Motley Crue are one of America’s most beloved hard rock bands, and with the next leg of their World Tour with Def Leppard approaching, we wanted to look back on their legacy.
The band has been through a lot during their 40-year career, and they’ve released a total of nine studio albums since they formed in the early ’80s. But which is the best? That’s what we want to hear from you in this week’s Loudwire Nights Album of the Week poll!
You’ll have until Friday at 12N ET to cast your votes. We’ll then play the three tracks from the album with the most votes during Loudwire Nights’ Album of the Week block to start the following Monday’s show!
Motley Crue formed in 1981, comprised of Nikki Sixx, Vince Neil, Mick Mars and Tommy Lee. Though they did have a period with John Corabi behind the microphone for a couple of years in the ’90s, the original quartet remained until recently.
Their debut album Too Fast for Love came out the year that they formed, just as other hair metal bands started popping up around the Los Angeles area. The album had originally been released independently but was reissued by Elektra in 1982 after the band signed a record deal with the label. Its follow-up, 1983’s Shout at the Devil, was their breakthrough though —for better or for worse, the “shocking” and “Satanic” imagery associated with both their songs and aesthetic brought them a lot more attention.
Theatre of Pain sold well for the band, especially because it featured their first big power ballad “Home Sweet Home.” However, the record and its follow-up Girls, Girls, Girls were no match for 1989’s Dr. Feelgood, which was their first release after getting clean and became their first No. 1.
Motley Crue, which was released in 1994, was the band’s only album without Neil on vocals, and featured Corabi instead. Though it still landed in the Top 10 of the Billboard 200, many fans were unhappy with the band’s efforts to imitate the Seattle grunge sound. 1997’s Generation Swine marked the return of Neil, which was followed by 2000’s New Tattoo and 2008’s Saints of Los Angeles.
The group’s last musical release was their 2019 EP The Dirt, which accompanied their Netflix biopic of the same name, however it isn’t being counted for the sake of this poll since it was not a full album.
Crue are apparently working on new music, as confirmed by Sixx in a few social media posts last week. However, it doesn’t seem as Mars — who announced his retirement from touring in October — has been a part of the creative process, but rather John 5, who was announced as their new touring guitarist a few months ago. Mars filed a lawsuit against his bandmates earlier this month, claiming they’ve been trying to oust him from the group, so it’s unclear where he stands as a member at this time.
READ MORE: Motley Crue’s Manager + Mick Mars’ Lawyer Explain Lawsuit From Both Sides
It’s the same ‘ole situation as every week other week — head below to vote for your favorite Motley Crue album, and tune into Loudwire Nights next Monday at 7PM ET to find out which record prevailed. During tonight’s show, you’ll get to find out which Metallica album was voted the best, and hear three songs from the winner.
Get tickets to Motley Crue’s 2023 tour at this location to hear your favorite tracks live.
Loudwire Nights with Chuck Armstrong airs nightly starting at 7PM ET. You can tune in anytime, from anywhere right here or by downloading the Loudwire app.