The ’50s was about the King of Rock – Elvis who literally rocked the nation. Enter the ’60s and The Beatles and The Rolling Stones brought a new experience to the public. The ’70s was about The Doors and the expansion of your mind and people experiencing The Jimi Hendrix Experience. But the ’70s was also about Glam Rock, which filtered into the ’80s which came with big shoulder pads, even bigger hair and lots of make-up – and we’re not just talking about the women of the ’80s. Glam rock was really big and everyone was crazy about the stars behind the microphones, guitars, pianos and drums. So what happened to these glam rockers? Well, you’re about to find out!

Quiet Riot

American Heavy Metal band Quiet Riot was formed in 1973 by guitarist Randy Rhoads (later of Ozzy Osborne fame), and Kelly Garni (bass). They changed their name from ‘Little Women’ to Quiet Riot with the inclusion of Kevin DuBrow on vocals, and drummer Drew Forsyth. Their most commercially successful line-up consisted of DuBrow, with guitarist Carlos Cavazo, bass player Rudy Sarzo and drummer Frankie Banali. Their biggest hits are covers of the glam rock band Slade, Cum On Feel The Noize, Mama Weer All Crazee Now, and their own Mental Health, which charted at number 1 in the USA music charts and being used by wrestler Necro Butcher as his introduction theme. They are currently touring the USA with Banali being the only member from the early days.

Mötley Crüe

Mötley Crüe was one of the biggest glam rock bands of the ’80. It consisted of Mick Mars (lead guitar), Tommy Lee (Drums), Nikki Sixx (keyboard), John Corabi (vocals and guitar) and Vince Neil (lead vocalist). They were known as a crazy young band who caused a lot of mischief, played around too much with the ladies and took in substances that were not exactly legal. Their music was huge and they were a good looking group with amazing outfits and makeup. Their biggest hits include Shout at the Devil, Looks That Kill and Wild Side. They recently released a movie on Netflix (2019) called The Dirt. Their final concert was on December 31st 2015. Tommy Lee had children with Pamela Anderson, Vince Neil played a tattoo artist on the CBS sitcom Still Standing and was in several reality shows.  Nikki Six married and divorced Baywatch star Donna D’Errico, Mick Mars suffers from Ankylosing Spondylitis, an inflammatory condition which affects the joints of the spine, making life painful existence for the body and  John Corabi was fired by the band and appeared in other bands as guitarist.

KISS

When people think of KISS they see a tongue – a very long, sharp tongue – that belonging to Gene Simmons who loved to stick it out while he performed. The original members include Gene Simmons (bassist), Paul Stanley (rhythm guitarist), Peter Criss (drummer) and Ace Frehlry (lead guitarist). They all contributed to vocals.  They were a huge glam rock band in their time and their make-up was fierce with their entire faces painted. their biggest hits include Detroit Rock City, Black Diamond and Hard Luck Woman. They are an amazing band that still rocks the nights away and tours. The current members include Tommy Thayer (lead guitar and vocals) and Eric Singer (drums, percussion and vocals).

Poison

Poison is a band that enjoyed its success mainly through the ’80s to ’90s. Its lead singer was Bret Michaels who was very good looking and made the female audience go wild. One of their greatest hits was Every Rose Has Its Thorn which to this day is still a relevant song and extremely powerful and moving. Bret Michaels was involved with Pamela Anderson (Tommy Lee’s ex-wife) for a while and had a reputation of being a heartthrob and breaking hearts. Original members include Bret Michaels (lead vocal and guitar), C.C. DeVille (lead guitar), Rikki Rockett (drums), and Bobby Dall (Piano). Bret Michaels still performs solo. The band still tours.

Heart

There is a slew of male glam rock bands of the ’80s. But, there are also some female glam rock bands that were simply amazing. One of those bands is Heart. The main members included sisters gorgeous blonde Nancy Wilson (guitars and vocals) and beautiful brunette Ann Wilson (guitars and vocals). These women were strong and powerful and their biggest hits include Alone and These Dreams. They did phenomenally well. In 2012 they performed Led Zepplin’s Stairway To Heaven as a tribute for Led Zepplin on Dec 2, 2012, at the Kennedy Center. They are an amazing band and will always be remembered for the women glam rockers that stood out among the plethora of men who took over the ’80s glam rock scene. They still tour.

Aerosmith

Aerosmith is one of those bands that easily transitioned into the music of the times. They had duets with hip hop bands and were a really “fluid” band. The main members consisted of Steven Tyler (lead vocals), Joe Perry (lead guitar), Brad Whitford (guitar), Joey Kramer (drums) and Tom Hamilton (Bass guitar). They are an exceptionally unique band with original music. Steven Tyler is known for his off-beat, slightly crazy and fun personality. He was a judge on the 10th season of American Idol in 2010 alongside Randy Jackson and Jennifer Lopez. Aerosmith’s greatest hits include Dream On, Janie’s Got a Gun, Dude, Angel, Walk This Way. They also did extremely well in the ’90s with super hits like Crazy and Cryin’. Crazy included his daughter Liv Tyler in the music video. Liv was part of The Lord Of The Rings trilogy and has made a successful career for herself as an actress over the years. The band still tours.

Twisted Sister

You can’t talk about Glam Rock without mentioning Twisted Sister. They were the epitome of Glam Rock. Just look at their videos We’re Not Gonna Take It and I Wanna Rock. Lead vocalist of the group Dee Snider actually has really strong vocals and a great voice and led the group with his charismatic personality. The band consisted of Dee Snider (lead vocals), Jay Jay French (guitars), A.J. Pero (drums) and Mark Mendoza (bass guitar). There were more members in the group that slipped in and out during the years. They were a really great rock band and emphasized the angst children and teenagers have against the “system” trying to tell them what to do with their lives. The band stopped performing after their farewell 40th-anniversary tour in 2016. Dee snider is a radio personality and actor.