötley Crüe, but many rock fans that dismissed the other hair metal acts as cheese absolutely loved this Philadelphia four-piece. They got their big break when Jon Bon Jovi saw one of their clubs gigs and soon enough they were opening up for Bon Jovi on the Slippery When Wet tour. Along the way, they scored a Number 13 hit with the power ballad “Nobody’s Fool.” The hits dried up by the early 1990s, but they remain a popular live band. They’re also one of the few bands of the era to still tour with the classic lineup.”
13. Dr. Feelgood – Motley Crue
“The guys in the Crüe were clean when they recorded Dr. Feelgood in 1989, but they were still writing songs about drugs and, in the case of the title track, drug dealers. “I knew it was a classic from the time I heard that very first ‘bomp bomp bomp bomp’ — that intro just kind of grabs you,” Vince Neil told Rolling Stone in 2009. “This song has been popular for 20 years. It was funny because I was watching VH1 and they had the Greatest Hard Rock Songs and ‘Feelgood’ was 15 or something. I was like, ‘Wow, of all time.’ Then you have Led Zeppelin and Aerosmith and AC/DC and ‘Feelgood.’ I was like, ‘Wow, that’s cool.’ It’s our signature song in some ways.”
12. Pour Some Sugar on Me – Def Leppard
“The signature song of the English metal band, Def Leppard, Pour Some Sugar On Me, is another rock-solid tune that reached number 2 in Billboard charts after its release in 1987. The song’s iconic drum groove with heavy guitar parts is a joy to listen to and even more joy to play. The song has an outstanding video clip, too.”
11. We’re Not Gonna Take It – Twisted Sister
“The highest-selling single of Twisted Sister is the 1984 tune We’re Not Gonna Take It, which is remembered for its repetitive iconic chorus and lovely guitar riff. It is a basic song with a simple progression, reflecting the pop-metal side of the glam metal era perfectly.”
10. Heaven – Warrant
“Even the hardest metalheads know that there must be a ballad to attract and melt the hearts of girls in the middle of drinking and partying songs. Slow, mighty guitar melody, and the divine vocal part is the winning combination for the successful song, as it happened with “Heaven,” who took 2nd place on the Billboard Hot 100.”
9. Turn Up the Radio – Autograph
“Mainly known for their hit tune Turn Up The Radio, Autograph is a one-hit-wonder glam metal band. Their 1984 album Sign In Please was certified gold, and Turn Up The Radio received significant airplay on MTV. However, the band could not make any other successful hits. The song features a nice main guitar riff with palm mutes and a hook melody on the lower strings. The verses and choruses are played with traditional power chords.”
8. 18 and Life – Skid Row
“Many of us fell in love with Skid Row only because of its frontman’s magnificent vocal performances. The girls back in the ’80s were drooling over Sebastian Bach’s gorgeous look. Nevertheless, we must admit that he has a talent for acting too, as he made appearances in the TV Shows Gilmore Girls and Trailer Park Boys. The “18 and Life” was released as a single and was Skid Row’s “career-turn” song, becoming their greatest hit and reaching number four on the Billboard Hot 100.”
7. Jump – Van Halen
“If someone invents the time-machine, we would be more than happy to go back to the ’80s and stand in the first rows in many memorable concerts. One of them would be Van Halen’s live show. The tune from the “Jump” makes us literally start jumping and moving our bodies in the rhythm of that catchy keyboard line.”
6. The Final Countdown – Europe
“The iconic keyboard riff drives the song forward with its melodic chorus. You can play the riff on guitar easily on higher strings. The verses are pretty straightforward with palm-muted bass notes, and the choruses are traditional with power chords—a great song to play by yourself or with your band.”
5. In My Dreams – Dokken
“American heavy metal band Dokken has many great glam metal tunes that are charted in Billboard Hot 100 and In My Dreams is just one of them. The song is played mainly with power chords and is built around a basic riff with basslines embellishing the chords. The solo of the song is one of the fastest with great legatos, which is ideal for experienced players.”
4. Kickstart My Heart – Mötley Crüe
“Mötley Crüe bassist Nikki Sixx took the debauchery of hair metal to its absolute extreme one night in 1987, when he took so much heroin that his heart stopped and an EMT pronounced him dead, before two shots of adrenaline right into his heart woke him back up. It was a grizzly scene and a much-needed wake-up call that eventually lead to Sixx kicking the drug. Two years later, he wrote about the experience on “Kickstart My Heart” for Dr. Feelgood. It only reached Number 27 on the Billboard Hot 100, but it’s widely seen as one of the group’s greatest songs. Even people that don’t love The Crüe have a hard time hating on this one.”
3. Cherry Pie – Warrant
“One of the hair metal anthems is the iconic tune Cherry Pie by the American glam metal band Warrant. Released in 1990, the song was one of the latest hit songs of the era and became a top 10 hit in the Billboard charts. The song features a great guitar riff on the lower strings. There are lots of vibratos which you can use your finger or the whammy bar to create the effect.”
2. Round and Round – Ratt
“Their single “Round and Round” went into heavy rotation on MTV and even featured Milton Berle, whose nephew managed the band. For a couple short years, it was very good to be a member of Ratt – until everything fell apart in a spectacular fashion and they turned on each other like vicious dogs. The surviving members tour together to this day, and they wouldn’t dream of leaving the stage without busting out “Round and Round.”
1. Home Sweet Home – Motley Crue
“In many ways, Mötley Crüe are hair-metal pioneers. They were teasing their hair and singing “Smokin’ in the Boys Room” on MTV before most other hair metal bands played a single gig on the Sunset Strip. They established the hair metal code of ethics with their insane partying and womanizing, and with their 1985 classic “Home Sweet Home” they practically invented the hair-metal power ballad. It was an enormous hit, and countless other hair metal bands copied the formula by recording a tender, stripped-back song where they expose the true feelings of the men behind the hairspray and makeup. None of them did it better than Mötley Crüe. “Home Sweet Home” is an absolute classic that’s been covered by everybody from Carrie Underwood to Limp Bizkit.”
