Hair Band History (October 22nd)

October 1989: Over a year after the release of their fourth album "Blow My Fuse", Kix found the hit they were looking for with power ballad "Don't Close Your Eyes". The music video was a Top 5 request on Dial MTV and the track would peak at No. 11 on the US Billboard Hot 100 singles chart in December. Billboard Magazine ad - October 21, 1989

October 1984: Kerrang! featured Def Leppard's Joe Elliott who said the band were recording their new album (not yet called "Hysteria") and the backing tracks were down. Just over two months later was the accident that took drummer Rick Allen's left arm 😔

Happy Birthday to former Ratt Drummer Bobby Blotzer (October 22, 1958).

October 22, 1996: Van Halen released their first greatest hits album "Best Of – Volume I" in North America, featuring songs from the David Lee Roth and Sammy Hagar eras, who were with the band for 11 years each. Two new tracks recorded with Roth were also included. Release information source: [US] Billboard Magazine ad - October 19, 1996.

October 1987: While Tesla were on the road with Def Leppard, "Gettin' Better" from their debut album "Mechanical Resonance", was issued as a single to North American rock radio stations. Release information source: [US] The Hard Report radio trade publication ad - October 30, 1987.

October 1983: "Heavy Metal Love", the first single from Helix's major label debut "No Rest For The Wicked", was released in the UK. The LP was in stores there in late July (late May in North America). Release information source: Sounds Magazine ad - October 22, 1983.

Since the principal players reunited in 2016, there really hasn't been any Guns N' Roses drama, which makes the years before that even more weird. This month in 2008, we heard for the first time "Chinese Democracy" from Guns.. er, Axl Rose.

The music video for Whitesnake's "Here I Go Again" featuring Tawny Kitaen was being played almost everywhere on the planet and the relationship between frontman David Coverdale and Kitaen also captured the attention of fans worldwide... "David's New Flame" (German magazine Bravo - October 22, 1987).

October 1986: Over a year before the release of her career defining album "Lita", Lita Ford was featured in Hit Parader's Heavy Metal Hot Shots Magazine. In the mid '80s Lita was briefly engaged to guitarist Tony Iommi of Black Sabbath, who co-produced her album "The Bride Wore Black", which was never released. Lita said in a 1989 interview with Kerrang! that "there's a certain amount of bad blood between Tony and I".