Glam metal
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Glam metal | |
|---|---|
| Stylistic origins: | Heavy metal, Glam rock, Hard rock |
| Cultural origins: | Late 1970s – Early 1980s, U.S. |
| Typical instruments: | electric guitar, bass guitar, drums |
| Mainstream popularity: | Extremely popular throughout the 1980s until around late 1992, underground following since, Starting to come back since 1997, |
| Subgenres | |
| Sleaze glam, Shock rock | |
| Other topics | |
| Timeline of heavy metal | |
Glam metal is a sub-genre of heavy metal music that arose in the late 1970s in the United States. It was a dominant genre in popular rock music throughout the 1980s and early 1990s.
The genre is also referred to, often by detractors, as hair metal. This term was popularized by MTV in the 1990s and derives from the tendency amongst some bands to style their long hair in a teased-up fashion. In modern culture, fans of the style have embraced the term glam metal. During its heyday, the genre was often referred to as heavy metal or simply metal.
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[edit] Characteristics
Generally, glam metal has hedonistic lyrics, often focuses on sex, alcohol, and drugs, and many of the first wave bands had songs pertaining to the occult. Musically, glam metal songs often featured distorted guitar riffs, shred guitar solos, anthemic choruses, hard hitting drumming, and complementary bass. Glam metal is often frowned upon by other genres of metal as being too pop influenced. Nevertheless, this can vary from band to band and depends largely on which time frame they played the style.
Many glam metal performers became infamous for their debauched lifestyles, long, teased hair, and use of make-up, gaudy clothing, and accessories – traits somewhat reminiscent of glam rock, a music genre which first emerged in the United Kingdom during the early 1970s. However, the earlier groups of the genre also implemented some of the leather and studs imagery which had previously been made famous by Judas Priest.
[edit] Origins
The genre took influence heavily from 1970s rock and heavy metal bands, with large sections taking influence from the likes of; Aerosmith, Alice Cooper, Black Sabbath, Deep Purple, KISS, Led Zeppelin, New York Dolls, Queen, The Sweet, Van Halen, and others. Equally important was the influence of later new wave of British heavy metal bands such as Def Leppard, Judas Priest, Saxon and Iron Maiden.
A few bands had previously experimented with mixing glam rock and heavy metal prior to the 1980s when glam metal became emerged as a fully fledged genre. Angel, Starz, and Legs Diamond were prime examples of this. However, it wasn't until the early 1980s that the genre truly began to gather speed and thus some of the earlier bands mentioned are not always viewed as part of it.
In the United States, some credit Quiet Riot, among others, as one the first glam metal bands, but others argued that the movement on the Sunset Strip was kick-started largely by Mötley Crüe. In any event, these three bands played a prominent part in the genre's direction and would go on to influence a lot of the bands who formed from the mid-1980s onwards.
During 1980 in England, the same year of Mötley Crüe's forming, a band known as Wrathchild, fronted by Rocky Shades, also emerged. This band was known for playing Glam metal style music and having a similar image; they also used pyro similar to that of shock rock sections of the genre and would eventually tour with W.A.S.P. in 1984. However, Wrathchild did not gain the same level of fame as their Los Angeles contemporaries.[1]
[edit] First wave of glam metal
During the early 1980s, heavy metal spawned several sub-genre forms; glam metal became its most popular manifestation. The first wave of glam metal bands included the likes of Mötley Crüe, Ratt, W.A.S.P., Twisted Sister and Quiet Riot. Their music was less melodic than their younger contemporaries who would eventually emerge, like; Cinderella and Poison, whose music and image ultimately became synonymous with the genre.
From 1983 to 1984 several important albums which would shape the genre, and change the course of music during the 1980s emerged, amongst them were;
- Mötley Crüe - Shout at the Devil
- W.A.S.P. - W.A.S.P.
- Ratt - Out of the Cellar
- Def Leppard - Pyromania
- Quiet Riot - Metal Health
- Dokken - Tooth and Nail
- Twisted Sister - Stay Hungry
Around this time and the years following it, bands who had long been an established part of heavy metal and hard rock music during the 1970s and had ironically influenced many of the glam metal bands began to experiment with the genre's stylings, examples of this are;
During the later part of the 1980s, many other acts would follow suit in a similar fashion; Alice Cooper in 1989 with Trash, Aerosmith's Permanent Vacation and Whitesnake with their 1987 self-titled album which featured the massively successful hit "Here I Go Again".
[edit] Second wave of glam metal
By the mid-1980s, glam metal could be defined by two major divisions. On the mainstream side were bands such as Bon Jovi, whose 1986 album Slippery When Wet was a huge success at Top 40 radio and MTV, as well as the band Europe, whose single "The Final Countdown" hit number one in 26 countries; the bands in this style were and still are described as pop metal.
