105-444: Steelheart is an American glam metal band from Norwalk, Connecticut , that formed in 1989. At the time that their debut was recorded, the band's members consisted of vocalist Miljenko Matijevic , lead guitarist Chris Risola , rhythm guitarist Frank DiCostanzo, bassist James Ward and the now deceased drummer John Fowler. The current lineup contains Miljenko Matijevic, Mike Humbert, Joe Pessia and James Ward. Steelheart's debut album,
210-640: A Broken Heart and subsequently popularised by the success of Black Veil Brides , Escape the Fate and Falling in Reverse . Avenged Sevenfold 's 2005 album City of Evil also promoted a similar influence, seeing the band depart from their metalcore sound in favour of one indebted to glam metal. At the same time, in Sweden there was a sleaze metal movement attempting to revive the genre, with bands including Vains of Jenna , Crashdïet and H.E.A.T , as well as
315-622: A band called "the Pox" in 1967. After the frontman quit, Murcia and Sylvain started a clothing business called Truth and Soul and Sylvain took a job at A Different Drummer, a men's boutique that was across the street from the New York Doll Hospital , a doll repair shop. Sylvain said that the shop inspired the name for their future band. In 1970 they formed a band again and recruited Johnny Thunders to join on bass, though Sylvain ended up teaching him to play guitar. They called themselves
420-510: A glam metal sound in this period. In the last years of the decade, the most notable successes were New Jersey (1988) by Bon Jovi, OU812 (1988) by Van Halen, while Open Up and Say... Ahh! (1988) by Poison, spawned number one hit single " Every Rose Has Its Thorn ", and eventually sold eight million copies worldwide. Britny Fox from Philadelphia and Winger from New York released their eponymous débuts in 1988. In 1989, Mötley Crüe produced their most commercially successful album,
525-550: A glam metal sound. The album reached No. 1 in the UK Rock Chart , but failed to chart in the United States. Meanwhile, Guns N' Roses' classic-lineup was whittled away throughout the decade. Drummer Steven Adler was fired in 1990, guitarist Izzy Stradlin left in late 1991 after recording Use Your Illusion I and II with the band. Tensions between the other band members and lead singer Axl Rose continued after
630-536: A hard rock record of seven hit singles and stayed on the Billboard 200 chart for 136 weeks. Another of the greatest successes of the era was Guns N' Roses , originally formed from a fusion of bands L.A. Guns and Hollywood Rose , who released the best-selling debut of all time, Appetite for Destruction . With a "grittier" and "rawer" sound than most glam metal, incorporating elements of punk and blues, Appetite for Destruction produced three top 10 hits, including
735-420: A more natural and stripped-down aesthetic and a rejection of the glam metal visual style. During this period, many of the most successful acts of the genre's 1980s pinnacle suddenly found themselves facing disbandment as their audiences moved in another direction. Glam metal has experienced a resurgence since the late 1990s, with successful reunion tours of many popular acts from the genre's 1980s heyday, as well as
840-433: A multi-platinum seller that would be the band's last with Sammy Hagar on vocals. In 1996, David Lee Roth returned briefly and his replacement, former Extreme singer Gary Cherone , left the band soon after the release of the commercially unsuccessful 1998 album Van Halen III . Van Halen would not tour or record again until 2004. Welsh rock band Manic Street Preachers ' 1992 debut album Generation Terrorists featured
945-501: A part in developing the overall look and sound of glam metal during the early 1980s. In 1985, many more commercially successful glam metal albums began to appear, including Mötley Crüe's third album Theatre of Pain , Ratt's second album Invasion of Your Privacy , Dokken's third album Under Lock and Key , Stryper 's first release Soldiers Under Command , Bon Jovi's second release 7800° Fahrenheit , and Autograph's second album That's The Stuff . Los Angeles continued to foster
1050-489: A revival. Some established acts who had managed to weather the storm enjoyed renewed popularity, others reformed and new bands emerged to emulate the glam metal style. Bon Jovi were still able to achieve a commercial hit with " It's My Life " (2000). They branched into country music with a version of their 2005 song " Who Says You Can't Go Home ", which reached No. 1 on the Hot Country Singles chart in 2006 and
1155-518: A rhythm guitarist and John Fowler replaced Jack Wilkenson. But after moving to L.A. and getting a record deal and a manager, the band ultimately decided to change their name to Steelheart. The band's debut album, the self-titled Steelheart , was released on May 10, 1990, and reached #40 on the Billboard 200 . Steelheart's second album, Tangled in Reins , was released in 1992, reaching No. 144 on
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#17327823870671260-672: A self-titled LP in 1978, recorded at the Bottom Line in NYC's Greenwich Village,featuring Sylvain Mizrahi and Johnny Thunders as guest musicians. In May, 1978, he also released "David Johansen", on Blue Sky Records, a label created by Steve Paul, formerly of The Scene. Johansen continued to tour with his solo project and released four more albums, In Style, 1979; Here Comes the Night , 1981; Live it Up, 1982; and Sweet Revenge , 1984. During
1365-409: A series of compilation albums that feature popular power ballads, usually from the glam metal genre, capitalized on the nostalgia, with the first volume going platinum. The VH1 sponsored Rock Never Stops Tour , beginning in 1998, has seen many glam metal bands take to the stage again, including on the inaugural tour: Warrant, Slaughter, Quiet Riot, FireHouse, and L.A. Guns. Slaughter also took part in
