Is ‘Hair Metal’ REALLY a Derogatory Term?

Is “hair metal” really a derogatory label for many of the bands it became associated with?

This topic has been long-debated by musicians, music industry professionals and the fans that lived it. But our article that we published last summer, titled “What Is Hair Metal?,” took the discussion a bit further after it was called out by Sebastian Bach and rock ‘n’ roll personality Eddie Trunk.

Bach replied to our story on X, “The reason that you get the exact same bill every single festival with the same exact bands and guys like me get the summer off.”

Trunk followed the singer’s remark with the assertion that “hair metal” is a “ridiculous and demeaning term.” He then made it the topic of one of his radio shows on SiriusXM’s Trunk Nation, offering more thoughts on the matter and tossing it out there for fans to consider as well.

A healthy debate is always fun!

Trunk made several points during his argument and reiterated Bach’s perspective that the label actually inhibits artists from certain opportunities because it has a negative connotation attached to it. He questioned why acts such as Guns N’ Roses are booked to play stadiums and headline festivals, when they had a similar background as many of the bands dubbed hair metal.

Trunk and Bach aren’t the only figures who’ve touched on the subject, though. As previously stated, it’s a conversation that’s been going on likely since the term was first coined.

READ MORE: 14 Rock Bands + Artists Who Pioneered Hair Metal

In this video, Lauryn Schaffner and Joe DiVita defend the perspective that hair metal isn’t a derogatory term. Rather, it’s a convenient way to group bands of a similar era and sound, especially for ease of passing the information on to younger generations.

After all, transcending generations is what makes music timeless — something that we think hair metal is.

Watch the full discussion in the video below.

Is ‘Hair Metal’ REALLY Derogatory?