Here are 10 hair metal music videos that defined 1980s (and very, very early 1990s) pop culture.
Big hair. Bigger hooks. Even bigger budgets for fog machines and neon lighting. If there’s one thing that truly pushed hair metal from the Sunset Strip to living rooms around the world, it wasn’t just the music, it was the music videos.
Throughout the 1980s and early ‘90s, glam metal bands didn’t just dominate the charts; they took over MTV with visuals that were equal parts arena spectacle, backstage debauchery, and sold fans a Hollywood daydream. These videos turned local club acts into global brands, gave teens escape routes through their TV screens and left behind images that still remain burned into pop culture decades later whether you loved them or rolled your eyes.
READ MORE: The Best Grunge Album by 5 Big Hair Metal Bands
From anthems about wild nights and heartbreak to cautionary tales dressed up in leather and lipstick, these videos didn’t just sell records, they defined an entire era of rock excess and ambition.
Here’s a look back at some of the most iconic, over-the-top, and unforgettable hair metal music videos that made the genre impossible to ignore and impossible to fully replicate ever again.
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Ratt, “Round And Round”
Released in 1984, Ratt’s video for their breakthrough single, “Round and Round,” became one of the defining visuals of the mid ’80s hair metal explosion and helped propel the band into mainstream success. Directed by Bob Giraldi, who also directed the video for Michael Jackson’s “Beat It,” the video perfectly combined theatricality and performance which were two key elements in hair metal.
Visually, “Round and Round” walks the line between absurd and iconic. The band performs in an attic above a high-society dinner party, shaking the ceiling tiles loose as they rip through one of the most defining songs of the era.
The appearance of Milton Berle, who also happened to be the uncle of Ratt’s manager, adds a bizarre twist to the already bizarre scene. Berle plays both the uptight dinner host and a drag version of his own wife.
What makes this video iconic though isn’t just the theatrical gimmicks. It’s how perfectly it captures the energy of a band who knew they were on the verge of something big. Stephen Pearcy’s sneering vocals, Warren DeMartini’s slick soloing and the band’s swagger all hit with the conviction of a group ready to take over FM radio and MTV in one shot.
“Round and Round” didn’t just launch Ratt into the stratosphere, but helped define what a hair metal band looked and sounded like in the mainstream. Between the polish and the hooks, it’s all here, packed into four minutes that still hold up as one of the genre’s definitive visual and sonic moments.
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Whitesnake, “Here I Go Again”
There are music videos that define a genre and then there’s “Here I Go Again,” which defined a moment in time.
Released in 1987, at the height of hair metal’s commercial power, Whitesnake’s flagship power ballad came with a video so burned into MTV history, it practically is the 1980s.
Let’s get it out of the way: David Coverdale’s then girlfriend, the late Tawny Kitaen, quite simply made music video history when she danced on the hood of that Jaguar. Her gymnastic flips and slow-motion choreography are etched into the cultural memory of anyone who had access to a television in the late ’80s.
Musically, “Here I Go Again” straddles the line between arena ballad and bluesy rock revival. This wasn’t the rawer 1982 version (although some diehard fans prefer the band in that raw state); its re-release was polished, radio-ready, and streamlined for mass consumption. And it worked.
The video leans hard into rock-star fantasy: the band brooding under moody lighting, dual Jags, a video vixen, and Coverdale’s signature locks.
“Here I Go Again” was more than just a breakout moment for Whitesnake, “Here I Go Again” marked the exact point where hair metal crossed from niche into pop culture dominance. It wasn’t just on Headbangers Ball, instead, it was on every station. It’s the kind of video that cemented this era of music into pop culture history and that is no easy feat.
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Twisted Sister, “We’re Not Gonna Take It”
Released in 1984 on the band’s third LP, Stay Hungry, Twisted Sister’s “We’re Not Gonna Take It” is as much a cultural artifact as it is a music video.
