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!

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 a 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 vocals and guitar), C.C. DeVille (lead guitar), Rikki Rockett (drums), and Bobby Dall (Piano). Bret Michaels still performs solo. The band still tours.

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 consist 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 Idols 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.

Bon Jovi

Bon Jovi were huge in the ’80s and throughout the ’90s. They even carried their work past 2000 but never gained the career success of their early days. The main band members comprised of Jon Bon Jovi (lead singer and guitar), Richie Sambora (guitar and vocals), David Brian (Piano), Alec John Such (guitarist) and Tico Torres (Drums). Their hits are classics, with bars and places around the world still playing  Livin’ on a Prayer, You Give Love a Bad Name, Lay Your Hands on Me and more. They are one of the glam rock bands that stood the test of time. Richie Sambora married and divorced actress Heather Locklear (who was originally married to Tommy Lee of Mötley Crüe ), Jon Bon Jovi appeared as an actor in movies and series, Tico Torres dated supermodel Eva Herzigova and married and divorced her. David Brian got married twice. Jon Bon Jovi was a founding member and majority owner of the Philadelphia Soul – an Arena Football League Team. They still tour to this day (2019).

Guns N’ Roses

Guns N’ Roses (GNR) entered the rock scene in the ’80s. Their glam rock attire basically covered 1985-1990 when they transitioned into pure rock. The band consisted of Axl Rose (lead vocals), Slash (lead guitar), Izzy Stradlin (rhythm guitar), Duff McKagen (bass) and Steven Adler (drums). Their debut 1987 album Appetite For Destruction hit number one on the Billboard and featured hits Welcome To The Jungle, Paradise City and Sweet Child o’ Mine. GNR went on to do amazingly well and their albums Use Your Illusion 1 and Use Your Illusion 2 had hits such as November Rain, Don’t Cry and Civil War. There was a fall out between Slash and Axl but it seems that things are better today as they still tour to this day around the world. Their hits are still popular today and have huge views on YouTube – such as 464 Million views (as of May 2019) for Paradise City. They still tour to this day.

Whitesnake

Not all glam rock bands came out of America. Whitesnake are British. The original band members included David Coverdale (lead vocalist), Micky Moody (guitar), Bernie Marsden (guitar), Neil Murray (bass), Dave Dowle (drums) and Peter Solley (keyboard). Their greatest hits include Here I Go Again, Slide It In and The Deeper The Love. They still tour. Coverdale married Cindy Coverdale, who is the co-author of Foods That Rock and he has two children – one from his marriage to Cindy and one from another marriage.

Skid Row

Skid Row began their start in the ’80s. The band consisted of members Sebastian Bach (vocals), Rachel Bolan (bass guitar), Dave Sabo (guitars) and Rob Affuso (drums). The current vocalist is ZP Theart since 2016. Their big hits include 18 And Life and I Remember You. The lead singer Sebastian Bach was a real heart-throb at the time. He was fired from the band in 1996. Bach performed with Axl Rose in the past and also played with Poison. The band still actively perform and record – without Sebastian Bach.

Alice Cooper

Alice Cooper originated in the ’60s and consisted of Vincent Damon Furnier (lead vocals and harmonica), Glen Buxton (lead guitar), Michael Bruce (rhythm guitar), Dennis Dunaway (bass guitar) and Neal Smith (drums). Furnier became Alice Cooper and began his own solo career. He has quite a harsh demeanor from his attitude to his make-up which is emphasized with dark eyes and black nail polish. It is all an act and Alice Cooper himself is actually a really stable person in life. His hit Poison was released in 1997 and is one of his greatest hits with 156 million views (as of May 2019). He is 71 years old and still performs.

Queen

Nobody could put on a show quite like Freddie Mercury. Queen was a rock band that started in ’70s. They were glamorous, they had huge hits and they thrilled their audiences. The band members were Freddie Mercury (lead vocalist), Brian May (guitar), John Deacon (guitar) and Roger Meddows Taylor (drums). Queen’s music lasted through generations and the world is still fascinated with the band as the popularity in the 2018 movie Bohemian Rhapsody where Rami Malek (playing Freddie Mercury) won the 2019 Oscar for Best Actor. The band hat hits such as Radio Gaga, We Will Rock You, We Are The Champions and, of course, Bohemian Rhapsody. Freddie Mercury died on November 24, 1991 from HIV. The band still plays with lead vocalist and front man Adam Lambert where the band name goes under Queen and Adam Lambert or Q+AL. They still tour and Adam Lambert makes the show as glamorous as ever.

