170-654: Ratt (stylized as RATT) was an American glam metal band that had significant commercial success in the 1980s, with their albums having been certified as gold, platinum and multi-platinum by the RIAA . The group is perhaps best known for hit singles such as " Round and Round " and " Lay It Down ", tracks that ranked on Billboard 's top 40 at No. 12 and No. 40, respectively, as well as other songs such as " Wanted Man ", " You're in Love " and " Dance ". Along with bands such as friendly rivals Mötley Crüe , Ratt has been recognized as instrumental in
340-759: A sound-system from Indiana-born Pasadena transplant David Lee Roth for $ 10 per night. The loquacious, worldly, energetic son of a local ophthalmologist, Roth fronted a local R&B influenced rock band the Red Ball Jets. Roth's uncle Manny owned NYC's Bleecker street Cafe Wha? until 1968. Partly to save money, they now invited Roth to join as their lead vocalist despite previous unconvincing audition(s). Ultimately Roth's charismatic " Jim Dandy " approach would be both an artistic foil to Eddie's circumspect, guitar prodigy talents as well as allowing Eddie to focus his energies on song composition. In 1973, Mammoth officially changed its name to Van Halen. According to Roth, this
510-405: A wicker chair. The band has remained mother as to what the album cover is supposed to symbolize so as to facilitate the diverse interpretations of their fans. Early pressings of the album cover revealed the breast part of the statue as requested by lead singer Stephen Pearcy. According to Pearcy, he wanted to use that version of the cover, but the other band members feared that this cover would keep
680-627: A Broken Heart and subsequently popularised by the success of Black Veil Brides , Escape the Fate and Falling in Reverse . Avenged Sevenfold 's 2005 album City of Evil also promoted a similar influence, seeing the band depart from their metalcore sound in favour of one indebted to glam metal. At the same time, in Sweden there was a sleaze metal movement attempting to revive the genre, with bands including Vains of Jenna , Crashdïet and H.E.A.T , as well as
850-562: A December 1977 story in the Los Angeles Times , it was Van Halen's first booking at the Starwood and the first time they hired their own roadies. "We wanted to come on with a little class and we couldn't be seen setting up our own stuff in Hollywood," explained Roth. Although the audience was negligible — Messenger claims only a barmaid and himself were there until Ostin and Templeman arrived —
1020-616: A Dirty Job ". The band co-wrote most of the album's songs with Desmond Child while Jon Bon Jovi appeared as a guest background vocalist on "Heads I Win, Tails You Lose". During the seven shows of the Japanese leg of the 'Detonator' tour in February 1991, Crosby's substance abuse caused his playing to become increasingly inconsistent onstage. During one particular show, after the band performed two songs using non-standard tuning, Crosby did not properly switch out guitars with his guitar technician; as
1190-473: A Grammy nomination. Other singles included " Panama " (No. 13 U.S.), " I'll Wait " (also No. 13 U.S.), and " Hot for Teacher ". Three of the songs had popular music videos on MTV. 1984 was praised by critics and peaked at No. 2 on the Billboard charts behind Michael Jackson 's Thriller (which notably had a guitar solo by Eddie on " Beat It "). Following the 1984 Tour, Roth decided to quit and form
1360-462: A Roth reunion. Eddie recovered from his hip surgery in November 1999, but from 2000 to early 2004 no official statements were made by Van Halen and no music was released. However, information about members past and present trickled in. The Van Halen brothers continued writing at 5150 Studios, Cherone recorded an album and toured with new band Tribe of Judah . One of the songs that Cherone had written for
1530-468: A Woman ", which received MTV airplay, and as of 2021, is the band's last album to be certified platinum. Ratt spent much of 1989 on a world tour in promotion of Reach for the Sky , with support from Great White , Warrant , Kix and Britny Fox . The surreal, Dali-esque album cover featured a statue wearing night vision goggles , a human hand emerging from a bundle of twine , a World War II fighter plane, and
1700-454: A backstage press conference, press queries about a reunion tour were met with Eddie saying that he needed a hip replacement and would have to record an entire new studio album before any tour. Roth told Eddie to avoid talking about negative things like his hip and the two almost came to blows. Van Halen's next lead singer was Gary Cherone , former frontman of the Boston-based band Extreme ,
1870-403: A band: $ 1.5 million for a 90-minute set at Steve Wozniak 's 1983 US Festival , a show that both Noel Monk and Doug Messenger considered artistically a disaster, Roth having consumed alcohol to the point of forgetting lyrics. Despite this return to form, Roth and Eddie's differences continued, and this caused friction with other band members. Billy Sheehan , after his band Talas completed
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#17328685524352040-403: A cover of " You Really Got Me ". The band toured for 9 months more, opening for Black Sabbath and establishing a reputation for their performances. The band's chemistry was based on Eddie Van Halen's guitar technique and David Lee Roth's charisma. The band returned to the studio for 2 weeks, in late 1978, to record Van Halen II , a 1979 LP similar in style to their debut. This record yielded
2210-454: A documentary DVD, Long Road to Cabo , about touring with Roth. While the two singers promoted the tour and publicly claimed mutual respect, rumors of bitter acrimony and mutual loathing swirled. The allegations were later supported by backstage video, which showed the Roth and Hagar camps maintaining strict separation. Next, Hagar joined with Joe Satriani and Journey guitarist Neal Schon to form
2380-430: A double CD compilation featuring three new songs with Hagar: "It's About Time", "Up for Breakfast", and "Learning to See". These new songs were credited to Hagar/Van Halen/Van Halen, which was unusual since normally the entire lineup, which also included Michael Anthony, would be credited. However, the performance was credited to the entire band. Anthony later revealed in interviews that Eddie had in fact not wanted him to be
2550-410: A female model on an album cover later became a trend copied by many glam metal bands of the 1980s, including Great White and Slaughter . Invasion of Your Privacy was displayed by Parents Music Resource Center at a congressional hearing dealing with parental advisory labels. A couple of months after the album release, the band released a home video entitled Ratt: The Video . The video featured
2720-742: A few friends. In 1974, the band broke up, with Pearcy forming Crystal Pystal. The name Crystal Pystal was changed to Mickey Ratt at some point in 1976. The name was shortened in 1977. Guitarist Robbin Crosby in those same years had been a member of the bands Metropolis with Tommy Asakawa and Parramore McCarty, Xcalibur, Phenomenon, Secret Service and Mac Meda with Asakawa. Mickey Ratt went through various lineup changes. Members included guitarists Jake E. Lee , Chris Hager , and Bob DeLellis, bassists Matt Thorr , Tim Garcia, and Dave Jellison, and drummers John Turner, and Bob Eisenberg. The various Mickey Ratt lineups released several demos, appeared on compilations and
2890-495: A friend. I'm the kind of guy you go out with if you want to split your friend with a bottle." Anthony guested with Hagar's band, the Waboritas , numerous times and sometimes even sang lead vocals. During performances, Hagar would tease Anthony by asking, "Do the brothers know you're here?" Anthony never played with Roth. Cherone appeared on occasion. Hagar released a live album ( Hallelujah ), featuring vocals by Anthony and Cherone, and
3060-510: A glam metal sound in this period. In the last years of the decade, the most notable successes were New Jersey (1988) by Bon Jovi, OU812 (1988) by Van Halen, while Open Up and Say... Ahh! (1988) by Poison, spawned number one hit single " Every Rose Has Its Thorn ", and eventually sold eight million copies worldwide. Britny Fox from Philadelphia and Winger from New York released their eponymous débuts in 1988. In 1989, Mötley Crüe produced their most commercially successful album,
3230-536: A glam metal sound. The album reached No. 1 in the UK Rock Chart , but failed to chart in the United States. Meanwhile, Guns N' Roses' classic-lineup was whittled away throughout the decade. Drummer Steven Adler was fired in 1990, guitarist Izzy Stradlin left in late 1991 after recording Use Your Illusion I and II with the band. Tensions between the other band members and lead singer Axl Rose continued after
3400-425: A group which had enjoyed some popular success in the early 1990s. The result was the album Van Halen III . Many songs were longer and more experimental than Van Halen's earlier work. It was a notable contrast from their previous material, with more focus on ballads than traditional rock songs ("How Many Say I", with Eddie on vocals). Sales were poor by the band's standards, only reaching a Gold certification, despite
3570-531: A hard rock record of seven hit singles and stayed on the Billboard 200 chart for 136 weeks. Another of the greatest successes of the era was Guns N' Roses , originally formed from a fusion of bands L.A. Guns and Hollywood Rose , who released the best-selling debut of all time, Appetite for Destruction . With a "grittier" and "rawer" sound than most glam metal, incorporating elements of punk and blues, Appetite for Destruction produced three top 10 hits, including
