📚 Homework Alert: Lets dig into Glam Metal in the 80s!

Your ticket to discovering hidden glam treasures and understanding the scene’s secrets before our roundtable reveals all

Get ready to tease your hair and crank your amps because our upcoming Dig Me Out 80s Metal Podcast is diving headfirst into one of the most colorful, controversial, and downright fun chapters in rock history. We’re talking about Glam Metal in the 80s – that beautiful, messy collision of heavy riffs, pop hooks, and enough hairspray to punch a hole in the ozone.

What the Hell Was Glam Metal, Anyway?

Think of it as metal’s glamorous sibling who knew how to party. These bands combined the guitar-driven intensity of traditional metal with irresistible pop sensibilities, creating anthems built for both arena singalongs and late-night MTV rotation. The sound was bigger, brighter, and more accessible than the doom-laden heaviness that came before, featuring soaring guitar solos, gang vocals, and hooks sharp enough to cut glass.

But glam metal was a total sensory experience. Bands like Mötley Crüe, Poison, and Ratt didn’t just play songs; they created theater, complete with pyrotechnics, leather pants tight enough to stop circulation, and hair that defied both gravity and common sense.

Meet Your Professors

We’re joined by two guests who know this scene inside and out:

James Barber

brings serious credentials from his time as an A&R executive at Geffen Records, where he worked with everyone from Lisa Loeb to Guns N’ Roses. These days, he’s the voice behind Stars After Stars After Stars on Substack, and he’s recently curated the epic “Young & Wild: A Decade of American Glam Metal 1982-1992” compilation for Cherry Red Records. If anyone knows where the bodies are buried on the Sunset Strip, it’s James.

Alex Williams offers a fascinating modern perspective – he’s a country artist who’s set to release Space Brain, an entire album of 80s metal covers reimagined through a roots-rock lens. Think Ratt’s “Round and Round” meets backwoods campfire, or Ozzy with a dark pedal steel. It’s exactly as wild as it sounds, and Alex proves that great songs transcend genre boundaries.

Your Assignment (Yes, This Will Be on the Test)

Ready to get schooled in the fine art of 80s excess? Here’s your three-step homework:

Step 1: Listen to the Soundtrack

Dive into James Barber’s expertly curated “Young & Wild” playlist on Apple Music. This isn’t just a greatest hits collection – it’s a carefully crafted journey through the decade that captures both the massive hits and the hidden gems that defined the scene.

Step 2: Meet Your Guests

Get to know the minds behind our discussion:

• Explore James Barber’s world at Stars After Stars After Stars – his industry insights and musical archaeology will blow your mind

• Check out Alex Williams’ country-metal fusion at his official merchandise store and discover how Space Brain reimagines your favorite 80s anthems

Step 3: Embrace the Aesthetic

Study up on the visual language of glam metal. This was a genre where image wasn’t just important – it was everything. From album covers to stage costumes to music videos, glam metal created a complete mythology that was part rock concert, part fashion show, and part performance art.

Class dismissed! Come prepared to discuss everything from the genius of “Round and Round” to the cultural impact of MTV, the rise and fall of the Sunset Strip empire, and why these songs still make us want to pump our fists in the air.

---

---