It’s a war cry against authority, dressed up in face paint, flamboyant wigs and makeup and oversized shoulder pads. Frontman Dee Snider’s larger-than-life look (equal parts Alice Cooper and The New York Dolls) became the visual of suburban teenage rebellion, back when MTV was turning rock bands into household names.
And then there’s Mark Metcalf, channeling his Animal House persona into the role of a militarized, overbearing father figure who gets quite literally blown through walls, windows and the fourth wall itself. His exaggerated rants are the perfect setup for the song’s famous chorus, which, in this context, feels more like a declaration of war via guitar riff.
It’s all sorts of campy and all kinds of brilliant.
But underneath the flying furniture, there’s real conviction.
“We’re Not Gonna Take It” hit a nerve during a time when conservative panic about rock music was at a peak. Snider even testified before Congress the following year, defending lyrics like these during the infamous PMRC hearings. The video’s over-the-top humor didn’t dilute the message; it made it pretty damn unforgettable.
Over 40 years later, that message still lands.
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Warrant, “Cherry Pie”
By the time “Cherry Pie” was released in September 1990, glam metal was already long since nearing its commercial peak… and, arguably… its breaking point. Warrant’s video for the song became one of the genre’s most recognizable, polarizing visuals, defining the late-stage hair metal aesthetic.
Directed by Jeff Stein (best known for his work on 1979’s The Kids Are Alright, a documentary on The Who), the video plays heavily on sexual innuendo. Bobbi Brown, cast as the archetypal “All-American” girl, became instantly iconic as rock music’s newest video vixen for her role, appearing in a red bustier and, of course, wielding an actual cherry pie.
The video received heavy rotation on MTV, helping propel the song, and the band, into mainstream visibility.
Musically, “Cherry Pie” was a label-mandated single, written late in the album process after Columbia Records expressed concerns over the lack of a lead hit. The record, originally titled Uncle Tom’s Cabin, was changed at the last minute to the band’s dismay.
According to vocalist Jani Lane, “Cherry Pie” was written in under 15 minutes and although it succeeded commercially, he would later express regret over how it came to define the band’s identity.
The track itself is a textbook example of late glam metal songwriting: a polished arrangement with a memorable hook, a shout-along chorus and a pretty signature guitar solo by Joey Allen. It charted at No. 10 on the Billboard Hot 100 and became Warrant’s most commercially successful single.
Over time, “Cherry Pie” has been reassessed not just as a glam anthem, but as a cultural artifact from the end of an era. Released just a year before Nirvana’s “Smells Like Teen Spirit” would shift the direction of rock entirely, Warrant’s biggest hit is often viewed as both a triumph and a cautionary marker of hair metal’s final phase.
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Cinderella, “Nobody’s Fool”
Having a power ballad was practically a requirement in mid-‘80s glam metal, but Cinderella approached it with a darker, more theatrical edge and their debut record’s most recognizable single, “Nobody’s Fool,” is proof.
Released as the second single off their 1986 debut Night Songs, the track cemented Cinderella as more than just another pretty-haired band from the MTV rotation.
The video plays like a twisted glam fairy tale: frontman Tom Keifer roams a gothic landscape of mist, ruined chandeliers, and candlelit corridors, delivering a vocal performance that’s more rasp and heartbreak than polished pop sheen. There’s longing, betrayal, and a high-gloss sense of tragedy. The video is less party and more of a poisoned love letter.
Visually, it’s the kind of melodrama that could’ve only existed in 1986 fit with slow-motion silhouettes, lightning strikes on cue and a woman in a red dress walking away in every other scene. But underneath the theatricality is a band trying to carve out emotional space in a genre often defined by detachment or bravado.
The video is also notable for being a continuation of the storyline introduced in the band’s video for their single “Shake Me, ”with the same Cinderella themed characters reappearing which added a rare sense of continuity in a scene that usually hit a reset with every release of a single.
“Nobody’s Fool” reached No. 13 on the Billboard Hot 100, and helped push Night Songs to triple-platinum status. More importantly, it positioned Cinderella as a band with actual range capable of not only doing the power chords and mascara, but also pulling off genuine pathos without losing their edge.
