Mötley Crüe Dr. Feelgood 30th Anniversary

So, did we hit peak "Hair Metal" with this album?

Sandwiched between Paula Abdul and Janet Jackson, there was a heavy pop resurgence going on in 1989.

By 1990 the early warning signs were there - the same handful of pop gals exchanged places with each other, Billy Joel and Phil Collins at the top of the album chart (with, no shite, Milli Vanilli thrown in) - until the last 7 months of that year, which saw MC Hammer, NKOTB and Vanilla Ice top the album chart the last 7 months.

"Rock" (of any flavor) was shut out until roughly mid-year 1991, REM had a week in May, Metallica and Van Hagar combined for 7 weeks in the Summer, and GNR's Illusion II and U2's Achtung Baby had a couple/three weeks combined towards the latter part of the year.

By 1992 - you had a couple of weeks of Nevermind, 1 week of The Black Crowes - sandwiched in between was the last gasp of glam (I hesitate to say Hair here) metal with Def Leppard's Hysteria follow up, Adrenalize, being the rock monster of that year.

And, then, just like that Rock would be downmarket from Country, Rap, Pop and Soundtracks, except the occasional breath of air from AIC, STP, Beastie boys (occasionally a nostalgia act like Aerosmith or middle-aged Eagles) but typically just a week or two (or three).

So - I'm going to call it - Dr. Feelgood was the "high water mark" of the glam/hair metal era - coming just 2 years after Hysteria/Appetite for Destruction/New Jersey and about 2 years before losing its status as a dominant album charting force (and with it, the broader genre of rock faded as well).

quote:

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"Rock" (of any flavor) was shut out until roughly mid-year 1991, REM had a week in May, Metallica and Van Hagar combined for 7 weeks in the Summer, and GNR's Illusion II and U2's Achtung Baby had a couple/three weeks combined towards the latter part of the year.

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There was also Skid Row's Slave to the Grind and Ozzy's No more Tears that summer. Thats something to think about how quickly things changed for a young headbanger like myself. From summer of 91 listening to the Crue, GNR, Skid Row, Ozzy, Metallica to summer of 92 pretty much all grunge except Megadeth's Countdown to Extinction

I was never a big Crue fan aside from a couple songs, but for the 20th anniversary tour a friend of mine had box tickets at the Woodlands pavilion and they played this whole album. really good show

All awesome albums.