David Bowie

When talking about Glam Rock, who could be more “Glam” than David Bowie himself? The man was a legend and his hits endure time. He was very eccentric and special and had his own style completely. His big hits include Space Oddity, Under Pressure, Heroes, China Girl and Dancing In The Street. David Bowie contributed in a huge way to music and his death caused much sadness around the world. He had massive duets such as with Mick Jagger in Dancing In The Street and Queen for Under Pressure. He won 7 Grammy awards in his lifetime and was nominated 17 times. He had admitted in a televised interview that he never wanted to be like everybody else. He certainly was an enigma.

T. Rex

One of the most iconic UK bands of the ’70s was unarguably T. Rex. Fronted by Marc Bolan, the band was initially called Tyrannosaurus Rex and released four psychedelic folk albums under this name. A shift in style brought about the name change, and the commercial success in the Glam Rock scene. Bolan, along with Bill Legend (drums), Mickey Finn (percussion) and Steve Currie (bass) were releasing songs in their heyday such as Get it On, 20^th Century Boy, and Hot Love. They influenced several decades of music following then, including Glam Rock, post-punk, indie pop, brit pop and alternative rock. After Bolan had died in a car crash in 1977, members continued to work as musicians, with Currie acting as a session player, and Mickey Finn continuing to play under the T. Rex name but producing a more aggressive sound.

The Sweet

The Sweet, or Sweet as they were also known, rose to prominence in the ’70s with Brian Connolly (vocals), Steve Priest (bass), Andy Scott (guitar) and Mick Tucker (drums). Their first hit was in 1971, with a song called Funny Funny, followed by Block Buster!, Hell Raiser and The Ballroom Blitz (featured in 1975’s cult movie The Rocky Horror Picture Show), among others. In 1979, Connolly left the band to start a solo project, with The Sweet eventually disbanding in 1981. The band had many brief reunions, After Connolly died in 1997 and Tucker in 2002, the two remaining members are active in their own versions of the band, based in the UK and USA. You may have heard their songs recently in movie trailers; The Ballroom Blitz was used in a trailer for Suicide Squad and Fox on The Run was used in a trailer for Guardians of The Galaxy 2.

Roxy Music

Roxy Music, fronted by the fantastic Bryan Ferry, and backed by bassist Graham Simpson, Phil Manzanera (guitar), Andy Mackay (saxophone and oboe), and Paul Thompson (drums and percussion), were one of the most successful and genre defining bands of the ’70s. They had other fleeting band members, including synthesizer genius Brian Eno, Eddie Jobson and John Gustafson. Some of their biggest hits included More Than This, Avalon, and Love is The Drug. Their music was experimental and was often described as Pop Art, curating a carefully crafted look, including stage presentation, album and single cover designs, and music videos. Roxy Music reformed in 2001 to celebrate the 30^th anniversary of the band, touring extensively until 2011 after which they became inactive. In 2019 they were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

Mott the Hoople

A band with strong roots in the Rhythm and Blues tradition, Mott the Hoople were a popular glam rock band in the ’70s, famous for their single All the Young Dudes, written for them by David Bowie, featuring on the album of the same name. Their classic lineup includes Pete Overend Watts (bass, vocals and guitar), Dale ‘Buffin’ Griffin (drums), Ian Hunter (vocals, guitar, piano, and bass), Mick Ralphs (guitar) and Verden Allen (organ). They had numerous lineup changes, due to deaths of members and changes of interest. As of 2018, the band became re-active, touring across Europe, and into the UK in 2019. The band features a line-up features members who joined after the original members left, and as a result are called ‘Mott The Hoople ‘74’.

Suzi Quatro

Suzi Quatro, born Suzi Kay Quatro, was the first female bass player to become a major rock star, with singles such as Can the Can, Devil Gate Drive, and Breakdown. Quatro stated that she performs as a female cock-rocker, with a style consisting of hard and glam rock. Her fame led her to perform in a recurring role on Happy Days as Leather Tuscadero. Recently, she has hosted radio programs on BBC Radio 2 and performed in theater productions. In 2011, she was inducted into the Michigan Rock and Roll Legends Hall of Fame. In 2016, she received an honorary doctorate in music from Anglia Ruskin University along with Dr Feelgood’s Wilko Johnson, also showing her prominence in studies of gender in 1970s Rock music. Suzi Quatro is still touring and is about to embark on a European tour.

