10 Greatest Hard Rock Frontmen Of The '80s
Rock's rabid dogs.
The '80s wasn't short on its fair share of cheese. Even though we may look back fondly on the music and retro styles, the era of spandex and neon plastered clothes don't really hold up as well in retrospect. However, some of the greatest performers to ever grace a stage ended up standing apart from the patted fluff of the decade.
Whether it was through the interesting vocal range they brought to the table or from the way they moved the crowd, these bands gave the golden age of rock and roll a run for its money in terms of giving an audience a show. From one song to the next, these men and women lit up the stage every time they were in the spotlight, making every single concertgoer feel like they were in the front row.
There have been plenty of frontmen who are just looking to play a couple of their songs and call it a night, but each of these guys showed that it's what you do with your stage time rather than what you play.
Some may have loved them and some may have hated them, but every one of these singers grabbed the audience by the throat and refused to let go.
10. Sebastian Bach - Skid Row
When Skid Row first started making waves on the New Jersey club scene, they couldn't get a handle on a frontman. While the songs of Dave Sabo and Rachel Bolan were pretty much bulletproof by that point, there was no one who really had the stage presence to bring the songs to the next level. Things may looked dismal in Jersey, but the real sonic force had to imported from up North.
Coming down from Canada, Sebastian Bach joined Skid Row and turned the band into an entirely different animal. Across the band's self-titled album, Bach ended up fitting like a glove as he belted out future classics like "18 and Life" and "Youth Gone Wild." Any band can get it done once, but Bach had the power to follow it up as well.
Going into the studio again, the band's Slave to the Grind album showed Bach getting even heavier, as if you were watching a hair metal band metamorphose into a full on metal act right before your eyes. Even when the band were on some strange bills, the no holds barred approach Bach had made them hold their own against heavier acts like Pantera and Alice in Chains. Even though Bach has graced the Broadway stage in shows like Rocky Horror as of late, he still has the same amped up energy he's had since the very beginning of his career.