Top 10 Underrated Glam Metal Bands
Who: Cinderella
Hometown: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
The scoop: The band was certainly hugely popular for much of the 80’s, having sold over 18 million records(!) worldwide, but the band’s legacy seems to be lost to that of lesser bands like Poison, Warrant, and Slaughter. Cinderella were discovered by Jon Bon Jovi, and singer Tom Keifer has the raspiest voice this side of Brian Johnson. He eventually paid the price for that rasp, suffering vocal chord paresis in 1991. But the band’s material holds up great twenty years later — even the power ballads.
Evidence:
Who: The Cult
Hometown: Brixton, England.
The scoop: The band has long had a loyal (dare we say cult?) following, but their records from the heart of the glam era (”Love,” “Electric,” “Sonic Temple“) are the best in the band’s catalog. Perhaps its because of their goth roots, or perhaps because they’ve embraced so many styles over the course of their career, the Cult are long overlooked in the annals of glam rock.
Evidence:
Who: Dangerous Toys
Hometown: Austin, Texas
The scoop: They may have one of the worst band names in all of metal (no small feat!), but their debut album is a rockin’ charge of blues-soaked sleaze rock. “Teasn’, Pleasn’” was a rock radio fave while “Scared” became a staple of MTV. And while the band hasn’t released an album of new material since 1995, the Toys still get together every so often for the occasional show.
Evidence:
Who: Dirty Looks
Hometown: San Fransisco, California via Eerie, Pennsylvania
The scoop: Dutch-born singer Henrik Ostergaard’s voice is a dead ringer for Bon Scott’s, and any band that wears their AC/DC influence that proudly on their sleeve is OK in our book. Strangely, guitarist Paul Lidel would later join Dangerous Toys, making him our unofficial underrated glam metal guitarist of the decade!
Evidence:
Who: Girlschool
Hometown: London, England
The scoop: Despite forming in the 1970s during what metal scholars (is that an oxymoron?) call the New Wave of British Heavy Metal, the band flirted with 1980s glam rock sounds throughout the decade. Sounding like a peppy, poppy more-hairsprayed version of the Runaways, Vixen had nothing on these chicks.
Evidence:
Who: Hanoi Rocks
Hometown: Helsinki, Finland
The scoop: Not strictly glam, Hanoi Rocks are probably most famous in America for the death of their drummer Nicholas “Razzle” Dingley in a drunk driving accident by Motley Crue’s Vince Neil. Bleached blond singer Michael Monroe scored a mild hit with a 1989 solo album, but he’s since rejoined the group, who remain active after all these years.
Evidence:
Who: Junkyard
Hometown: Los Angeles, California
The scoop: With a pedigree that included Brian Baker of Minor Threat and Dag Nasty, and a debut album produced by Tom Werman (Motley Crue, Poison), its no wonder these guys scored a hit with their self-titled 1989 debut that blended honky tonk with hair metal.
Evidence:
Who: KIX
Hometown: Hagerstown, Maryland
The scoop: The band had been around for several years before relocating to Hollywood, California to redefine their sound and find fame on the Sunset Strip. Their fourth album “Blow My Fuse” eventually caught on and went platinum on the strength of the title track along with the power ballad “Don’t Close Your Eyes.”
Evidence:
Who: Skid Row
Hometown: Toms River, New Jersey
The Deal: The second band on this list to be discovered by Jon Bon Jovi, Skid Row certainly had plenty of fame, but their mark as glam rock gods is frequently overshadowed by all the silliness Sebastian Bach has been up to in recent years. Whether as a part of a VH1 reality show (”Supergroup,” “Celebrity Rap Superstar”) or starring on Broadway (”Rocky Horror,” “Jeckyll and Hyde”), the pretty boy singer has managed to stay in the public eye despite little evolution from his “Youth Gone Wild” days. None the less, the band’s first two records are amongst the best of the genre, while a Bach-less Skid Row still tours.
