96% of people can't name these iconic bands from an image! Can you?
By: Craig
3 min
Image: n/a
About This Quiz
They were loud, brash, flamboyant, but known just as much for their long and wild hair as they were for their music. With the music still popular today, and some of these bands still touring - albeit without the hair - they are seemingly everlasting. How many of these icon bands can you name from their image?
Often seen as the fathers of heavy metal, Black Sabbath formed in 1968 and were originally known as Earth. Their name changed to Black Sabbath in 1969 and the rest, as they say, is history. Fueled by the iconic riffs of guitarist Tommy Iommi and Ozzie Osbourne's distinct voice, Black Sabbath came to the fore with their second release, Paranoid. The single of the same name gave them their only Top 10 hit, but it produced a legion of followers on both sides of the Atlantic. In 1979, Osbourne was fired from the group, with Ronnie Dio replacing him as lead vocalist until 1983 when he also left. By the middle of the '80s, only Iommi was left, although he released music under the Black Sabbath name. The original band did come together to produce the album, 13, in 2013 and called it quits thereafter.
One of hair metal's most hedonistic bands, Motley Crue formed in 1981 in Los Angeles. The band originally featured bassist Nikki Six, singer/guitarist Greg Leon and drummer Tommy Lee. Leon didn't last long, leaving after a few months. He was replaced on guitar by Mick Mars, with Vince Neil taking over vocal duties. They quickly became known for their on-stage antics, partying after shows and perhaps most importantly, some good music. Motley Crue's more popular hits included Dr. Feelgood and Girls! Girls! Girls. Their popularity waned in the '90s although they continued to release music.
Perhaps one of the most popular hair metal acts of the 1980s, Poison are remembered for great songs, excellent live shows, and Bret Michaels. Michaels changed the name of his then band, Paris, into Poison in 1984. CC De Ville, the last member to join the band, actually beat out Slash of Guns and Roses fame during guitar auditions. Poison released two highly successful albums in the 80s - Look What The Cat Dragged In in 1986 and Open Up And Say... Aaaah! in 1988. Although they continued through the '90s, the emergence of the Grunge scene had effectively killed off hair metal.
Formed in 1982 in Los Angeles by bassists/vocalist Blackie Lawless, W.A.S.P included Randy Piper and Chris Holmes on guitar and Tony Richards on drums. The band became known for their over the top live shows and the use of images aimed to shock anybody who came into contact with their music. In fact, they were one of the bands targeted by Tipper Gore who wanted warning labels put on music that contained swearing or sexual imagery. W.A.S.P. continue to this day, having released an album as recently as 2015.
Mr. Big was formed in 1988 with Billy Sheehan on bass, Paul Gilbert on guitar, Pat Torpey on drums and Eric Martin handling vocals. Despite their first release not finding much success, other than in Japan, Mr. Big hit the jackpot in 1991 with the release of Lean Into It, which included the smash acoustic hit, To Be With You. The band never really saw the same success again despite their massive popularity in Japan. They split in 2002 but reunited in 2010 and have since released three more albums. And guess what? They are still massive in Japan.
A British metal band, Def Leppard are considered an '80s hair metal era band, although they were more part of the British metal invasion of the USA during that decade. The band was quick to hop onto the power of MTV in the early '80s with Pyromania. The 1983 album featured heavily on the fledgling channel's rotation. Their drummer, Rick Allen, lost an arm in a car accident in 1984. He managed to learn to play the drums with just one arm and a specially designed drum kit. Unlike other hair metal bands of the '80s, Def Leppard's popularity continued through the '90s.
Damn Yankees was a proverbial supergroup formed in 1989. It consisted of Ted Nugent, Tommy Shaw of Styx, Jack Blades of Night Ranger and drummer, Michael Cartellone. Although their first album did fairly well, their second failed and the group soon disbanded in 1993.
Formed in Pennsylvania, Britny Fox included two former members of the hair metal band Cinderella. They had some success with the single Long Way To Love, which received airplay on MTV, and released a self-titled debut album in 1988. After breaking up in 1992, the band reformed twice, first between 2000 and 2008 and again in 2015, although both times with personnel changes and only bassist Billy Childs from the original band.
