What killed Hair Metal?

[Snoogans]

Having just sat down with a coffee and pondered the question, I conclude that the real reason that "Hair Metal" died was because all the record-buying losers were jealous of us good-looking and talented guitar players who were getting all the hottest chicks.

[Rsmacker]

How long will it be before Prince's lawyers are here telling us to pull those pictures?

Yeah, I miss that B3ta compo too.


Cocks in Spandex killed hair metal - there's nothing quite so hilarious as seeing some ugly twat come home from work from the steelworks, slap a load of make-up and then hit the town in his gladrags with his hair teased up. Yeah mate, very L.A, but this is Birmingham, and you look like a prick. Bottle of Newcastle Brown Ale was it? Orrroight!
You have to be a certain type of person to carry that look off, and 99% of us aint that type.

Nirvana etc were just like one of us - scruffy cunts in jeans and t-shirts. Anyone could get hold of a guitar and bingo, you could be out there doing it. Hmm yeah, very marketable....!
No need to wear your sister's underwear (well, not outside eh Wilkinsi? ), no need to look like a total bell-end, just go and do it. Before Metallica disappeared up their own arse they were the same, just 4 blokes, dressed on stage as they did off-stage (I'm sure Lars just wandered about in lycra shorts really). They were instantly accessible, an instant connection with the audience, just blokes from down the pub done good.

That said, there was, and still is, a place for Rock Stars - OTT people like David Lee Roth, Gene Simmons, Ozzy (when he's been on the pop), David Coverdale etc. They have an unmistakable charisma and appeal by being NOT one of the lads.

Hair Metal started going down the toilet when it became mainstream. I don't mean mainstream musically either, I mean totally fucking mainstream. How many films from the late 80s/early 90s have the obligatory soundtrack that could have been Ratt/Dokken/any of them? Not tracks used by the makers, just an incidental backing track done by session musicians. Not just films, but TV programs too, and radio ads (I remember being in the US and hearing Guitar Centre adverts that used to get right on my tits). They were everywhere, even on fucking yoghurt commercials, just saturated every market.
Nirvana etc came along, dropped the chorus pedal and it was like a breath of fresh air (which is quite a feat for people who look like they have shit their pants).


Oh yeah, and the obvious thing helped kill it too - Baldness. I had lovely lush long hair back then, I'm a slaphead now. Somewhere in between, it started to thin, it comes with getting old (for those of us with balls that work overtime).

[GodOfRhythm]

I think GNR initially cracked open death's door for hair metal. Nirvana kicked that door open.

So a combination of GNR and Nirvana.

I agree, together with the release of the black album.

As well as:

A) The imagery had gone to a point where it was becoming TOO decadent

and

B) The industry needed their change again, just as they'll phase out the urban heavy R&B / Hip Hop movement of today in favor of a new style of music which opens a new market to replace the old.

[jacksoncsplayer]

Having just sat down with a coffee and pondered the question, I conclude that the real reason that "Hair Metal" died was because all the record-buying losers were jealous of us good-looking and talented guitar players who were getting all the hottest chicks.

[Rsmacker]

Hey, I'm an ugly fucker and I slyly decided that being told to fuck off by the hottest chicks wasn't really the way to go, so I'd go for the Grade B flange (um, well, OK, Grade X sometimes). It's true, the mooses are grateful of the attention, try harder, and don't sweat that much.
And you don't have to walk to the bus stop dressed like Danny La Rue in the morning with old ladies laughing at you.


Anyway many of those hot chicks turned into fat ugly knackers, I was just saving time and effort and doing the ones that were already "noted for their personality".

[hippietim]

Gayness killed hair metal. Wearing girls clothes, wearing high heels and makeup.... too many love ballads... homosexual girly men killed hair metal.

Look how well all the pictures fit together.


GAY

Dude, if Prince is gay then you are the whole gay pride parade.

Aside from being a brilliant musician, amazing composer, and kick ass guitarist, Prince is a SERIOUS ladies man.