Los Angeles fostered a more insular scene around the Sunset Strip, starting in 1984-1985. This movement eventually spawned bands such as Poison, Faster Pussycat, and L.A. Guns. Other bands were associated with that scene's style but actually came from outside of Hollywood; Cinderella, a Philadelphia band, is an example.
There were also some groups who continued in the style originated by the earlier glam metal bands, King Kobra and Madam X are examples of this, the latter of which would eventually feature a future star of the genre, a young Canadian named Sebastian Bach.
The visual aspects of some glam metal bands; became thought of as appealing to music television, particularly MTV when it was launched. During the mid-to-late 1980s, glam metal tracks were in heavy rotation on the channel. Glam metal bands often resided at the top of MTV's daily dial countdown, and some of the bands appeared on the channel's shows such as Headbanger's Ball. The groups also received heavy rotation on radio shows such as KNAC in Los Angeles.
The second wave on glam metal would prove to be the most commercially successful for the genre as a whole, and enjoyed widespread success during the 1980s, but bands would sometimes find themselves on the wrong side of critics and certain sections of the music industry.
A notable example came in 1987 with the release of Mötley Crüe's Girls, Girls, Girls. Before the establishment of Soundscan in 1991, Billboard's album chart was decided by a combination of reports from retailers, wholesalers, and industry professionals, rather than on actual album sales. As the band related on MTV's Week in Rock, the week that Girls, Girls, Girls peaked at #2 on the Billboard chart, it was actually the highest-selling album of that week. However, the industry professionals gave extra weight to Whitney Houston's sophomore album, allowing it to retain the top spot. In the band's opinion, the industry simply wouldn't allow their album to hold the #1 spot. (The band eventually conquered the top spot with their next album, Dr. Feelgood, which became the biggest album of their career.)
Glam metal continued to grow its fanbase as the 1980s progressed. Def Leppard's 1987 album Hysteria spawned seven successful singles, and eventually sold more than 12 million copies just in the US. This would later become one of the most popular hard rock albums of all time, being one of the most popular albums in the 1980s. Poison's second album Open Up And Say...Ahh! spawned a huge single in "Every Rose Has Its Thorn", and eventually sold eight million copies worldwide. Skid Row would later release their debut album in 1989, although they had been around since 1986 and had a harder hitting sound than many of the other bands in the genre at that point.
[edit] Sleaze Glam
- See Sleaze rock for a full article on this subgenre
Guns N' Roses completely changed the direction of glam metal in 1987. They incorporated the sounds of blues and punk into the music, while keeping some of the images of glam rock. Guns N' Roses became a mega success in 1988 thanks to singles such as "Welcome to the Jungle" and "Sweet Child O' Mine", and went on to sell millions of albums. Other bands arose during this time following a similar musical path, such as Faster Pussycat, L.A. Guns, Roxx Gang, and Dangerous Toys. This offshoot of Glam Metal was dubbed "Sleaze glam", "Sleaze rock", and more recently, "Sleaze metal".
A similar movement also emerged in London, England at around the same time. Like Guns N' Roses, these bands, such as Hanoi Rocks, were heavily influenced by early rock n' roll and punk rock. Similar to Hanoi Rocks' situation the bands from this English movement such as Dogs D'Amour and London Quireboys don't consider themselves as part of heavy metal, rather as rock n' roll, though they are sometimes incorrectly put under the "glam metal" tag. Also, around this time British band The Cult moved their music away from their post-punk roots and began playing a more AC/DC sleaze influenced sound and toured the United States with Guns N' Roses.
During the 2000s the sleaze glam style has returned somewhat thanks to the likes of The Darkness, Buckcherry and Brides of Destruction, the latter of which features Nikki Sixx and Tracii Guns. Newer bands such as Vains of Jenna, Red Star Rebels and Jackviper are also beginning to gain a lot of recognition and helping to drive the scene and the genre forward.
[edit] Decline of glam metal
In the early 1990s glam metal's popularity rapidly declined after over a decade of success. Several music writers and musicians began to deride glam metal acts as "hair farmers",[2][3] hinting at the soon to be popularized term hair metal. Several factors played a role in the decline; blame is often placed squarely at the door of grunge music from Seattle.
[edit] Grunge
- see also: Grunge
Bands who were termed "grunge" such as Nirvana, Pearl Jam, Soundgarden and Alice in Chains (who, ironically, started as a glam metal band) started supplanting glam metal's popularity in 1992.
As grunge grew to greater success, many glam metal bands discovered that their labels were no longer supportive. Many major labels felt they had been caught off-guard by the somewhat surprise success of Nirvana's Nevermind, and had begun turning over their personnel in favor of younger staffers more versed in "alternative" music. Jani Lane of Warrant commented on the change in a late-1990s interview with MTV, noting that he knew his band was in trouble when he walked into his label's offices and noticed that the prominent Warrant display had been replaced by one of Alice in Chains. Nearly all of the popular glam metal bands found themselves dropped from their respective labels by the middle of the 1990s.