Wizzard

Wizzard are an English Glam rock band formed by Roy Wood (vocals, guitars and various other instruments), Mike Burney (saxophone), Charlie Grima (drums), Bill Hunt (keyboards, French horn), Hugh McDowell (cello and synthesizer), Nick Pentelow (saxophone, clarinet, flute), and Rick Price (Drums). Wood was originally in ELO, and after numerous disagreements he left to form Wizzard, taking Hunt and McDowell with him. Their standout hit was the 1973 Christmas song I Wish It Could Be Christmas Everyday, but other hits included See My Baby Jive, and Angel Fingers (A Teen Ballad), both of which reached number 1 in the UK charts. While Wizzard are no longer active, singer Roy Wood still tours in his Rock & Roll band, most recently performing a Christmas show in 2018.

Elton John

Mega-star Elton John, born Reginald Kenneth Dwight, was one of the largest purveyors of glam music of the 1970s. Elton is an iconic image behind the piano, and while working with lyricist Bernie Taupin, the pair have sold more than 300 million records, and gathered more than 50 Top 40 hits, including Candle in The Wind, rewritten in dedication to Diana, Princess of Wales, Your Song, Crocodile Rock, and many, many more. He has recently had a biopic made about him, called Rocketman, starring Taron Egerton as Elton. He is currently on his Farewell Yellow Brick Road tour, a tour in celebration of his career, which began in September 2018 and finishes at The O2 Arena in London, UK in December 2020.

Iggy and The Stooges

Sometimes known as The Stooges, the American Rock band were formed in Michigan in 1967 by Rock giant Iggy Pop (vocals), Scott Asheton (drums), Ron Asheton (guitar) and Dave Alexander (bass). With songs such as I Wanna Be Your Dog, Search and Destroy, and Gimme Danger, the band quickly became one of the most influential bands of their era, releasing 5 albums, with the most recent being in 2013. The band combined noise with punk rock, a sort of proto-punk act. They’ve broken up many times as a result of drug addictions between Pop and other members. The Ashetons reunited a few times, finally calling it a day in 2016, stating that too many members of the band had died for them to continue faithfully. The band were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2010. Iggy Pop continues to tour regularly.

Bay City Rollers

Scottish Pop Rock band Bay City Rollers are perhaps most known for their songs Bye Bye Baby, Saturday Night and I Only Want To Be With You. Their lineup changed frequently, but their ‘classic era’ lineup consisted of Les McKeown (vocals), Eric Faulkner (guitar), Stuart John Wood (guitar), and Alan and Derek Longmuir (bass and drums, respectively). In their multiple decades of activity, the band sold more than 120 million records, a feat which threw them into disputes with their record label, Arista Records, who they claimed still owed tens of million dollars of unpaid royalties. The band recently completed a short tour in 2018, with an almost completely new line-up. Bassist Alan Longmuir died in 2018 after falling ill on holiday in Mexico. His autobiography was released posthumously. The band are about to play a small amount of shows towards to end of 2019.

Lou Reed

Lou Reed was the singer and lead guitarist of the Velvet Underground, and had a prolific, five decade long solo career. He is regarded as one of the most influential musicians of alternative music. His Glam Rock era lasted around the years 1970-75, working with David Bowie, David Wagner, and Steve Katz. Perhaps Reed’s most notable work comes from the Transformer album, with songs such as Perfect Day and Walk On The Wild Side. As a performer, Reed experimented with androgyny, frequently performing in makeup and rumours of his bisexuality. Reed died in 2013, and his induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame was announced in 2014. He has also had a certain species of spider named after him; those with velvet bodies. Some of his notable belongings were donated to the New York Public Library for the Performing Arts after his death.

Mud

Mud are an English Glam Rock band formed 1966. They are influenced by ’50s Rock and Roll, with big hits such as Lonely This Christmas, and Tiger Feet. They have had many changes of line-up, but their starting line-up consisted of Les Gray (vocals and keyboards), Rob Davis (guitar), Dave Mount (drums) and Ray Stiles (bass and vocals). The band dissolved with members going on to co-write with artists such as Sophie Ellis Bextor and Kylie Minogue, while another went on the join the Hollies. Tiger Feet was featured in the opening ceremony of the 2012 Olympic Games, held in Great Britain. The current line-up of the band continues today, called Mud II, playing a couple shows a year, most recently in April 2019.

