10 Hard Rock Bands That Went Pop
3. Motley Crue
From the minute they arrived on the scene, it was impossible to escape Motley Crue. Starting with their punkish debut Too Fast For Love, the band created a menacing brand of rock and roll that fit right in amidst the shifting landscape of the Sunset Strip. Once hair metal became more in demand though, the band's shift to prettier sounds was a bit too much too soon.
While the band we knew and loved had just put out the heavy metal juggernaut Shout at the Devil, the followup Theatre of Pain was a lot more rough around the edges. All of a sudden, these guys had traded in their leather and studs for lipstick and makeup, with songs like "Smokin in the Boys Room" giving them a career boost. Even when the band looks back on this era, everyone from Vince Neil to Tommy Lee has said that the album suffered from a bit too much polish, which was most likely a result of the band's drug intake.
The band were able to get that Motley magic together at least once for the hard rock power ballad "Home Sweet Home," but aside from a few tunes, this is known as the moment where the Crue got dolled up.