1470-418: A set including some songs with lyrics by David Johansen that would later appear on David Johansen's solo albums including "Funky But Chic", "Frenchette" and "Wreckless Crazy". The group played its last show December 30, 1976 at Max's Kansas City; on the same bill as Blondie . Shortly after returning from Florida, Thunders and Nolan formed The Heartbreakers with bassist Richard Hell , who had left Television
1575-711: A show at London's 100 Club on May 14, 2009 supported by Spizzenergi . On March 18, 2010, the band announced another two concert dates at KOKO in Camden, London and the Academy in Dublin on April 20. In December 2010, it was announced the band would release their fifth album which had been recorded in Newcastle upon Tyne. The album, Dancing Backward in High Heels , featuring new guitarist Frank Infante (formerly of Blondie)
1680-632: A show in Denver, Colorado on Halloween night in 1992. While performing "Dancing in the Fire" from their Tangled in Reins album, Matijevic climbed an unsecured lighting truss, which fell toward the stage. In an attempt to evade it, the truss landed on top of him, crushing him face first into the stage. Matijevic suffered a broken nose, cheekbone, jaw and a twisted spine. In 1996, a revamped lineup of Steelheart emerged with guitarist Kenny Kanowski, bassist Vincent Mele and drummer Alex Makarovich, leaving Matijevic as
1785-457: A strictly visual perspective, glam metal is defined by flashy and tight-fitting clothing, makeup, and an overall androgynous aesthetic in which the traditional "denim & leather" aspect of heavy metal culture is replaced by spandex , lace , and usually heavy use of bright colours. Glam metal suffered a decline in popularity in the early-mid 1990s, as the grunge and alternative phenomena revolutionized hard rock, and fans' tastes moved toward
1890-644: A table without any pockets. We were as far away from LA as any band could be." The most active glam metal scene was starting to appear in clubs on the Sunset Strip in Los Angeles, including The Trip, the Whisky a Go Go , and the Starwood. These clubs refrained from booking punk rock bands because of fears of violence and began booking many metal bands instead, usually on a "pay to play" basis, thus creating
1995-540: A vibrant scene for hard rock music. An increasing number of metal bands were able to produce debut albums in 1984, including Ratt (from Los Angeles) with its breakthrough album Out of the Cellar , Bon Jovi (from New Jersey) with its debut Bon Jovi , Great White with Great White , Black 'n Blue (from Portland, Oregon) with Black 'n Blue , Autograph with its first album Sign In Please , and W.A.S.P. with its self-titled debut album . All these bands played
2100-524: A wave of grunge bands from Seattle , such as Nirvana , Alice in Chains , Pearl Jam and Soundgarden . Other alternative bands such as R.E.M. , Radiohead , Stone Temple Pilots , and the Smashing Pumpkins achieved mainstream success in the wake of glam's decline. The decline was particularly obvious after the success of both R.E.M.'s Out of Time (1991) and Nirvana's Nevermind (1991),
2205-540: The Los Angeles Times , said that the band exhibited a strong influence from the Rolling Stones, but had distinguished themselves by Too Much Too Soon (1974) as "a much more independent, original force" because of their "definite touch of the humor and carefreeness of early (ie. mid-1950s) rock". Simon Reynolds felt that, by their 2009 album Cause I Sez So , the band exhibited the sound "not of
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#17327823870672310-473: The Billboard 200, but they were to be one of the last major bands that emerged in the glam metal era. Glam metal entered the 1990s as one of the major commercial genres of popular music, but such success would not continue for long; in 1990, débuts for Slaughter , from Las Vegas with Stick It to Ya and FireHouse , from North Carolina , with their eponymous album reached number 18 and number 21 on
2415-539: The Billboard charts. The album had significantly less success than its predecessor in the US, because it only reached #144 on the Billboard 200, and none of the released singles charted. The single "Mama Don't You Cry" charted No. 1 in many East Asian Countries, including Hong Kong , leading to an Asian tour in September 1992. Towards the end of their tour of Asia, Steelheart was asked by Slaughter to open for them at
2520-707: The Finnish band Reckless Love . Los Angeles band Steel Panther managed to gain a following by playing 1980s style glam metal. New York Dolls New York Dolls were an American rock band formed in New York City in 1971. Along with the Velvet Underground and the Stooges , they were one of the first bands of the early punk rock scenes. Although the band never achieved much commercial success and their original line-up fell apart quickly,
2625-485: The Fuzztones ), and Olivier Le Baron on lead guitar. Guest appearances by Frank Infante of Blondie and Derwood Andrews of Generation X were also included on the record. It has been re-released as New York A Go Go, . Morrissey , having been a longtime fan of the band and head of their 1970s UK fan club, organized a reunion of the three surviving members of the band's classic line-up (Johansen, Sylvain and Kane) for
2730-657: The Lounge On The Farm Festival on July 12, 2008. On November 14, 2008, it was announced that the producer of their first album, Todd Rundgren, would be producing a new album, which would be followed by a world tour. The finishing touches on the album were made in Rundgren's studio on the island of Kauai. The album, Cause I Sez So , was released on May 5, 2009 on Atco Records . The band played at South by Southwest in Austin, Texas on March 21, 2009, and
2835-630: The Meltdown Festival in London on June 16, 2004. The reunion led to a live LP and DVD on Morrissey's Attack label, as well as a documentary film, New York Doll , on the life of Arthur Kane. However, future plans for the Dolls were affected by Kane's sudden death from leukemia just weeks later on July 13, 2004. Yet the following month the band appeared at Little Steven 's Underground Garage Festival on August 14 in New York City before returning to