Roy Wood

Roy Wood, formerly of Wizzard, was also a co-founder of The Move and Electric Light Orchestra. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2017 as a member of ELO. Wood has been described as producing some of the most memorable sounds of the 1970s, creating such a huge influence on glam rock, psychedelic and prog rock music that he was awarded a honorary doctorate degree from the University of Derby in 2008. Altogether, he had more than 20 hits in the UK singles chart, with 3 number ones, including I Wish It Could Be Christmas Everyday, and California Man by The Move. Although it is known that he does not particularly enjoy the spotlight, Wood is still performing today.

Be-Bop Deluxe

Frequently compared to their musical contemporary David Bowie, Be-Bop Deluxe were an English band, combining glam rock. Prog rock and rock and roll music. Common themes included in their music were that of the human condition, love and the human condition. Their 1972 original line-up included Bill Nelson (guitar, vocals and keyboards), Richard Brown (keyboards), Robert Bryan (bass, vocals), Nicholas Chatterton-Dew (drums) and Ian Parkin (rhythm and acoustic guitars). Their most prominent songs included Ships in the Night, Maid in Heaven, and Axe Victim. In 2011, EMI records released a re-mastered back catalogue, for which the band claim they have not received royalties. The CD celebrated Nelson’s 40-year career in an 8-CD set entitled The Practice of Everyday Life.

The Tubes

The Tubes were formed in 1972 in San Francisco, USA with their most famous songs being White Punks on Dope, and She’s a Beauty. They were popular within the realm of MTV, which was introduced at the start of their career. The band consisted of vocalist Fee Waybill, who portrayed many characters, including Quay Lewd, a glam-rock effeminate vocalist and punk parody Johnny Bugger, Prairie Prince on drums, Roger Steen on guitar, with Rick Anderson on Bass and David Medd on keyboards. The Tubes are currently performing their album The Completion Backward Principle in its entirety. After Waybill returned to the band in 1993, they tend to tour the United States every year, sometimes reaching out to Europe and further.

Brian Eno

Brian Eno is now known for his record production and his innovative work in ambient music, but in the decades prior, he was once a member of Roxy Music and worked closely with David Bowie. Eno Studied at Winchester School of Art in the mid-’60s, and after Roxy Music, he released famous works such as Another Green World, Discreet Music and Music for Airports, with collaborations such as Robert Fripp, Talking Heads Harold Budd, and, as mentioned, David Bowie. He recently contributed to Coldplay’s album Mylo Xyloto, and in 2019 was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a member of Roxy Music. Eno is about to release a re-mastered version of Apollo: Extended Edition with Daniel Lanois and Roger Eno. He will also release For All Mankind, an album of brand-new instrumental music in July.

The Glitter Band

The Glitter Band was Garry Glitter’s backing band from 1973. Unofficially known as the Glittermen, John Rossall (trombone and musical director), Gerry Shephard (guitar and vocals), Pete Phipps (drums and keyboards), Tony Leonard (drums), John Springate (bass and vocals) and Harvey Ellison (saxophone) contributed to 7 top 20 singles in the UK, including Remember Me This Way, Goodbye My Love, and The Tears I Cry. The band reunited after members worked on their own individual projects, which included Phipps working with bands such as Eurhythmics, XTC and The Stranglers. Phipps and Springate are currently touring with the Glitter Band, while John Rossall tours with his own project. The band have had trouble with the usage of the Glitter name, receiving numerous injunctions barring them from doing so.

Alvin Stardust

Previously known as Shane Fenton, Alvin Stardust was an English rock singer and actor. Stardust was a character of the glam rock era, with hits such as Jealous Mind, Pretend, and I Feel Like Buddy Holly. He released six albums, the first of which,  The Untouchable, reached number 4 on the UK chart. His final album, Alvin, unfortunately did not chart, and was released posthumously. Stardust played Uriah Heep in David Copperfield, the Musical, Sir Billy Butlin in The Butlin Story, and The Child Catcher in Chitty Chitty Bang Bang. He hosted his own children’s TV series on ITV called It’s Stardust. In 2011, he was initiated into the Grand Order.

