Hair Band History (January 22nd)

January 22, 1990: Guns N' Roses won "Favorite Heavy Metal/Hard Rock Artist + Album" at the American Music Awards. A drunk Slash and Duff McKagan launched obscenities during their acceptance speech prompting broadcast delay for all awards shows.

January 22, 1990: Skid Row won "Favorite Heavy Metal/Hard Rock New Artist" at the American Music Awards, beating out Warrant and Winger.

January 1982: Def Leppard's "Bringin' On The Heartbreak" didn't get much traction when released in 1981, but a fledgling MTV needed clips to telecast and the power ballad helped drive the "High 'N Dry" LP to No. 38 on the US Billboard Top LPs & Tapes chart.

January 1992: Van Halen released "Right Now" as a single. Eddie Van Halen stated that before Sammy Hagar was hired to replace David Lee Roth, he considered an album featuring various guest singers, with Joe Cocker assigned to "Right Now". Release information source: [US] HITS radio trade publication ad - January 20, 1992.

Happy Birthday to former Guns N' Roses drummer Steven Adler (January 22, 1965).

Remembering Scorpions bassist [1974-92] Francis Buchholz, who died January 22, 2026 at age 71. R.I.P.

Remembering former W.A.S.P., L.A. Guns and Riley's L.A. Guns drummer Steve Riley who would have celebrated a birthday today (January 22, 1956). Steve died in 2023. R.I.P.

January 22, 1990: Almost a year after the release of their debut album, Skid Row's "18 And Life" was issued as a single in the UK (June 1989 in North America), where it was an overseas hit as well, reaching No. 12. Release date source: [UK] Kerrang! ad -January 20, 1990.

January 22, 1988: Following the Dirty Harry/Clint Eastwood speech, Def Leppard launched into "Stagefright" from the "Pyromania" album for the sold out crowd at Freedom Hall Civic Center in Johnson City, Tennessee. With special guest Tesla, the "Hysteria" Tour would finish the month out in the Carolinas, Kentucky and Ohio.

January 1985: Mötley Crüe's Vince Neil was on the cover of Hit Parader Magazine. Inside were 100 pages of metal mayhem, including "The Metal Nobleman" Iron Maiden and Van Halen "The Gripes of Roth" (clever).