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#17328685524353740-558: A live concert recording on Pearcy's indie imprint Top Fuel Records. In 1980, to increase their chances of landing a recording contract with a major label, the band recorded a single called "Dr. Rock" / "Drivin' on E", which was given to fans at their early Los Angeles club shows. Crosby played with the band later in the year. Guitarist Warren DeMartini , recommended by Lee, joined the band in January 1982. Bassist Gene Hunter (from Jake E. Lee's Teaser) and drummer Khurt Maier (who played drums on
3910-420: A more natural and stripped-down aesthetic and a rejection of the glam metal visual style. During this period, many of the most successful acts of the genre's 1980s pinnacle suddenly found themselves facing disbandment as their audiences moved in another direction. Glam metal has experienced a resurgence since the late 1990s, with successful reunion tours of many popular acts from the genre's 1980s heyday, as well as
4080-433: A multi-platinum seller that would be the band's last with Sammy Hagar on vocals. In 1996, David Lee Roth returned briefly and his replacement, former Extreme singer Gary Cherone , left the band soon after the release of the commercially unsuccessful 1998 album Van Halen III . Van Halen would not tour or record again until 2004. Welsh rock band Manic Street Preachers ' 1992 debut album Generation Terrorists featured
4250-528: A new band. Group members have given different reasons for the split, but all were firmly rooted in control of the band's sound, artistic direction, singles released and pace. Roth was concerned about Eddie playing music outside of Van Halen. Roth was also launching a successful solo career with two hit cover songs off his Crazy from the Heat EP, a remake of the Beach Boys ' classic " California Girls " (#3 U.S.) and
4420-523: A pairing of the classic Al Jolson standard " Just a Gigolo " and " I Ain't Got Nobody "(#12 U.S.), which had previously been paired together by Louis Prima . Roth was also offered a $ 20-million film deal for a script titled Crazy from the Heat . Roth hoped Van Halen would contribute the soundtrack; however, the film deal fell through when CBS Pictures was reorganized in 1986. Eddie invited Patty Smyth of Scandal to replace Roth, but she declined. Daryl Hall
4590-501: A part in developing the overall look and sound of glam metal during the early 1980s. In 1985, many more commercially successful glam metal albums began to appear, including Mötley Crüe's third album Theatre of Pain , Ratt's second album Invasion of Your Privacy , Dokken's third album Under Lock and Key , Stryper 's first release Soldiers Under Command , Bon Jovi's second release 7800° Fahrenheit , and Autograph's second album That's The Stuff . Los Angeles continued to foster
4760-520: A part of the reunion, with him only joining at Hagar's insistence. The new songs had already been recorded, with Eddie playing the bass parts himself instead, and Anthony only provided backing vocals for the three tracks. No songs with Cherone from Van Halen III were included. It was certified platinum in the US in August 2004. The Summer 2004 tour grossed almost US$ 55 million, and Pollstar listed Van Halen in
4930-677: A presence on radio and MTV. Footage from the band's performances at Hirsch Memorial Coliseum in Shreveport, Louisiana and the Mississippi Coast Coliseum in Biloxi, Mississippi were featured in the video to "You're In Love". DeMartini and Crosby's impressive guitar solos and Pearcy's sexual lyrics helped to further define the Ratt sound. Although it did not achieve the sales figures or the status of their debut, Invasion of Your Privacy nonetheless
5100-466: A result, he was not in tune with the band for the next two songs. The last show of the band's Japanese tour, in Osaka, turned out to be Crosby's last with Ratt. When the band returned to the United States, Crosby checked again into a rehab facility and Ratt continued on with Michael Schenker , formerly of Scorpions , UFO , Michael Schenker Group , and McAuley Schenker Group . In February 1992, Pearcy exited
5270-438: A reunion, detailing how the attempts to do the same with Roth never worked out. Eventually, Hagar decided to call Alex to spend a day together with him. The two got along and became interested in reuniting on stage. In late March 2004, Van Halen and Hagar announced that Hagar would reunite with the band for a new compilation release and a summer concert tour of the U.S. In July 2004, Van Halen released The Best of Both Worlds ,
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5440-480: A revival. Some established acts who had managed to weather the storm enjoyed renewed popularity, others reformed and new bands emerged to emulate the glam metal style. Bon Jovi were still able to achieve a commercial hit with " It's My Life " (2000). They branched into country music with a version of their 2005 song " Who Says You Can't Go Home ", which reached No. 1 on the Hot Country Singles chart in 2006 and
5610-456: A row, despite never mastering sight-reading sheet music . The brothers began playing music together in the 1960s, with Eddie on drums and Alex on guitar. However, while Ed was delivering newspapers to pay off his drum set, Alex secretly developed a passion and proficiency at them. Eventually, out of frustration and brotherly competition, Ed told Alex, "OK, you play drums and I'll play your guitar." The Van Halen brothers formed their first band,
5780-595: A second song for the soundtrack, Hagar was in Hawaii for the birth of his child. It was not an easy birth as the baby was breech , so it needed to be delivered via C-section. With Hagar back in Hawaii and against the idea of doing the project, but having another song left to contribute, the Van Halen brothers alone recorded the instrumental "Respect the Wind". The performance, which featured Eddie playing guitar and Alex playing keyboards,
5950-473: A separate lawsuit, but that lawsuit also failed. On November 29, 2016, Pearcy, Croucier and DeMartini announced that they had expelled Blotzer from the Ratt Partnership and announced their own Back for More Tour. Despite adverse court decisions, Blotzer continued to tour as RATT with his band, claiming the right to do so because final judgment had not yet been entered in the cases. In June 2017, judgment
6120-409: A series of compilation albums that feature popular power ballads, usually from the glam metal genre, capitalized on the nostalgia, with the first volume going platinum. The VH1 sponsored Rock Never Stops Tour , beginning in 1998, has seen many glam metal bands take to the stage again, including on the inaugural tour: Warrant, Slaughter, Quiet Riot, FireHouse, and L.A. Guns. Slaughter also took part in
6290-664: A side project, Planet Us, with Michael Anthony and Deen Castronovo (also of Journey) on drums. The band recorded just two songs and played live a few times before dissolving when Hagar and Anthony rejoined Van Halen. On July 4, 2004, Roth performed with one of the world's most popular orchestras, the Boston Pops , at United States' annual Pops Goes the Fourth celebration in Boston. Hagar remained active, releasing five albums and creating his own merchandising brand Cabo Wabo , which lends its name to
6460-617: A staple of the Los Angeles music scene during the mid-1970s, playing at well-known clubs like the Whisky a Go Go on Sunset Strip. All the club gig success led naturally to the need for a demo tape, which was recorded at Cherokee Studios in Northridge where Steely Dan had recently completed an LP. According to a January 4, 1977, L.A. Times article by Robert Hilburn, entitled "HOMEGROWN PUNK", Rodney Bingenheimer saw Van Halen at Gazzarri's in
6630-457: A strictly visual perspective, glam metal is defined by flashy and tight-fitting clothing, makeup, and an overall androgynous aesthetic in which the traditional "denim & leather" aspect of heavy metal culture is replaced by spandex , lace , and usually heavy use of bright colours. Glam metal suffered a decline in popularity in the early-mid 1990s, as the grunge and alternative phenomena revolutionized hard rock, and fans' tastes moved toward
6800-514: A subsequent album. Ratt eventually moved forward with a lineup of Pearcy, DeMartini and Blotzer, along with new member Robbie Crane (formerly of Vince Neil 's solo band and Pearcy's Vertex tour) on bass. When the band toured in 1997, they were a four-piece; Pearcy occasionally played guitar during this tour. The band issued a compilation album called Collage in July 1997, which consisted of B-sides, alternate recordings, and new versions of songs from
6970-470: A table without any pockets. We were as far away from LA as any band could be." The most active glam metal scene was starting to appear in clubs on the Sunset Strip in Los Angeles, including The Trip, the Whisky a Go Go , and the Starwood. These clubs refrained from booking punk rock bands because of fears of violence and began booking many metal bands instead, usually on a "pay to play" basis, thus creating
Ratt - Misplaced Pages Continue
7140-446: A tour with Van Halen, claims he was approached by Eddie to replace Michael Anthony; the reasons for this were never completely clear to Sheehan, as nothing came of it. During this time, Eddie contributed the score and instrumental songs to the movie The Wild Life . The score was laden with drum machine and hinted at sounds and riffs that would come with their next two albums, 1984 and 5150 . 1984 (released on January 9, 1984)