After two previous incarnations as Shooze and Generators, the members of Kix finally stuck with their new name in 1978. Kix certainly is one of the least known bands from the '80s hair metal scene and had one minor hit in 1988 with Don't Close Your Eyes. The band is still active today and released an album in 2014.
Extreme had a massive hit with the ballad More Than Words, which came off their second album, Pornograffitti, and reached #1 in the United States as well as a host of other countries. Their success, however, was short-lived as the '80s ended and Grunge was just about to explode. In 1996, Extreme broke up but reformed in 2007 with three original members, Gary Cherone, Nuno Bettencourt and Pat Badger.
Which 1980's hair band corresponds with this image?
Y&T
Winger
Wrathchild
Bon Jovi
Perhaps the best fairing of the hair metal bands, especially when you take longevity into account, Bon Jovi had success in the '80s, '90s, and 2000s. Formed in New Jersey in 1983, it wasn't until they released their thirds album, 1986s Slippery When Wet, that the band exploded with the single, Living On A Prayer. Bon Jovi survived the explosion of Grunge in the early '90s and continued to have chart hits throughout their career. They have performed to over 34 million fans worldwide.
This glam metal band formed at the end of the '80s in Charlotte, just as the popularity of hair metal started to decline. They still proved fairly popular and at the end of 1992, were named Favorite Heavy Metal/Heavy Rock artist at the American Music Awards. Nirvana was also nominated for the award, and with Grunge all the rage at the time, Firehouse was certainly not expected to win. Although they continued to release albums through the '90s, nothing reached the peak of their self-titled debut album which ended up going platinum.
Formed by former Ratt guitarist Marq Torien, Bullet Boys also featured Mike Sweda, a former member of King Kobra. They formed in 1988 with their self-titled debut album performing well. Their second album bombed although the band continued, disbanding and reforming on numerous occasions with many lineup changes. The one constant, however, is Torien who has stuck with Bullet Boys through thick and thin.
Ratt had some major success during the 1980s, even reaching platinum sales figures for some of their releases. Their debut album, Out of the Cellar, was released in 1984 and the single, Round and Round, received constant airplay on MTV. It reached #12 on the Billboard singles charts, while the album reached #7. Their second album, Invasion of Your Privacy, so often the bane of bands, did just as well. entering the top 10 on the Billboard album charts. Ratt continued to find success throughout the '80s and early '90s and was one of the first bands featured on "MTV Unplugged."
Formed in 1988 at the height of hair/glam metal, Slaughter comprised of singer/rhythm guitarist, Mark Slaughter (originally of Vinnie Vincent Invasion), bassist Dana Stum, guitarist Tim Kelly, and drummer, Blas Elias. They proved popular thanks to their catchy melodies and their first album, Stick it to Ya, went double platinum. With the Grunge explosion, the band had less success but still released albums in the '90s. Tragedy struck in 1998 when Kelly died in a car accident but the band continued when Jeff Blando joined to cover guitar duties.
Part of the British metal invasion in the U.S. in the 1980s, calling Iron Maiden a hair metal band is a disservice. Though they did have the hairstyles! They are best known for their fast, thrashy guitar licks and the impressive vocal power of singer Bruce Dickinson. Unlike many of the other bands from that era, Iron Maiden is still incredibly popular today and tour all over the world. Bruce Dickinson is a qualified pilot who flies the band everywhere in their own jet airliner.
Formed in 1986 in New Jersey, Skid Row was fronted by its singer, Sebastian Bach. They released three albums between 1989 and 1996 and by the mid-'90s, had sold over 20 million albums. Skid Row disbanded in 1996 but reformed in 1999, this time without Bach. They have released three more albums with their new lineup.
Stryper, originally known as Roxx Regime, was a slightly different hair metal act than most of the others in the 1980s. The band performed Christian metal, even giving Bibles to the crowd during live performances. Their second album, To Hell with the Devil, went multi-platinum, thanks to the singles Calling on You and Honestly, both which received heavy MTV rotation. Stryper stands for Salvation Through Redemption Yielding Peace, Encouragement, and Righteousness.
