hair metal

The answer isn't as cut-and-dry as you've been led to believe.

These bands left a lasting mark on hair metal, even if the lineups that built their legacies didn't last.

The Sunset Strip often gets all the credit, but hair metal went far beyond the borders of the United States.

You probably sang these songs at the top of your lungs without realizing some of them were already a decade old!

These rock stars spent decades on the road, but their most meaningful stories happened at home.

Their catalog varies in sound — and quality — but there's at least one winner on each album.

Thankfully they're all readily available now.

Some were relegated to B-sides; others became career-defining hits.

Not every band falls prey to the sophomore slump.

Tough choices had to be made.

Ratt singer Stephen Pearcy has since responded to the suggestion the band should make a Super Bowl halftime appearance.

From the Sunset Strip to the global stage, these bands helped define the year.