Hair Band History (January 24th)

January 24, 1989: Skid Row released their debut album in North America (one day earlier in the UK) featuring singles "Youth Gone Wild", "18 And Life" and "I Remember You". Early reviews were mixed and the LP didn't really gain any traction until the music video for "18 And Life" blew up on MTV in May that year.

Skid Row debut release information source: [US] The Hard Report radio trade publication ad - February 3, 1989; [UK] Kerrang! - January 28, 1989.

January 24, 1995: Van Halen released their 10th studio album "Balance" in North America featuring singles "Don't Tell Me (What Love Can Do)", "Can't Stop Lovin' You" and "Not Enough". It was the last Van Halen LP with Sammy Hagar, but amid turmoil in the band, it still went triple platinum. The cover art created some controversy with the concept of a child model playing fraternal conjoined twins on a seesaw. Alex Van Halen wanted artwork that explored "the duality of the human psyche." An alternate cover was created with one twin airbrushed out.

Van Halen "Balance" release date source: [US] Billboard Magazine - January 7, 1995.

January 1986: RATT were getting ready for their first British tour opening for Ozzy Osbourne and got the cover of Kerrang! In April that year, the band would travel to Japan for 17 shows plus a television appearance that included a lip sync performance.

January 1990: San Francisco rockers Babylon A.D. released "Bang Go The Bells" as the second single from their debut album. Discovered at a live showcase in Los Angeles in 1989, they were signed to Arista and their album released that same year. Release information source: [US] The Hard Report radio trade publication ad - February 2, 1990.

January 1987: Tesla's debut album "Mechanical Resonance" released a month earlier in North America was now available in the UK. "The best new American band in ages." -Kerrang! (January 23, 1987)

January 1987: Kerrang! reported a split between Quiet Riot and singer Kevin DuBrow, who departed the band around this time and was later replaced by Rough Cutt vocalist Paul Shortino.

January 1988: Poison were in the studio recording their new album titled "Swallow This" 😜 Record stores probably wouldn't have been too thrilled with that so no surprise it was later changed to "Open Up And Say...Ahh!".