Founded in Texas in 1987, Dangerous Toys were far more 'metal' than the pop/metal bands that dominated the decade. The band was started by Jason McMaster (vocalist) and featured Scott Dalhover and Danny Aaron on guitar, Mike Geary on bass, and Mike Watson behind the drums. Their self-titled debut album, released in 1987, was certified gold.
Gun's N' Roses exploded on the music scene with the release of 1987's Appetite for Destruction.' With singer Axel Rose's distinct wail and hot licks provided by guitarist, Slash, the band quickly became a favorite all over the world, producing hit after hit, including Sweet Child O' Mine, Paradise City and Welcome to the Jungle. Incidentally, Slash's real name is Saul Hudson.
A Danish/American collaboration, White Lion toured between 1982 and 1993. During this period, they produced four albums and a 'Best of' compilation with their sophomore recording, Pride, going double platinum thanks to the singles, Wait and When Children Cry, which hit #3 on the Billboard charts. They disbanded in 1996. Vocalist Mike Tramp reformed the band in 1999, although he was the only original member.
If we are honest, The Cult was not strictly a hair band. In fact, their origins are in the gothic scene. Formed by singer Ian Astbury as the Death Cult (after his former band, The Southern Death Cult) in 1983, the band quickly changed their name to the Cult. Although they have had many lineup changes over the years, Astbury has remained ever-present, along with guitarist Billy Duffy. They earned success in America with two releases, 1987's Electric and 1989's Sonic Temple.
Formed in 1977 by former Deep Purple vocalist, David Coverdale, Whitesnake certainly had rock and roll credentials. Initially, their first two albums never really amounted to anything, although they were fairly popular in Japan and parts of Europe. Further albums followed but it was 1987's self-titled release that brought success in the United States and sold over six million copies.
To be fair, Alice Cooper was performing before spandex was even conceived. Formed in 1968, the band was a staple of the 1970s hard rock scene known for their shocking live shows and extremely loud riffs. In the '80s, things were a little more toned down and songs like Poison certainly rode on the coat-tails of the hair metal scene.
Formed in 1973, Journey went through many lineup changes over the years before first calling it quits in 1987. The only person in the band for this entire duration was guitarist Neal Schon. A number of singers were featured over the years, but perhaps the most well-known was Steve Perry, who helped push the band to stardom. Their album, Escape, released in 1984, had three hit singles, including the iconic, Don't Stop Believing.
Van Halen was one of the most popular bands in the mid-80s. Driven by the virtuoso guitar playing of Eddie Van Halen and the showmanship of singer, David Lee Roth, by the time 1984 was released, they were one of the biggest bands in America. Of course, super stardom can lead to problems and Lee Roth left the band in 1985 to be replaced by Sammy Hagar. More lineup changes followed over the years with Lee Roth returning at one point. The only ever constant was Eddie Van Halen.
Dave Mustaine formed Megadeth after he left another thrash metal band, Metallica, in 1983. It's a long shot to call Megadeth a hair metal band, although as with most bands of the era, long hair was certainly prevalent. The music, however, was far removed from hair metal. Over the course of the last 30 years, the band has released numerous albums, with 1992's Countdown To Extinction and 1994's Youthansia achieving platinum sales.
Thanks to the success of the hair metal movement in the late 80s, many bands tried to jump onto the bandwagon. Danger Danger was no exception. The problem, however, was that by the time they released their first album, a self-titled effort in 1989, the popularity of their genre was on the wane. That didn't stop Danger Danger, who despite limited success, released another four albums until 2000.
Thanks to heavy rotation on MTV, Cinderella was one of the biggest hair metal bands of the '80s. The band was founded in 1983 by Eric Brittingham and Tom Keifer. They did the hard yards, touring clubs and small venues before they were seen by Jon Bon Jovi who recommended them to his record label in 1985. Although sales of their first album, Night Songs, started slowly, its popularity increased thanks to the band's relentless touring schedule and MTV airplay for the single, Nobody's Fool. The album eventually reached platinum status. Their second album, Long Cold Winter, did even better by achieving double platinum status.