7310-401: A very successful year. His hit single " I Can't Drive 55 " came from his 1984 album VOA , produced by Ted Templeman , who had also produced Montrose's first album Montrose , as well as all of Van Halen's albums up to that point. Hagar agreed to sing as well as play rhythm guitar. When Warner Bros. president Mo Ostin came to the band's 5150 Studios to hear the band's progress, Hagar said
7480-536: A vibrant scene for hard rock music. An increasing number of metal bands were able to produce debut albums in 1984, including Ratt (from Los Angeles) with its breakthrough album Out of the Cellar , Bon Jovi (from New Jersey) with its debut Bon Jovi , Great White with Great White , Black 'n Blue (from Portland, Oregon) with Black 'n Blue , Autograph with its first album Sign In Please , and W.A.S.P. with its self-titled debut album . All these bands played
7650-512: A wave of grunge bands from Seattle , such as Nirvana , Alice in Chains , Pearl Jam and Soundgarden . Other alternative bands such as R.E.M. , Radiohead , Stone Temple Pilots , and the Smashing Pumpkins achieved mainstream success in the wake of glam's decline. The decline was particularly obvious after the success of both R.E.M.'s Out of Time (1991) and Nirvana's Nevermind (1991),
7820-585: Is 20th on the RIAA's list of best-selling artists in the United States; the band has sold 56 million albums in the U.S. and more than 80 million worldwide, making them one of the best-selling groups of all time . As of 2007 , Van Halen is one of only five rock bands with two studio albums to sell more than 10 million copies in the United States and is tied for the most multi-platinum albums by an American band. Additionally, Van Halen has charted 13 number-one hits on Billboard ' s Mainstream Rock chart. VH1 ranked
7990-458: Is a subgenre of heavy metal that features pop -influenced hooks and guitar riffs , upbeat rock anthems , and slow power ballads . It borrows heavily from the fashion and image of 1970s glam rock . Early glam metal evolved directly from the glam rock movement of the 1970s, as visual elements taken from acts such as T. Rex , the New York Dolls , and David Bowie (and to a lesser extent,
8160-451: The Billboard pop music charts, one of rock's most commercially successful debuts. It was highly regarded as both a heavy metal and hard rock album. The album included songs now regarded as Van Halen classics, like " Runnin' with the Devil " and the guitar solo " Eruption ", which showcased Eddie's use of a technique known as "finger-tapping" , leading into what became the band's first single,
8330-556: The Billboard Hot 100 chart, and again in 2020 on the Billboard Rock Digital Sales Chart, peaking at #18 on June 4, 2020), " Wanted Man ", "Back for More", and " Lack of Communication ". The video for "Round and Round" was notable for its guest appearance by Marshall Berle's uncle, Milton Berle , in his Uncle Miltie drag character. Out of the Cellar became a commercial success, going platinum three times over in
8500-468: The Billboard 200, but they were to be one of the last major bands that emerged in the glam metal era. Glam metal entered the 1990s as one of the major commercial genres of popular music, but such success would not continue for long; in 1990, débuts for Slaughter , from Las Vegas with Stick It to Ya and FireHouse , from North Carolina , with their eponymous album reached number 18 and number 21 on
8670-537: The Finnish band Reckless Love . Los Angeles band Steel Panther managed to gain a following by playing 1980s style glam metal. Van Halen Van Halen ( / v æ n ˈ h eɪ l ə n / van HAY -len ) was an American rock band formed in Pasadena, California , in 1973. Credited with restoring hard rock to the forefront of the music scene, Van Halen was known for their energetic live performances and for
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#17328685524358840-691: The New Wave of British heavy metal , mixed glam rock with heavy metal , helping to define the sound of hard rock for the 1980s decade. In March 1980, Def Leppard released their initial album On Through the Night , its first song "Rock Brigade" provided a hint of this future sound style. In July 1981, Def Leppard released their second album High 'n' Dry , which contained the songs " Bringin' On The Heartbreak " ( power ballad ) and "Switch 625" (instrumental), examples of their signature sound style prevalent in their next album (Pyromania). The High 'n' Dry album stayed on
9010-529: The glam rock or glitter rock of the 1970s, often with very long backcombed hair, use of hair spray , use of make-up , gaudy clothing and accessories (chiefly consisting of tight denim or leather jeans, spandex , and headbands). The visual aspects of glam metal appealed to music television producers, particularly MTV , whose establishment coincided with the rise of the genre. Glam metal performers became infamous for their debauched lifestyles of drugs, strippers and late-night parties, which were widely covered in
9180-781: The punk and new wave movements taking place concurrently in New York City) were fused with the decidedly more heavy metal leaning and theatrical acts such as Alice Cooper and Kiss . The first examples of this fusion began appearing in the late 1970s and early 1980s in the United States, particularly on the Los Angeles Sunset Strip music scene. Early glam metal bands include Mötley Crüe , Hanoi Rocks , Ratt , Quiet Riot , Twisted Sister , Bon Jovi , and Dokken . Glam metal achieved significant commercial success from approximately 1982 to 1991, bringing to prominence bands such as Poison , Skid Row , Cinderella and Warrant . From
9350-433: The " Unchained " solo hours after Ted "stormed out of" the studio. This darker album only reached platinum status after $ 250,000 of payola pushed it up nationwide from 400k copies. Planning to release a cover single, then take a hiatus, Roth and Ed agreed upon a remake of the 1960s Roy Orbison song " Oh, Pretty Woman ", which peaked at 12 on BB Top 100. "Oh, Pretty Woman"'s comical video helped its immediate success, but
9520-408: The 'Sans-Halen' or 'Sam & Dave' Tour). The tour, with both singers headlining, attracted media and audience fascination because it seemed more improbable than even a Van Halen tour with Roth or Hagar. It drew large crowds and featured no opening acts, Roth and Hagar alternating as the first act. Roth contrasted his personality with Hagar's: "He's the kind of guy you go out with to split a bottle with
9690-514: The 13th song of theirs to do so. This made them the band with the most Mainstream Rock No. 1s. Van Halen returned to the studio and in early 1999 started work on a new album. For the sessions, they brought on Danny Kortchmar to produce. Working titles of songs included "Left for Dead", "River Wide", "Say Uncle", "You Wear it Well", "More Than Yesterday", "I Don't Miss You ... Much", "Love Divine", and "From Here, Where Do We Go?"; more than 20 songs were rumored to have been written. The project
9860-427: The 1996 MTV Video Music Awards fueled reunion speculation. But several weeks after the awards show, it was discovered that Roth was out of Van Halen again. Roth released a statement that Van Halen misled him into thinking they were seriously considering bringing him back into the band and that he had made clear to them beforehand that he did not want to do the awards show unless they were actually reuniting. The next day,
10030-548: The 1999 version with Ted Nugent, Night Ranger, and Quiet Riot. Poison and Cinderella toured together in 2000 and 2002, and in 2005 Cinderella headlined the Rock Never Stops Tour, with support from Ratt, Quiet Riot, and FireHouse. In 2007 the four-day-long Rocklahoma festival held in Oklahoma included glam metal bands Poison, Ratt and Twisted Sister . Warrant and Cinderella co-headlined the festival in 2008. Nostalgia for
10200-437: The 2004, 2007, and 2012 tours. In 1995, Van Halen released the album Balance and supported Bon Jovi on their European Summer stadium tour . The Balance Tour was nicknamed the "Ambulance Tour" by the band due to an amount of physical ailments, as Hagar had throat problems during the first concerts, Eddie suffered a hip injury caused by avascular necrosis , and Alex wore a neck brace due to ruptured vertebrae. During
10370-689: The Bi Lo Center in Greenville, S.C., and ended August 19, 2007, at the Coors Amphitheatre in Denver. The tour, which brought Poison and Ratt onstage together for the first time since 1999, visited amphitheaters, festivals and fairs in such cities as Boston, Detroit, New York, Atlantic City and Los Angeles. In August 2008, Sirius Satellite Radio's Hair Nation channel reported that former Mötley Crüe singer John Corabi had resigned as rhythm guitarist for Ratt and
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#173286855243510540-662: The Billboard 200 chart for 123 weeks. Bands from across the United States began to move towards what would become the glam metal sound. In the fall of 1981, Mötley Crüe (from Los Angeles) released their first album Too Fast for Love , Kix (from western Maryland) released their first album Kix , and Dokken (from Los Angeles) released their first album Breaking the Chains in Europe (later remixed for September 1983 re-release in USA). In November 1982, Night Ranger (from San Francisco) released their initial album Dawn Patrol which reached
10710-441: The Billboard 200 respectively, but it would be the peak of their commercial achievement. Y&T released their last album "Ten" before the band went on hiatus from a few years. The 1988 film The Decline of Western Civilization Part II: The Metal Years captured the Los Angeles scene of successful and aspiring bands. It also highlighted the excesses of glam metal, particularly the scene in which W.A.S.P. guitarist Chris Holmes