Geordie

Geordie are perhaps most famous for being AC/DC singer Bryan Johnson’s previous band. They were most notably active in the ’70s, with the first line-up consisting of Brian Johnson (vocals), Vic Malcolm (guitar and vocals), Tom Hill (bass), Brian Gibson (drums) and Micky Bennison (guitar). They supported both Slade and Sweet on tour in the early ’70s, beginning in Newcastle, Australia with the song Geordie’s Lost His Liggie, a cover of House of The Rising Son, and All Because of You. After Johnson left in 1980 to fulfill his duties with AC/DC, the band reunited without Johnson and produced the album No Sweat. In a brief AC/DC hiatus, Johnson joined the band for a one-off reunion tour, with the band momentarily changing their name to Geordie 2. In 2014, the band reformed, this time called Dynamite, releasing the album Rock ‘Til You Drop.

Mick Ronson

Mick Ronson was a notable English guitarist, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist, known for his work with Lou Reed, Morrisey and David Bowie as one of the Spiders from Mars – Bowie’s backing band. He produced string arrangements on All The Young Dudes, Life on Mars?, and Hunky Dory, among others. With his musical prowess, he became a member of Bob Dylan’s Rolling Thunder Revue band, performing live with him. He died of Liver Cancer in 1993, after which a memorial stage was constructed in Kingston-Upon-Hull, his hometown. As part of the bid for Hull to receive the 2017 City of Culture, a show about Mick Ronson was created, entitled Turn and Face The Strange, telling his story through found audio clips, and live narration through songs performed by a rock band. A second run of the show sold out in 2018, in Hull Truck Theater, close to where he is buried.

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.

Duran Duran

New Romantic band Duran Duran were formed in 1978 in Birmingham, United Kingdom. They were one of the most successful acts of the ’80s, with songs such as Rio, Hungry Like The Wolf, and Girls On Film. Members Simon Le Bon (vocals), Nick Rhodes (keyboards), Andy, John and Roger Taylor (guitar, bass and drums respectively – none of which are related by blood) were huge starts of the video era perpetuated by MTV. The original line-up of the band reformed in 2001, with Andy Taylor leaving the band for a second time in 2006. After releasing 14 albums, the band have sold over 100 million albums worldwide, with 14 in the UK top 10, and 21 songs in the US top 100 billboard chart.

A-Ha

Norwegian band A-Ha are perhaps most known for their hit single Take On Me, released in the mid-’80s. Paul Waaktar-Savoy (guitar), Magne Furuholmen (keyboards and guitar), and Morten Harket (vocals), had other hits, however, such as Hunting High and Low, and The Sun Always Shines on TV. The band released 10 albums, most recently in 2015, entitled Cast in Steel. Take On Me has been covered countless times by other famous artists such as Weezer, Sara Bareilles, ska band Reel Big Fish, and even the cast of Glee. They are the most successful act to have come from Norway, receiving 8 MTV Video Music Awards in one show in 1986, for Take On Me. The band are still touring, recently completing ‘An evening with…’ style tour in 2019 in Europe. They will continue to be on tour until the end of the year.

The Darkness

The Darkness are often seen as a parody of the Glam Rock Movement. Parody, or simply heavily influenced by glam, they are one of the biggest proponents of the style of music to come out of the 2000s era. With his distinctive falsetto vocal stylings, Justin Hawkins (vocals and guitar), brother Dan Hawkins (guitar and vocals), Frankie Poullain (bass and backing vocals) and Rufus Tiger Taylor (drums) have released 6 albums, including their debut Permission to Land, One Way Ticket to Hell… and Back and Easter is Cancelled, due for release in 2019. Their biggest singles include I Believe in a Thing Called Love and Love is Only A Feeling. Their Christmas single Christmas Time (Don’t Let The Bells End) is a take on the traditional Christmas single, and reached number 1 in the UK Rock and Metal charts. The band are on tour towards the end of 2019.

Tygers of Pan Tang

Tygers of Pan Tang were formed in Whitley Bay, close to Newcastle upon Tyne, in England in 1978. The heavy metal band were active until 1987, and then again from 1999, after which they have continued to record and perform. They have released 12 albums, with the biggest songs including Only The Brave and their cover of The Clovers’ Love Potion No. 9. Their current line-up consists of Jacopo Meille (vocals), Craig Ellis (drums), Micky Crystal (guitar), Gavin Gray (bass) and Rob Weir (guitar), with only Weir lasting from the original line-up. After gracing the stage with huge names such as Anthrax, Skid Row, and Dee Snider, the band are still touring consistently, with a tour in of Northern Europe scheduled for mid-2019.