Europe is best known for the 1986 hit, Final Countdown. The band formed in Sweden in 1981 and initially played progressive rock with limited chart success. It was when they changed their approach that success finally came. Their 1986 album, Final Countdown, and it's follow up, 1988's Out Of This World, were a success for the band.
Arriving late on the hair metal scene, Steelheart just managed to score a hit before the spandex, eyeliner and bad hair of the genre was literally blown away by the grunge movement. Steelheart were first formed as Red Alert in the early 80s, but had little success, despite touring often. After a name change, the band headed to Los Angeles and signed a new recording contract. Their self-titled debut album, released in 1991, spawned two hits, both power ballads with Never Let You Go reaching #14 on the U.S. charts.
Formed in the 1970s, KISS was one of the most popular hard rock bands around, noted for their makeup and frantic live shows. Despite their huge success in the '70s, the beginning of the '80s was not as successful. In 1983, they ditched the makeup and success, once again, flowed. Their power ballad, (a staple of the hair metal scene) Forever, was a massive hit in 1990. Kiss was inducted into the Rock 'n Roll Hall of Fame in 2014.
Faster Pussycat was formed in 1985 with their name coming from the film, "Faster, Pussycat, Kill, Kill!" After a slow start, their second album, Wake Me When It's Over, went gold. The band broke up in 1993, although they have played reunion shows and reformed at various times.
Perhaps the greatest metal band of all time, Metallica certainly had the long-haired looks to be considered a hair metal band. Their music, however, says otherwise. Metallica was formed in 1981 and have released 10 studio albums. They are fronted by rhythm guitarist James Hetfield who founded the band with drummer Lars Ulrich and Dave Mustaine, who left after two years and went on to form Megadeth.
In terms of sales, LA's Warrant was one of the most popular hair metal bands, with two of their albums reaching double platinum status sales figures. They are known for their biggest hit, Cherry Pie. After 1991, however, their popularity waned with their last two albums failing to chart in the mid-'90s. Of course, as with many hair metal bands, '80s nostalgia has seen them reform to play new shows over the past four years.
Formed by Kip Winger in 1986, the band's name was originally Sahara. Before forming the band, Winger played bass in Alice Cooper. The band also included drummer Rod Morgenstein, who had previously played in the Dixie Dregs. Their first album, 1988's Winger, went on to sell over one million copies. Their second, In The Heart Of The Young, was just as successful. One more album followed in 1993 before the group broke up with Kip Winger embarking on a solo career. They reunited in 2002 and, to date, have recorded three more albums.
Part of the British metal invasion that hit the United States in the late '70s and early '80s, Judas Priest was formed nearly a decade earlier in 1970. Rob Halford joined as their frontman in 1973 and by the beginning of the '80s, the band was known for their loud, live shows and dressing in leather outfits, especially Halford. Many of their early '80s releases went on to sell over a million copies in the United States, including British Steel, Screaming For Vengeance, and Defenders Of The Faith.
Quiet Riot's big breakthrough came in 1983 with the album, Mental Health. Not only did it reach #1 on the U.S. album charts, but it went five times platinum. The band never reached that level of success again and many lineup changes followed, including seeing singer Kevin Du Brow kicked out of his own band. The original lineup did get back together in 2001 to release Guilty Pleasures. Du Brow died from a cocaine overdose in 2007.
Great White certainly embraced the hair metal scene in the 1980s. And they made a success of it, leading to worldwide sales of 6 million albums, including a double platinum recording, Twice Shy. Great White formed in the 1980s and as with many bands of the era, MTV helped pave the way to their early success. The 1990s, however, saw their popularity fall. They continued to tour and in 2003, tragedy struck during one of their concerts when fireworks used during the show set a venue on fire, leading to the death of 100 people, including guitarist Ty Longley.
