Dokken

They flopped commercially, but it wasn't for a lack of quality.

They hit hard and looked cool doing it.

The genre was more than hits and filler.

Breaking down the most collected albums from Metallica, Judas Priest, Def Leppard and other big metal acts from the 1980s.

Big hair. Bigger hooks.

There's way more substance here than haters would lead you to believe.

The genre's best bands had a penchant for reinvention — making this list especially difficult.

Good luck learning these.

The subgenre packed a harder punch than its detractors were willing to admit.

For the hair metal bands that managed to survive, a change in style was necessary. These albums are the best representation of that!