🎸 The 5 Hair Metal Bands You Probably Own

These are the heavy hitters of the genre—bands that defined the sound of the 1980s and early ’90s, and whose albums sold millions worldwide.

• Def Leppard – Pyromania and Hysteria are staples, packed with hits like “Photograph” and “Pour Some Sugar on Me.”

• Bon Jovi – With Slippery When Wet and New Jersey, they blended glam metal with pop hooks, ensuring mass appeal.

• Mötley Crüe – Albums like Shout at the Devil and Dr. Feelgood epitomized the excess and danger of the era.

• Poison – Look What the Cat Dragged In and Open Up and Say… Ahh! brought neon glam and singalong anthems.

• Guns N’ Roses – Though often straddling hard rock and glam, Appetite for Destruction is one of the most owned rock albums ever.

🤘 The 5 Hair Metal Bands You Probably Don’t Own

These groups had talent and memorable songs but never reached the mainstream saturation of the giants above. Their albums are cult favorites rather than household staples.

• Britny Fox – Known for Girlschool and their self-titled debut, they had the look and sound but lacked staying power.

• Bang Tango – Their funky twist on glam metal (Psycho Café) set them apart, but they never broke big.

• Autograph – Famous for “Turn Up the Radio,” yet their albums (Sign In Please) are less likely to be in casual collections.

• BulletBoys – Their debut had MTV traction with “Smooth Up in Ya,” but they remained a second-tier act.

• Babylon A.D. – With tracks like “Bang Go the Bells,” they had promise but were overshadowed by bigger names.