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Before it was ended by Nirvana and the rise of grunge, hair metal was massively popular. Bands like Poison and Motley Crue topped the pop charts and sold out arenas across the country. Even though some are ashamed to admit it today, there were millions of hair metal fans, and this book captures that time of decadence and big hair.

Steven Blush hasn't written an exhaustive encyclopedia of that era. Instead, American Hair Metal gives a broad overview of the history and bands of the genre.


There are dozens of quotes from artists that give a taste of what things were like in that scene. He also profiles many of the hair bands, from the big names like Bon Jovi, Cinderella and Warrant to lesser known acts such as Heaven's Edge, Roughhouse and Vain.

What makes this book a must own for hair metal fans are the photos. There are dozens and dozens of great photos of the bands and artists. From concert shots to candids to band portraits, it's a great chronicle of this era in music history. And with the successful return of many of the hair bands to the concert circuit and the popularity of "Metal Mania" on VH-1 Classic there's still a lot of interest in these bands and that music.