10 of the Most Underrated Glam Metal Bands of the ‘80s

The 1980s: a decade known for its sleazy guitar riffs and flamboyant rock stars (...also Aquanet. You can’t forget the Aquanet). Artists of the late ‘70s, such as Van Halen, were at the forefront of what would become the glam metal movement; paving the way years prior, and opening up the genre to an entirely new, female-dominated audience.

With glam metal’s popularity rising, many bands of this era reached undeniable heights. Artists such as Def Leppard, Mötley Crüe and Bon Jovi dominated the charts. But, believe it or not, some of the greatest bands of the decade are the ones that flew under the radar. Most of the bands we’re going to dive into debuted in the late 1980s or early 1990s; unfortunately being buried underneath the oversaturation of Sunset Strip rock, which ultimately led to the genre’s demise.

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Here are 10 of the most overlooked glam metal bands that will leave you wondering how on earth they weren’t bigger. It’s, dare we say, criminal.