Glam metal : when heavier music meet glitter and hairspray

Glam metal, what a time… that I have not experienced personally. But the photos and videos from that period made me say it could have been fun.

If you like to party, or you want to get a foot in the world of metal, you, who have never listened to this kind of music, glam metal is for YOU

So put your make-up on and put on your best leopard leggings (and that, whether you’re a girl or a boy), we’re heading for GLAM METAL.

DISCLAIMER: This post is based on some of my knowledge and is backed up and supplemented by research done before its writing. You can find the sources at the bottom of the page.

Note: Bands/ artists I quote in the posts, I only mention them to give you an idea of the sounds you find in the different genres. But I want to be clear that over time it has become more and more complicated to do it with style blends and so on.
In addition, my goal is not to categorize artists, but to present them to you so that you discover the different possibilities that there are in rock and metal. And even make you enjoy those genres.

GLAM METAL : WHAT IS IT ?

Glam metal appeared in Los Angeles, near Sunset Strip, in the late 70s/ early 80s.

It is also known as hair metal (you will quickly understand why 😉) or sleaze metal.

It’s a genre that’s very accessible because it’s very pop-oriented. It was, by the way, one of the most popular genres in the 1980s. I would add that it’s the style of metal that surely comes first to your mind when we talk about rock/metal of this period.

We can strongly see the influence of glam rock, heavy metal, and punk.

We recognize this style to the look of the artists who are part of it: androgenic look, make-up (excessive or not), wedge soles, outfits very, VERY close to the body, and hairstyles where they probably emptied at least a bottle of lacquer on their heads (hence the hair metal).

GLAM METAL FEATURES

Rhythm and melody

These songs hook. And even stay in the head.
The way the song is formed remains «basic». It is a 4/4 measure, and we find the format intro-verse-refrain-verse-refrain-solo-verse-refrain.

In addition, the solo is usually technical (use of shred, etc.) because Eddie Van Halen has been there in the meantime and has influenced a lot of guitarists.

The whole is marked by very saturated guitars, drums, bass and sometimes a synthesizer.

This genre is also known for its Power Ballads. These are songs that start very quietly and “grow” as the song progresses. A typical example is I Remember You from Skid Row.

Also, the fact that the songs have a collective side, where we sing the chorus or a part of the song with the band, contributes to its popularity.

Singing

The vocals are melodic and clear. That is to say, there are no or few distortions apart from the basic ones of hard rock. They usually sing in their higher range. Sometimes it’s even close to screaming.

Lyrics

I will start this point with one of the «first bands of glam metal»: Quiet Riot. This band was successful with their metal health album, one of which (a cover) is Cum On Feel The Noise. Just with that, you can see where the whole genre is going.

So if you don’t understand, lyrics of glam metal are usually about parties (with lots of drugs?), girls, sex, and alcohol.

But they also talk about love, despair, and everything related to it. These themes are privileged in the power ballads.

Some will, moreover, match their lives to their words and will be ultra-mediatized for their escapades. Interviews in a bed surrounded by several girls more or less naked, different problems with justice (drugs and alcohol). This is what we could see or read from members of glam metal bands.

Moreover, these behaviors will lead to a very sexist and macho image of gender. They will be a kind of caricature of the hedonism of the time.

However, thanks (or because, it depends on the point of view) to this kind, the economy of strip clubs, bars, and tattoo shops took off.

GLAM METAL BANDS

There’s a lot of debate about which bands are in or out of glam metal. So the bands I’m going to quote as glam metal is in relation to my point of view. Everybody has their own.

The origins

We can see the influence of groups and artists such as : AC/DC, Aerosmith, Alice Cooper, David Bowie, Led Zeppelin, Kiss, Queen, Sex Pistols, Sweet, Van Halen, T.Rex ou Judas Priest

Then there are two waves of glam metal:

The first wave:

This one starts with a more hard rock/ heavy metal sound than their friends. But soon, the album appearance of bands such as Quiet Riot, Mötley Crüe, WASP, Ratt, Dokken, Autograph, Def Leppard ,or Bon Jovi will delimit the genre

In addition, some hard rock/ heavy metal bands already well installed (and have also inspired the genre) started to make songs very influenced glam metal. Examples include KISS, Alice Cooper, Whitesnake, Aerosmith, or Judas Priest.

The second wave:

The latter will have a separation within it.
On the one hand, there will be ultra mainstream bands like Poison, Europe, Cinderella, Twisted Sister ,or Stryper.
On the other, we find bands that continue to have a sound similar to the first wave of glam metal.

THE DECLINE

Glam metal stops with the appearance of grunge, alternative metal and trash metal. So it corresponds to the 90s.

However, a revival of interest in the 2000s allowed the genre to come back a little in the spotlight with bands like The Darkness or Steel Panthere. Although, these bands are not really considered to be glam bands but more heavy metal bands.

Conclusion

Although this genre is best known for its misfortunes and not very sought-after songs, glam metal has influenced current music (both through its positive and negative influence that has led to the creation of other genres).

Even if they are often mocked for their appearances, some singers and musicians were (and still are) very good in their fields.

If you want to remember that time (or just listen if you weren’t born in the 80s), you can find the dedicated playlist right here.