2940-648: The New Wave of British heavy metal , mixed glam rock with heavy metal , helping to define the sound of hard rock for the 1980s decade. In March 1980, Def Leppard released their initial album On Through the Night , its first song "Rock Brigade" provided a hint of this future sound style. In July 1981, Def Leppard released their second album High 'n' Dry , which contained the songs " Bringin' On The Heartbreak " ( power ballad ) and "Switch 625" (instrumental), examples of their signature sound style prevalent in their next album (Pyromania). The High 'n' Dry album stayed on
3045-621: The Rock 'n' Roll album. The other two are covers: the " Courageous Cat " theme, from the original Courageous Cat cartoon series; and a second attempt at "Don't Mess With Cupid", a song written by Steve Cropper and Eddie Floyd for Otis Redding , and first recorded independently for what was later to become the Mercer Street/Blue Rock Sessions. Johansen formed the David Johansen Group, and released
3150-529: The glam rock or glitter rock of the 1970s, often with very long backcombed hair, use of hair spray , use of make-up , gaudy clothing and accessories (chiefly consisting of tight denim or leather jeans, spandex , and headbands). The visual aspects of glam metal appealed to music television producers, particularly MTV , whose establishment coincided with the rise of the genre. Glam metal performers became infamous for their debauched lifestyles of drugs, strippers and late-night parties, which were widely covered in
3255-459: The "dirty rock & roll " of the Rolling Stones , the "anarchic noise" of the Stooges , the glam rock of David Bowie and T. Rex , and girl group pop music. Erlewine credited the band for creating punk rock "before there was a term for it". Ken Tucker , who referred to them as a proto-punk band, wrote that they were strongly influenced by the "New York sensibility" of Lou Reed : "The mean wisecracks and impassioned cynicism that informed
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3360-719: The 1980s progressed, a number of bands from within its scene formed a new sound with a greater emphasis on the influence of the New York Dolls, namely Guns N' Roses, L.A. Guns and Faster Pussycat . Other musicians to cite the New York Dolls as an influence include the Smiths and their vocalist Morrissey , the Undertones , Joan Jett & the Blackhearts , David Bowie , Japan , D Generation , Billy Idol , Terry Chambers of XTC , Def Leppard , R.E.M. ,
3465-562: The 1999 version with Ted Nugent, Night Ranger, and Quiet Riot. Poison and Cinderella toured together in 2000 and 2002, and in 2005 Cinderella headlined the Rock Never Stops Tour, with support from Ratt, Quiet Riot, and FireHouse. In 2007 the four-day-long Rocklahoma festival held in Oklahoma included glam metal bands Poison, Ratt and Twisted Sister . Warrant and Cinderella co-headlined the festival in 2008. Nostalgia for
3570-669: The Billboard 200 chart for 123 weeks. Bands from across the United States began to move towards what would become the glam metal sound. In the fall of 1981, Mötley Crüe (from Los Angeles) released their first album Too Fast for Love , Kix (from western Maryland) released their first album Kix , and Dokken (from Los Angeles) released their first album Breaking the Chains in Europe (later remixed for September 1983 re-release in USA). In November 1982, Night Ranger (from San Francisco) released their initial album Dawn Patrol which reached
3675-441: The Billboard 200 respectively, but it would be the peak of their commercial achievement. Y&T released their last album "Ten" before the band went on hiatus from a few years. The 1988 film The Decline of Western Civilization Part II: The Metal Years captured the Los Angeles scene of successful and aspiring bands. It also highlighted the excesses of glam metal, particularly the scene in which W.A.S.P. guitarist Chris Holmes
3780-698: The Clash and the Damned . In Lonely Boy: Tales from a Sex Pistol , guitarist Steve Jones cited the New York Dolls as one of the most influential bands on the Sex Pistols style, and in a 2023 interview with Spin , Dave Vanian of the Damned listed the New York Dolls' self-titled album as one of his five albums "I Can't Live Without". The Guardian writer Ian Gittins called the album "the Year Zero of punk rock". The band continued to inspire punk bands as
3885-502: The Dolls on 7 October 1975, their contract with Mercury having expired on 8 August 1975 - five months after Thunders' and Nolan's departures from the band. Their show at the Beacon Theatre , on New Year's Eve, 1975 met with great critical acclaim. After a drunken argument with Sylvain, Robison was fired and replaced by pianist/keyboardist Bobbie Blaine formerly a member of Street Punk. The group toured throughout 1976, performing
3990-482: The Dolls when they began performing late in 1971 – awful and ugly were more like it. Moreover, at the time, the Dolls were associated with glam-rock and David Bowie in his most flamboyantly gay period, an understandable mistake. — Ken Tucker According to AllMusic editor Stephen Thomas Erlewine , the New York Dolls developed an original style of hard rock that presaged both punk rock and heavy metal music , and drew on elements such as
4095-411: The Dolls' songs represented an attitude that Reed's work with the Velvet Underground embodied, as did the Dolls' distinct lack of musicianship." When they began performing, four of the band's five members wore Spandex and platform boots , while Johansen—the band's lyricist and "conceptmaster"— often preferred high heels and a dress occasionally. Fashion historian Valerie Steele said that, while
