hair metal
what it is
Glam metal is a subgenre of heavy metal characterised by pop-influenced hooks and guitar riffs, upbeat rock anthems, and slow power ballads. It incorporates visual elements associated with the glam rock movement of the 1970s. Glam metal developed in the late 1970s and early 1980s, primarily in the United States.
✦ start here: albums
✦ who's making it, level by level
level 1 · mainstream
the pop everyone knows
level 2 · the door
big names with a sharper edge
level 3 · one step out
cult favorites and indie darlings
level 4 · further
art pop, hyperpop, and the underground
level 5 · all the way
deep experimental
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questions
What is hair metal?
Glam metal is a subgenre of heavy metal characterised by pop-influenced hooks and guitar riffs, upbeat rock anthems, and slow power ballads. It incorporates visual elements associated with the glam rock movement of the 1970s. Glam metal developed in the late 1970s and early 1980s, primarily in the United States.
What are good hair metal albums to start with?
Try Feel the Steel by Steel Panther, Tooth and Nail by Dokken, Night of the Crime by Icon, and Winger by Winger.
Who are some women making hair metal?
musicisforgirls.com/genres/hair-metal/girls lists women, non-binary artists, and bands with women making hair metal, from mainstream to underground.
genre notes from last.fm listeners · artists and albums from last.fm, updated 2026-10-19