Hanoi Rocks

Hanoi Rocks are a Finnish hair metal band formed in 1979. They are hugely popular in Japan, were the first Finnish band to chart in the UK and have been named as a huge influence on later glam metal bands to come later, such as Guns N’ Roses, Skid Row and Poison. Their currently line-up is made up of George Atlagic (drums), A.C. Christell (bass), Conny Bloom (guitar), Andy McCoy (guitar) and Michael Monroe (vocals). Only Michael Monroe remains from the original 1979 line-up. Their biggest hits include Up Around The Bend and Don’t You Ever Leave Me, and they have released eight albums. Their final break-up was announced in 2009, with the release of a DVD entitled ‘Buried Alive’ which documented their last show.

Warrant

Warrant are perhaps most known to a younger generation for the song Cherry Pie which was featured on Guitar Hero 3. The Californian glam metal band experienced a huge amount of success from 1989 to 1996 with 9 albums, 5 of which sold more than 10 million records each. Their music was typical of the ‘Sunset Strip’ glam metal bands of the time. Their most recent line-up consists of Erik Turner (guitar & harmonica), Jerry Dixon (bass), Steven Sweet (drums), Joey Allen (lead guitar) and Robert Mason (vocals). Mason stepped in after the band’s original vocalist, Jani Lane, was found dead in 2008 of acute alcohol poisoning. Their most recent album was Louder Harder Faster, released in 2017. The band have a tour planned for 2019, with dates released for June and July.

Cinderella

Cinderella were a glam metal band formed in 1982 in Philadelphia. Their music videos were very popular on MTV, and led to a multiple multi-platinum selling records, including Don’t Know What You Got (Til It’s Gone), and Nobody’s Fool. Tom Keifer (guitar and vocals), Michael Kelly Smith (guitar), Eric Brittingham (bass) and Tony Destra (drums) started the band that then went on to release four studio albums. They took their first hiatus in 1995 after vocal health problems and being dropped by Mercury Records. The band reunited in 2010 to go on a festival tour. They toured in 2012 with Skid Row singer Sebastian Bach. An official statement was finally released in 2017, saying the band had taken another hiatus, with no plans to reunite, as relationships between members were beyond repair.

The Runaways

All female American rock band The Runaways were active in the latter half of the ’70s. In this time, the band released four studio albums, with the most famous songs including Cherry Bomb, Hollywood, and a cover of the Velvet Underground’s Rock & Roll. The band’s original line-up famously consisted of Sandy West (drums), Micki Steele (bass and vocals), and of course Joan Jett (vocals and guitar). The band parted ways in 1979 due to financial and musical differences. Their music was taking them towards a glam rock sound, with certain members wishing to continue playing hard rock and heavy metal music. In 2010, there was a film released of the same name in celebration of The Runaways, with Kristen Stewart playing Joan Jett. All members had successful careers post the dissolution of the group, with Steele joining the Bangles, and Jett continuing to tour to this day.

Sparks

Los Angeles band Sparks were formed in 1972 by brothers Ron and Russel Mael (keyboards and vocals respectively). Their quirky, intelligent and theatrical music shot them to popularity, influencing a whole wave of synth pop, post-punk and alternative music, specifically bands such as The Smiths, Depeche Mode and New Order. The band released a huge 23 albums, with some of the most popular singles being This Town Ain’t Big enough For The Both Of Us, and When I’m With You. In 2018, Edgar Wright, the writer of Shaun of The Dead, Hot Fuzz, and Baby Driver, announced he is making a documentary on the band, covering the band’s concert at London’s O2 Forum Kentish Town. Sparks finally announced a tour for April 2019, with their first ever live album ‘Two Hands One Mouth’ being released around the same time.

