37 Best 80s Hair Bands
Contents
26. Winger

Winger started as a heavy metal band based on sound alone, but their glam appearance made them popular with the hair band audience. They released their first album in 1988 and toured with KISS, Slaughter, and ZZ Top. Their next two albums still captured the 80s hair band sound, but it was the early 90s and tastes favored grunge, so Winger fell in popularity.
27. Tesla
Though Tesla began in 1981, its most famous lineup wasn’t finalized until 1984. Their first album came out in 1986, but their Top 10 song, “Love Song,” wasn’t released until their 1989 second album. They were a spark in the pan and quickly pivoted to acoustic but were unable to recapture their early fame. Tesla broke up in 1996 but made new music in 2022.
28. Pretty Boy Floyd
As you might expect from their name, Pretty Boy Floyd embraced glam rock. They teased their long hair and wore makeup onstage. Their first album came out in 1989, at the tail end of the hair band craze. Two singles got heavy MTV airplay, but they became involved in legal disputes because there was a Canadian band with the same name. They broke up in the mid-90s.
29. Enuff Z’Nuff
Enuff Z’Nuff started in 1984 and had a song on a movie soundtrack before they released their first record in 1989. Their 1991 album didn’t have a single, but MTV played their self-titled album singles frequently. Even though they never had mainstream success like in the 80s, the hair band has continued to release new music every few years.
30. Slaughter
Slaughter is a Las Vegas hair band that formed during the height of hair metal but didn’t release their first album until 1990. The band started performing live in 1988 and had a hit single on the soundtrack for Bill & Ted’s Bogus Journey. Three singles hit the Top 40, and the album went gold, but they didn’t get much MTV airplay, which was crucial during that time.
31. Danger Danger
Members of the band Hotshot formed Danger Danger in 1987, but the lineup changed several times over the years. They recorded an album for Epic Records in 1988 and had two hits that mirrored the repetition of their name: “Naughty Naughty” and “Bang Bang.” They opened for KISS, Warrant, and Alice Cooper before disbanding in 2009.
32. Britny Fox
Britny Fox formed in 1985 in Pennsylvania and had ties to Cinderella, who helped them get a record deal. They released their first two albums in 1988 and 1989, both reaching above the top 100 of the Billboard chart. Their 1991 release didn’t chart because the band held too tightly to the hair band sound, which was already falling out of favor.
The band’s last album came out in 2003, but the band continues to tour. The lineup changes almost every year, with bassist Billy Childs as the only regular member through the band’s 30-year career.
33. BulletBoys
BulletBoys started as something of a supergroup, with the singer of Ratt joining other successful musicians to create a popular hair band. Their first two singles, “Smooth Up In Ya” and “For the Love of Money,” broke the Billboard Hot 100. The band members went their separate ways in the early 90s but reunited in 1998, touring with Faster Pussycat, Enuff Z’Nuff, and Bang Tango.
34. Bang Tango
Bang Tango started in 1988 but immediately got a record deal and released their first album. They already had a loyal fan base due to playing at every club on the Sunset Strip in Hollywood. Their first album was an MTV hit and gave them a chance to tour the country with other hair bands.
35. Vixen
Vixen is a hair band that stands out on this list because they formed in Minnesota, and all members were women. The band started playing live in 1980 but didn’t get a record deal until 1988, when they moved to Los Angeles. Fans called the band “female Bon Jovi” because of their catchy singles.
36. The Cult
The Cult blurred the line between goth and hair metal. The English band rose to popularity in the early 80s when their dark videos gained MTV airplay. They had long hair and wore heavy eye makeup, so they looked like other hair bands but sounded very different.
37. Mr. Big
Mr. Big is an 80s hair band that became most popular due to their ballads, giving them a unique position in the genre. Their video got heavy MTV airplay and was a big hit for unplugged acoustic sets. The band continued to make music throughout the 90s and into the 2000s, with information and tour dates still listed on their website.
Top 80s Hair Bands, Final Thoughts
You might prefer some of the more glamorous bands on this list, who produced catchy singles and teased their hair high. Or you might love the more hardcore rockers who kept their locks straight and shiny, focusing more on the music than their looks. No matter your taste, these 80s hair bands are among the best and earned their place in music history.