The term Hair Metal!

I gotta say i have a bit of a problem with the term. It was a term used by those who poked fun at it mainly mtv in the 90's, but now days it seems to be adopted by those who like that style of hard rock/metal. I know i'm drawing a long bow here but its like the word queer were it was once used by those who made fun at homosexuals but know the word has been adopted by those who were being made fun of. Anyway its some sort of umbrella term for a whole complicated group of bands, i mean anyone from Bon Jovi to WASP, Hanoi Rocks to Slaughter, Night Ranger to Saigon Kick etc are described as hair metal its just ridiculous looking at those diverse example of bands and having one whole genre blanket put over them. Some are AOR, Sleaze Metal, Glam Metal, Pop Metal, Glam Punk, Rock N' Roll, Heavy Metal, Hard Rock etc.

I agree with you. So still today, hair metal to me were bands that weren't really metal, but rather a "product" of the fame the softer side of metal provided. Warrant and Poison are 2 good examples.
One also have to seperate hair metal and sleaze. Bands like Hanoi Rocks was sleaxe, and not hair metal.
To me, bands like Ratt and Stryper were never hair metal. Sure, over time they adopted much of the hair metal leanings, but when they started they were pure heavy metal.

Yeah, but i think its a useless term that should not be used at all. i consider Warrant and Poison to be metal though. Hanoi Rocks are rock n' roll or if you have to assign them a genre Glam Punk nothing to do with metal, sleaze came later after Hanoi.

I hate the term HAIR METAL. Many of those bands that they call hair metal were glam metal bands, like POISON, TIGERTAILZ, LONDON, DIAMOND REXX etc..but its even more stupid to call every band with hair up in the sky (1987 era WHITESNAKE, DEF LEPPARD, TURBO era JUDAS PRIEST etc...) HAIR METAL. Thats increible stupid. People should have some more respect. I AGREE WITH YOU RATTPOISON

I respectfully disagree. I use the term as a 'broad' general blanket genre.

krokus wrote:

I hate the term HAIR METAL. Many of those bands that they call hair metal were glam metal bands, like POISON, TIGERTAILZ, LONDON, DIAMOND REXX etc..but its even more stupid to call every band with hair up in the sky (1987 era WHITESNAKE, DEF LEPPARD, TURBO era JUDAS PRIEST etc...) HAIR METAL. Thats increible stupid. People should have some more respect. I AGREE WITH YOU RATTPOISON

Me too. Silly term

I've always felt that glam was a look, not a musical style.

Eyesore wrote:

I've always felt that glam was a look, not a musical style.

i agree, i also agree about hating the term "hair metal". i always just called it melodic hard rock.

blackieboy wrote:

I respectfully disagree. I use the term as a 'broad' general blanket genre.

I'm with you, boy. I have no problem with the term. In fact, I embrace it. Fun looking bands with fun sounding music (quite a concept!), works for me.

And yep, I use it to cover a wide variety of bands also, much like I would with the terms "rock", "heavy metal", or "hard rock". I don't see what the big deal with the term is, most people who seem to have a problem with it are the ones who seem to be embarrassed by their association with those bands.

Trying to explain a genre to someone else hurts my head.

personally, I dont give a toss about genre titles. music is music. I only care about genres when Im inquiring about a band I am interested in, what genre they are similar to. I think way too much energy is wasted on arguments about which band is in which genre.

I just don't like "hair" metal all together. I call it hard rock because well most everyone in metal has hair (with the exception of Rob Halford, Kerry King, Scott Ian etc.) and it doesn't really sound too metal just hard rock.

I don't remember calling it hair metal back in the day. I also, have no problem with the title.

Metal Misfit wrote:

blackieboy wrote:

I respectfully disagree. I use the term as a 'broad' general blanket genre.

I'm with you, boy. I have no problem with the term. In fact, I embrace it. Fun looking bands with fun sounding music (quite a concept!), works for me.

And yep, I use it to cover a wide variety of bands also, much like I would with the terms "rock", "heavy metal", or "hard rock". I don't see what the big deal with the term is, most people who seem to have a problem with it are the ones who seem to be embarrassed by their association with those bands.

yeah, it's not like it's a big deal or anything. It's just a way to describe something.

I like the term as it's become the 'accepted' way to identify the bands from that late 80s early 90s era.

I love glam metal but i dont think its right for the singer of RUNNING WILD to form a glam fun band. Its just not right. Anyway, check him out:
http://www.toxic-taste.com/members.html
rolf is the guitar player with the red hair.
this is what i found about this project on the net:
Wonder why its taken so long for a new RUNNING
WILD disc? Perhaps Rock N Rolf (K) is too busy with TOXIC TASTE, a glam
metal outfit that's part parody, part sensationalism. The Wild frontman
plays guitar, under the pseudonym, TT Poison! In the band bio, he's
credited with "A man of composed character, who has a sense of very
subtle humor. On stage he is like a raging volcano. He loves music and
life in general and takes revel in both to the full. TT Poison takes
away his audience by his superior presence he is so well known for. He
is a downtown Neon citizen by birth." The remaining members are Marc
Acid (voice), Andy Caustic (guitar), Bob Beastly (drums) and Francis
Cauter-Rize (bass). Check out Toxic-taste.com for a laugh.
I AM SHOCKED.

krokus wrote:

I love glam metal but i dont think its right for the singer of RUNNING WILD to form a glam fun band. Its just not right. Anyway, check him out:
http://www.toxic-taste.com/members.html
rolf is the guitar player with the red hair.
this is what i found about this project on the net:
Wonder why its taken so long for a new RUNNING
WILD disc? Perhaps Rock N Rolf (K) is too busy with TOXIC TASTE, a glam
metal outfit that's part parody, part sensationalism. The Wild frontman
plays guitar, under the pseudonym, TT Poison! In the band bio, he's
credited with "A man of composed character, who has a sense of very
subtle humor. On stage he is like a raging volcano. He loves music and
life in general and takes revel in both to the full. TT Poison takes
away his audience by his superior presence he is so well known for. He
is a downtown Neon citizen by birth." The remaining members are Marc
Acid (voice), Andy Caustic (guitar), Bob Beastly (drums) and Francis
Cauter-Rize (bass). Check out Toxic-taste.com for a laugh.
I AM SHOCKED.

That is a little weird. But who knows, maybe Rolf is burned out on writing Pirate songs and just wanted to have a little fun doing something else for a while?

Wow ... pretty amazing. Has anyone heard them yet?

No, i didnt hear them yet and loving glam i am a little afraid lol.

i personally don't have a problem with the term 'hair metal' because it seems to get the message across as to what the music will be like. i don't consider motley crue and ratt as 'glam' though because i consider t rex and sweet as 'glam' as opposed to the 80s acts

rattpoison wrote:

T-Rex and Sweet are Glam Rock as opposed to Motley Crue and Ratt as Glam Metal. Both are glam but both belonged to different movements in rock n' roll.

TOTALY RIGHT