Ah, the hair bands. This much-maligned genre was a mix of rock and pop wrapped up in big hair and leather pants. The bands – almost all white men – were known for lifestyles filled with debauchery and depravity. It was no wonder teens in the ‘80s flocked to the bands like moths to a flame.
Regardless of these bands’ lack of critical acclaim, some of these bands (Bon Jovi, Def Leppard) when on to become some of the biggest rock bands in the world – even after they cut their hair and opted for more sensible jeans. Here – love ‘em or hate ‘em – are the top songs from hair bands as determined by aggregating 21 lists and then ranking those songs featured on 3 or more lists in order of their overall DMDB points.
Click here to see other genre-specific song lists.
1. Guns N’ Roses “Sweet Child O’ Mine” (1987)
2. Bon Jovi “Livin’ on a Prayer” (1986)
3. Van Halen “Jump” (1984)
4. Def Leppard “Pour Some Sugar on Me” (1987)
5. Guns N’ Roses “Welcome to the Jungle” (1987)
6. Guns N’ Roses “November Rain” (1991)
7. Whitesnake “Here I Go Again” (1987)
8. Kiss “Rock and Roll All Nite” (1975)
9. Poison “Every Rose Has Its Thorn” (1988)
10. Guns N’ Roses “Paradise City” (1987)
11. Bon Jovi “You Give Love a Bad Name” (1986)
12. Def Leppard “Photograph” (1983)
13. Scorpions “Rock You Like a Hurricane” (1984)
14. Twisted Sister “We’re Not Gonna Take It” (1984)
15. Europe “The Final Countdown” (1986)
16. Ratt “Round and Round” (1984)
17. Quiet Riot “Cum on Feel the Noize” (1983)
18. Van Halen “Runnin’ with the Devil” (1978)
19. Extreme “More Than Words” (1990)
20. Mötley Crüe “Girls, Girls, Girls” (1987)
21. Whitesnake “Is This Love” (1987)
22. Warrant “Cherry Pie” (1990)
23. Def Leppard “Love Bites” (1987)
24. Bon Jovi “Wanted Dead or Alive” (1986)
25. Mr. Big “To Be with You” (1991)
26. Night Ranger “Sister Christian” (1984)
27. Guns N’ Roses “Patience” (1988)
28. The Scorpions “No One Like You” (1982)
29. Kiss “Detroit Rock City” (1976)
30. Def Leppard “Rock of Ages” (1983)
31. Van Halen “Panama” (1984)
32. Mötley Crüe “Home Sweet Home” (1985)
33. Quiet Riot “Metal Health (Bang Your Head)” (1983)
34. Poison “Nothin’ But a Good Time” (1988)
35. Skid Row “I Remember You” (1989)
36. Tesla “Love Song” (1989)
37. Van Halen “Hot for Teacher” (1984)
38. Whitesnake “Still of the Night” (1987)
39. Mötley Crüe “Dr. Feelgood” (1989)
40. The Scorpions “Still Loving You” (1984)
41. Lita Ford “Kiss Me Deadly” (1988)
42. Skid Row “18 and Life” (1989)
43. Warrant “Heaven” (1988)
44. Cinderella…Don’t Know What You Got ‘Til It’s Gone (1988)
45. Bon Jovi “Bad Medicine” (1988)
46. Mötley Crüe “Kickstart My Heart” (1989)
47. Queensrÿche “Silent Lucidity” (1990)
48. Def Leppard “Bringin’ on the Heartbreak” (1981)
49. Lita Ford with Ozzy Osbourne “Close My Eyes Forever” (1988)
50. Poison “Talk Dirty to Me” (1986)
51. Alice Cooper “Poison” (1989)
52. Bon Jovi “Runaway” (1983)
53. Great White “Once Bitten Twice Shy” (1989)
54. Autograph…Turn Up the Radio (1984)
55. Def Leppard “Foolin’” (1983)
56. White Lion “When the Children Cry” (1987)
57. Twisted Sister “I Wanna Rock” (1984)
58. Cinderella “Nobody’s Fool” (1986)
59. Mötley Crüe “Shout at the Devil” (1983)
60. Kiss “Lick It Up” (1983)
61. Skid Row “Youth Gone Wild” (1989)
62. Poison “Something to Believe In” (1990)
63. Damn Yankees “High Enough” (1990)
64. White Lion “Wait” (1987)
65. Ozzy Osbourne “Shot in the Dark” (1986)
66. Poison “Fallen Angel” (1988)
67. Dokken “In My Dreams” (1985)
68. Slaughter “Fly to the Angels” (1990)
69. Van Halen “I’ll Wait” (1984)
70. Winger “Seventeen” (1988)
71. Kix “Don’t Close Your Eyes” (1988)
72. David Lee Roth “Yankee Rose” (1986)
73. Kiss “Heaven’s on Fire” (1984)
74. Cinderella “Gypsy Road” (1988)
75. Cinderella “Shake Me” (1986)
76. Dokken “Alone Again” (1984)
77. Firehouse “Love of a Lifetime” (1991)
78. Ugly Kid Joe “Cat’s in the Cradle” (1992)
79. Mötley Crüe “Without You” (1989)
80. Winger “Miles Away” (1990)
81. Winger “Headed for a Heartbreak” (1988)
82. Great White “Rock Me” (1987)
83. Kiss “Tears Are Falling” (1985)
84. Warrant “Down Boys” (1988)
85. Tesla “Signs” (live, 1990)
86. Slaughter “Up All Night” (1990)
87. Ratt “You’re in Love” (1985)
88. Mötley Crüe “Looks That Kill” (1983)
89. Firehouse “Don’t Treat Me Bad” (1991)
90. Vixen “Edge of a Broken Heart” (1988)
91. Guns N’ Roses “Nightrain” (1987)
92. Mötley Crüe “Live Wire” (1981)
93. Cinderella “Coming Home” (1988)
94. Warrant “Uncle Tom’s Cabin” (1990)
95. Mötley Crüe “Too Young to Fall in Love” (1983)
96. Faster Pussycat “House of Pain” (1989)
97. Ratt “Lay It Down” (1985)
98. Mötley Crüe “Wild Side” (1987)
99. Trixter “Give It to Me Good” (1990)
100. L.A. Guns “The Ballad of Jayne” (1989)
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First posted 1/23/2018; last updated 5/11/2021. | 
The Cult - Edie (Ciao Baby), Aldo Nova - Fantasy, Ted Nugent - Free for All, April Wine - I like to Rock
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