With the birth of MTV, a band’s appearance became almost as important as their music. Heavy metal hair bands––Quiet Riot, Ratt, Mötley Crüe, Bon Jovi, Skid Row, Dokken, Guns n’ Roses––presented a new aesthetic for the video age. Relying on leather pants, pyrotechnics, eyeliner and other elements, these artists exuded showmanship and elevated rock stardom to new heights.

More established groups also pushed their look to the limit. Kiss, Aerosmith, Ozzy Osborne, Van Halen, Rush, Whitesnake and Heart rocked sold-out stadium shows and big budget videos with over-the-top outfits, long frizzy hair and intense makeup.

Eighties rock was not all about face time. Metal bands like Judas Priest, Iron Maiden, Metallica, Motörhead, Slayer, Black Sabbath and Megadeath were too far outside the mainstream to play on MTV. However their hard-rocking sound influenced the next generation of death metal and industrial bands who loom large in today’s music scene.

WHO'S YOUR FAVORITE DRIVING FORCE IN MUSIC          Tim McGraw          Gwen Stefani          David Bowie          Pharrell Williams          Alicia Keys

Some bands were fleeting, but eighties rock did leave an important legacy, influencing current groups like Nine Inch Nails and the Darkness. A well-deserved eighties rock revival is gaining steam in the current decade. Metallica, Billy Idol, Bon Jovi and Duran Duran are on tour again, attracting the children of their original eighties fans.