In a sea of faceless ballads, “Nobody’s Fool” still holds up for being one of the few moments where glam metal let itself bleed a little.
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Great White, “Once Bitten Twice Shy”
As mentioned before in our talks about Warrant’s “Cherry Pie,” by 1989, glam metal was teetering between full-blown stadium dominance and cultural burnout. But, nevertheless, Great White’s cover of Ian Hunter’s “Once Bitten, Twice Shy” managed to hit big with just the right mix of grit, swagger, and glam-tinted blues that only bands like Great White and Cinderella were pulling off at the time. It wasn’t trying to reinvent the genre, it was just a different, more raw approach than most of their peers.
The video is a peak Sunset Strip fantasy fit with girls in lingerie, backstage chaos, Jack Russell prowling in fringe and leather, and a band that looks like it lives exclusively on beer and cigarette smoke. There’s no plot to follow, really. Just quick cuts between live performances, behind-the-scenes debauchery, and plenty of fourth-wall breaking that leans into the band’s self-awareness. It’s less about building mythology and more about showing you the reality of the time… well, their version of it, at least.
What separates “Once Bitten, Twice Shy” from a lot of late-era glam hits is its attitude. Russell’s delivery walks the line between cocky and equal parts storyteller. While most hair metal bands were still obsessed with glossy perfection, Great White leaned into a looser, bluesier groove that gave the song a dirt-under-the-fingernails kind of charm. It felt more lived-in than most singles of the time; not choreographed in other words.
The single became Great White’s biggest hit, peaking at No. 5 on the Billboard Hot 100, and brought them into heavy MTV rotation at a time when the format was overcrowded with copycats. It also marked a rare moment when a glam metal band found success by borrowing from way back in time; taking inspiration from early-’70s glam rock rather than trying to out-shred or out-scream the band next door.
“Once Bitten, Twice Shy” isn’t subtle, and let’s be honest, it’s not especially deep, but it’s honest about what it is: a good-time anthem with just enough edge to stick.
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Mötley Crüe, “Home Sweet Home”
Released in August 1985 as the only single from the band’s Theatre of Pain album, Mötley Crüe’s “Home Sweet Home” is still widely recognized as one of the earliest, and most influential, examples of the glam metal power ballad. The track marked a stylistic departure for the band, pairing a piano-driven melody with a soaring chorus and a slower tempo, all while maintaining their identity that made them debaucherous rock stars to begin with.
The accompanying music video became one of the most heavily requested clips on MTV at the time. Structured around a visual narrative of each band member making their way back to the stage from various isolated locations; airports, dressing rooms, hotel lobbies… it reinforced the song’s themes of exhaustion, loyalty and the road-worn experience of life on tour. (And as someone who tours for a living, I get this video more than ever).
The video transitions into full-stage performance footage by the first chorus, balancing the behind-the-scenes realism with what was an arena spectacle at their shows every night.
Directed by Wayne Isham, the video helped solidify a visual formula that would become standard for glam metal ballads in the late ’80s. So many of these snapshots would go on to include tour life vignettes, dramatic stage lighting and slow-motion shots of the band interacting with fans. The track and its video played a major role in expanding Mötley Crüe’s mainstream appeal beyond their earlier, heavier material.
“Home Sweet Home” gained even more, renewed popularity when it was re-released in 1991, when reaching No. 37 on the Billboard charts. The song became a staple of Mötley Crüe’s live shows and remains one of their most enduring and recognizable recordings. It was even played as the final song on Crüe’s “farewell” tour in 2015 (womp, womp).
Critically, “Home Sweet Home” is often credited with helping establish the power ballad as a required component of the glam metal album format; and as we’ve seen with multiple tracks on this list, this was a shift that would influence countless bands in the years that followed.