Evidence:
Who: Zodiac Mindwarp
Hometown: London, England
The Deal: Deciding he wanted to lead the decadent life of a rock star, graphic designer Mark Manning became Zodiac Mindwarp and formed the Love Reaction, who played blues-based hard rock with tongue-in-cheek lyrics. The group scored a minor hit in the U.S. with their debut album “Tattooed Beat Messiah,” but they’ve never stopped rocking. They’re still at it today.
Evidence:
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10.08.07 at 1:04 pm
What about Faster Pussycat? I always liked them.
10.08.07 at 1:33 pm
KIX RULES!!!!!!
10.08.07 at 1:38 pm
L.A. Guns, Roughcutt, Accept
10.08.07 at 3:05 pm
dude, roughcutt sucks balls.
10.08.07 at 3:30 pm
It’s 2007. Move along people.
10.08.07 at 3:49 pm
L.A.Guns.
Ratt?
Quiet Riott?
10.08.07 at 4:23 pm
Electric Angels! “The Drinking Song” is a glam calssic!
10.08.07 at 5:15 pm
Ummm… Ziggy Stardust? How the hell could you forget about Ziggy Stardust?
10.08.07 at 5:44 pm
What about bands like …
Blue Murder
Britney Fox
Bullet Boys
Queensryche
Tesla
10.08.07 at 7:03 pm
Bang Tango, bitches! And what about Jetboy and D’Molls?
10.09.07 at 4:45 am
Whaa Wrote “Ummm… Ziggy Stardust? How the hell could you forget about Ziggy Stardust?”
You do know that “Ziggy Stardust” is David bowie right!? And that David bowie is by no means underrated as he’s one of the biggest and best artists around?!
10.09.07 at 6:27 am
Enuff Z’Nuff so belongs on this list!!
10.09.07 at 10:45 am
I agree with Checker about Queensryche being underrated but I wouldn’t classify them as “glam” by any strech of the imagination. Kix, Hanoi Rocks, & The Cult - you called those! I would also have added Black-n-Blue (Tommy Thayer is now playing for Kiss) and The Blonz who sort of came out with their cd at the very end of hair metal heyday. They were really good.
10.09.07 at 11:38 am
all of these bands are terrible. how about listening to some real metal?
10.09.07 at 12:45 pm
Yeah, how come FP isn’t on here? Or Salty Dog, Every Mother’s Nightmare, Tesla, Bullet Boys, Extreme, Danger Danger, or even Badlands?
10.09.07 at 1:44 pm
where the hell is valeze?
10.09.07 at 2:55 pm
Bang Tango, Faster pussycat, L.A. Guns, Stryper, Old Jane’s Addiction
10.10.07 at 12:49 am
Calling any of those bands “metal” is a disgrace.
10.10.07 at 10:32 am
nelson???? if they aren’t glam rock numero UNO i don’t know who was…
10.17.07 at 8:54 am
dude, the cult were never a glam metal band - get yer shit straight. girlschool? are you kidding? those chikcs would kick any of these glam bitches asses. get it right, poser! you forgot giuffria.
10.20.07 at 5:28 pm
now are you talking turly underated glam bands with little or no radio play. then you need to check out Black-n-Blue,Keel or Saxon
10.22.07 at 7:39 pm
Dudes and Dudettes, what about , maybe you all said but how about…. Trixter.. Jackel..Kingdome come..and yes Bullet boys and LA Guns..
10.30.07 at 8:34 pm
#1. L.A. Guns-Best sleaze group.
#2. Danger Danger
#3. Stryper
#4. L.A. Guns again, just because they are the bomb
10.30.07 at 8:36 pm
#1. L.A. Guns
#2. Danger Danger
#3. Stryper
#4. L.A. Guns again because they are bad A
03.21.08 at 7:08 am
I AGREE WITH LA.GUNS AND FASTER PUSSYCAT. WHAT ABOUT D’MOLLS, HOUSE OF LORDS, SHOTGUN MESSIAH, OR THE LONDON QUIREBOYS?