10880-520: The Broken Combs, in 1964. As they gained popularity playing backyard parties and local high school functions, they changed their name first to the Trojan Rubber Co, then in 1972 to Genesis, later still to Mammoth when they discovered Genesis was already in use by a major-label British band. At this time the band included Eddie on both vocals and lead guitar and friend Mark Stone on bass. They rented
11050-706: The Mickey Ratt period. In 1998, Ratt secured a worldwide record deal with Sony . The self-titled Ratt album, released in July 1999, featured new material with a more conventional blues rock feel. The album's first single, "Over the Edge", did graze the Top 40 Mainstream Rock charts. In 1999, Ratt added Keri Kelli as a second guitarist. In January 2000, Pearcy left the group again and went on tour with his band Nitronic, which soon after became "Ratt Featuring Stephen Pearcy". In 2001, former guitarist Robbin Crosby publicly announced that he
11220-610: The UK, including Hard Rock Hell and London. During this time, Blotzer was using the company WBS to sue the band's original bassist, Juan Croucier, for trademark infringement. On November 8, 2016, that Court granted summary judgment against WBS and in favor of Croucier, finding that the trademark rights had never properly been transferred to WBS and thus were still held by the RATT Partnership under its 1985 partnership agreement. Blotzer had also used WBS to sue Pearcy for trademark infringement in
11390-445: The United States and making Ratt stars at home and abroad. The album release was capped off by a successful world tour that saw the band sell out stadiums and arenas worldwide. Out of the Cellar is widely regarded as the band's best work and a definitive moment in 1980s heavy metal, while "Round and Round" scored at No. 61 on VH1 's Greatest Hard Rock Songs Show . The band's second full-length album, Invasion of Your Privacy ,
11560-516: The United States, achieving a Diamond certification by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). By 1982, the band released four more albums: Van Halen II (1979), Women and Children First (1980), Fair Warning (1981), and Diver Down (1982), all of which have since been certified multi-platinum. By the early 1980s, Van Halen was among the most commercially successful rock acts. The album 1984 , released in
11730-471: The Van Halen brothers and Anthony released their own statement, denying they had in any way led Roth to believe they were planning to bring him back into the band. Eddie later recounted that at the MTV Video Music Awards appearance, he was embarrassed and outraged by Roth's antics while on camera behind Beck , who was giving an acceptance speech for the award that Van Halen had presented to him. At
11900-512: The Warner Bros. reps were so impressed that they wrote a letter of intent on a napkin, and within a week met at a local diner with the band, their future manager Marshall Berle (nephew of comedian Milton Berle ) and Warner touring manager Noel Monk, who had just guided the Sex Pistols across the United States. According to Noel Monk's book, the band's car had broken down enroute to the meeting at
12070-547: The album For Unlawful Carnal Knowledge . Van Halen continued to enjoy success throughout the mid-1990s. They recorded a live album and concert film at two 1992 F.U.C.K. tour shows in Fresno, California called Live: Right Here, Right Now . During the F.U.C.K. and the live album supporting Live: Right Here Right Now tour, Night Ranger 's Alan Fitzgerald played keyboards offstage every night allowing Eddie to concentrate on guitar. Fitzgerald would return to play offstage keyboards on
12240-474: The album Hot Cakes the following year. In the mid-to late 2000s, there was a minor sleaze rock revival with groups like Hinder and Buckcherry . The latter's breakthrough album 15 (2006) went platinum in the U.S. and spawned the single " Sorry " (2007), which made the top 10 of the Billboard Hot 100. Additionally, a subset of scene bands embraced elements of glam metal. This began with Blessed by
12410-608: The album peaking at No. 4 on the U.S. charts. However, Van Halen III did produce the hit " Without You ", and another album track, "Fire in the Hole", appeared on the Lethal Weapon 4 soundtrack. The album was followed by a tour. The III Tour saw Van Halen playing in new countries, including first ever visits to Australia and New Zealand. "Without You" acquired No. 1 place on the Billboard Mainstream Rock Charts in 1998,
12580-524: The band again, explaining he was "officially done with having anything to do with them due to the constant turmoil, unresolved business, personal attacks/threats in the public forum, and most of all, the disrespect to the fans." In June 2015, Blotzer formed a band called Bobby Blotzer's Ratt Experience. In August 2015, Croucier formed a touring band that played Ratt's deep cuts, with the band debuting in September. Within days, Blotzer criticized Croucier for using
12750-454: The band for about a year, and they decided to replace the ambivalent Stone, who was unsure about a career in music. Michael Anthony Sobolewski , a Pasadena college music-classmate of Eddie's, joined the group after an all-night jam session. He had sung and played bass in a number of less successful Arcadia backyard-party bands, including Snake. Although he was hesitant, his own Snake-bandmate encouraged him to seize this opportunity. Also in 1974,
12920-557: The band had a major break when it was hired to play regularly at the Sunset Strip club Gazzarri's . The Doors had also "broken" there in the late 1960s. Owner Bill Gazzarri previously claimed VH was too loud. However, their new managers, Mark Algorri and Mario Miranda, took over the club's hiring and booked them through 1976. By the Spring of 1975, they were also the regular Tuesday night band at Myron's Ballroom. They had succeeded in becoming
13090-494: The band had toured first and then recorded an album they might have creatively gelled more and the album would have turned out better. Touring with Cherone had proven disappointing in terms of attendance. Eddie later admitted that Warner Bros. had forced his hand in parting with Cherone. Unlike with the previous two singers, there was reportedly no bad blood behind the breakup, and Cherone remained in contact and on good terms with Van Halen. As when Hagar left, speculation resumed on
13260-419: The band name. but Blotzer claims he has the legal right to do so on his behalf. In October 2015, DeMartini sued Blotzer for allegedly falsely advertising his "tribute band" as the actual band. On November 5, 2015, the Los Angeles federal court rejected DeMartini's claim. Until early 2017, Blotzer toured using the name Ratt. The 2016 Re-Invasion tour took Ratt throughout North America. Their tour also took them to
13430-402: The band played " Why Can't This Be Love " live with Eddie on keyboards, after which Ostin proclaimed: "I smell money." The 1986 Van Halen album 5150 was a huge hit, becoming the band's first No. 1 album on the Billboard charts, driven by the keyboard-dominated singles "Why Can't This Be Love" (#3 U.S.), " Dreams ", and " Love Walks In " (Top 30 U.S.). To further introduce the new era for
13600-423: The band released their final studio album, A Different Kind of Truth , which was commercially and critically successful. It was also Van Halen's first album with Roth in 28 years and the only one to feature Wolfgang. Eddie was diagnosed with cancer in 2001, and died of the disease on October 6, 2020. A month after his father's death, Wolfgang confirmed that Van Halen had disbanded. As of March 2019 , Van Halen
13770-554: The band reunited briefly with David Lee Roth attempting to do a new album, only for disputes with Roth to abort these plans. The recorded demos would be among the ones reworked into new songs on 2012's A Different Kind of Truth . The band also tried to just schedule some concerts with Roth at a later date. In the summer of 2002, Roth and Hagar teamed up in the Song for Song, the Heavyweight Champs of Rock and Roll tour (also known as
13940-572: The band seventh on its list of the "100 Greatest Hard Rock Artists". The Van Halen brothers were born in Amsterdam , the Netherlands, Alex Van Halen in 1953 and Eddie Van Halen in 1955, sons to Dutch musician Jan Van Halen and Indonesian-born Indo Eugenia Van Beers. The family moved to Pasadena, California , in 1962. Young Edward began learning classical piano by ear , and became so proficient he won an annual piano recital contest 2 or 3 years in
14110-522: The band's Best Of – Volume I album and released as singles to promote it. In September, Van Halen was asked to present an award at the 1996 MTV Video Music Awards . They agreed, and on September 4, 1996, the four original members of Van Halen made their first public appearance together in over eleven years. This helped to bring the compilation to No. 1 on the U.S. album charts. However, unknown to Roth, Eddie and Alex were still auditioning other singers, including Mitch Malloy . The band's appearance on
14280-501: The band's self-titled EP sold over 100,000 records. The band grew in popularity on the Hollywood, L.A. club circuit, selling out multiple shows on weekends. Stephen Pearcy and Robbin Crosby co-wrote the band's first single, "You Think You're Tough", which found its way onto local radio stations KLOS and KMET . The album cover featured guitarist Robbin Crosby 's girlfriend at the time, Tawny Kitaen , who would later on appear on Whitesnake 's music videos. The self-titled independent EP
