Oh, hair metal. One of the easiest targets for hate among the music community. It's easy to see why, of course. The ridiculous make-up, the typically shallow lyrics, the drugs and party lifestyle. Not things that your average listener would associate with aesthetically pleasing music. And the existence of parody bands like Spinal Tap and Steel Panther, as hilarious as they may be, don't help matters. But, love it or hate it, it exists. I, for one, love it. And not in an ironic way either. I mean genuinely, I think it's awesome. So much so that I actually hesitate to use the term "hair metal" because it's become a derogatory term. But, if I were to say "80's-style metal" or "commercial metal", it'd be too vague and you probably wouldn't know what I'm talking about. So here are my picks for the 15 head-bangingest, ass-kickingest, fist-pumpingest, eye-liner-wearingest hair metal albums ever! Some of them are still staples of classic rock radio today. Some of them are hidden gems you hadn't heard of until now. But all of 'em are the best the sub-genre has to offer. Wow, do I sound like a commercial for Monster Ballads or what?
15. Psychotic Supper (1991) - Tesla
Tesla was a band that, while they sold millions of records and were signed by a major label, never really got the recognition that the bigger bands of their day did. Shame, because they were actually one of the more talented bands as well. And they seem to be unfairly lumped into the "ridiculous" category with bands like Poison and Warrant. But Tesla was anything but ridiculous, and their third album, Psychotic Supper, proves why. The band itself even praises it as their best album. Not only did the band start to tackle more serious subject matter, but the songs were more progressive and complex in structure. Not that I have anything against simple song structure, but it's nice to hear something with more thought put into it for once. Awesome album by an awesome band. Check it out if you haven't.