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Bon Jovi, “In And Out Of Love”
Released as the second single from 7800° Fahrenheit, Bon Jovi’s “In and Out of Love” captures the band at a formative moment; right on the edge of becoming a mainstream force, still rooted in East Coast grit but leaning heavily into the rising glam metal scene.
The video was filmed in Seaside Heights, less than an hour drive from Jon Bon Jovi’s hometown of Sayreville, New Jersey, and blends performance footage with sun-soaked scenes of the band surrounded by crowds of fans and bikini-clad extras on the boardwalk and near the beach.
It’s chaotic and clearly low-budget at some point, but like so many videos of the time… that’s part of the charm. Unlike the high-production arena videos Bon Jovi would soon become known for, this one feels spontaneous and captures the spirit of not only the band, but their roots.
Jon Bon Jovi, who was always a natural frontman from the jump, commands the screen with charisma that far outweighs production value. The band leans heavily into the glam look: tight jeans, big hair, leather fringe but the overall feel is looser than the radio-ready sheen that would define Slippery When Wet just one year later.
“In and Out of Love” didn’t stand out on the charts like some of the band’s most notable hits, but its spirit and coastal setting make it a standout in the band’s early visual catalog. It functions less as a concept piece and more as a documentation of Bon Jovi on the rise. They were young, hungry and ready to dominate.
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Skid Row, “18 And Life”
When “18 and Life” dropped in 1989, it immediately stood out from the long list of party anthems dominating the tail end of the glam metal era. Skid Row’s breakout hit was much darker and rooted in a story that felt all too real. It explored a tragic tale of youth, violence and some mistakes that you just can’t come back from.
The video leans heavily into the narrative, following the story of Ricky, a teenager whose reckless choices lead him from wild nights to prison bars. Shot in grainy tones that contrast sharply with the neon polish of typical glam clips, “18 and Life” gave the band a completely different edge. It’s equal parts performance video and a mini-drama, with Sebastian Bach delivering the lyrics like he’s living every word.
Director Wayne Isham, who shaped so much of the late-’80s rock’s visual identity, keeps the band’s shots tight and raw, with Bach’s oversized stage presence framed against battered walls and jail cells. There’s no glam excess here; only a story that leaves a mark.
“18 and Life” was way more than just a hit and positioned Skid Row as the next wave of heavy glam. Skid Row were a band that could deliver big hooks but weren’t afraid to push into heavier, more realistic territory.
It’s sometimes hard to classify Skid Row into one subgenre or another since the band showed so many faces; it most importantly showed that hair metal could carry weight without losing itself and helped Skid Row carve out a space that bridged the gap between slick MTV metal and the harder edge of what was coming next.
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Poison, “Talk Dirty To Me”
“Talk Dirty to Me” is the video that helped introduce Poison to the mainstream. It’s a bright, brash burst of glam that perfectly captured the fun, carefree spirit that made the band MTV staples practically overnight. Released as the breakout single from their debut album Look What The Cat Dragged In, it helped push Poison from a Hollywood club band to national phenomenon almost instantly.
Visually, the video is simple but effective: a loose mix of performance footage and behind-the-scenes shots that feel like an open invite to the band’s world. There’s no big narrative or heavy symbolism… just Bret Michaels and co strutting around neon-lit stages, trading guitar spins, and generally acting like rock ‘n’ roll characters who never took themselves too seriously.
The charm here is how unpolished it is. Poison’s style leaned more pop than many of their heavier peers, but “Talk Dirty to Me” made no apologies for that. Poison embraced the big hair, poppy hooks, candy-colored clothes; all of this combined created an infectious sense of mischief that turned what could have been just another Sunset Strip single into an anthem for a new wave of glam fans.
The video’s party energy made it feel accessible, like any kid watching MTV could be at that show if they just teased their hair high enough. Poison made excess and the concept of “selling out” nothing but pure fun.
“Talk Dirty to Me” not only launched Poison’s career, but it set the tone for the following string of hits that would help define hair metal’s commercial peak in the late ’80s.
