Motley Crue History (1981-present)

After more that two decades of rock, parties, and over-the-top antics, Motley Crue is one of rock’s longest lasting acts.

Motley Crue: The Scene

The Los Angeles music scene of the 1980s was the breeding ground for a rock movement known as Glam Metal. Bands were known for distorted guitar and melodic vocals with lyrics that espoused a life of sex, drugs, and parties. Of these warriors of big hair, leather, and tattoos, no band lived and breathed Glam more than Motley Crue.

After leaving the rock’n’roll “feeder school” band London in 1981, bassist Nikki Sixx joined with drummer Tommy Lee to form a band. They discovered White Horse guitarist Mick Mars, who thought of the name Motley Crue after hearing the phrase at an earlier event. Tommy Lee chose his old friend Vince Neil to fill the void at vocalist and Motley Crue was officially born.

After spending some time in the scene, Motley Crue released their first album Too Fast for Love on their own indie label Leathur. Motley Crue quickly caught on in the Los Angeles scene and targeted Canada for a tour. The Canadian tour would establish the long tradition of Motley Crue’s off-stage antics giving them as much fame as their musical ability. Though the tour was a failure in the money department for Motley Crue, the international recognition was far more important.

Motley Crue: The Big Four

After signing with Elektra records, Motley Crue released one of Hair Metal’s most defining albums Shout at the Devil. Motley Crue’s off-stage life and heavy play on MTV would bring the Motley Crue album and the band itself into superstardom. “Shout at the Devil,” “Looks That Kill,” and “Too Young to Fall in Love,” were all hit singles. Shout at the Devil set the benchmark for sex, drugs, and over-the-top decadence that Hair Metal would aspire to for the rest of the 1980s.

The next album was Theater of Pain, which moved Motley Crue away from the heaviness of Shout at the Devil and more towards Glam Metal. While the single “Smokin’ in the Boys Room” stayed more true to Motley Crue’s old style, the ballad “Home Sweet Home” would push the already big band into the mainstream. The success of “Home Sweet Home” was the basis for the Glam Metal marketing formula for the rest of the decade that combined a hard first song with a power ballad as the follow-up single.

Using this success as a springboard, Motley Crue released Girls, Girls, Girls in 1987. Nothing personified Motley Crue more than perhaps the single “Girls, Girls, Girls” – an ode to decadence and groupies. In an interesting twist, Motley Crue also put in the single “Wild Side” which was a warning against the lifestyle that the band both symbolized and coveted. The dark side of Motley Crue was also shown in the ballad “You’re All I Need.” Motley Crue once again played out the hard/power ballad formula to perfection.  

The last of the four classic was Dr. Feelgood. The album covered the basics of Motley Crue and Glam with lyrics about drugs and sex. The single “Dr. Feelgood” was a classic Motley Crue song of decadence, while the ballad “Without You” was about the pain of a failed relationship. “Kick Start My Heart” much like “Wild Side” was a warning against the excessive lifestyle that Motley Crue lived by. Many fans and critics alike said that Dr. Feelgood is the best Motley Crue album of Motley Crue’s entire discography.

Motley Crue: Break up and Reunion

Motley Crue followed up their four classics with a greatest hits album called Decade of Decadence. The album sold well thanks to a remix of the single “Home Sweet Home. The arrival of Grunge meant the end of Glam, with Motley Crue being perhaps the best example of what Grunge opposed. Motley Crue would break up soon after, and Motley Crue members went their separate ways. Tommy Lee would remain the most prominent of the Motley Crue members, thanks to his escapades off stage. Motley Crue remained away from the spotlight as music embraced Grunge, then Post Grunge, and later Nu-Metal. Even with the changes in music, Motley Crue still sold albums and MP3s. There was still enough interest in Motley Crue that the members eyed a comeback.

The reunion began in 2004, with the announcement of a greatest hits collection called Red, White, & Crue which also had a few new Motley Crue songs, including “If I Die Tomorrow” which introduced the MP3 generation to Motley Crue for the first time. A subsequent official tour drew in many new fans as well. A tour with Aerosmith in 2007 further built the fan base back. With a strong showing in Motley Crue album, ticket, and MP3 sales and a strong showing on MySpace, a bigger Motley Crue event was inevitable.

Motley Crue: Crue Fest

In an attempt to match Ozzy Osbourne and his giant Ozzfest, Motley Crue has launched a slew of Crue Fest tour dates. Crue Fest will match Motley Crue with a collection of new bands that owe much of their style to Motley Crue. Buckcherry, Trapt, and Papa Roach are among Motley Crue’s touring partners. Motley Crue has specifically chosen bands that not only emulate Motley Crue on stage, but those that follow Motley Crue’s lifestyle off stage. Tickets to Crue Fest will give fans of rock young and old a chance to join together in the traveling party that is a Motley Crue tour.

Motley Crue: Discography & Singles

• 1982 – "Live Wire" & "Merry-Go-Round" from the Too Fast for Love album
• 1984 – “Looks That Kill” from the Shout at the Devil album
• 1984 – “Too Young to Fall in Love”/”Merry Go Round” from the Shout at the Devil album
• 1985 – “Smokin’ in the Boys Room” from the Theatre of Pain album
• 1985 – “Home Sweet Home” from the Theatre of Pain album
• 1987 – “Girls, Girls, Girls” from the Girls, Girls, Girls album
• 1987 – “Wild Side” from the Girls, Girls, Girls album
• 1987 – “You’re All I Need” from the Girls, Girls, Girls album
• 1989 – “Dr. Feelgood” from the Dr. Feelgood album
• 1989 – “Kickstart My Heart” from the Dr. Feelgood album
• 1990 – “Without You” from the Dr. Feelgood album
• 1992 – “Home Sweet Home ‘91” from the Decade of Decadence album
• 1997 – “Afraid” from the Generation of Swine album
• 2004 – “If I Die Tomorrow” from the Red, White & Crue album
• 2005 – “Sick Love Song” from the Red, White & Crue album