Hard Rock Bands

Alice in Chains artist profile — Jerry Cantrell's G&L Rampage through Bogner amps and Mesa Dual Rectifier defined grunge's darkest guitar tone.

Angus Young — AC/DC's lead guitarist, one of the most recognizable players in rock history, known for his Gibson SG tone and relentless stage energy.

Cinderella — Philadelphia hair metal band whose blues-rock roots set them apart, with Tom Keifer's powerful vocals driving Night Songs and Long Cold Winter.

Dokken — Los Angeles hard rock act whose George Lynch guitar wizardry and Don Dokken's vocals made them one of the most musically accomplished hair metal bands.

Eddie Van Halen — the most influential rock guitarist of his generation, inventor of the brown sound, builder of the Frankenstrat.

Jimi Hendrix artist profile — the greatest guitarist who ever lived. Feedback, wah-wah, and the Stratocaster sounds that changed music forever.

Jimmy Page's 1959 Les Paul, violin bow technique, and the studio production genius behind Led Zeppelin's sound.

Led Zeppelin artist profile — blues-based hard rock, innovative production, and the band that bridged blues and modern rock.

Mötley Crüe — Los Angeles hair metal icons whose Sunset Strip debauchery and arena rock anthems defined the 1980s hard rock scene.

Mott the Hoople artist profile — glam rock with hard-rock muscle, blending Les Paul riffs, piano, and Bowie-penned anthems.

Poison — Harrisburg-to-Hollywood hair metal hitmakers whose Every Rose Has Its Thorn and party anthems sold over 45 million records worldwide.

Ratt — Sunset Strip hard rock band whose twin-guitar attack and Out of the Cellar made them one of the defining acts of 1980s hair metal.

Skid Row — New Jersey hard rock band fronted by Sebastian Bach, whose explosive debut and Slave to the Grind made them one of the heaviest hair metal acts.

Slade artist profile — glam rock's loudest band, powered by Marshall-driven Les Paul riffs, Telecaster grit, and anthemic stomp.

Soundgarden artist profile — Kim Thayil's Guild S-100 through Mesa/Boogie amps and heavy fuzz defined grunge's heaviest guitar sound.

Suzi Quatro artist profile — glam rock's bass-driving force, powering hits with Fender Precision punch through a Marshall stack.

Sweet artist profile — heavy glam built on ES-335 crunch, Marshall power, and multi-part harmonies that belied their pop appeal.

The Darkness — the Lowestoft glam rock band behind Permission to Land, three BRIT Awards, and Justin Hawkins's five-octave falsetto.

The Misfits — the horror punk band from Lodi, New Jersey whose Crimson Ghost skull, melodic aggression, and six-year career influenced everyone from Metallica to My Chemical Romance.

Twisted Sister — New Jersey glam metal band whose anthems "We're Not Gonna Take It" and "I Wanna Rock" and Dee Snider's PMRC testimony made them cultural icons.

Van Halen artist profile — Eddie Van Halen's revolutionary guitar technique, the Frankenstrat, and the band that redefined rock guitar virtuosity.

Warrant — Sunset Strip hair metal act whose Cherry Pie became one of the genre's most recognizable anthems despite vocalist Jani Lane's ambivalence toward it.

Whitesnake — David Coverdale's blues-rock-to-hair-metal juggernaut, whose 1987 self-titled album produced Here I Go Again and sold eight million copies in the US.

Winger — musically sophisticated hair metal act whose classical-influenced approach and hits Seventeen and Headed for a Heartbreak earned them platinum success.