You Wanted the Best...Number Eight

Our top ten glam band countdown continues. Here’s what we’ve got so far:

10) Badlands 09) Winger

In the eighth spot…Twisted Sister.

One glance at lead singer Dee Snider with his long blond hair and crazy make-up and you know Twisted Sister is a glam band. Despite the make-up and hairspray, the New York based quintet has a much harder edge than many of their Sunset Strip counterparts.

Besides some radio friendly hits – especially “We’re Not Gonna Take It” – the band produced more traditional Metal sounding tunes, all while having a good time. While Dee Snider demands his audience “Burn In Hell” guitarists Eddie Ojeda and Jay Jay French bop around on stage like skipping through a field of poppies.

Twisted Sister formed during the mid-seventies but enjoyed their biggest commercial success with 1984’s Stay Hungry. Their unique take on Metal influenced a slew of musicians that would swarm the Sunset Strip just a few short years later. The band made shock rock melodic and catchy.

Twisted Sister continued to tour and record throughout the eighties and Dee Snider even took on lawmakers during the PMRC hearings. Now, Snider hosts his own syndicated radio show The House of Hair. The band also headlined Rocklahoma 2007 and gave the best performance of the entire weekend. It seems Dee likes to insult his fans. Slapstick comedy adds an extra dimension to a rock show and Twisted Sister is just the band to provide the delicate mix of over-the-top antics and awesome guitar licks.

Here’s Twisted Sister performing “Burn In Hell” at Wacken Open Air in 2003. Warning: this performance will kick your ass. On a personal note, I have big plans of learning the bass riff to this song.

Don't agree with my choice? Come back tomorrow and see who lands at number seven on the ten best glam bands of all time list.