Cinderella

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6j7E7pvLxmI

Comment

Cinderella – Long Cold Winter (1988)

While the first Cinderella album “Night Songs” released in 1986 might be considered as 100% glam metal, the second one “Long Cold Winter” released in 1988 contains strong blues rock influences which are very visible not only in “Gypsy Road” but also in another songs: “Coming Home” and “The Last Mile”. If you are interested in history of the band and their music, please follow this link, where all albums and most significant Cinderella songs are described.

Cinderella – Gypsy Road (Live ’89 in Moscow)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7tdaGznEyhc

Cinderella – Gypsy Road (Live ’91)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AWoE5JNr5kw

Cinderella – Gypsy Road (Live ’12)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jZmWyBEFX2c

Steelheart

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5IfiLehLFJw

When?

Let’s start a fire. I hope that you’ve heard about Steelheart, . “Everybody Loves Eileen” was released with the band debut album in 1990. Maybe the glam metal started to collapse then, but it was very successful album.

Steelheart – Steelheart (1990)

Who?

• Michael Matijevic — vocals
• Chris Risola — lead guitars
• Frank DiCostanzo — rhythm guitars
• John Fowler — drums
• James Ward — bass guitar

Popularity

“Everybody Loves Eileen” wasn’t charted on Billboard Hot 100. I must admit that it’s one of my most favorite albums. As a whole ‘Steelheart’ peaked #40¹

Steelheart – Everybody Loves Eileen (Live Osaka ’90)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uZoZOqa_iI0

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i28UEoLXVFQ

When?

To be short, this most popular song performed by Cinderella was released in 1988 with their second album called ‘Long Cold Winter‘. There are also 2 another great songs on this album: “The Last Mile” and “Coming Home“, all of them rocks – just check it out!

Who?

• Tom Keifer — lead vocals, guitar
• Jeff LaBar — lead guitar
• Eric Brittingham — bass
• Fred Coury — drums

‘Don’t Know What You Got (Till It’s Gone)’ popularity

I wrote this a few lines above, but to make it clearer that’s the most popular track from Cinderella and rightly one of the most recognizable glam metal anthems and 80s hard rock songs. This ballad peaked highest position among a rest of Cinderella songs – #12 on Billboard Hot 100 ¹.

Cinderella – Don’t Know What You Got (Till It’s Gone) [Live]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gVMLm08Hq7E

Enuff Z'Nuff

Enuff Z’Nuff – Fly High Michelle

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x-greVjUEdc

When?

Although, band was formed in 1984, they self-titled released debut album in 1989, in hottest year for glam metal. Happily album was positively received by publicity. ‘Fly High Michelle‘ was both with ‘New Thing‘ only 2 singles prepared for album.

Enuff Z'Nuff - Enuff Z'Nuff (1989)

Who?

• Donnie Vie — lead vocals guitars and keyboards
• Derek Frigo — lead guitar
• Tim Kelly — bass guitar & guitars
• Vikki Fox — drums

‘Fly High Michelle’ popularity

Hmm, I think that this release couldn’t have been unnoticed, . Their appearance and videos were more than addicting, filled with lots of details, rainbows, colors, so they seemed like hippies. Song is their biggest commercial success, and it peaked #47 on Billboard Hot 100. ¹

Enuff Z’Nuff – Fly High Michelle (Live – Baltimore ’91)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dNA56ApvB0w

Bon Jovi

Bon Jovi – I’ll Be There For You (Official Video)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mh8MIp2FOhc

When?

Bon Jovi is probably the most-successful band founded in 80s which survived increase of grunge & another genres ‘boom’. This song is one of most recognizable and liked Bon Jovi songs. ‘I’ll Be There For You’ is ballad which comes from ‘New Jersey‘ album released in 1988.

Bon Jovi - New Jersey (1988)

Who?

• Bon Jovi — lead vocals, rhythm guitar
• Richie Sambora — guitar & backing vocals
• Alec John Such — bass & backing vocals
• Tico Torres — drums, percussion
• David Bryan — keyboards

‘I’ll Be There For You’ popularity

The biggest success was #1 place on Billboard Hot 100 and #5 on Mainstream Rock Charts, but of course song gained popularity also in another countries like Canada, U.K., Australia.

Bon Jovi – I’ll Be There For You (Philadelphia 1989)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=akCzVDSJULM

Cinderella – Heartbreak Station (Official Video)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uuegke22rdA

When?

‘Heartbreak Station‘ comes from selt-titled album release by Cinderella in 1990, it was their third studio album and first one that is kept in blues-rock climate.

Cinderella - Heartbreak Station (1990)

Who?

• Tom Keifer — lead vocals, guitar
• Jeff LaBar — lead guitar
• Eric Brittingham — bass
• Fred Coury — drums

‘Heartbreak Station’ popularity

Well, maybe it wan’t their most popular album, but the fact is that it gained very positive rates from critics and Platinum, selling over 1 millions copies (#19 on Billboard 200). When it comes to song, it was charted #44 on Billboard Hot 100.¹²

Cinderella – Heartbreak Station (live)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NPE0z3uOEkw

Cinderella – Heartbreak Station (live 2010)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P8FnNGO1z5s

Poison – Every Rose Has Its Thorn (Official Video)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c56vEgA4fjU

When?

This beautiful ballad was released in 1988 as a third single for ‘Open Up and Say… Ahh!‘ album.

Poison - Open Up and Say Ahh (1988)

Who?

• Bret Michaels — lead vocals
• C.C. DeVille — guitar
• Bobby Dall — bass
• Rikki Rockett — drums

‘Every Rose Has Its Thorn’ Popularity

Well, according to wikipedia details this is the only song performed by Poison which peaked at top of charts, but this is not the only success of this ballad, ¹

• 1st place on US Billboard Hot 100
• 13th place on UK Singles Chart
• 11th place on US Billboard Hot Mainstream Rock Tracks

Moreover, ‘Every Rose Has Its Thorn’ was covered by bunch of artists and bands ² and used in many movies.³

Poison – Every Rose Has Its Thorn (Live 1990)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Oztkl0GKTng

Poison – Every Rose Has Its Thorn (Live)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fOCNYLHdc1s

Steelheart

Steelheart — She’s Gone (Official Video)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ICJs1CxCRt0

When?

Although, this song was released in 1990 I think that it’s worth to highlight. This ballad is probably the greatest band’s hit.
It comes from their first self-titled ‘Steelheart‘ album.

Steelheart - Steelheart (1990)

Who?

It’s a another very interesting thing worth to show — a band front-man and vocalist Miljenko Matijevic comes from Zagreb (capital of Croatia). It’s probably the only one well-known glam metal band which feature Slav musician.

• Michael Matijevic — vocals
• Chris Risola — lead guitars
• Frank DiCostanzo — rhythm guitars
• John Fowler — drums
• James Ward — bass guitar

‘She’s Gone’ popularity

I was very surprised with popularity of this song when I’d noticed it for first time — video was watched on YouTube for over 2,8 million times. This song is amazing and it was probably the last breath of glam metal.

• whole album with ballad was placed on 40th place (1991) on The Billboard 200
• 59th place on Billboard Hot 100

It sold 33,000 albums on its first day in Japan alone, and quickly hit platinum status. The ballad “She’s Gone” which showcased Matijevic’s wide vocal range hit #1 on the International Charts, staying there for 17 weeks. The ballad maintains its popularity in East Asian region until today. It has been played by most of the cover bands those performing in the nightclubs in this region almost every night.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steelheart#The_early_years

Steelheart — She’s Gone

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FxnGaURm3B8

Steelheart — She’s Gone (Unplugged)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tR-5ZStR8r4