Toto

Famous for their hit singles Africa and Hold The Line, Toto, formed in 1977 in Los Angeles. They were mostly session players for bigger artists at the time, with the band consisting of, Steve Lukather (guitar), Bobby Kimball (vocals), David Hungate (bass), David Paich (keyboards), and Jeff Porcaro (drums). They have released 13 albums and won 6 Grammy awards. In 1986, Toto won a Crystal Globe award for sales of more than 5 million records outside of their home country. Porcaro died in 2015, after a battle with ALS. It was announced later that year that they would embark on a tour with Yes around North America. In 2018, the band released their fortieth anniversary album 40 Trips Around The Sun, beginning a tour of the same name in January 2019.

Boston

More Than A Feeling, Peace of Mind, and Don’t Look Back band Boston had their most notable success between the ’70s and ’80s. The band’s leader is Tom Scholz, the multi-instrumentalist who writes most of the songs and produces most of the records. They have sold more than 75 million albums worldwide, 17 million of which were from their self-titled debut album, and the rest coming from their 5 remaining studio albums released over a period of 40 years. Boston is generally considered to be one of the most important hard rock bands of the last 40 years, influencing a whole host of bands, writing mostly hard rock and arena rock, sometimes mixing progressive rock into their writing. Boston have not toured since 2017.

Eurythmics

Eurythmics were a British duo active during the ’80s. Specializing in synth-pop, new wave, and what might be called Dance Rock, Annie Lennox and Dave Stewart released nine albums, with the last one being ‘Peace’ in 1999. Their hit singles included Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This), Here Comes The Rain Again, and There Must Be An Angel (Playing With My Head). They were the recipient of many awards, including a Brit award for outstanding contribution to music in 1999, an Ivor Novello award in 1984, and two in 1987, for Songwriters of the year twice, and best contemporary song for It’s Alright (Baby’s Coming Back). The duo reunited in 2014, for ‘The Night That Changed America: A Grammy Salute to The Beatles’, performing the song The Fool on The Hill. Stewart, in 2012, stated “never say never” to a Reuters interviewer when asked about a new album.

Europe

The iconic band Europe are known for their huge hits The Final Countdown, Carrie and Rock The Night. Formed in 1979, and originally called Force, the Swedish band, consisting of Joey Tempest (vocals), John Norum (guitar), Ian Haughland (drums), Mic Michaeli (keyboards), and John Level (bass) are truly powerhouses of ‘80s rock, producing a synth-driven, melodic pop-metal sound. The band had many periods of working then taking a hiatus. After officially reuniting in 2003, the band has since released six albums, the most recent in 2017, entitled Walk The Earth, which was recorded in Abbey Road Studios with producer Dave Cobb. With this, they are currently on a world tour called Tour The Earth 2019, in commemoration of their new album, covering places as far as Japan, Finland, Spain, France and many more.

Heart

There were a slew of male glam rock bands of the ’80s, but there were also some female glam rock bands that were simply amazing. One of those bands was 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.

Van Halen

Van Halen formed in the ’70s. The original members were Eddie Van Halen (lead guitar), Alex Van Halen (drums), David Lee Roth (vocalist) and Michael Anthony (bassist). They had a very successful single called Jump which was  known around the world. They were very successful and was one of only 5 rock bands that had 2 studio albums which sold more than 10 million copies in the US. Other hits of theirs include Hot For Teacher, I’ll Wait and You Really Got Me. The band went through different members. Even David Lee Roth left for a while, came back and left again and returned. At the moment David Lee Roth is involved in the world of tattoos business-wise. Wolfgang Van Halen, Eddie’s son eventually joined the band. At the moment there are no tour dates booked for them but they will always have a big following and be remembered.

Def Leppard

Def Leppard were, in its time, a very popular band. They had many chart topping hits with fantastic videos to go hand in hand. They’re an English rock band that formed in the late ’70s. Band members included Joe Elliott (vocals), Steve Clark (guitar), Rick Allen (drums), Phil Collen (guitar), Rick Savage (guitar), Pete Willis (guitar), Vivian Campbell (guitar) and Tony Kenning (drums). Their big hits include Photograph, Hysteria, Foolin’ and Bringin’ On The Heartbreak. They also did well in the early ’90s with their hit Two Steps Behind. Joe Elliott always stuck to rock, performing at times with other bands, Rick Savage got Bell’s Palsy but recovered from it – not entirely though. Rick Allen had his arm amputated because of a car accident – and still plays the drums on a special set! Phil Collen had addiction problems but got over them and now is a vegan with a rock hard body. Steve Clark died from alcohol poisoning, Vivian Campbell got cancer and is undergoing immunotherapy. The band still tours.