Glam Metal: The Heavy Metal Sound of the 80s
Glam Metal was the heavy metal sound of the 1980s. Bands like Mötley Crüe, Poison, and Guns N’ Roses brought the sound to the mainstream.
Defining Glam Metal
Glam metal is a subgenre of heavy metal that combines the aesthetics of 1970s glam rock with the heaviness of 1980s metal. It arose in the late 1970s and early 1980s in the L.A. music scene and was popular throughout the decade.
A mix of hard rock and pop music
Glam metal is a subgenre of heavy metal that developed in the late 1970s and early 1980s. It combines the theatricality of glam rock with the heaviness of Judas Priest, Kiss, and Queen.
Glam metal bands dress in flashy clothes and wear a lot of makeup. They often have long hair, which they sometimes backcomb to make it look bigger.
The guitar sound in glam metal is usually very clean and melodic. Chorus effects are often used to make the guitars sound fuller. Many glam metal songs feature solos that are played with a lot of emotion.
Keyboard instruments are sometimes used in glam metal, but they are not as common as in other types of heavy metal music.
The drums in glam metal are usually played very loudly. The snare drum is often accentuated with double bass drumming. Cymbals are also used a lot in this type of music.
Glam metal singers usually have high-pitched voices. They sing with a lot of emotion and sometimes use falsetto.
The lyrics in glam metal songs are often about love, sex, and relationships. Some bands also sing about partying and having a good time.
A subgenre of heavy metal
Glam metal is a subgenre of heavy metal that began in the late 1970s and reached the peak of its popularity in the early 1980s. It combines elements of heavy metal and punk rock, which gives it a raw, edgy sound. Glam metal bands often use catchy hooks and distorted guitars to create a hard-hitting sound that is both melodic and powerful.
Glam metal was created by bands like Kiss and Alice Cooper, who were both known for their outrageous stage shows and over-the-top image. These bands set the stage for glam metal bands like Mötley Crüe and Poison, who would go on to define the sound and style of the genre. Glam metal bands often dress in flashy clothes and wear heavy makeup, which add to their visually arresting image.
Glam metal was at its height of popularity in the 1980s, but it began to decline in popularity in the early 1990s. Grunge music became popular at this time, and many glam metal bands were pushed out of the spotlight. While glam metal is no longer as popular as it once was, there are still some new bands keeping the genre alive.
The Origins of Glam Metal
Glam metal is a subgenre of heavy metal that emerged in the late 1970s and early 1980s. Glam metal bands are characterized by their use of flashy costumes, makeup, and hairstyles, as well as their interest in the occult and the supernatural. The genre is often associated with the excessive use of drugs and alcohol. Glam metal bands rose to prominence in the 1980s with the help of music videos and heavy radio rotation.
Bands like Kiss and Alice Cooper
Glam metal is a cross between hard rock and heavy metal that emerged in the late 1970s and early 1980s. Bands like Kiss and Alice Cooper helped to pioneer the sound by blending elements of glam rock with heavy metal. This new sound was often characterized by its use of make-up, flamboyant costumes, and catchy hooks.
Glam metal quickly gained popularity in the 1980s with bands like Mötley Crüe, Warrant, and Poison. These bands often blended elements of pop music with heavy metal to create a more radio-friendly sound. Glam metal became known for its over-the-top visual aesthetic, which included tight leather clothing, big hair, and excessive make-up.
The popularity of glam metal began to decline in the early 1990s as grunge and alternative rock became more popular. However, many glam metal bands have continued to tour and release new music, and the genre has seen something of a revival in recent years.
The New Wave of British Heavy Metal
The origins of glam metal can be traced back to the New Wave of British Heavy Metal (NWOBHM), which was a musical movement that started in the late 1970s and peaked in the early 1980s. The NWOBHM was characterized by a raw, heavy sound that was influenced by hard rock and punk rock. This new sound quickly gained popularity in the United Kingdom and soon spread to other parts of Europe and the United States.
One of the most significant bands to emerge from the NWOBHM was Def Leppard, who mixed hard rock with pop melodies to create a new sound that would later be known as glam metal. Other bands that were influential in the development of glam metal include Mötley Crüe, Ratt, and Quiet Riot. These bands combined heavy metal with elements of glam rock, which was a popular music genre in the 1970s that was characterized by theatricality and glittery costumes.
Glam metal became extremely popular in the 1980s with bands such as Poison, Cinderella, and Bon Jovi. The genre reached its height of popularity in the early 1990s but quickly declined in popularity thereafter. However, there has been a recent resurgence in interest in glam metal, with some new bands emerging that are keeping this musical style alive.
The Rise of Glam Metal
Glam metal is a subgenre of heavy metal that combines the heavy sound of metal with the fashion and style of glam rock. The genre rose to prominence in the 1980s with bands such as Mötley Crüe, Poison, and Guns N’ Roses. Glam metal was known for its flashy image, with members of bands often wearing heavy makeup and sequined clothes.
Bands like Mötley Crüe and Poison
In the early 1980s, a new type of heavy metal began to emerge. Taking cues from both the hard rock of the 1970s and the flashy glam rock of bands like David Bowie and Queen, this new sound soon came to be known as “glam metal.”
Glam metal bands like Mötley Crüe and Poison embraced a more outrageous image than their predecessors, with big hair, makeup, and tight, suggestive clothing. This new look was often paired with a more pop-oriented sound, which helped these bands find mainstream success.
While glam metal fell out of favor in the early 1990s, its influence can still be heard in bands like Metallica and Guns N’ Roses.
The hair, the make-up, the fashion
Heavy metal fashion in the 1980s was characterized by tight jeans, big hair, and gaudy clothing. This look was pioneered by bands like Kiss and Queen, and taken to the next level by acts like Motley Crue and Guns N’ Roses.
Glam metal fashion is often ridiculed today, but there is no denying the impact it had on popular culture in the 1980s. The look was so popular that even mainstream pop stars like Madonna and Michael Jackson began to adopt elements of it.
If you’re looking to recreate the glam metal look, you’ll need a few key items:
– tight jeans
– big hair
– gaudy clothing
– lots of makeup
Glam Metal Today
Glam metal is a subgenre of heavy metal music that emerged in the late 1970s and early 1980s. Glam metal is characterized by its use of make-up, teased hair, tight spandex clothing, and synthesizers. It was popularized by bands such as Motley Crue, Bon Jovi, and Poison. Today, glam metal is enjoying a resurgence in popularity.
Bands like Steel Panther and Santa Cruz
Although glam metal has been out of the mainstream since the early 1990s, there are still a number of bands keeping the sound alive. One of the most successful of these is Steel Panther, who formed in 2000 and have released four albums since 2006. Steel Panther is known for their humorous approach to the genre, which often includes parody and satire.
Other bands include Santa Cruz, formed in 2007 in Finland. Santa Cruz’s debut album, Screaming for Adrenaline, was released in 2013 and reached number one on the Finnish charts.Like Steel Panther, Santa Cruz combines elements of glam metal with other genres, including hard rock and punk rock.
The legacy of glam metal
Glam metal was one of the most popular genres of music in the 1980s. It was characterized by its heavy metal sound and its use of makeup and fashion, which was inspired by glam rock and arena rock. Glam metal bands such as Mötley Crüe, Poison, and Def Leppard were some of the most successful bands of the decade.
The popularity of glam metal did not last long, however. By the early 1990s, grunge and alternative rock had emerged as the dominant genres of rock music, and glam metal fell out of favor. Although it is no longer as popular as it once was, glam metal still has a loyal following among heavy metal fans.