You, on the other hand, post pictures of men in makeup on the Internet.

[Endrik]

Prince has a GREAT taste in women and guitars (well lately, not those weird 80's designs)

[CharvelRocker]

B) The industry needed their change again, just as they'll phase out the urban heavy R&B / Hip Hop movement of today in favor of a new style of music which opens a new market to replace the old.

Agreed. Rap has been around in force for like what, 10 years maybe? 80's glam and hair was around for near that long too. No musical style can sustain itself forever as time and tastes change, and the longer its around, the more bloated and weighed down with crap it becomes. It all goes in cycles when you look at it...

Genre A comes along
Genre B forms in response to nature of Genre A and its sound
Genre B grows, even exploding in popularity, genre A dies out
Genre B implodes on itself with a loss of a critical band or two
Genre B starts to die out
Genre C and D come along, influenced by Genre B
Genre C and D continue along until they start to break down due to age and lack of originality
Wash rinse repeat

[Endrik]

folks don't expect hip-hop and contemporary r'n'b to dissapear anytime soon, yes there will be a time when it fades away but unlike all the previous periods there isn't any new musical genres coming... everything has been done... so the next big thing is going to be something old and it will not have the same impact like as Sgt. Peppers Lonely Heart's Club Band or Van Halen 1 had

[442w30]

folks don't expect hip-hop and contemporary r'n'b to dissapear anytime soon, yes there will be a time when it fades away but unlike all the previous periods there isn't any new musical genres coming... everything has been done... so the next big thing is going to be something old and it will not have the same impact like as Sgt. Peppers Lonely Heart's Club Band or Van Halen 1 had

I agree to everything you said - hip hop/contrmporary are here to stay.

I don't agree that everything has been done. There will always be something new to come along that to the old folks "isn't musical" etc. When you can't see it and you think everything has been done that's worth doing, you are getting old.....I am getting old

[Firebird V]

Dude, if Prince is gay then you are the whole gay pride parade.

Aside from being a brilliant musician, amazing composer, and kick ass guitarist, Prince is a SERIOUS ladies man.

You, on the other hand, post pictures of men in makeup on the Internet.

ROTF... Timmy just made me pis my pants... lol.

[Szostak]

folks don't expect hip-hop and contemporary r'n'b to dissapear anytime soon, yes there will be a time when it fades away but unlike all the previous periods there isn't any new musical genres coming... everything has been done... so the next big thing is going to be something old and it will not have the same impact like as Sgt. Peppers Lonely Heart's Club Band or Van Halen 1 had

I'm pretty sure the new wave of music is slowly appearing... look at bands like Priestess and Wolfmother, these guys are great and are only influencing more and more kids to pick up and start writing (with many thanks to Guitar Hero for including them ) ... It's new music with that bite, you know? Great lyrics too.

[Venomboy]

A shitty band like Nirvana can't do much of anything, especially kill a whole style of music.

Record companies stopped promoting hair metal. Hair metal bands became even lamer. End of story.

[ABSOLUT CHARVEL]

the bottom line is music changes. you cant point the finger on what killed what. too easy to say it was grunge because it was the next hot music to come out. if there was no grunge, it would have been something else and we would be saying "damm that Justin Timberlake, or Dr. Dre, etc...!" the truth is Hair Bands was a weak trend. it didn't take much to kick it to the curb. not many bands managed to survive from that period. there is a reason for it. it was a fad.

few bands can or have endure the test of time. Stones, U2, AC/DC are a few that have been around 20 + years that can still sell out the big shows and have gained a multi generation fan base. Hair bands fall way short of this.

AC/DC is the band that defies the indrustry. Angus once said he gets pissed when people say all 22 their album sound the same, when they have 23 albums that all sound alike!

[Special-K]

Aids... (had to do it.. sorry bad joke..)

The next generation of heterosexual men...
And of course good old THRASH METAL!