4200-503: The Dolls. When Sylvain left the band to spend a few months in London , Thunders and Murcia went their separate ways. Thunders was eventually recruited by Kane and Rick Rivets , who had been playing together in the Bronx . At Thunders' suggestion, Murcia replaced the original drummer. Thunders played lead guitar and sang for the band Actress. An October 1971 rehearsal tape recorded by Rivets
4305-587: The EP Just a Taste was released, three tracks on it would be released again on the 2008 album Good 2B Alive , and the other track "We All Die Young" was previously put out on Wait and the Rock Star soundtrack. In 2016, Steelheart appeared at the three-day Rockingham 2016, glam metal festival with Marten Andersson from Lynch Mob and Lizzy Borden on bass, in Nottingham, United Kingdom on October 22, as
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4410-765: The Harry Smiths. On July 20, 2006, the New York Dolls appeared on Late Night with Conan O'Brien , followed by a live performance in Philadelphia at the WXPN All About The Music Festival, and on July 22, 2006, a taped appearance on The Henry Rollins Show . On August 18, 2006, the band performed in a free concert at New York's Seaport Music. In October 2006, the band embarked on a UK tour, with Sylvain taking time while in Glasgow to speak to John Kilbride of STV. The discussion covered
4515-519: The New York Dolls and would go on to have a significant influence themselves. The New York Dolls were the catalyst for New York's early punk rock scene, which included Television , Talking Heads , Patti Smith , the Ramones , Blondie and Richard Hell and the Voidoids , in addition to being one of the most influential bands to the development of British punk rock, particularly the Sex Pistols ,
4620-413: The New York Dolls were "quintessential glam rockers" because of their flamboyant fashion, while their technical shortcomings as musicians and Johnny Thunders' "trouble-prone presence" gave them a punk-rock reputation. By contrast, Robert Christgau preferred for them to not be categorized as a glam rock band, but instead as "the best hard-rock band since the Rolling Stones". Robert Hilburn , writing for
4725-491: The New York Dolls' second breakup, Johansen began a solo career. By the late 1980s, he achieved moderate success under the pseudonym, Buster Poindexter . Sylvain formed The Criminals, a popular band at CBGB . A posthumous New York Dolls album, Lipstick Killers , made up of early demo tapes of the original Dolls (with Billy Murcia on drums), was released in a cassette-only edition on ROIR Records in 1981, and subsequently re-released on CD, and then on vinyl in early 2006. All
4830-460: The UK to play several more festivals through the remainder of 2004. In July 2005, the two surviving members announced a tour and a new album entitled One Day It Will Please Us to Remember Even This . Released on July 25, 2006, the album featured guitarist Steve Conte , bassist Sami Yaffa (ex- Hanoi Rocks ), drummer Brian Delaney and keyboardist Brian Koonin , formerly a member of David Johansen and
4935-481: The album Hot Cakes the following year. In the mid-to late 2000s, there was a minor sleaze rock revival with groups like Hinder and Buckcherry . The latter's breakthrough album 15 (2006) went platinum in the U.S. and spawned the single " Sorry " (2007), which made the top 10 of the Billboard Hot 100. Additionally, a subset of scene bands embraced elements of glam metal. This began with Blessed by
5040-643: The band undertook the "Dancing Backward in High Heels World Tour". This included dates in England, Germany, Switzerland, Italy, France, Spain and Australia. In the last week of October four additional gigs – billed as "Halloween Night Of Fear – were played in the UK, concluding at the Clyde Auditorium , Glasgow on October 31. In a 2016 interview, Earl Slick confirmed that the New York Dolls had again split. "Oh, yeah, it's long gone. There
5145-484: The band as having invented the look of glam metal, and in Baker's Biographical Dictionary of Musicians , Hank Bordowitz called the band the progenitors of hair metal and "the most important band that most people never heard". Prominent glam metal bands to take influence from the New York Dolls included Mötley Crüe , Poison , Ratt , Skid Row and Twisted Sister . With the increasing commercialisation of glam metal as
5250-626: The band played in Australia and New Zealand, appearing at the V Festival with Pixies , Pet Shop Boys , Gnarls Barkley , Beck , Jarvis Cocker and Phoenix . On September 22, 2007, the New York Dolls were removed from the current artists section of Roadrunner Records' website, signifying the group's split with the label. The band played the O2 Wireless Festival in Hyde Park, London on July 4, 2008, with Morrissey and Beck and
5355-586: The band red leather outfits to wear on stage and a communist flag as backdrop ( communist chic ). The Dolls did a five-concert tour of New York's five boroughs, supported by Television and Pure Hell . The Little Hippodrome ( Manhattan ) show was recorded and released by New Rose Records subsidiary Fan Club in 1984 as Red Patent Leather , which was previously a bootleg album later remixed by Sylvain for official release, with former manager Marty Thau credited as executive producer. Due to Kane being unable to play that night, roadie Peter Jordan played bass, though he
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#17327823870675460-457: The band took on Marty Thau as manager. New York Dolls was produced by singer-songwriter, musician and solo artist Todd Rundgren . In an interview in Creem magazine, Rundgren says he barely touched the recording; everybody was debating how to do the mix. Sales were sluggish, especially in the middle US, and a Stereo Review magazine reviewer in 1973 compared the Dolls' guitar playing to
