Mötley Crüe is an American heavy metal band formed in Hollywood, California in 1981 by bassist Nikki Sixx and drummer Tommy Lee with guitarist Mick Mars and lead vocalist Vince Neil joining right after. The band has sold over 100 million albums worldwide. They have also achieved seven platinum or multi-platinum certifications, nine Top 10 albums on the Billboard 200 chart, twenty-two Top 40 mainstream rock hits, and six Top 20 pop singles.
Mötley Crüe performing live in 2012, from left to right: Vince Neil, Nikki Sixx (background), Tommy Lee (foreground), Mick Mars
Nikki Sixx and Mick Mars performing onstage with Mötley Crüe, on June 14, 2005, in Glasgow, Scotland
Mötley Crüe performs in Erie, Pennsylvania on March 7, 2009
Mötley Crüe performs at Kaisaniemi Park in Helsinki, Finland in June 2012
Heavy metal is a genre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s, largely in the United Kingdom and United States. With roots in blues rock, psychedelic rock and acid rock, heavy metal bands developed a thick, monumental sound characterized by distorted guitars, extended guitar solos, emphatic beats and loudness.
Judas Priest performing in 2005
Enid Williams from Girlschool and Lemmy from Motörhead live in 2009. The ties that bind the two bands started in the 1980s and were still strong in the 2010s.
Ritchie Blackmore, founder of Deep Purple and Rainbow, known for the neoclassical approach in his guitar performances.
King Diamond, known for writing conceptual lyrics about horror stories