The Last Great Hair Metal Album

Okay so I basically culled everyone's opinions on the other thread and collected them here. Really curious to see who the winner is.

Again, 80's hair metal died a nasty death in the early-to-mid 90's when Grunge came on the scene. This we know. What we're looking for is [i]the[\i] last great of the era. Basically the album that properly closed the doors on that season of the industry. And no other album that came after could top it. Feel free to write a band in as well. May the best band win!

NOTE: so it was a real challenge trying to keep this to 15 choice (the limit allowed) and I had to nix a few candidates. Solo artist efforts, for one. And some more under-the-radar choices. Let me know if you guys want to see a part 2 in the future.

Steelheart's Tangled in the Reins should be on here but I figured no one would vote for it (DUDES GO LISTEN TO THAT ALBUM NOW).

Not sure why the 2nd Skid Row CD couldn't be on the list, if the debut is. It is better, after all.

I love all of them, but went with Cinderella. They are my favorite band and the LCW album in particular is one that I have so many great memories of and still enjoy immensely.

Child's Play is the one I've listened to the least of the bunch. I remember spinning it a few years ago and nothing really stood out as especially memorable.

Warrant. It might not be the best on the list but it's the last great one of the era.

Lari wrote:

Not sure why the 2nd Skid Row CD couldn't be on the list, if the debut is. It is better, after all.

Like I said in the other thread, it's a point of contention. Personally I just don't think of it as a hair metal or 80's-90's commercial metal highlight. It's straight up heavy metal. Nothing else. Slave is a truly unique ride and even the copycats can't hold a candle to it.

Would I call it the last great heavy metal album, in terms of a classic? Perhaps. Needs some more thought, but perhaps.

Voted Skid Row. I am not familiar with most of the other bands/albums. Will check'em out for sure.

Out of those my favourites are the two Extreme ones, Cinderella and Skid Row. Had to vote Extreme III because that was 1992.

I’m sticking with my pick: Skid Row s/t!

To this day, 3 of the songs are still played fairly often on rock radio.

Wow, I didn’t realize how hard that was gonna be until I saw them all together. It was easy to throw in different albums here and there in the other thread. Ha! Man I wanted to pick several from that list and feel like I’m snubbing the ones I didn’t pick but in the end I had to with................................

Picked Slaughter. There are others on the list that are great and that I like better but Wild Life was later than the others and was around the time of "the end" of the style.

Skid Row for sure.

There's lots of great albums on this list. I went with Babylon A.D. That album is great and should have made them much bigger than they were (I know that's not the point of this thread but jmo)

I don't think people are voting the last great HM album but their favorite.

Of that list Spread Eagle by 4k miles.

#2 is Skid Rows self title as it is quintessential and is perfect to say the least.

#3 would be the DT S/T as it is very good and Scared and Queen of the Nile are brilliant.

Looks like Skid Row is gonna take it, although we're missing some quintessential voters.

Dark Horseman wrote:

I don't think people are voting the last great HM album but their favorite.

Well “Great” is very subjective. This is all anyone’s opinion anyway. No one is gonna agree on the same.But I see where you’re coming from.

I tried to pick the album that I think is great from start to finish and has staying power. One that I still listen to regularly to this day. There are several on that list that fall about equal to me.
For example, I love that first Skid Row and it would be one of my favorites but I never revisit it anymore.

For me, the Toys and Spread Eagle are still frequent spinners.

It's cool, it just seems many are saying this is the album I like best on the list. Ah, opinions, we all have 'em.

Thrasher73 wrote:

Dark Horseman wrote:

I don't think people are voting the last great HM album but their favorite.

Well “Great” is very subjective. This is all anyone’s opinion anyway. No one is gonna agree on the same.But I see where you’re coming from.

I tried to pick the album that I think is great from start to finish and has staying power. One that I still listen to regularly to this day. There are several on that list that fall about equal to me.
For example, I love that first Skid Row and it would be one of my favorites but I never revisit it anymore.

For me, the Toys and Spread Eagle are still frequent spinners.

I voted Wild Side.

DT is my favorite from the list, with Skid Row a close second.

I just can't justify choosing 1989 as the last great year for the genre. Wild Side is not as good as DT or SR, but that album is great in my opinion, so I gotta go with that.

But for real, how great is that DT album? So damn good.

ZombieHavoc wrote:

Thrasher73 wrote:

Dark Horseman wrote:

I don't think people are voting the last great HM album but their favorite.

Well “Great” is very subjective. This is all anyone’s opinion anyway. No one is gonna agree on the same.But I see where you’re coming from.

I tried to pick the album that I think is great from start to finish and has staying power. One that I still listen to regularly to this day. There are several on that list that fall about equal to me.
For example, I love that first Skid Row and it would be one of my favorites but I never revisit it anymore.



For me, the Toys and Spread Eagle are still frequent spinners.

I voted Wild Side.

DT is my favorite from the list, with Skid Row a close second.

I just can't justify choosing 1989 as the last great year for the genre. Wild Side is not as good as DT or SR, but that album is great in my opinion, so I gotta go with that.

But for real, how great is that DT album? So damn good.

Yeah I know what you’re saying. 89 was still early in the era. Wildside is a very good album but I don’t think it’s “Great”.Thats the problem with most of the ones released in 91 or 92.

And yes that DT album is awesome!

First, I would love to see a part two. Second, you should of just listed 7 bands. Too much at once, man.
Anyways, the majority of these bands....I’ve never listened to. So it’s cool to jot these titles down.
The ones that really interested me were Spread Eagle, Tora Tora, and Childs Play.
I have Jetboy’s 1st release. I think it’s wonderful. Need to see where it went with Damn Nation.

Hair Metal in 1992 looked like this:

Too bad the labels didn't let it expand instead of just killing it for grunge.

Don't see how Skid Row is "hair metal" ???? They don't fit the formula in either sound nor image (IMHDO)

I don't think Tesla does either but they get lumped in there.

James B. wrote:

Don't see how Skid  Row is "hair metal" ???? They don't fit the formula in either sound nor image (IMHDO)

The music is debatable... but they did have a “hair metal” image (especially around the first album). Snake Sabo and some of the other guys had the teased hairspray look and Sebastian was the poster boy of Hit Parader magazine for quite a while! Not to mention their mega ballad “I Remember You”... I think they pretty much had the formula down perfectly.