\n<\/p>\n
Our list of the\u00a011 best hair metal debut albums shows just how much diversity existed within a\u00a0subgenre that was too often maligned by critics as one-dimensional fluff.<\/p>\n
Granted, hair metal \u2014 or glam metal, or whatever you want to call it \u2014 was less of a sound and more of a\u00a0pejorative term that was retrofitted to bands with teased hair, leather pants and hooky hard rock anthems about sex and partying. But it’s the easiest and most widely recognized categorization for the hedonistic rock scene that ruled the ’80s, so it will have to suffice.<\/p>\n
Even if the bands on this list shared some sonic and aesthetic similarities, they also put their own spin on the so-called hair metal sound. Bands like Motley Crue<\/a> and Twisted Sister<\/a> debuted at the beginning of the decade with raw, raucous first\u00a0albums that were equally influenced by the\u00a0glam rock, punk and metal\u00a0acts of the ’70s.<\/p>\n READ MORE:\u00a0<\/strong>The Heaviest Song by 11 Big Hair Metal Bands<\/a><\/p>\n Others, like Poison<\/a> and Warrant<\/a>, were part of a\u00a0later wave of hair metal, one more focused on pop hooks and frothy power ballads. These groups played up the inherent ridiculousness of the genre with\u00a0their outrageous fashion choices and excessively horny lyrics \u2014 and in hindsight, they came to epitomize all of the\u00a0era’s most prevalent (and often negative) stereotypes.<\/p>\n Micro differences aside,\u00a0the albums on this list also show just how often hair metal bands caught lightning in a bottle on their first try. Many of the era’s biggest acts seemed to emerge fully formed on their debut albums,\u00a0having refined their sound over years on the club circuit. That\u00a0some of them would\u00a0struggle to recreate this first-album glory is beside the point; it’s impressive that they managed to do it even once.<\/p>\n Read on to see our list of the\u00a011 best hair metal debut albums.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n Many of the scene’s biggest bands caught lightning in a bottle on their first try.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Gallery Credit: Bryan Rolli<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\nTop 11 Hair Metal Debut Albums<\/h2>\n