Who: Cinderella
Hometown: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
The scoop: The band was certainly hugely popular for much of the 80’s, having sold over 18 million records(!) worldwide, but the band’s legacy seems to be lost to that of lesser bands like Poison, Warrant, and Slaughter. Cinderella were discovered by Jon Bon Jovi, and singer Tom Keifer has the raspiest voice this side of Brian Johnson. He eventually paid the price for that rasp, suffering vocal chord paresis in 1991. But the band’s material holds up great twenty years later — even the power ballads.
Evidence:


Who: The Cult
Hometown: Brixton, England.
The scoop: The band has long had a loyal (dare we say cult?) following, but their records from the heart of the glam era (“Love,” “Electric,” “Sonic Temple“) are the best in the band’s catalog. Perhaps its because of their goth roots, or perhaps because they’ve embraced so many styles over the course of their career, the Cult are long overlooked in the annals of glam rock.
Evidence:

Who: Dangerous Toys
Hometown: Austin, Texas
The scoop: They may have one of the worst band names in all of metal (no small feat!), but their debut album is a rockin’ charge of blues-soaked sleaze rock. “Teasn’, Pleasn’” was a rock radio fave while “Scared” became a staple of MTV. And while the band hasn’t released an album of new material since 1995, the Toys still get together every so often for the occasional show.
Evidence:

Who: Dirty Looks
Hometown: San Fransisco, California via Eerie, Pennsylvania
The scoop: Dutch-born singer Henrik Ostergaard’s voice is a dead ringer for Bon Scott’s, and any band that wears their AC/DC influence that proudly on their sleeve is OK in our book. Strangely, guitarist Paul Lidel would later join Dangerous Toys, making him our unofficial underrated glam metal guitarist of the decade!
Evidence:

Who: Girlschool
Hometown: London, England
The scoop: Despite forming in the 1970s during what metal scholars (is that an oxymoron?) call the New Wave of British Heavy Metal, the band flirted with 1980s glam rock sounds throughout the decade. Sounding like a peppy, poppy more-hairsprayed version of the Runaways, Vixen had nothing on these chicks.
Evidence:

Who: Hanoi Rocks
Hometown: Helsinki, Finland
The scoop: Not strictly glam, Hanoi Rocks are probably most famous in America for the death of their drummer Nicholas “Razzle” Dingley in a drunk driving accident by Motley Crue’s Vince Neil. Bleached blond singer Michael Monroe scored a mild hit with a 1989 solo album, but he’s since rejoined the group, who remain active after all these years.
Evidence:

Who: Junkyard
Hometown: Los Angeles, California
The scoop: With a pedigree that included Brian Baker of Minor Threat and Dag Nasty, and a debut album produced by Tom Werman (Motley Crue, Poison), its no wonder these guys scored a hit with their self-titled 1989 debut that blended honky tonk with hair metal.
Evidence:

Who: KIX
Hometown: Hagerstown, Maryland
The scoop: The band had been around for several years before relocating to Hollywood, California to redefine their sound and find fame on the Sunset Strip. Their fourth album “Blow My Fuse” eventually caught on and went platinum on the strength of the title track along with the power ballad “Don’t Close Your Eyes.”
Evidence:

Who: Skid Row
Hometown: Toms River, New Jersey
The Deal: The second band on this list to be discovered by Jon Bon Jovi, Skid Row certainly had plenty of fame, but their mark as glam rock gods is frequently overshadowed by all the silliness Sebastian Bach has been up to in recent years. Whether as a part of a VH1 reality show (“Supergroup,” “Celebrity Rap Superstar”) or starring on Broadway (“Rocky Horror,” “Jeckyll and Hyde”), the pretty boy singer has managed to stay in the public eye despite little evolution from his “Youth Gone Wild” days. None the less, the band’s first two records are amongst the best of the genre, while a Bach-less Skid Row still tours.
Evidence:

Who: Zodiac Mindwarp
Hometown: London, England
The Deal: Deciding he wanted to lead the decadent life of a rock star, graphic designer Mark Manning became Zodiac Mindwarp and formed the Love Reaction, who played blues-based hard rock with tongue-in-cheek lyrics. The group scored a minor hit in the U.S. with their debut album “Tattooed Beat Messiah,” but they’ve never stopped rocking. They’re still at it today.
Evidence:

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