[For Beginners] Classic LA Metal Anthems: A Roundup of the Most Popular Standards
In the United States during the 1980s, many bands emerged that combined a distinctive sound adding glamorous elements to heavy metal with flashy looks; these bands came to be known as glam metal or hair metal.
In Japan, those bands—especially the ones from Los Angeles—were given a unique label: “LA metal,” and they had a major impact on the Japanese metal scene.
The soundscape woven by powerful guitar riffs, lyrical melodies, and soaring high-pitched vocals continues to captivate many listeners even today.
This time, we’ll introduce classic songs that are perfect for learning about the history and allure of LA metal.
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[For Beginners] Classic LA Metal Masterpieces: A Roundup of Essential Favorites (31–40)
Talk Dirty To MePoison
A song by the rock band Poison, formed in Pennsylvania in 1983.
Released as a single in 1987, it became their first hit.
The song is about having a good time with an adventurous woman.
The music video was directed by Doug Freel, who had worked on Def Leppard’s projects.
Dream WarriorsDokken
A song created as the theme for the film “A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors.” It was released as a single in 1987 by the American metal band Dokken.
The track, whose music video gained popularity on MTV, reached No.
22 on the U.S.
charts.
The PriceTwisted Sister
A song about the things sacrificed to achieve one’s goals.
It was released as a single in 1984 by the American heavy metal band Twisted Sister.
Considered a fan favorite, it’s their most popular ballad.
House Of Broken LoveGreat White
A song with pain-tinged inspiration, released as a single in 1989 by the American hard rock band Great White.
It reached No.
7 on the U.S.
charts and was performed at the 1990 American Music Awards.
SeventeenWinger
The first hit by the American rock band Winger and their most famous song.
It was released as a single in 1988 and reached No.
26 on the U.S.
charts.
The music video was directed by Mark Rezyka.
[For Beginners] Iconic LA Metal Songs: A Collection of Classic Favorites (41–50)
Crazy BitchBuckcherry
A song released as a single in 2006 by the Los Angeles hard rock band Buckcherry.
It’s about a girlfriend who’s great in bed but terrible otherwise.
It initially sparked speculation that it was about Paris Hilton, but this was denied by frontman Josh Todd.
In conclusion
The sound and passionate stage performances of the bands known as LA metal symbolize the 1980s LA rock scene, and they continue to captivate music fans around the world without losing their luster. As mentioned at the beginning, the term “LA metal” is a uniquely Japanese label, but if you want to learn more about that glamorous era of metal, be sure to use this article as a starting point and dive deeper.