5565-606: The band's first two albums— New York Dolls (1973) and Too Much Too Soon (1974)—became among the most popular cult records in rock. The line-up at this time consisted of vocalist David Johansen , guitarist Johnny Thunders , bassist Arthur Kane , guitarist and pianist Sylvain Sylvain , and drummer Jerry Nolan ; the latter two had replaced Rick Rivets and Billy Murcia , respectively, in 1972. On stage, they donned an androgynous wardrobe, wearing high heels, eccentric hats, satin, makeup, spandex, and dresses. Nolan described
5670-501: The band's history and the current state of their live show and songwriting, with Sylvain commenting that "even if you come to our show thinking 'how can it be like it was before,' we turn that around 'cos we've got such a great live rock 'n roll show". In November 2006, the Dolls began headlining " Little Steven's Underground Garage Presents the Rolling Rock and Roll Show," about 20 live gigs with numerous other bands. In April 2007,
5775-436: The characteristic power ballads – slow, emotional songs that gradually build to a strong finale. These were among the most commercially successful singles in the genre and opened it up to a wider audience that would otherwise not have been attracted to traditional heavy metal. Lyrical themes often deal with love and lust, with songs often directed at a particular woman. Aesthetically glam metal draws heavily on
5880-633: The eccentric ethnomusicologist, performing jump blues, Delta blues, and some original songs. Sylvain formed his own band, the Criminals, then cut a solo album for RCA , while also working with Johansen. He later became a taxicab driver in New York. During this period, in the early 1990s, Sylvain moved to Los Angeles and recorded one album Sleep Baby Doll, on Fishhead Records. His band, for that record, consisted of Brian Keats on drums, Dave Vanian 's Phantom Chords, Speediejohn Carlucci (who had played with
5985-507: The emergence of MTV , reached the Top 40. Pyromania ' s style was widely emulated, particularly by the emerging Californian scene. However, remarked Leppard's Joe Elliott , "I don't know how anybody could confuse us with that lot. We weren't even around when all those so-called glam bands came up. We were in fuckin' Holland making Hysteria . While they were out banging chicks or whatever, we were looking at windmills and playing pool on
6090-556: The emergence of new, predominantly European bands, including the Darkness , Crashdïet , Reckless Love , and American band Steel Panther . Musically, glam metal combines a traditional heavy metal sound with elements of hard rock and punk rock , adding pop -influenced catchy hooks and guitar riffs . Like other heavy metal songs of the 1980s (most notably thrash metal songs), they often feature shred guitar solos. They also include extensive use of harmonies, particularly in
6195-608: 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
6300-700: The following were released in September: Mötley Crüe releasing its second album Shout at the Devil , Kiss releasing Lick It Up , and Dokken re-released their first album Breaking the Chains in the USA. Def Leppard's Pyromania , later certified diamond by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) , reached number two on the Billboard 200. The singles " Foolin' ", " Photograph ", and " Rock of Ages ", helped by
6405-469: The genre progressed, with the Misfits , Social Distortion and Green Day all recalling their influence. In the 1980s, the influence of the New York Dolls helped to form the glam metal genre. In particular, the band's androgynous aesthetic and wearing of spandex, dresses, high heels and teased hair were widely imitated amongst bands in the genre. Alternative Press writer Tim Stegall even credited
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#17327823870676510-493: The genre was evidenced in the production of the glam metal themed musical Rock of Ages , which ran in Los Angeles in 2006 and in New York in 2008. It was made into a film released in 2012. The Darkness 's Permission to Land (2003), described as an "eerily realistic simulation of '80s metal and '70s glam", topped the UK charts, going quintuple platinum. One Way Ticket to Hell... and Back (2005) reached number 11. The band broke up in 2006, but reunited in 2011, releasing
6615-547: The group in 1974 as "the Dead End Kids of today". After reuniting, they recruited new musicians to tour and record. They released three more albums— One Day It Will Please Us to Remember Even This (2006), Cause I Sez So (2009) and Dancing Backward in High Heels (2011). Following a 2011 British tour with Alice Cooper , the band once again disbanded. Sylvain Sylvain and Billy Murcia , who went to junior high school and high school together, started playing in
6720-451: The headline act of the second day. Steelheart released the album, Through Worlds of Stardust , in 2017 and the live album, Rock'n Milan , in 2018. Pioneer Artists, Laserdisc Steelheart Records, DVD Glam metal 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
6825-415: The influences of the style can be traced back to acts like New York Dolls , Aerosmith , KISS , Cheap Trick , Boston . Sweet and to a lesser extent Alice Cooper , were influences on the genre too. Finnish band Hanoi Rocks , heavily influenced themselves by the New York Dolls, have been credited with setting a blueprint for the look of hair metal. Van Halen has been seen as highly influential on
6930-483: The last original member. The new Steelheart recorded and released the album Wait , despite their past two albums being filled with high powered glam metal , this album has more of an alternative metal sound. Original member James Ward joined Steelheart on the tour supporting the album. Though the album failed to chart in the US, the track " We All Die Young " was featured in the motion picture Rock Star , starring Mark Wahlberg and Jennifer Aniston . In late 2006,
7035-492: 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 1982 to 1991, bringing to prominence bands such as Poison , Skid Row , Cinderella and Warrant . From
