Big Hair, Bigger Riffs

Four faces. Four riff machines. Four icons who defined the glitter, grit, and glorious excess of hair metal. In this episode, Rex Voltage builds the ultimate Mount Rushmore of the genre, arguing for the bands and players who didn’t just survive the Sunset Strip—they helped make it immortal.

Rex Voltage pulls apart one of rock’s favorite cold-case arguments: did grunge actually kill hair metal, or was the scene already wobbling under its own weight? This episode dives into the late-80s excess, the early-90s shift in taste, and the bigger truth behind a genre that went from untouchable to unfashionable fast.

This episode digs into how Cinderella blended Philadelphia bar-band grit with Sunset Strip glam, powered by Tom Keifer’s unmistakable vocals and sharp guitar work. We break down the staying power of tracks like Nobody’s Fool, Shake Me, and Gypsy Road, and why the band still hits decades later.

This episode explores the high-voltage world of 80s Christian glam rock and hair metal, from the anthemic rise of Stryper to the heavier edge of Barren Cross. Along the way, it spotlights the scene’s big hooks, bold faith-driven lyrics, and the bands that helped make the genre unforgettable.

Rex Voltage salutes the women who powered 80s rock and hard rock, from Joan Jett, Pat Benatar, Heart, and Lita Ford to the underrated force of Vixen, The Bangles, Girlschool, Romeo Void, and Cherie Currie. It’s a high-voltage look at the talent, attitude, and resilience that helped these artists break through a male-dominated scene and shape the sound of the decade.

Skid Row didn’t just ride the late-80s hard rock wave—they helped turn it into something meaner, heavier, and harder to ignore. In this episode, Rex Voltage traces the band’s leap from Sunset Strip swagger to full-throttle grit, breaking down the rise of Sebastian Bach, the muscle behind their riffs, and the moment glam metal collided with a new, more dangerous rock era.

Rex Voltage breaks down the DNA of hair metal: the hooks, the riffs, the attitude, the production, and the unapologetic excess that made the genre impossible to ignore. Turn it up—this one’s mandatory.

RATT didn’t just ride the Sunset Strip wave — they helped define it. This episode celebrates the riffs, hooks, swagger, and stagecraft that made them arena-ready giants, from Out of the Cellar to the hard-rock run that followed. We dig into why a band with monster songs, platinum success, and one of the most recognizable choruses of the decade still gets underrated in the hair metal conversation.

Rex Voltage traces how MTV exploded onto the scene, rewired music culture, and turned rock into a full-blown visual event. From the first broadcast to the rise of the video superstar, this episode explains why the channel changed everything for the 80s and for the bands that ruled it.

Poison looked like the wildest band on the Strip — but behind the hairspray and chaos was a machine built for hooks, singalongs, and monster choruses. Rex Voltage breaks down the glam, the craft, the controversy, and the case for why Poison might be one of the smartest pop-metal bands of the era. How Poison turned sleaze into stadium-sized anthems The songwriting tricks that made their biggest hit...

What exactly is hair metal? Rex Voltage breaks down the sound, style, and swagger of the genre that turned arena rock into a full-contact sport. From the Sunset Strip to MTV, this episode traces how big hooks, bigger hair, and unapologetic excess became a whole cultural force — and why the music still hits today. Turn it up. This one’s mandatory.

From Sunset Strip misfits to arena-level infamy, this episode traces how Mötley Crüe turned chaos into a brand, riffs into weapons, and survival into the ultimate headline. Expect the wild ride through the Crüe’s rise, the music that made them undeniable, the disaster zones they created, and the sheer stubborn force that kept them alive long enough to become legend. Turn it up—this one’s mandatory...

An all-access introduction to the loudest, proudest rock revival on the dial. Rex Voltage kicks open the doors to the world of glam rock, hair metal, Sunset Strip attitude, and the kind of riffs that never learn how to behave. Turn it up and step inside.