'80s Hard Rock

Not every rock star spent the '80s on the Sunset Strip, bringing the ready-willing-and-able down to their sha-na-na-na knees while dancing with the devil, like Guns N' Roses and Mötley Crüe. Some squeezed into hip-huggers and belted out can't-live-without-'em happy-hour sides, like "Here I Go Again" and "Livin' on a Prayer," while others tried their gloved-and-grizzled hands at Rocky-ready underdog anthems ("Eye of the Tiger"), puzzle-piece prog ("Tom Sawyer"), and glittery, glorious glam (the oft-sampled "Another One Bites the Dust").

Rock 'n' roll of the '80s — a behind-closed-doors golden age of pile-driving guitar solos . . . and a host of unmentionables perfectly summed up by "Get It On (Bang a Gong)." Admit it: You wish you'd been there instead of stuck in suburbia. Well, we've got the next best thing. Put the kids (if you've got 'em) to bed and crank up the power-tool chords and temptress-caliber hooks of "The Stroke," "Talk Dirty to Me," "Hot for Teacher," "Love in an Elevator," and, of course, "Cherry Pie," that sweet, sweet Warrant single that's made many a grown man cry. Then, add Aqua Net and spandex as needed. The rest is up to you.

In the '80s, getting to the gig early was key and not just because the bar line was shorter. There was also the sometimes pleasant surprise of an opening act with a praying mantis physique and pit-stirring songs that made the stage barrier upfront give way, like the gleaming I-think-I-can chug of Night Ranger, the boot-scuffing riffage of Rainbow, the campy, romper rock of Dangerous Toys, and a hairspray-doused Cinderella that'd sooner smash a pumpkin than turn into one.

Welcome to the world of '80s hard rock, a domain where mascara and lipstick were both king and queen, and riffs were almost as big as the headlining band's ozone-depleting 'dos. It was a time and a place like no other, where Jon Bon Jovi was "Wanted Dead or Alive," where Tawny Kitaen crawled all over David Coverdale's Jag, and where spandex-snapping, solo-abusing artists like Def Leppard, Aerosmith, Van Halen and Mötley Crüe packed arenas from coast to coast . . . all the while putting the real show on the tour bus. It was the best of times and — who are we kidding — the best of times.