03.25.08 at 4:12 pm
WHAT ABOUT EUROPE
03.31.08 at 12:53 pm
britny fox
gorky park
electric boys
pretty boy floyd
04.03.08 at 12:38 pm
How bout Tigertailz and Faster Pussycat Stryper’s a little Glammish too
04.03.08 at 12:39 pm
What about Tigertailz and Faster pussycat. Stryper is a little glammish too
04.14.08 at 8:32 pm
They all made pretty catchy music bt th real wrongly frgttn glam band was steelheart. Mike matijevic had one of th bestest fuckin voices ever.
Wat do u say bout th modern sleaze of crashdiet?
07.12.08 at 5:57 am
Some good bands but not all were glam or metal and CInderella isn’t like an obscure band although not many ppl know them 2day. Skid Row are NOT underrated.
~Danger Danger
~Britny Fox
~Tigertailz
~Faster Pussycat
~L.A. Guns were pretty underrated
Those are some seriously obscure bands
07.12.08 at 6:05 am
I forgot about SLeeze Beez
07.26.08 at 10:58 am
FUCK YOU NEWMAN!
08.29.08 at 2:12 pm
You’re all fucked!!! NONE of the bands named are glam rock-they’re all shitty,derivative ,wussy wimp metal. For glam rock,you have to go back-see Bowie,T.Rex,Gary Glitter… History is longer than 20 years you ass clowns!
09.09.08 at 10:35 pm
uhhmmm…. kay well
first off
i really don’t see Motley Crue on here
and they like made this shit famous
honestly
and Crashdiet and dirty penny should be on here
annnnndd i agree with Brian there but
they are glam rock just a newer version
you should really look into the older glam rock bands
but
where the FUCK is Motley Crue?!
keep it sleazy.
09.18.08 at 5:01 pm
it says underrated…..idiots
11.11.08 at 7:05 pm
crue you fool it said under rated that is obviously not motley crue numb nutz
anyways top 10 underrated for me would be (in no particular order)
Shotgun Messiah
Tigertailz
King Kobra
Lizzy Borden
Britny Fox
Cinderella
Cats in Boots
Danger Danger
W.A.S.P.
Helix
12.12.08 at 12:46 am
My top choices for underrated glam metal:
Smashed Gladys
Junkyard
Bang Tango
Cats In Boots
Vain
Disneyland After Dark
Star Star
EZO
Sea Hags
12.31.08 at 12:03 pm
where the heck is def leppard u f****** idiot!!!
05.28.09 at 6:19 pm
Fuck everyone
Dokken
SLAUGHTER!?
ENUFF ZNUFF!?!?
EXTREME!??!
AND FFS
POISON?!
WINGER!??! REB BEACH ON GUITAR?
DO NOT COMMENT IF YOU’VE JUST HEARD ONE OR TWO SONGS ON THE RADIO
06.02.09 at 7:02 am
If you want under rated glam metal check these out:
Heavy Pettin - http://www.myspace.com/heavypettinoffical
Culprit - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I8XN3w1ClN4
Rail - http://www.railonline.net/
06.30.09 at 12:24 pm
This is easy-
SAIGON KICK
then….
Shotgun Messiah
Cats in Boots
Warrior Soul
Enuff Z’Nuff
Extreme (III sides is a masterpiece)
EZO
Faster Pussycat
W.A.S.P.
06.30.09 at 12:25 pm
Again,
S A I G O N K I C K
06.30.09 at 12:30 pm
LOVE/HATE
(I should be shot for not including them in my first post, sue me)
06.30.09 at 12:30 pm
T-Ride.
Saigon Kick
Shotgun Messiah.
Y’see, Skid Row is not a band I’d classify as underrated considering the airplay they recieved back in the day. The person who made this list needs to re-evaluate what the word “underrated” really means.
07.17.09 at 3:36 pm
Uhhh Slaughter,W.A.S.P,Honeymoon Suite,Or Even White Lion
10.03.09 at 9:53 pm
fuck you all