14450-484: The band's final show of the tour, in Tucson, Eddie smashed one of his guitars at the end of the show. After the tour, things broke down. At first Hagar stated he had yet to decide what he would be doing with Van Halen, although he was still an official member of the band. Soon after, however, both Hagar and Anthony admitted that Eddie had problems with alcohol during the tour that affected everyone involved. Hagar stated that he
14620-537: The band's first hit single, " Dance the Night Away ", which peaked at 15 on BB Hot 100. Over the next four years, the band toured non stop, never taking more than 2 weeks to record an album. Their album Women and Children First was released in 1980, and further cemented Van Halen's platinum-selling status to Warner Bros. It yielded two hit singles, " And the Cradle Will Rock... " and " Everybody Wants Some!! ". For
14790-522: The band's logo, arguing trademark infringement. In September 2015, Blotzer took over control of WBS, a company he set up with DeMartini and Pearcy in 1997 to handle RATT business, over the objection of DeMartini and announced that he had "taken control" of Ratt and his Ratt Experience lineup was the real Ratt and would be embarking a tour in 2016 titled the American Made Re-Invasion Tour. Within days, DeMartini spoke out against Blotzer using
14960-431: The band, a new Van Halen logo was put on the cover. The new logo retained elements of the original, but now the lines extending from either side of 'VH' wrapped around and formed a ring. Following the release of the 5150 album, the " 5150 Tour " was launched to support it across North America. Footage was released on VHS and Laserdisc as Live Without a Net . The band minimized the use of pre-Hagar Van Halen songs in
15130-473: The band, particularly between Eddie and Hagar. The relationship between Hagar and Van Halen broke down. David Lee Roth called Eddie to discuss what tracks would be included on a planned Van Halen compilation (work on which had actually begun before Hagar's departure). They got along well, and Eddie invited him up to his house/studio. Shortly afterwards, Roth re-entered the studio with the band and producer Glen Ballard . Two songs from those sessions were added to
15300-434: The brothers did not want him on the 2004 reunion tour, although Hagar did (and would not play without Anthony), but he had to agree to reduced royalties and end absolutely all association with the band after the tour in terms of rights to using the name to promote himself. In this same interview he admitted he was not involved in the new songs on Best of Both Worlds and only recorded three tracks for Van Halen III . Anthony
15470-436: The characteristic power ballads – slow, emotional songs that gradually build to a strong finale. These were among the most commercially successful singles in the genre and opened it up to a wider audience that would otherwise not have been attracted to traditional heavy metal. Lyrical themes often deal with love and lust, with songs often directed at a particular woman. Aesthetically glam metal draws heavily on
15640-429: The commercially unsuccessful album Van Halen III with the band in 1998, before parting ways in 1999. Van Halen then went on hiatus until reuniting with Hagar in 2003 for a worldwide tour in 2004 and the double-disc greatest hits collection, The Best of Both Worlds (2004). Hagar again left Van Halen in 2005. Roth returned in 2006, but Anthony was replaced on bass guitar by Eddie's son, Wolfgang Van Halen . In 2012,
15810-404: The conclusion of their first supporting tour as the opening act for Journey and Ronnie Montrose . The group recorded their debut album at Sunset Sound Recorders studio from mid-September to early October 1977, recording guitar parts for one week and then vocals for two additional. All of the tracks were laid down with little overdubbing or multi-tracking. Minor mistakes were purposely left on
15980-418: The course of 11 years: 5150 in 1986, OU812 in 1988, For Unlawful Carnal Knowledge in 1991, and Balance in 1995. The group also released a double-platinum live album, Live: Right Here, Right Now , in 1993. Hagar left the band in 1996 shortly before the release of the band's first greatest hits collection, Best Of – Volume I . Former Extreme frontman Gary Cherone replaced Hagar and recorded
16150-434: The diner, and rather than leave the Warner Bros. reps waiting and appear to be an irresponsible band, the members of Van Halen actually ran the remaining distance of several miles to arrive only slightly late . Warner offered the band a rather basic two album recording contract, one that heavily favored Warner, paying the four young men only $ 0.70 per unit (album) sold, a deal that would leave the band over $ 1 million in debt at
16320-410: The district court judgment in favor of Croucier and sent the case back to the district court to determine whether WBS and its counsel should be liable for Croucier's attorneys' fees. On June 1, 2018, it was announced by vocalist Pearcy that Ratt would move forward with him and bassist Croucier. It was confirmed that DeMartini had departed from Ratt, with Cavazo and Degrasso following. On July 5, 2018, it
16490-529: The early "Tell the World" written by Pearcy was their first recording that was featured on the compilation Metal Massacre I ) temporarily played in Ratt before the arrival of Bobby Blotzer (ex-Vic Vergeat) and Juan Croucier (previously with Dokken , and musically active since 1973). DeMartini was only 18 years old when he was called up to Los Angeles to join Ratt. At the time he was attending college in San Diego and
16660-458: The emergence of MTV , reached the Top 40. Pyromania ' s style was widely emulated, particularly by the emerging Californian scene. However, remarked Leppard's Joe Elliott , "I don't know how anybody could confuse us with that lot. We weren't even around when all those so-called glam bands came up. We were in fuckin' Holland making Hysteria . While they were out banging chicks or whatever, we were looking at windmills and playing pool on
16830-551: The emergence of new, predominantly European bands, including the Darkness , Crashdïet , Reckless Love , and American band Steel Panther . Musically, glam metal combines a traditional heavy metal sound with elements of hard rock and punk rock , adding pop -influenced catchy hooks and guitar riffs . Like other heavy metal songs of the 1980s (most notably thrash metal songs), they often feature shred guitar solos. They also include extensive use of harmonies, particularly in
17000-409: The eponymous year, was a commercial success with U.S. sales of 10 million copies and four successful singles. Its lead single, " Jump ", was the band's only number one single on the Billboard Hot 100 . In 1985, Roth left the band to embark on a solo career and was replaced by former Montrose lead vocalist Sammy Hagar . With Hagar, the group released four U.S. number-one, multi-platinum albums over
17170-431: The first time, an amplified Wurlitzer electric piano was used to complement Ed's guitar. In 1981, during the recording of Fair Warning , Eddie's desire for darker, more complex songs in minor keys was at odds with Roth's pop tastes and style. Nonetheless, Roth and veteran Warner Bros. rock producer Ted Templeman acquiesced to Eddie's wishes on this album. Doug Messenger recalled how Ed and engineer Don Landee rerecorded
17340-421: The five band members. Likewise, the album does not contain a single power ballad amongst its ten tracks and even features experimental forays into thrashier and heavier sounds. The song that reflected this shift most strikingly was " Body Talk ", which was featured on the soundtrack for the 1986 Eddie Murphy film The Golden Child . The more straight-ahead style of the album led many fans to believe that Ratt
17510-551: The following were released in September: Mötley Crüe releasing its second album Shout at the Devil , Kiss releasing Lick It Up , and Dokken re-released their first album Breaking the Chains in the USA. Def Leppard's Pyromania , later certified diamond by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) , reached number two on the Billboard 200. The singles " Foolin' ", " Photograph ", and " Rock of Ages ", helped by
17680-463: The formation of the early 1980s Los Angeles glam metal scene, also known as "hair metal" or "pop metal". The band toured and recorded sporadicallly from the 1990s to 2021 with many extended breaks and line-up changes. They released their final studio album, Infestation , in April 2010. The origins of Ratt date back to 1973 in Hollywood, with a band called Firedome, founded by singer Stephen Pearcy with
17850-544: The genre was evidenced in the production of the glam metal themed musical Rock of Ages , which ran in Los Angeles in 2006 and in New York in 2008. It was made into a film released in 2012. The Darkness 's Permission to Land (2003), described as an "eerily realistic simulation of '80s metal and '70s glam", topped the UK charts, going quintuple platinum. One Way Ticket to Hell... and Back (2005) reached number 11. The band broke up in 2006, but reunited in 2011, releasing
18020-399: The group to form a new band called Arcade . He moved on to Vicious Delite in 1995 and the industrial-tinged Vertex in 1996. Robbin Crosby started Secret Service, which included bassist Krys Baratto (from Samantha 7 , Juice 13, The Oddfathers). In 1993, Crosby performed on Rumbledog's self-titled debut album. In 1996, the five classic-era members of Ratt began discussing a reunion and
18190-472: The influences of the style can be traced back to acts like New York Dolls , Aerosmith , KISS , Cheap Trick , Boston . Sweet and to a lesser extent Alice Cooper , were influences on the genre too. Finnish band Hanoi Rocks , heavily influenced themselves by the New York Dolls, have been credited with setting a blueprint for the look of hair metal. Van Halen has been seen as highly influential on