In a notable irony, many grunge and alternative music bands, who had established their careers by professing anti-corporate attitudes, wound up signing contracts with major record labels. At the same time, many glam metal bands, once considered proponents of "corporate rock" by some, ended up signing with independent labels. Labels such as CMC International and Perris Records were aware that glam metal had an audience, and were more than willing to help bring the music to its fanbase.
[edit] Media
One element in the decline was the significant role that music television played in glam metal's success. While alternative rock was more serious in tone, it contained many of the elements that made glam metal so ideal for music television, including its own visual style in the way of "grunge" fashion. As MTV shifted its attention to the new style, glam metal bands found themselves relegated more and more often to Headbanger's Ball and late night airplay, and almost entirely disappeared from the channel by early 1994. Given glam metal's lack of a major format presence at radio, bands were left without a clear way to reach their audience.
[edit] The Power Ballad
Another reason for glam metal's decline was the power ballad. What was seen as a discernible formula emerged during the later part of the 1980s in the way that glam metal bands were marketed. Labels would start off by releasing a hard-rocking anthem, then follow it with a power ballad. From Poison ("Nothin' But a Good Time" and "Every Rose Has Its Thorn") to Bon Jovi ("Livin on a Prayer" and "Never Say Goodbye") to Warrant ("Down Boys" and "Heaven") to White Lion ("Wait" and "When the Children Cry") to Skid Row ("Youth Gone Wild" and "I Remember You") and Winger ("Seventeen" and "Heading for a Heartbreak"), the formula became so commonplace that it began to be seen as a glam metal cliché. Fans of the genre balked as well, noting that, of the pair, the power ballad typically received far more airplay on mainstream radio. They feared that the genre would be known only for the ballads.[citation needed]
[edit] Band splits
The decline in glam metal was further compounded by many key 1980s metal bands, glam or otherwise, coincidentally either breaking up, losing significant band members, and/or releasing new albums that largely displeased existing fans. For example,Vince Neil was briefly fired from Mötley Crüe, C.C. DeVille left Poison, Sebastian Bach left Skid Row and others as well.
[edit] Revival
During the late 1990s, however, several glam metal bands of the first and second eras began to assert themselves again, releasing new material. New glam metal bands have also formed.
[edit] Bands reform
Mötley Crüe reunited with Vince Neil, and recorded the 1997 album Generation Swine, embarking on a successful U.S. tour. Poison reunited with C.C. Deville, and embarked on a successful 1999 tour of amphitheaters. A 2000 package tour featuring Poison, Slaughter, Cinderella, and Dokken sold extremely well.
In the 2000s, coinciding with the new blood of glam metal bands, more groups from the original movement continue to perform, and others that broke up have reformed. Bands such as L.A. Guns, Ratt,and W.A.S.P. have appeared in package tours together, and Mötley Crüe and Poison are continuing to record material and tour, reaching the upper parts of the Billboard 200 with compilation albums. The Monster Ballads compilation series has sold well, with the first volume peaking at #18 on the Billboard 200. Even Guns N' Roses, with a completely different line-up (aside from frontman Axl Rose), is signaling a return in 2006. They have leaked new material and have performed festival dates, potentially leading up to the long-awaited release of Chinese Democracy, though they have expanded their style since they were a part of the sleaze rock movement to a more modern sounding style.
[edit] New blood
By the early 2000s, a handful of new bands began to revive glam metal. The successful British band, The Darkness, was one example, albeit in a more tongue-in-cheek manner, somewhat reminiscent of early Queen. Newer glam metal bands, such as Murderdolls, Gemini Five, Vains of Jenna, Jackviper, Hardcore Superstar, Kid Ego, Babylon Bombs, Big Cock, and Private Line, have been growing their fanbase. Until their vocalist died in early 2006, Crashdiet were also gaining popularity and were the first band of the genre to sign to a major label in over a decade. Some unsigned and lesser-known bands of the genre that formed during glam metal's popular years are now being signed to smaller labels such as Perris Records and releasing material.
Beautiful Creatures, a band formed by ex-Bang Tango frontman Joe Lesté, even signed a major label deal with Warner Bros. Records in 2000. American rockers Buckcherry scored a #1 Mainstream Rock hit with "Lit Up" and gold album with their self-titled debut in 1999. They are now enjoying success on the pop charts with their single "Crazy Bitch" and have remained on the Billboard Top 100 for an extended spell with their latest album 15, which has also achieved gold certification.
[edit] Bands
[edit] References
- ^ Wrathchild History - First Glam Metal band
- ^ Thompson, Dave. "I Slept With Soundgarden and Other Chilling Confessions", Alternative Press, March 1994. Retrieved on 2006-12-08.
- ^ Magnuson, Ann. "SUB ZEP?", Spin, February 1992. Retrieved on 2006-12-08.
