Editing Glam metal (section)

=== Decline (1991–1997) ===
The 1988 film ''[[The Decline of Western Civilization Part II: The Metal Years]]'' captured the Los Angeles scene of successful and aspiring bands. It also highlighted the excesses of glam metal, particularly the scene in which [[W.A.S.P. (band)|W.A.S.P.]] guitarist [[Chris Holmes (musician)|Chris Holmes]] was interviewed while drinking vodka on a floating chair in a swimming pool as his mother watched. As a result, it has been seen as helping to create a backlash against the genre.<ref name="C. Mott, 2009 p. 16">E. Danville and C. Mott, ''The Official Heavy Metal Book of Lists'' (Fayetteville, AR: University of Arkansas Press, 2009), {{ISBN|0-87930-983-0}}, p. 16.</ref><ref name="G. Hurd, 2007 p. 79">M. G. Hurd, ''Women Directors and their Films'' (London: Greenwood Publishing Group, 2007), {{ISBN|0-275-98578-4}}, p. 79.</ref> In the early 1990s glam metal's popularity rapidly declined after nearly a decade of success. Successful bands lost members that were key to their songwriting and/or live performances, such as Mötley Crue's frontman Vince Neil, Poison guitarist C.C. DeVille, Def Leppard guitarist Steve Clark and Guns N' Roses guitarist Izzy Stradlin. Several music writers and musicians began to deride glam metal acts as "hair farmers",<ref>{{cite news |title=I Slept With Soundgarden and Other Chilling Confessions |author= D. Thompson |work=Alternative Press |date=March 1994 |access-date=8 December 2006 |url=https://www.angelfire.com/ca3/newmorning/apmar94.html}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://web.stargate.net/soundgarden/articles/spin_2-92.shtml|title=SUB ZEP?|author=Magnuson, Ann|work=[[Spin (magazine)|Spin]]|date=February 1992|access-date=8 December 2006|author-link=Ann Magnuson|archive-date=30 September 2007|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070930160144/http://web.stargate.net/soundgarden/articles/spin_2-92.shtml|url-status=dead}}</ref> hinting at the soon-to-be-popularized term "hair metal". Another reason for the decline in popularity of the style may have been the declining popularity of the [[power ballad]]. While its use, especially after a hard-rocking anthem, was initially a successful formula, in the early 1990s audiences lost interest in this approach.{{r|Pillsbury2006p45}}<ref>C. Aaron, [https://books.google.com/books?id=m-qexhnZaukC&dq=%22power+ballad%22+1980s&pg=PA86 "Don't fight the power"], ''Spin'', vol. 17, No. 11, Nov 2001, {{ISSN|0886-3032}}, p. 90.</ref>

==== The rise of alternative rock ====
By far and away the most significant factor in the decline of glam metal was the rise of [[alternative rock]] and [[grunge]] music. This included a wave of grunge bands from or around [[Seattle]], such as [[Nirvana (band)|Nirvana]], [[Alice in Chains]], [[Pearl Jam]] and [[Soundgarden]]. Other alternative bands such as [[R.E.M.]], [[Radiohead]], [[Stone Temple Pilots]], and [[the Smashing Pumpkins]] achieved mainstream success in the wake of glam's decline. The decline was particularly obvious after the success of both R.E.M.'s [[Out of Time (album)|''Out of Time'']] (1991) and Nirvana's ''[[Nevermind]]'' (1991), the latter of which combined elements of [[hardcore punk]] and [[Heavy metal music|heavy metal]] into a dirty sound that made use of heavy guitar distortion, fuzz and feedback, along with darker lyrical themes, a stripped-down aesthetic and a complete rejection of the glam metal visual style and performance.{{r|AllmusicHairMetal}}<ref name=AllmusicGrunge>[{{AllMusic |class=explore |id=style/d2679 |pure_url=yes}} "Grunge"], ''AllMusic''. Retrieved 18 June 2010.</ref> The success of bands like R.E.M. and Nirvana gave rise to a more "stripped down" musical style that was more personal and vulnerable. Many major labels felt they had been caught off-guard by the surprise success of alternative music and began turning over their personnel in favor of younger staffers more versed in the new scene. Glam acts such as Guns N' Roses and Bon Jovi attempted to adjust their sound to the changing times, whereas bands like Skid Row ended up fading away into irrelevance. As MTV shifted its attention to alternative music, glam metal bands found themselves relegated increasingly to late night airplay, and ''Headbangers Ball'' was cancelled at the end of 1994,{{r|Marshall2001}} while KNAC went over to Spanish programming.{{r|Moses&Kaye1999}} Given glam metal's lack of a major format presence on radio, bands were left without a clear way to reach their audience. Other L.A. alternative rock bands like the [[Red Hot Chili Peppers]] and [[Jane's Addiction]] also helped supplant the popularity of the genre.<ref name=Moore2009p.117>R. Moore, ''Sells Like Teen Spirit: Music, Youth Culture, and Social Crisis'' (New York, NY: New York University Press, 2009), {{ISBN|0-8147-5748-0}}, p. 117.</ref>

==== Changing sound ====
Some artists tried to alter their sound, while others struggled on with their original format.{{r|AllmusicHairMetal}} In 1995, Van Halen released ''[[Balance (Van Halen album)|Balance]]'', a multi-platinum seller that would be the band's last with [[Sammy Hagar]] on vocals. In 1996, David Lee Roth returned briefly and his replacement, former [[Extreme (band)|Extreme]] singer [[Gary Cherone]], left the band soon after the release of the commercially unsuccessful 1998 album ''[[Van Halen III]]''. Van Halen would not tour or record again until 2004.{{r|AllmusicVanHalen}} Welsh rock band [[Manic Street Preachers]]' 1992 debut album ''[[Generation Terrorists]]'' featured a glam metal sound.<ref name ="vanyaland">{{cite web|first= Kayley |last= Kravitz |title= Archiving Pain: Richey Edwards disappeared 20 years ago, but his genius with the Manics lives on |website= Vanyaland |date= 30 January 2015 |access-date= 14 May 2019 |url= https://vanyaland.com/2015/01/30/lyrical-preacher-richey-edwards-disappeared-20-years-ago-sunday-genius-lives/}}</ref> The album reached No. 1 in the [[UK Rock Chart]],{{sfn|Price|1999|p=79}} but failed to chart in the United States.{{sfn|Price|1999|p=92}}

Meanwhile, Guns N' Roses' classic-lineup was whittled away throughout the decade. Drummer [[Steven Adler]] was fired in 1990, guitarist [[Izzy Stradlin]] left in late 1991 after recording ''Use Your Illusion I and II'' with the band. Tensions between the other band members and lead singer [[Axl Rose]] continued after the release of the 1993 [[punk rock]] covers album ''[["The Spaghetti Incident?"]]''. Guitarist [[Slash (musician)|Slash]] left in 1996, followed by bassist [[Duff McKagan]] in 1998. Axl Rose, the only remaining member from the classic lineup at that point, worked with several lineups of the band to record ''[[Chinese Democracy]]'' – an album that would take over ten years to complete.{{r|AllmusicGnR}}