Enuff Z'Nuff - Enuff Z'Nuff | 80s Metal Revisited

Summer of ’89. The radio was a mixtape of shifting eras. Mötley Crüe’s Dr. Feelgood was weeks away from setting glam’s commercial high-water mark. L.A. Guns dropped Cocked & Loaded, all sleaze and swagger. The Stones came roaring back with Steel Wheels, while Soundgarden’s Louder Than Love whispered of the coming storm. Skid Row’s self-titled debut was igniting teenage bedrooms with angst and hairspray, and Faith No More’s The Real Thing was cracking open a genre blend nobody knew they needed. Somewhere in that haze of spandex, eyeliner, and distortion pedals, a band from Blue Island, Illinois, quietly rewrote the rules.

Their name? Enuff Z’Nuff.

Flash and Craft

They were flashy—no doubt about it. Sequins, neon, big hair, and music videos that looked like glam rock candy stores. But the sparkle only worked because the songs did. It comes down to the songs. Enuff Z'Nuff's debut, released in August ’89, is built on craftsmanship. “New Thing” bursts open like a neon rocket, harmonies locked in, guitars tight and melodic, Donnie Vie’s raspy vocals bouncing between sneer and sincerity. Then there’s “Fly High Michelle,” a featherlight power ballad that threads glam theatrics with real emotional weight. For anyone who came of age that summer, it was more than a track—it marked time.

"This is one of those time-capsule albums. For me, it was the summer after high school—party to party, Fly High Michelle playing in the dorm room before hitting the bars. You don't forget that stuff."

The hooks kept coming. Tracks like “For Now” and “Kiss the Clown” dug deeper into melody, twisting harmonies and electric solos into bite-sized bursts of ear candy. Slower grooves and layered arrangements filled out the album's personality. They leaned into space and dynamics in a way that gave each moment time to breathe.

Power Pop Soul

Donnie Vie and Chip Z’Nuff grew up on Rubber Soul. Their hearts lived in power pop, but the late ‘80s required a glam wardrobe to get through the door. Sequins and big hair got them airtime, but the soul of the songs remained true to their roots.

Underneath the visual flash lived grit and melody. Think Cheap Trick with a glam polish. Strip away the studio gloss, and the core remains. Some might say Oasis later took notes from what Enuff Z’Nuff was doing years before. While other bands chased anthems or shock, these guys leaned into melody, heartache, and harmony.

"Remove the ’80s production, and Oasis could’ve cut New Thing... That Beatlesque sneer in the melody? Timeless."

A Story Worth Telling

Their story hits all the classic beats: dreams of baseball swapped for six-string ambitions, a soundtrack appearance before their debut dropped, a producer who later traded music for diamonds, and a lineup history that reads like a family tree. Through all the chaos, Chip Z’Nuff kept going. Addiction, loss, changing musical tides—none of it stopped him from keeping the flame alive.

Chip’s early days in New York even included a brief run-in with Madonna, before either had claimed fame. Dive bars, gigs, a spark. That story still gets told.

"He dated a pre-Madonna Madonna... she was a drummer in a band. You can just Google it, but he's got a sort of famous quote he told Howard Stern."

Still Rocking the Midwest

They’re still playing. Still recording. Still waving the flag for melodic hard rock that never quite fit the mold. Midwest towns like Columbus, Cleveland, and Chicago know the drill. Catch them at a county fair or in a dive bar, and you’ll hear harmonies that haven’t aged a day.

It began with this debut. And that beginning still matters.

Hear the Full Breakdown

Curious for more? Want the full breakdown with stories, fan memories, and all the context? Tune in to the full episode of Dig Me Out. We dig into the tracks and trace how Enuff Z’Nuff carved a space of their own, one harmony at a time.

Songs in this Episode

• Intro - Hot Little Summer Girl

• 24:02 - New Thing

• 29:29 - In the Groove

• 35:40 - New Thing

• 38:17 - She Wants More

• 40:05 - Finger on the Trigger

• 50:03 - I Could Never Be Without You

• 51:21 - Fly High Michelle

• Outro - Kiss the Clown

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