Pop Metal

With the commercial success of Heavy Metal in the '80s came a crop of musicians who were half head-banger and half marketeer. Turning their attention to catchy hooks and MTV-friendly looks, these bands -- with their unbleached roots tracing back to '70s Glam bands such as T. Rex, Gary Glitter and Sweet -- cultivated a new image and a clean sound for Popular Metal. Often dismissed by critics as "Hair Metal" for their teased hair and over-the-top fashion sense, bands including Pennsylvania-bred Cinderella and Poison, and L.A.'s Motley Crue, created a calculated stage and camera presence with the effeminate edge of their Glam ancestors. But the bands' attitudes were all testosterone, their songs endlessly reworking the ancient themes of sex, love and rock 'n' roll. The realm of Pop Metal extends beyond the '80s, both backwards and forwards in time. The forefathers of the movement are certainly early Kiss and ghoulish rocker Alice Cooper. Today, bands on the regional circuits still want to "Rock and Roll All Night" and it's pretty easy to trace the line from Cooper to Goth-influenced rockers like Marilyn Manson and his ilk.