7140-409: The later 1980s, Johansen, ever-evolving, decided to try to liberate himself from the expectations of his New York Dolls perceived persona, and, on a whim, created the persona Buster Poindexter. The success of this act led him to be invited to appear in multiple films: Scrooged , Freejack , and Let it Ride , among others. He also formed a band called David Johansen and the Harry Smiths , named after
7245-480: The latter of which combined elements of hardcore punk and heavy metal into a dirty sound that made use of heavy guitar distortion, fuzz and feedback, along with darker lyrical themes, a stripped-down aesthetic and a complete rejection of the glam metal visual style and performance. The success of bands like R.E.M. and Nirvana gave rise to a more "stripped down" musical style that was more personal and vulnerable. Many major labels felt they had been caught off-guard by
7350-473: The majority of the punk scene pursued an understated "street look", the New York Dolls followed an English glam rock "look of androgyny —leather and knee-length boots, chest hair, and bleach". According to James McNair of The Independent , "when they began pedalling their trashy glam-punk around lower Manhattan in 1971, they were more burlesque act than band; a bunch of lipsticked, gutter chic-endorsing cross-dressers". Music journalist Nick Kent argued that
7455-539: The most important scene around the Sunset Strip, with groups like London , which had originally formed as a glam rock band in the 1970s, and had seen future members of Mötley Crüe, Cinderella and Guns N' Roses pass through its ranks, finally releasing their début album Non Stop Rock in 1985 as well. By the mid-late 1980s, glam metal had begun to achieve major mainstream success in America with many of these bands' music videos appearing on heavy rotation on MTV, often at
7560-454: The movement, emerging in 1978 from the Los Angeles music scene on Sunset Strip, with a sound based around the lead guitar skills of Eddie Van Halen . He popularized a playing technique of two-handed hammer-ons and pull-offs called tapping , showcased on the song " Eruption " from the album Van Halen . This sound, and lead singer David Lee Roth 's stage antics, would be highly influential on glam metal. Def Leppard , often categorized with
7665-591: The multi-platinum number one Dr. Feelgood . In the same year eponymous débuts included Danger Danger from New York, Dangerous Toys from Austin, Texas , who provided more of a Southern rock tone to the genre, Enuff Z'Nuff from Chicago who provided an element of psychedelia to their sound and visual style, and Tora Tora from Memphis, Tennessee , who incorporated elements of blues rock into their music. L.A. débuts included Warrant with Dirty Rotten Filthy Stinking Rich (1989), and Skid Row with their eponymous album (1989), which reached number six in
7770-454: The number one " Sweet Child O' Mine ". In the wake of Guns N' Roses's commercial success, other similarly rawer glam metal bands began to gain popularity like L.A. Guns and Faster Pussycat . Critics eventually termed this style sleaze rock or sleaze metal to differentiate it from the perceived increasing commerciality of other glam metal bands. Such was the dominance of the style that Californian hardcore punk band T.S.O.L. moved towards
7875-520: The quintet hired producer George "Shadow" Morton , whose productions for the Shangri-Las and other girl-groups in the mid-1960s had been among the band's favorites. By 1975, the Dolls were playing smaller venues than they had been previously. Drug and alcohol abuse by Thunders, Nolan, and Kane, as well as artistic differences added to the tensions among members. In late February or early March, Malcolm McLaren became their informal manager. He got
7980-418: The release of the 1993 punk rock covers album "The Spaghetti Incident?" . Guitarist Slash left in 1996, followed by bassist Duff McKagan in 1998. Axl Rose, the only remaining member from the classic lineup at that point, worked with several lineups of the band to record Chinese Democracy – an album that would take over ten years to complete. During the late 1990s and 2000s, glam metal began to have
8085-502: The release of their platinum album To Hell with the Devil and brought Christian lyrics to their hard rock music style and glam metal looks. Two Pennsylvania bands, with Harrisburg 's Poison and Philadelphia 's Cinderella released multi-platinum début albums, respectively Look What the Cat Dragged In and Night Songs in 1986. Van Halen released 5150 their first album with Sammy Hagar on lead vocals, which
8190-556: The remainder of the tour after which the band broke up. Following the tour's conclusion and announcement of the band's breakup on April 25, Duren and Kane moved to Los Angeles to form the short-lived band Killer Kane. The band reformed in July for an August tour in Japan with Jeff Beck and Felix Pappalardi . Johansen, Sylvain and Jordan were joined by former Elephant's Memory keyboardist Chris Robison and drummer Tony Machine. One of
8295-654: The rock/country album Lost Highway which reached No. 1 in 2007. In 2009, Bon Jovi released The Circle , which marked a return to their hard rock sound and reached No. 1 on the Billboard 200. Mötley Crüe reunited with Vince Neil to record the 1997 album Generation Swine and Poison reunited with guitarist C.C. DeVille in 1999, producing the mostly live Power to the People (2000); both bands began to tour extensively. There were reunions and subsequent tours from Van Halen (with Hagar in 2004 and then Roth in 2007). The long-awaited Guns N' Roses album Chinese Democracy
8400-561: The same week that they quit the Dolls. Thunders later pursued a solo career. He died in New Orleans on 23 April 1991, allegedly of an overdose of both heroin and methadone . It also came to light that he suffered from t-cell leukemia . Nolan died on 14 January 1992 following a stroke , brought about by bacterial meningitis . In 1976, Kane and Blackie Lawless formed the Killer Kane Band in Los Angeles. Immediately after
