In the '80s, hard rock artists such as Quiet Riot, Motley Crue, Skid Row, Guns n' Roses, Warrant, Slaughter, Great White and Bon Jovi reigned supreme, while their 'image is everything' motto brought newfound success to such legends as Kiss, Aerosmith, Alice Cooper, Van Halen, Whitesnake and Heart. Here, revelling in every cheap thrill and mascara-caked moment, the world's most devoted rock database offers full biographies and global discographies of each and every band that was a part of the million-selling but short-lived '80s rock scene. With photographs throughout.
Return to the glamorous decade that brought the world Footloose and The Breakfast Club, when legwarmers and shoulder pads were all the rage and nightclubs blasted classic tunes by Spandau Ballet and Wham! With hundreds of entries from A-Team, aerobics, Rick Astley, and Amadeus to Weird Science, yuppies, The Young Ones and ZZ Topp, be prepared to relive the punk, the glam, and everything in between using this complete guide to the most extravagant and fun decade of the 20th century.
“I have read pretty much every rock 'n' roll biography there is worth reading, and you never know what to expect when you pick up a new book. Well, let me tell you Mark Weiss has raised the bar for rock 'n' roll books with The Decade That Rocked. Mark has always been at the top of his field, and the level of detail and quality put into this book is the ultimate testament to his rock n' roll photographic legacy.” – Sebastian Bach “Mark is the real deal. He may not play the guitar, but that camera is his guitar. He’s a rockstar.” – Gene Simmons "Mark’s energy, his creativity, his drive, his positive attitude and his enthusiasm that make him one of the legends of rock photography. It’s why his work—both old and new—is still so in demand today. Mark Weiss inspires greatness in all he turns his camera lens on. But don’t take my word for it. Just look at the pictures in this book." – Dee Snider “His pictures say as much as the music” – Rob Halford “He was one of the guys. He wasn’t one of the 18 photographers you’d work with that day.” – Alice Cooper “He had that instinct, to recognize our energy and use his technical talent to capture it.” – Joe Perry “The Decade That Rocked breaches a level of intimacy that so many music photographers are lacking today. Each and every photo exemplifies the trust and the synergy between photographer and subject. You can feel the essence of the music in the live shots, just as vibrantly as you can feel the spirit and the essence of the musicians behind the scenes.” – Screamer Magazine Mark “Weissguy” Weiss set an unmatched standard for rock photography. Starting out as a teenager by sneaking into concerts with a neighbor’s 35mm camera, he embarked on a legendary career that took him around the globe and onto some of the most memorable album and magazine covers in rock history– featuring the likes of Van Halen, Ozzy Osbourne, Aerosmith, and Mötley Crüe to Metallica, Guns N’ Roses, Bon Jovi, and KISS, and so many more. With 700+ photos, brand new interviews, and stories from Mark himself, Decade that Rocked is a monument to the photography, friendships, and legacy of an artist that helped define one of rock’s most iconic eras. This career-spanning collection features: A unique lens on the golden age of rock: Never-before or rarely seen photos of legends like Van Halen, Ozzy Osbourne, Aerosmith, and Mötley Crüe to Metallica, Guns N’ Roses, Bon Jovi, and KISS, as well as countless others whose sound and image defined the era. Exclusive interviews: Ozzy Osbourne, Dee Snider, Nikki Sixx, Joe Perry, Rob Halford, and many more recall their memories of this era-defining decade. Untold Stories: Relive Mark’s unbelievable journey through rock history, from getting arrested for selling photos outside of Kiss concert to touring with legends like Van Halen, to photographing Bon Jovi’s infamous “Slippery When Wet” shoot, shooting backstage at Live Aid with Black Sabbath, and so many more. Definitive Lens: Creem magazine readers ranked Mark Weiss as rock’s top photographer of the 80s. His work has appeared on some of the most iconic album and magazine covers of all time. Captured from the unique vantage point of a photographer who lived and breathed the ’80s in all its grit and glory, The Decade That Rocked brings to life the no-holds-barred sounds and sights that changed the world of hard rock and metal forever.
From a legendary music journalist with four decades of unprecedented access, an insider’s behind-the-scenes look at the major personalities of rock and roll. Lisa Robinson has interviewed the biggest names in music—including Led Zeppelin, the Rolling Stones, John Lennon, Patti Smith, U2, Eminem, Lady Gaga, Jay Z, and Kanye West. She visited the teenage Michael Jackson many times at his Encino home. She spent hours talking to John Lennon at his Dakota apartment—and in recording studios just weeks before his murder. She introduced David Bowie to Lou Reed at a private dinner in a Manhattan restaurant, helped the Clash and Elvis Costello get their record deals, was with the Rolling Stones on their jet during a frightening storm, and was mid-flight with Led Zeppelin when their tour manager pulled out a gun. A pioneering female journalist in an exclusive boys’ club, Lisa Robinson is a preeminent authority on the personalities and influences that have shaped the music world; she has been recognized as rock journalism’s ultimate insider. A keenly observed and lovingly recounted look back on years spent with countless musicians backstage, after-hours, and on the road, There Goes Gravity documents a lifetime of riveting stories, told together here for the first time.
"An oral history and timeline of the popular 1980s heavy metal subgenre, including its prehistory and decline, profusely illustrated with relevant photographs and memorabilia"--
Provides profiles of solo performers, bands, producers, and record labels from the alternative rock movement, ranging from the mid-1970s to the present, and includes discographies, album reviews, and photographs.
(Keyboard Presents). No single decade revitalized the keyboard as a focal point as much as the 1980s. Now, the editors of Keyboard magazine have culled that era's most insightful articles and combined them with a wealth of insight to create this landmark book. Features 20 interviews with noted players and producers like Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis, Duran Duran's Nick Rhodes, Depeche Mode's Vince Clarke, Peter Gabriel, and The Human League, as well as such visionary pioneers as Herbie Hancock, Chick Corea, and Frank Zappa.
A love letter to the hard-rocking, but often snubbed, music of the era of excess: the 1980s There may be no more joyous iteration in all of music than 1980s hard rock. It was an era where the musical and cultural ideals of rebellion and freedom of the great rock ’n’ roll of the ’50s, ’60s, and ’70s were taken to dizzying heights of neon excess. Attention to songcraft, showmanship, and musical virtuosity (especially in the realm of the electric guitar) were at an all-time high, and radio and MTV were delivering the goods en masse to the corn-fed children of America and beyond. Time hasn’t always been kind to artists of that gold and platinum era, but Don’t Call It Hair Metal analyzes the sonic evolution, musical diversity, and artistic intention of ’80s commercial hard rock through interviews with members of such hard rock luminaries as Twisted Sister, Def Leppard, Poison, Whitesnake, Ratt, Skid Row, Quiet Riot, Guns N’ Roses, Dokken, Mr. Big, and others.