18360-480: The latter of which combined elements of hardcore punk and heavy metal into a dirty sound that made use of heavy guitar distortion, fuzz and feedback, along with darker lyrical themes, a stripped-down aesthetic and a complete rejection of the glam metal visual style and performance. The success of bands like R.E.M. and Nirvana gave rise to a more "stripped down" musical style that was more personal and vulnerable. Many major labels felt they had been caught off-guard by
18530-471: The line of tequila he formerly owned, as well as his franchise of cantinas. He reunited with Montrose in 2003 and 2005 for a few performances and maintained contact with Anthony, often playing with him. With Van Halen inactive, Anthony set up a website and worked on merchandising projects such as his signature Yamaha bass and range of hot sauces. He became involved with the annual music industry NAMM Show . Anthony had repeatedly contacted Hagar regarding
18700-534: The most important scene around the Sunset Strip, with groups like London , which had originally formed as a glam rock band in the 1970s, and had seen future members of Mötley Crüe, Cinderella and Guns N' Roses pass through its ranks, finally releasing their début album Non Stop Rock in 1985 as well. By the mid-late 1980s, glam metal had begun to achieve major mainstream success in America with many of these bands' music videos appearing on heavy rotation on MTV, often at
18870-454: The movement, emerging in 1978 from the Los Angeles music scene on Sunset Strip, with a sound based around the lead guitar skills of Eddie Van Halen . He popularized a playing technique of two-handed hammer-ons and pull-offs called tapping , showcased on the song " Eruption " from the album Van Halen . This sound, and lead singer David Lee Roth 's stage antics, would be highly influential on glam metal. Def Leppard , often categorized with
19040-591: The multi-platinum number one Dr. Feelgood . In the same year eponymous débuts included Danger Danger from New York, Dangerous Toys from Austin, Texas , who provided more of a Southern rock tone to the genre, Enuff Z'Nuff from Chicago who provided an element of psychedelia to their sound and visual style, and Tora Tora from Memphis, Tennessee , who incorporated elements of blues rock into their music. L.A. débuts included Warrant with Dirty Rotten Filthy Stinking Rich (1989), and Skid Row with their eponymous album (1989), which reached number six in
19210-458: The music videos from the Ratt EP, Out of the Cellar and Invasion of Your Privacy . The video was the first commercially available video to achieve gold sales status in the USA; it eventually reached platinum. Ratt's next release was Dancing Undercover on August 9, 1986. The album was a relative disappointment with most music critics at the time of its release, as it took on a heavier sound than
19380-454: The number one " Sweet Child O' Mine ". In the wake of Guns N' Roses's commercial success, other similarly rawer glam metal bands began to gain popularity like L.A. Guns and Faster Pussycat . Critics eventually termed this style sleaze rock or sleaze metal to differentiate it from the perceived increasing commerciality of other glam metal bands. Such was the dominance of the style that Californian hardcore punk band T.S.O.L. moved towards
19550-508: The ones on the previous albums. From a commercial standpoint however, the album kept Ratt's string of consecutive platinum albums alive, managing to sell over a million copies in the United States alone. Popular tracks generated by the album included " Dance " and " Slip of the Lip ". In an effort to be taken more seriously, Ratt broke from the tradition of featuring a woman on the cover. Instead, they opted for gritty black-and-white portraits of each of
19720-425: The period of Out of the Cellar and Invasion of Your Privacy . We were sort of loosely trying to shoot for something that could fit between those two records. We were looking for more uptempo ideas and the double leads that Robbin Crosby and I started doing back in 1983." On October 26, 2010, Ratt announced that the band would be going on indefinite hiatus due to internal tensions. In January 2012, Pearcy said Ratt
19890-436: The previous week and a reunion was "inevitable." However, he also said that Eddie Van Halen was "off in his own little world" recently. When asked if any problems occurred with Hagar during the 2004 tour Eddie answered, "Sammy is Sammy, and for the most part that's just fine." Roth persisted with suggestions of a reunion, saying, "People want the reunion," and "No one will pay respect to what any of us do [musically] until we get
20060-533: The record and a very rudimentary instrument set-up was used to give the record a live feel. During this time, they continued to play various venues in Southern California, including some notable concerts at the Pasadena Convention Center produced by their promoter and impresario, Steve Tortomasi, himself a fixture in the local rock and roll scene. Upon its release, Van Halen reached No. 19 on
20230-453: The record out of certain music stores. Ratt's fifth album, Detonator , was released in August 1990. Sir Arthur Payson took over as producer for the band following Reach for the Sky . The album garnered mixed reactions. Critics claimed it lacked the live-sounding energy of the band's earlier work, while some stated that the band was maturing and striving to expand their sound. Detonator featured " Givin' Yourself Away " and " Lovin' You's
20400-414: The recording of songs for the film Twister , escalating tension between Hagar and the Van Halen brothers boiled over and Hagar departed on Father's Day , 1996. Hagar would claim he was fired, and Eddie would claim Hagar quit. The band had recorded " Humans Being ", a song for which Eddie, unhappy with Hagar's lyrics, retitled the song and wrote the melody. This upset Hagar, and when they were to record
20570-418: The release of the 1993 punk rock covers album "The Spaghetti Incident?" . Guitarist Slash left in 1996, followed by bassist Duff McKagan in 1998. Axl Rose, the only remaining member from the classic lineup at that point, worked with several lineups of the band to record Chinese Democracy – an album that would take over ten years to complete. During the late 1990s and 2000s, glam metal began to have
20740-495: The release of their platinum album To Hell with the Devil and brought Christian lyrics to their hard rock music style and glam metal looks. Two Pennsylvania bands, with Harrisburg 's Poison and Philadelphia 's Cinderella released multi-platinum début albums, respectively Look What the Cat Dragged In and Night Songs in 1986. Van Halen released 5150 their first album with Sammy Hagar on lead vocals, which
20910-414: The remaining classic-era bandmates, but that "it's not gonna happen". He said reuniting with the members would be "all business pretty much", but that "there's no business in the Ratt camp". He also revealed he regretted touring as Ratt with only Croucier from the classic lineup and that he would be continuing to play Ratt songs with his solo band. In March 2024, it was announced Croucier would be touring in
21080-545: The reunion out of the way." In May 2006, he told Billboard.com, "There's contact between the two camps." On June 3, Anthony began a successful tour with Hagar billed as the Other Half (a reference to them being half of Van Halen with the other half being Eddie/Alex), with Anthony singing lead vocals sometimes. Meanwhile, on June 19 the Van Halen brothers jumped onstage with Kenny Chesney at The Home Depot Center performing "Jump" and " You Really Got Me ". This unusual performance
21250-650: The rock/country album Lost Highway which reached No. 1 in 2007. In 2009, Bon Jovi released The Circle , which marked a return to their hard rock sound and reached No. 1 on the Billboard 200. Mötley Crüe reunited with Vince Neil to record the 1997 album Generation Swine and Poison reunited with guitarist C.C. DeVille in 1999, producing the mostly live Power to the People (2000); both bands began to tour extensively. There were reunions and subsequent tours from Van Halen (with Hagar in 2004 and then Roth in 2007). The long-awaited Guns N' Roses album Chinese Democracy
21420-493: The scrapped second album with Van Halen, titled "Left For Dead", would see its lyrics set to a new musical arrangement with Tribe of Judah. Responding to speculation that he had been approached to replace Cherone, David Coverdale said, "I called a mutual friend and said, 'Tell Eddie I had nothing to do with this.' It just got ridiculous. I've heard that they were going to approach me, but since I left Purple I've always done my own thing. Why would I join anybody else?" In 2000,
21590-495: The set. All four studio albums produced during this period reached No. 1 on the Billboard pop music charts and 17 singles breached the top 12 of the mainstream rock tracks chart. During that era, a single taken from 1988's OU812 , " When It's Love ", reached the Top Five, peaking at No. 5. In addition, Van Halen was nominated for two Grammy awards . The band won the 1992 Grammy Award for Best Hard Rock Performance with Vocal for
21760-463: The soon-to-be-popularized term "hair metal". Another reason for the decline in popularity of the style may have been the declining popularity of the power ballad . While its use, especially after a hard-rocking anthem, was initially a successful formula, in the early 1990s audiences lost interest in this approach. By far and away the most significant factor in the decline of glam metal was the rise of alternative rock and grunge music. This included