8505-580: The self-titled Steelheart (1990), which was released on May 10, 1990, was certified gold by the RIAA on July 30, 1991, mainly on the strength of the single " I'll Never Let You Go " which reached No. 23 on the Billboard Hot 100. It was their only major hit in the US, making them a one-hit wonder. Steelheart was initially formed as a band called Red Alert, whose members included James Ward (bass), Chris Risola (lead guitar), Jack Wilkenson (drums) and Miljenko Matijevic ('Mike', vocals). Frank DiCostanzo joined as
8610-422: The shows was documented on the album Tokyo Dolls Live (Fan Club/New Rose). The material is similar to that on Red Patent Leather , but notable for a radically re-arranged "Frankenstein" and a cover of Big Joe Turner 's "Flip Flop Fly". The album is undated and has no production credit, but was issued circa 1986. After their return to New York, the Dolls resumed playing shows in the US and Canada. Mercury dropped
8715-507: The sloppy, rambunctious Dolls of punk mythology but of a tight, lean hard-rock band." According to the Encyclopedia of Popular Music (1995), the New York Dolls were "one of the most influential rock bands of the last 20 years". Writer Sean Sennett credited the band as a part of a legacy of raunchy, influential rock bands predated by the Rolling Stones, and succeeded by Aerosmith and Hanoi Rocks and eventually Guns N' Roses . By
8820-463: The soon-to-be-popularized term "hair metal". Another reason for the decline in popularity of the style may have been the declining popularity of the power ballad . While its use, especially after a hard-rocking anthem, was initially a successful formula, in the early 1990s audiences lost interest in this approach. By far and away the most significant factor in the decline of glam metal was the rise of alternative rock and grunge music. This included
8925-551: The sound of lawnmowers . America's mass rock audience's reaction to the Dolls was mixed. In a Creem magazine poll, they were elected both best and worst new group of 1973. The Dolls also toured Europe, and, while appearing on UK television, host Bob Harris of the BBC 's Old Grey Whistle Test derided the group as " mock rock ", comparing them unfavorably to the Rolling Stones . For their next album, Too Much Too Soon ,
9030-459: The surprise success of alternative music and began turning over their personnel in favor of younger staffers more versed in the new scene. Glam acts such as Guns N' Roses and Bon Jovi attempted to adjust their sound to the changing times, whereas bands like Skid Row ended up fading away into irrelevance. As MTV shifted its attention to alternative music, glam metal bands found themselves relegated increasingly to late night airplay, and Headbangers Ball
9135-434: The tabloid press. Sociologist Deena Weinstein points to the large number of terms used to describe more commercial forms of heavy metal, which she groups together as lite metal . These include, beside glam metal: melodic metal, false metal, poodle bands, nerf metal, pop metal or metal pop, the last of which was coined by critic Philip Bashe in 1983 to describe bands such as Van Halen and Def Leppard . AllMusic employs
9240-602: The time the band's debut album was released, they had already spawned a number of derivative bands in New York including the Stilettos , the Brats , Teenage Lust and the Harlots. Two of the earliest groups that they inspired were Kiss and Aerosmith, which would in turn become two of the most influential bands in rock music, especially hard rock and heavy metal . Hanoi Rocks ' music and aesthetic too were heavily inspired by
9345-447: The top 40 in the United States. Glam Metal broke out in 1983: Def Leppard released its third album Pyromania on January 20, and was the first glam metal album to reach top ten in the Billboard charts on March 12, later it peaked at number two on May 14, then staying in the top ten albums until it dropped to eleventh place on November 26, eventually falling off the Billboard 200 chart after 123 weeks. Quiet Riot 's Metal Health
9450-417: The top of the channel's daily dial countdown, and some of the bands appeared on the channel's shows such as Headbangers Ball , which became one of the most popular programs with over 1.3 million views a week. The groups also received heavy rotation on radio stations such as KNAC in Los Angeles. Another significant year for glam metal was 1986. Bon Jovi put out Slippery When Wet in that year, which
9555-489: The tracks from this title – sometimes referred to as The Mercer Street Sessions (though actually recorded at Blue Rock Studio , New York) – are included on the CD Private World , along with other tracks recorded elsewhere, including a previously unreleased Dolls original, "Endless Party". Three more unreleased studio tracks, including another previously unreleased Dolls original, "Lone Star Queen", are included on
9660-406: The traditional male dominated audience, and opening the door to MTV and commercial success for other bands at the end of the decade. The Swedish band Europe released the anthemic album The Final Countdown which reached the top ten in several countries, including the U.S., and the album's title single reached number one in 26 countries. Stryper made their mainstream breakthrough in 1986 with
9765-634: The umbrella term " pop metal ", which refers a late-1980s variation of pop metal characterized by flashy clothing and heavy makeup influenced by glam rock (as embodied by Poison and Mötley Crüe). Use of the derogatory term "hair metal" started in the early 1990s, as grunge gained popularity at the expense of 1980s metal. In the "definitive metal family tree" of his documentary Metal: A Headbanger's Journey , anthropologist Sam Dunn differentiates pop metal, which includes bands like Def Leppard, Europe, and Whitesnake , from glam metal bands such as Mötley Crüe and Poison. Music journalist Stephen Davis claims
