Mötley Crüe

One of the most notorious and successful bands of the hair metal era, Los Angeles rockers Mötley Crüe burned through the '80s in a blaze of drugs, debauchery, and platinum hits. Their glammed-out image, hard-partying reputation, and a knack for melding pop hooks to heavy metal theatrics took the band to the top of the charts repeatedly throughout the '80s, records like 1985's Theatre of Pain and 1989's Dr Feelgood bringing them to sold-out arenas around the world. Their wild lifestyles took a toll, however, and by the early '90s, the band imploded, with lineup changes, legal turmoil, and a generally shaky times.

Formed in January 1981, Mötley Crüe were originally the pet project of bassist Nikki Sixx, Greg Leon, and Tommy Lee. The band soon secured management with Allan Coffman, who financed recording sessions for a debut album, initially released in November 1981 by Lethur Records. Elektra Records released their sophomore effort, Shout at the Devil, in 1983. 'Home Sweet Home,' a power ballad from Theatre of Pain, yielded another popular music video, while a 44-minute home video cassette entitled Uncensored released in 1986 to multi-platinum sales. Shortly after the release of Greatest Hits in 1998, the group's contract with Elektra fell apart, prompting Mötley Records to switch its affiliation to the Beyond label. In 2001, the band issued a best-selling, tell-all biography entitled The Dirt. Soon after, the group disbanded for good, with on-and-off reunions & carnivals. Although, in 2018 Mötley Crüe recorded four new songs for the film adaptation of the band's biography. The tracks appeared on the soundtrack for The Dirt, which released in 2019.