21930-554: The summer of 1976, and enticed Gene Simmons of Kiss to see them. Impressed to action, Simmons produced a 29-track Van Halen demo tape, entitled "Zero" at Village Recorder studios in Los Angeles and with post-production overdubs completed at Electric Lady Studios in New York. Simmons even suggested changing their name to "Daddy Longlegs." However, a very disappointed Simmons could do no more once Kiss management opined that VH "had no chance of making it". Doug Messenger, Van Morrison's band leader guitarist, knowing that Ted Templeman
22100-455: The summer playing the band's classic songs as "Juan Croucier – The Other Voice of Ratt". Ratt's music is influenced by 1970s hard rock and heavy metal bands such as Aerosmith , Sweet , Van Halen , Led Zeppelin , Rolling Stones , Black Sabbath , Scorpions and KISS . They fused this style with NWOBHM influences, including Iron Maiden and Judas Priest . Glam metal Glam metal (also known as hair metal or pop metal )
22270-459: The surprise success of alternative music and began turning over their personnel in favor of younger staffers more versed in the new scene. Glam acts such as Guns N' Roses and Bon Jovi attempted to adjust their sound to the changing times, whereas bands like Skid Row ended up fading away into irrelevance. As MTV shifted its attention to alternative music, glam metal bands found themselves relegated increasingly to late night airplay, and Headbangers Ball
22440-434: The tabloid press. Sociologist Deena Weinstein points to the large number of terms used to describe more commercial forms of heavy metal, which she groups together as lite metal . These include, beside glam metal: melodic metal, false metal, poodle bands, nerf metal, pop metal or metal pop, the last of which was coined by critic Philip Bashe in 1983 to describe bands such as Van Halen and Def Leppard . AllMusic employs
22610-408: The then-novel muted, staccato guitar-picking style of Judas Priest . Tawny Kitaen , who was previously in a relationship with Crosby, agreed to appear on the cover of their debut full-length album. She also appeared in their video for "Back for More" and on their EP from the previous year. The album scored much radio and MTV play with songs like " Round and Round " (which peaked at No. 12 on
22780-412: The top 10 grossing tours of 2004. Professional reviews of the tour, however, proved to be mixed. On some shows, Eddie's son Wolfgang came onstage and played guitar with his father during "316", a song dedicated to his son, taking its name from his March 16 date of birth. During the later stages of the tour, stories of Eddie being drunk began to surface along with fan-shot video footage of poor playing. At
22950-447: The top 40 in the United States. Glam Metal broke out in 1983: Def Leppard released its third album Pyromania on January 20, and was the first glam metal album to reach top ten in the Billboard charts on March 12, later it peaked at number two on May 14, then staying in the top ten albums until it dropped to eleventh place on November 26, eventually falling off the Billboard 200 chart after 123 weeks. Quiet Riot 's Metal Health
23120-417: The top of the channel's daily dial countdown, and some of the bands appeared on the channel's shows such as Headbangers Ball , which became one of the most popular programs with over 1.3 million views a week. The groups also received heavy rotation on radio stations such as KNAC in Los Angeles. Another significant year for glam metal was 1986. Bon Jovi put out Slippery When Wet in that year, which
23290-613: The tour was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic . Shortly after, it was announced that all Ratt shows in 2020 were rescheduled for 2021. On September 11, Pearcy announced that new music from the band would not be released until 2021. In January 2021, Pearcy expressed interest in making one final Ratt album with all the remaining original members. On June 26, Ratt announced the addition of guitarist Frankie Lindia of David Lee Roth 's solo band, replacing Chris Sanders. In September 2022, Pearcy revealed that he would only want to continue Ratt with
23460-406: The traditional male dominated audience, and opening the door to MTV and commercial success for other bands at the end of the decade. The Swedish band Europe released the anthemic album The Final Countdown which reached the top ten in several countries, including the U.S., and the album's title single reached number one in 26 countries. Stryper made their mainstream breakthrough in 1986 with
23630-634: The umbrella term " pop metal ", which refers a late-1980s variation of pop metal characterized by flashy clothing and heavy makeup influenced by glam rock (as embodied by Poison and Mötley Crüe). Use of the derogatory term "hair metal" started in the early 1990s, as grunge gained popularity at the expense of 1980s metal. In the "definitive metal family tree" of his documentary Metal: A Headbanger's Journey , anthropologist Sam Dunn differentiates pop metal, which includes bands like Def Leppard, Europe, and Whitesnake , from glam metal bands such as Mötley Crüe and Poison. Music journalist Stephen Davis claims
23800-478: The virtuosity of its guitarist, Eddie Van Halen . The band was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2007. From 1974 to 1985, Van Halen consisted of Eddie Van Halen , his brother, drummer Alex Van Halen , lead vocalist David Lee Roth , and bassist Michael Anthony . Upon its release in 1978, the band's self-titled debut album reached No. 19 on the Billboard 200 and would sell over 10 million copies in
23970-518: Was HIV -positive. He died on June 6, 2002, from a heroin overdose. He was 42 years old. On May 11, 2006, Ratt was profiled on VH1's Behind the Music . During the group's inactive years, present-day and former members continued to work on their own side projects. On December 1, 2006, the website "Metal Sludge" reported that Pearcy and Croucier would re-unite with Blotzer and DeMartini. On December 4, 2006, Jizzy Pearl announced on his message board that he
24140-480: Was "done with Van Halen" and wished that everyone would have "taken it more seriously." Despite this, Eddie later described himself as "satisfied" with the tour. After the tour ended, Hagar returned to his solo band the Waboritas , and Anthony appeared with him on tour occasionally. The band quickly faded from view after Hagar left again. Rumors of a Roth reunion re-emerged and on January 3, 2006, Roth explained during an interview that he had spoken to Alex Van Halen
24310-416: Was a commercial success, going five-times platinum after a year of release. Recorded at Eddie's newly built 5150 Studios , the album featured keyboards, which had only been used sporadically on previous albums. The lead single, " Jump ", featured a synthesizer hook and anthemic lyrics inspired by news coverage of a suicidal jumper. It became the band's first and only No. 1 pop hit with Roth, garnering them
24480-509: Was also banned by MTV. Due to much pressure from Warner Bros., the hiatus was canceled and the Diver Down LP was squeezed out, again, within 2 weeks time. Roth's preference for pop covers prevailed this time and with Ed's synthesizer and guitar riffs Diver Down charted much better. The band then earned a spot in the Guinness Book of World Records for the highest-paid single appearance of
24650-465: Was also offered the lead vocal position in 1985, but also declined. Hall verified to Hagar, his musical guest in the May 2015 season premiere of Live from Daryl's House , that he was approached after a Hall & Oates concert. Eddie was introduced to Sammy Hagar in 1985, via their mutual Ferrari mechanic. Hagar was the former frontman for the hard rock group Montrose , and now a solo artist coming off
24820-545: Was cancelled at the end of 1994, while KNAC went over to Spanish programming. Given glam metal's lack of a major format presence on radio, bands were left without a clear way to reach their audience. Other L.A. alternative rock bands like the Red Hot Chili Peppers and Jane's Addiction also helped supplant the popularity of the genre. Some artists tried to alter their sound, while others struggled on with their original format. In 1995, Van Halen released Balance ,
24990-530: Was certified double platinum (selling over two million copies only in the U.S.). The band toured extensively in the United States and Japan, playing a total of 112 shows. In August 1985, the band played on the Monsters of Rock festival in Castle Donington, England. The model on Invasion ' s cover is Playboy Playmate Marianne Gravatte , who also made an appearance in the "Lay It Down" music video. Using
25160-694: Was finally entered in the Croucier case, and Blotzer's WBS filed an appeal to the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals. In May 2018, the RATT Partnership filed suit against Blotzer and WBS for trademark infringement for continuing to perform as RATT after February 2016, when it was adjudicated that WBS had no rights in the RATT trademarks and Blotzer was expelled from the Partnership. In March 2019, the Ninth Circuit affirmed
25330-427: Was finally released in 2008, but only went platinum in the US, produced no hit singles, and failed to come close to the success of the band's late 1980s and early 1990s material. Europe's "Final Countdown" enjoyed a new lease of popularity as the millennium drew to a close and the band reformed. Other acts to reform included Ratt, Britny Fox, Stryper (annually), and Skid Row. Beginning in 1999, Monster Ballads ,
