The Heaviest Song by 11 Big Hair Metal Bands

Our picks for the Heaviest Song by 11 Big Hair Metal Bands proves that the genre, which relied so heavily on simple pop sensibilities, packed a harder punch than its detractors were willing to admit.

The term “hair metal” was coined as a pejorative catch-all for the sex- and party-obsessed hard rock bands that emerged predominantly from the Sunset Strip and conquered the world in the ’80s. It was often written off by critics as shallow, lightweight fluff.

But those who did so failed to account for the hard rock and metal origins of many of hair metal’s biggest purveyors. These artists grew up worshipping the hard rock and metal bands of the ’70s and they wore those influences on their tattered sleeves.

Hair metal disparagers also ignored the fact that as grunge overtook pop-metal in the early ’90s, some of these ’80s hard rock acts managed to successfully update their sound for a new decade, embracing heavier compositional styles and textures. These experiments didn’t always resonate with the record-buying public, but some of them were musically excellent nonetheless.

Keep reading to see our picks for the Heaviest Song by 11 Big Hair Metal Bands.

Bon Jovi, “Hey God” (These Days, 1995)

Bon Jovi continued adapting to the shifting musical climate on 1995’s These Days, which ran the gamut from country to adult-contemporary to thundering hard rock. Album opener “Hey God” best represents the latter category, built around a titanic groove and Richie Sambora‘s fiery riffs. Jon Bon Jovi beseeches God to make sense of the world’s suffering and injustice, delivering one of his most furiously urgent vocal performances.

Def Leppard, “No No No” (High ‘n’ Dry, 1981)

Before they embraced the glam metal zeitgeist on Pyromania and Hysteria, Def Leppard made a name for themselves as New Wave of British Heavy Metal-adjacent hard rockers. They were still operating in that mode on their sophomore album, High ‘n’ Dry, and its closing track, “No No No,” features some of their most blistering riffs, a relentless punk drive and larynx-shredding vocals from Joe Elliott.

Yet even here, Def Leppard’s pop smarts and boundless crossover potential shine through the metallic onslaught.

Dokken, “Tooth and Nail” (Tooth and Nail, 1984)

Dokken‘s sophomore album, Tooth and Nail, took its name from the band’s desperate struggle to produce a hit record before Elektra Records dropped them. The album marked their shift toward a more commercial pop-metal sound, but several remnants of their heavier style remained.

The title track opens the LP on a speed metal note, with Don Dokken‘s snarling vocals and George Lynch‘s dizzying solos serving as perfect counterpoints — despite (or perhaps because of) the band members nearly killing each other in the studio.

READ MORE: The Heaviest Song by 10 Big ’70s Rock Bands

Motley Crue, “Smoke the Sky” (Motley Crue, 1994)

When Motley Crue replaced Vince Neil with John Corabi for their 1994 self-titled album, they shed the last of their glam-metal trappings and became a bonafide heavy metal band.

Pot-smoking anthem “Smoke the Sky” epitomizes that shift with its gnarled down-tuned riffs, thunderous drumming and Corabi’s raspy howl. The breakdown at 2:12 is the single heaviest moment in Motley’s catalog and one of the toughest performances captured by any Sunset Strip band.

Light ’em up!

Poison, “Look What the Cat Dragged In” (Look What the Cat Dragged In, 1986)

Poison were never at risk of being mistaken for Slayer, but the title track off their debut album painted a convincing portrait of hard-partying rockers living on the edge. C.C. DeVille‘s steely riffs and Bret Michaels‘ devil-may-care vocals push “Look What the Cat Dragged In” past the harmless hedonism that pervades the rest of the album and into genuinely harrowing territory. “Half alive or half dead, I just can’t tell!” Michaels shouts, sounding closer to the latter than the former.

Quiet Riot, “Bang Your Head (Metal Health)” (Metal Health, 1983)

Quiet Riot‘s Metal Health became the first metal album to top the Billboard 200 thanks primarily to their smash cover of Slade‘s “Cum On Feel the Noize,” but its title track and second single solidified the band’s ethos.

“Bang Your Head (Metal Health)” is a full-throated exhortation to surrender to the power of rock ‘n’ roll, charged by Kevin DuBrow‘s in-your-face vocals, lighter-waving hooks and a sizzling guitar solo. “Metal health will drive you mad” — does it get more metal than that?

Ratt, “Sweet Cheater” (Ratt EP, 1983)

Much like their big-haired brethren Motley Crue, Ratt started off as a scrappy punk-metal outfit and independently released their self-titled debut EP in 1983. The sparsely produced collection features many of their most raw and heaviest songs, including the pummeling glam-thrash hybrid “Sweet Cheater.”

Double-bass drumming, metallic riffs and adenoidal screams abound on this Robbin Crosby composition, bridging the gap between Ratt’s Metal Massacre origins and their star-making debut album, Out of the Cellar.

Skid Row, “Slave to the Grind” (Slave to the Grind, 1991)

Following the world-conquering success of their self-titled debut, Skid Row abandoned all pop-metal pretenses for their pulverizing sophomore album Slave to the Grind. The title track is an anti-authoritarian tour de force of thrash riffing, speed metal tempos and Sebastian Bach‘s skyscraping, melodic roar.

The version of “Slave to the Grind” that appears on the album is the original pre-production demo, as the band failed to match its intensity in future sessions. It was a wise move, as the song explodes with righteous, unadulterated fury.

Warrant, “Inside Out” (Dog Eat Dog, 1992)

It’s a crying shame that right when Warrant made their best and heaviest album, Dog Eat Dog, the music-buying public disavowed anything remotely associated with hair metal. Dog Eat Dog flew tragically under the radar as a result, selling barely a quarter of its predecessors. But those who took a chance on the album were rewarded with a maelstrom of muscular riffs and soaring hooks.

Penultimate track “Inside Out” dials the intensity up to “11” with its ceaseless double-bass drumming, Jani Lane‘s savage vocals and a scorched-earth guitar solo. When Lane screams, “Get this mic outta my fuckin’ face!” at the end of the song, it might be an affectation, but the preceding performance is so vicious it feels authentic.

Whitesnake, “Bad Boys” (Whitesnake, 1987)

Whitesnake‘s self-titled 1987 album turned the David Coverdale-fronted outfit into superstars thanks to mega-ballads “Here I Go Again” and “Is This Love,” but its album cuts are diametrically opposed to those lovesick hits.

“Bad Boys” is the toughest of the bunch: a hard-rocking outlaw anthem anchored by Coverdale’s gravelly vocals and John Sykes‘ speedy, tremolo-picked riffing. Sykes’ diabolically fast solo threatens to enter power metal territory and Whitesnake make a clean break from their blues-rock roots.

Winger, “Junkyard Dog (Tears on Stone)” (Pull, 1993)

Poor Winger — doomed to permanent hair metal punchline status at the hands of an ill-timed Beavis and Butt-Head sketch, just as they released their heaviest and most focused album to date.

Although few self-respecting rock fans would have admitted it at the time, Pull bore virtually no resemblance to Winger’s glammy first two albums or schmaltzy AOR ballads. “Junkyard Dog (Tears on Stone)” cut a bold new path with its chunky, down-tuned riffs and towering groove. Kip Winger‘s bluesy, dexterous vocals supply the melody and a chilling acoustic passage turns the nearly seven-minute track into a heavy and progressive epic.