Formed in Helsinki, Finland in 1980, Hanoi Rocks released their first album in Finland in 1981. The band moved to London to promote themselves to a wider audience and, in 1983, struck a record deal with CBS. They went onto tour the U.S. later that same year. Unfortunately, drummer Nicholas "Razzle" Dingley was a passenger in Vince Neal's (Motley Crue) car when it was in an accident that killed him. Although the band continued, they broke up in 1985. They reformed for from 2002 to 2008.
With their over-the-top hairstyles and makeup, Twisted Sister announced themselves on the hair metal scene in 1984 with their album, Stay Hungry. This included two massive singles, We Not Going To Take It and I Wanna Rock. Although this is the first time many had heard of Twisted Sister, the band had been around since the mid-'70s. The album went platinum many times over. Although they released further records during the decade, they never quite matched that success. The band broke up in 1987 after inner group tensions but reformed in 2001.
In the 1970s, Lita Ford was part of the all-girl rock band, The Runaways, along with Joan Jett. After the band split, Ford went solo, quickly releasing two albums, Out For Blood in 1983 and Dancing On The Edge in 1984. A break of four years followed until in 1998, she released her third album, Lita. It proved her most successful, and her duet with Ozzie Osbourne, Close My Eyes Forever, broke into the U.S. Top Ten. Follow-up albums proved less popular and Ford faded away only to re-appear in 2009 with a new release, Wicked Wonderland.
After the breakup of his previous band, Dokken, guitarist George Lynch formed Lynch Mob in 1989. The band was not a huge success and only lasted four years before they broke up, with Lynch releasing some solo material. They later reformed for a new album, Smoke This, in 1999 and broke up soon after. The band got together in 2003, only to break up again before reforming in 2008 and releasing new material.
Although Aerosmith had been around since the 1970s, their material from the 1980s exposed them to a new set of fans, thanks to the heavy rotation of Walk This Way with Run DMC on MTV. Their follow-up albums, Permanent Vacation in 1987 and Pump in 1989, sold three and four million copies respectively. Their popularity continued to soar into the 1990s.
Formed in 1983, Trixter had to wait six long years for their big break from MCA Records. That saw them tour with Stryper the following year to support their self-titled debut album with massive airplay on MTV as well. By 1991, the album had achieved gold status. With the explosion of grunge the following year, their second album, Heart, didn't do as well and the band split in 1995.
Formed in Germany in 1969, Scorpions are still going strong, having released an incredible number of recordings over the past 45 years. They are best known for their massive hit, 1984s Rock You Like A Hurricane, which thanks to very high MTV rotation, went double platinum.
Named after inventor Nikolai Tesla, this Californian band had excellent success in the 1980s, releasing three platinum selling albums in a row. It was their second album, 1989s The Great Radio Controversy, that produced two massive hits, Heaven's Trail (No Way Out) and the ballad, Love Song. In 1990, they released Five Man Acoustical Jam, a stripped down acoustic album way before the "MTV Unplugged" series. Despite the rise of Grunge, Tesla releases continued to sell well but eventually, they broke up in 1996, reforming again in 2000.
The all-female group, Vixen, proved very popular in the 1980s. Their biggest hit, Edge Of A Broken Heart, was written by '80s heartthrob, Richard Marx. The band formed in 1973 and had already paid their dues before their glam/hair metal success. By 1991, the band had broken up due to musical differences, although some reunions have taken place over the years.
Although they had formed in the '70s, Dokken's success came after the release of their debut album, Breaking The Chains, in 1983. This success was initially only in Europe but by their second album, 1984s Tooth And Nail, they started to receive MTV airplay, which increased their fan base and prompted over one million copies sold in the United States. Their success continued through the '80s and they even wrote a song for the third movie in the "Nightmare on Elm Street" franchise. The band broke up in 1988 and reformed in 1995 but never reached the same heights.
L.A. Guns was formed in California in 1983 by Tracii Guns and once included a certain Axel Rose on vocals. Rose went on to greater things with Guns N' Roses while L.A. Guns had some success towards the end of the '80s when their second album, Cocked & Loaded, went platinum.