25500-491: Was headed in a direction akin to the thrash style promulgated by then-current bands such as Anthrax , Megadeth , and Slayer . However, the slightly experimental undertones of the album were replaced with a bluesier sound throughout the band's next three releases. Through 1987, Ratt embarked on a U.S. tour with newcomers Poison and played in Europe as a part of the Monsters Of Rock Tour. Their tour with Poison
25670-682: Was his brainchild. He felt it was a name that held long-term identity, artistic and marketing advantages, like Santana . They continued to play Pasadena, San Bernardino, and Venice at clubs, festivals, backyard parties and city parks like Hamilton, drawing up to 2,000 people. Traffic jams and noise complaints to the local police often ensued, as far away as San Pedro. Van Halen subsequently played clubs in Los Angeles and West Hollywood to growing audiences, increasing their popularity entirely through self-promotion, passing out flyers at local high schools. This tenacious self-promotion soon built them an auspicious, loyal, area following. By 1974, Roth had been in
25840-467: Was in the process of writing material for a new album, planned to be released that summer. On March 22, bassist Robbie Crane announced his departure from Ratt to focus on Lynch Mob . In April 2012, rumors arose original bassist Juan Croucier would rejoin the band that summer; these rumors were confirmed when Croucier played with Ratt at the M3 festival on May 12. On April 24, 2014, Pearcy announced that he had left
26010-617: Was interviewed while drinking vodka on a floating chair in a swimming pool as his mother watched. As a result, it has been seen as helping to create a backlash against the genre. In the early 1990s glam metal's popularity rapidly declined after nearly a decade of success. Successful bands lost members that were key to their songwriting and/or live performances, such as Mötley Crue's frontman Vince Neil, Poison guitarist C.C. DeVille, Def Leppard guitarist Steve Clark and Guns N' Roses guitarist Izzy Stradlin. Several music writers and musicians began to deride glam metal acts as "hair farmers", hinting at
26180-473: Was looking for a "guitar hero" act, had seen Van Halen at the Starwood in Hollywood and placed a number of calls to Warner Records for Ted to check them out. "I don't know if it was 4 calls or 10, but I knew this was exactly the act Ted wanted. So on a horrendously rainy night in mid-1977", Warner Bros. executive Mo Ostin and producer Ted Templeman saw Van Halen perform at the Starwood in Hollywood. According to
26350-424: Was never released, with Cherone leaving the band amicably in November 1999, citing musical differences and personal issues that he was going through. None of the material from these sessions has been released, and in fact the band released no new material until three new songs written and recorded with Hagar were included on the 2004 Best of Both Worlds compilation. Cherone later stated that he believed if he and
26520-540: Was no longer a member of the band. On March 17, 2007, another website stated that Ratt would go on the 2007 tour with Poison and Great White . Later that month, Blabbermouth.net reported that Ratt would take part in the "Rocklahoma" festival on July 13–15, 2007 in Pryor, Oklahoma , with original singer Stephen Pearcy and without Juan Croucier, who decided not to participate in the reunion tour. Robbie Crane continued to play bass instead. The summer tour started June 13, 2007, at
26690-487: Was nominated for Best Rock Instrumental Performance at the 39th Annual Grammy Awards . The band was also working on a compilation album. This led to conflicts with Hagar and the group's new manager, Ray Danniels (Ed Leffler's replacement and Alex Van Halen's former brother-in-law), even though it was Leffler who had renewed their contract with Warner Bros. Records and had added in the Best Of album option years before. Hagar
26860-611: Was number one in the U.S. for three weeks and sold over six million copies. Additionally, some established hard rock and heavy metal bands of the era such as Scorpions , Whitesnake , Dio , Aerosmith , Kiss , Alice Cooper , Ozzy Osbourne , Judas Priest , Saxon and Accept began incorporating hair metal elements into their sounds and images, as the genre's popularity skyrocketed in 1985–1986. Glam metal bands continued their run of commercial success in 1987 with Mötley Crüe releasing Girls, Girls, Girls , White Lion releasing Pride , and Def Leppard releasing Hysteria producing
27030-413: Was one of the highest-grossing tours of 1987. Reach for the Sky was released in November 1988. Although the album achieved platinum sales status and reached No. 17 on Billboard ' s album charts, it was widely panned by critics. After this album, the band parted ways with long-time producer Beau Hill . Reach for the Sky nevertheless contained the popular tracks " Way Cool Jr. " and " I Want
27200-454: Was one of the most commercially significant releases of the era. The album mixed metal with a pop sensibility and spent a total of eight weeks atop the Billboard 200 album chart, selling over 12 million copies in the United States. It became the first hard rock album to spawn three top ten singles, two of which reached number one. The album has been credited with widening the audience for the genre, particularly by appealing to women as well as
27370-405: Was released in April 2010. Infestation reached No. 30 on Billboard ' s Top 200 chart. A video was filmed for the album's first single, "Best of Me", and the band went on a world tour in support of the album. In a March 18, 2010, interview with Metalholic Magazine , DeMartini said of the new album Infestation : "It really exceeded our expectations. Conceptually we kinda wanted to revisit
27540-448: Was released in July 1985. It peaked at No. 7 (which is the same peak position that Out of the Cellar attained). The album met with mostly positive reactions from fans and critics. AllMusic has called it "another batch of solid pop-metal tunes". It contained favorites " You're in Love " (No. 99 Hot 100) and " Lay It Down " (which made No. 40 on the Hot 100) that assured the band
27710-404: Was released on March 11, then marched upwards until it reached number one on November 26 , eventually falling off the Billboard 200 chart after 81 weeks. The success of Def Leppard and Quiet Riot paved the way for many heavy metal acts, both glam and otherwise, as the decade progressed. That same year saw a larger wave of heavy metal albums achieve previously-unheard-of commercial success. All of
27880-446: Was reluctant to drop out to join a band that had, so far, had only limited success. Marq Torien briefly replaced DeMartini, though the latter returned in time for the recording of their first EP, later in 1982. In July 1983, Ratt signed with the production company Time Coast Music. The company was run by the band's then-manager, Marshall Berle. Time Coast had previously issued records by Spirit and The Alley Cats . Released in 1983,
28050-471: Was reluctant to work on a compilation album before a new album came out, but if the rest of the band and Danniels insisted on going forward with one at that time, his preference was that it should include only Roth-era songs, or as a third choice, that two volumes should be released, one of Roth-era songs and one of Hagar-era songs. During this same period, competing personal priorities and creative differences contributed to increasing interpersonal tensions within
28220-438: Was replaced as bass player by Eddie's son, Wolfgang Van Halen, in 2006. On September 8, 2006, Howard Stern 's live interview with Eddie broke the band's long silence. Eddie said he was willing to reunite with Roth and revealed a solo album in the works. Eddie confirmed that Wolfgang had replaced Anthony on bass; Wolfgang had played guitar alongside his father during Eddie's guitar solo on some 2004 concert dates. When queried about
28390-566: Was revealed that Pearcy and Croucier would be joined by Black 'N Blue drummer Pete Holmes and guitarists Jordan Ziff and Chris Sanders. In February 2020, guitarist Chris Sanders announced his departure from the band, along with announcing his retirement from the music industry. In March 2020, the band announced they would be embarking on the Big Rock Summer Tour starting in June, along with Tom Keifer , Skid Row , and Slaughter . On June 17,
28560-528: Was rumored to be replaced by former Quiet Riot guitarist Carlos Cavazo. Bobby Blotzer confirmed these rumors stating that Cavazo was set to replace Corabi and would make his debut with the band on August 27. His first show with Ratt was in Baton Rouge, LA. In April 2009 Loud & Proud/ Roadrunner Records announced the signing of a worldwide deal with Ratt. The label was managed by Tom Lipsky who had run CMC International before. Their new album, Infestation ,
28730-456: Was their first onstage since the 2004 tour. This was followed by another Eddie performance on July 19, 2006, at the House of Petals in Los Angeles, playing new material. He followed this with an announcement on July 27, 2006, that some of his new music would be released on the soundtrack for the pornographic film Sacred Sin . In March 2006, Anthony spoke to Japanese rock magazine Burrn! , claiming
28900-500: Was well-received, and the band was signed by Atlantic Records . Ratt immediately started writing and recording their first full-length album. Out of the Cellar was released in March 1984 and was praised by both fans and critics. Pearcy's raspy yet bluesy vocals were noted for melding with the pyrotechnic guitar playing of twin leads Crosby and DeMartini, combining the then-prevalent Van Halen and Aerosmith -influenced bravado elements with
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