9870-554: Was cancelled at the end of 1994, while KNAC went over to Spanish programming. Given glam metal's lack of a major format presence on radio, bands were left without a clear way to reach their audience. Other L.A. alternative rock bands like the Red Hot Chili Peppers and Jane's Addiction also helped supplant the popularity of the genre. Some artists tried to alter their sound, while others struggled on with their original format. In 1995, Van Halen released Balance ,
9975-571: Was credited as having played "second bass". Jordan filled in for Kane when he was unable to play numerous times, such as following a thumb injury sustained prior to the band's 1973 West Coast dates. In March and April, McLaren took the band on a tour of South Carolina and Florida . Jordan replaced Kane for most of those shows. Thunders and Nolan left after an argument, forming The Heartbreakers with Richard Hell on April 11. Subsequently, Blackie Lawless , then known by his birth name of Steven Duren, who later founded W.A.S.P. , replaced Thunders for
10080-427: Was finally released in 2008, but only went platinum in the US, produced no hit singles, and failed to come close to the success of the band's late 1980s and early 1990s material. Europe's "Final Countdown" enjoyed a new lease of popularity as the millennium drew to a close and the band reformed. Other acts to reform included Ratt, Britny Fox, Stryper (annually), and Skid Row. Beginning in 1999, Monster Ballads ,
10185-586: Was found dead on the morning of November 6, 1972, at the age of 21. Once back in New York, the Dolls auditioned drummers, including Marc Bell (who was to go on to play with Richard Hell , and with the Ramones under the stage name " Marky Ramone "), Peter Criscuola (better known as Peter Criss , the original and former drummer of Kiss ), and Jerry Nolan , a friend of the band. They selected Nolan, and after US Mercury Records ' A&R man Paul Nelson signed them, they began sessions for their debut album. In 1972,
10290-617: Was interviewed while drinking vodka on a floating chair in a swimming pool as his mother watched. As a result, it has been seen as helping to create a backlash against the genre. In the early 1990s glam metal's popularity rapidly declined after nearly a decade of success. Successful bands lost members that were key to their songwriting and/or live performances, such as Mötley Crue's frontman Vince Neil, Poison guitarist C.C. DeVille, Def Leppard guitarist Steve Clark and Guns N' Roses guitarist Izzy Stradlin. Several music writers and musicians began to deride glam metal acts as "hair farmers", hinting at
10395-491: Was no point in doing it anymore and it was kinda spent. You know, David really does enjoy the Buster thing. He's so good at it. I've seen him do it a couple of times this last year, and man! He's got it down, you know." Sylvain Sylvain died on January 13, 2021, at age 69, leaving David Johansen as the last surviving original member of the band. Certainly neither great nor punk in any of its variations were words applied to
10500-611: Was number one in the U.S. for three weeks and sold over six million copies. Additionally, some established hard rock and heavy metal bands of the era such as Scorpions , Whitesnake , Dio , Aerosmith , Kiss , Alice Cooper , Ozzy Osbourne , Judas Priest , Saxon and Accept began incorporating hair metal elements into their sounds and images, as the genre's popularity skyrocketed in 1985–1986. Glam metal bands continued their run of commercial success in 1987 with Mötley Crüe releasing Girls, Girls, Girls , White Lion releasing Pride , and Def Leppard releasing Hysteria producing
10605-531: Was on Christmas Eve 1971 at a homeless shelter, the Endicott Hotel . After getting a manager and attracting some music industry interest, the New York Dolls got a break when Rod Stewart invited them to open for him at a London concert. While on a brief tour of England in 1972, Murcia was invited to a party, where he passed out from an overdose. He was put in a bathtub and force-fed coffee in an attempt to revive him. Instead, it resulted in asphyxiation. He
10710-454: Was one of the most commercially significant releases of the era. The album mixed metal with a pop sensibility and spent a total of eight weeks atop the Billboard 200 album chart, selling over 12 million copies in the United States. It became the first hard rock album to spawn three top ten singles, two of which reached number one. The album has been credited with widening the audience for the genre, particularly by appealing to women as well as
10815-400: Was released as Dawn of the Dolls. When Thunders decided that he no longer wanted to be the front man, David Johansen joined the band. Initially, the group was composed of singer David Johansen, guitarists Johnny Thunders and Rick Rivets (who was replaced by Sylvain Sylvain after a few months), bass guitarist Arthur "Killer" Kane and drummer Billy Murcia. The original line-up's first performance
10920-404: Was released on March 11, then marched upwards until it reached number one on November 26 , eventually falling off the Billboard 200 chart after 81 weeks. The success of Def Leppard and Quiet Riot paved the way for many heavy metal acts, both glam and otherwise, as the decade progressed. That same year saw a larger wave of heavy metal albums achieve previously-unheard-of commercial success. All of
11025-459: Was released on March 15, 2011. On March 1, 2011, it was announced the New York Dolls would be the opening act for a summer tour featuring Mötley Crüe and Poison . They announced a new lineup for the tour, featuring guitarist Earl Slick , who held previous stints with David Bowie and John Lennon , bassist Kenny Aaronson , who had toured with Bob Dylan , and drummer Jason Sutter , formerly of Foreigner . Between late March and October 2011,
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