Credit: José Miguel Rosas, CC BY-SA 2.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0>, via Wikimedia Commons
When asked about their favorite genre of music, most say rap, rock or something similar. Others will say EDM, techno, reggaeton, or anything made within the 21st century. However, there is one noticeable sub-genre missing from the hall of all-time great music genres. I am, in fact, talking about the genre known as hair metal. When most people think of the genre, they think of the glitz, glamour and jokes that the genre is so fondly remembered for. I guarantee that almost no one can name more than 5 songs by Motley Crue, but they can list the many nefarious deeds of Tommy Lee or Vince Neil. Most people regard the genre as a joke, as they are convinced that hair metal relies solely on the stunts that the musicians pull off rather than the music itself. I encourage people to look past this and actually listen to the music of hair metal. Its musicians throughout the era are actually pretty talented. Guitarists such as Eddie Van Halen, C.C DeVille and Warren DeMartini are considered some of the greatest of all time. Sure, the lyrics may be cheesy, and the music videos are outdated, but that doesn’t mean that the music isn’t good. We’ve gotten such classics as “Round and Round,” “Rock Me Like A Hurricane,” “Ride The Wind,” and many more. We’ve gotten bands like Poison, Ratt, White Snake, Winger, Skid Row, and a ton of others who have each added their own little gem into the catalog of the 80s. Without the genre, we wouldn't have famous clubs like The Trip, Whiskey a Go Go, or the Starwood. Hair Metal is a pioneering force in the world of music—and not for its riffs, chords, or complex sentimental lyrics. It’s important because it shows the exact reason why people play music in the first place: for fun and their love of their instruments. The genre was short lived, only being in its prime for about ten years or so, but this hasn’t stopped it from being beloved by fans all over the world. Even now, we are experiencing a re-emergence into the pop culture scene, as new bands like The Darkness and Steel Panther have made hair metal popular again. So, next time you open up Spotify or Apple Music, do yourself a favor; open up the search bar, type in “hair metal,” and have a listen. You won’t regret it.
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