You Wanted the Best...Number Nine

Our top ten glam band countdown continues. Yesterday, Badlands landed at number ten.

In the ninth spot…Winger.

Openly chided, Winger is constantly the butt of jokes. Of course, the critics are forgetting an important fact: Kip Winger and his band are monstrously talented and consistently release top notch music.

While Beavis and Butt-Head laughed at Winger’s songs and videos, millions of people worldwide rushed to buy the self titled debut in 1988 (it reached #21 on the Billboard chart). While you probably know Winger by “Headed For A Heartbreak” and “Seventeen” some of their later albums provide more complex riffs and lyrics.

Like Badlands, Winger also features a hot shot guitarist: Reb Beach. Like most in-demand guitarists, Beach has played in a lot of big name bands, most notably Whitesnake. Still, his vocal harmonies with Kip Winger are unmatched and together they make a powerful recording duo.

There are a lot of great voices in rock: Rob Halford, Ronnie James Dio, Sebastian Bach…and Kip Winger. I’ve seen Winger in a traditional concert setting and I’ve seen Kip solo and acoustic. Either way, his musical ability is awe inspiring.

Winger released Pull in 1993, and it’s one of the best albums of that year. Actually, it’s one of the best album’s of the decade. Yes, it’s better than Nirvana’s Nevermind and it’s certainly better than The Downward Spiral by Nine Inch Nails.

Even better, the members of Winger actually look like they are having fun on stage. That goes a long way in my book.

Here’s a clip of Winger performing “Headed For A Heartbreak” live on MTV. I’m not sure of the date, but I’m guessing sometime in 1989.

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