So, you fancy yourself a hardcore Motley Crue fan? Then check out our list of the 11 heaviest Motley Crue songs and tell us how we did.
When Nikki Sixx, Tommy Lee, Vince Neil and Mick Mars debuted on Los Angeles’ Sunset Strip in 1981, there was no band quite like theirs. Motley Crue’s sleazy, decadent blend of heavy metal, glam rock, power-pop and punk made them an act to watch, and with the release of their scrappy 1981 debut album Too Fast for Love, they quickly set about reshaping the ’80s hard rock scene in their image.
Motley Crue achieved their first of many breakthroughs and further kick-started the glam metal movement with 1983’s Shout at the Devil. Widely regarded as their best album (or at least in their top three), it also yielded several of their heaviest songs, which we’ve featured below.
The rest of the decade saw Motley Crue adopting a more polished pop-metal sound, but they didn’t fully abandon their roots. Even at their most radio-friendly, they managed to write a few throwbacks that recalled their nasty, dangerous origins.
READ MORE: The Heaviest Song by 11 Big Hair Metal Bands
The ’90s were less kind to Motley Crue, as lineup changes and a shifting musical climate caused their popularity to dwindle. But even as their star waned, they variously churned out some of their best, heaviest and weirdest songs — sometimes all at once.
So put your headphones on, crank the volume and get ready to revisit classic hits and deep cuts in our list of the 11 heaviest Motley Crue songs (in alphabetical order).
“Bastard” (Shout at the Devil, 1983)
Motley Crue couldn’t have picked a better title for “Bastard.” This high-speed, riff-driven metal anthem sounds like the work of four sleazy street urchins fueled by piss and vinegar who’ve got nothing left to lose.
Raw and unrepentant, “Bastard” represents the best of Motley Crue’s musical instincts — and worst lyrical impulses — at the time.
“Dr. Feelgood” (Dr. Feelgood, 1989)
Motley Crue polished up their sound exponentially on Dr. Feelgood, shepherded by super-producer Bob Rock. But they still brought the heavy in spades — especially on the album’s massive title track, whose chugging power-chord riffs and gigantic grooves split the difference between vintage Aerosmith and future (i.e. circa 1991) Metallica.
“Hammered” (Motley Crue, 1994)
Despite their best efforts to scrub it from their history, Motley Crue’s 1994 self-titled album with lead singer John Corabi remains a cult favorite, especially among fans who prefer their heavier side.
Corabi’s bluesy rasp lent an inherent heaviness to every song on the record. Pair it with the gnarly riffs and knuckle-dragging breakdowns on “Hammered” and you’ve got a recipe for success. The venomous lyrics lend another layer of heaviness to the grinding groove metal anthem.
“Knock ‘Em Dead, Kid” (Shout at the Devil)
Nikki Sixx wrote “Knock ‘Em Dead, Kid” after getting into a Sunset Strip brawl with a gang of bikers who turned out to be undercover cops. After getting busted up and threatened with arrest, Sixx was bailed out by then-girlfriend Lita Ford (who pawned her Firebird Trans Am for the cash), walked home and played a gig that night.
But the memory remained, as the lyrics to “Knock ‘Em Dead, Kid” seethe with fury and bloodlust, matched by tough-as-nails riffs and menacing gang vocals.
“Let Us Prey” (Generation Swine, 1997)
Motley Crue began writing several songs on Generation Swine with Corabi before sacking the singer and welcoming Vince Neil back into the fold. Consequently, the album is a misguided, genre-hopping mess, with Neil struggling to sing songs that weren’t written for his voice.
Still, there’s no denying the raw power of “Let Us Prey,” a furious alt-metal stomper full of down-tuned riffs, blistering screams and honest-to-goodness breakdowns.
“Live Wire” (Too Fast for Love, 1981)
The song that launched Motley Crue’s career in earnest is also one of the heaviest they ever wrote. With its snarling riffs, high-octane drumming and primitive, punchy production, “Live Wire” epitomized the winning combination of punk, metal and rock ‘n’ roll (with a chewy pop center) that would launch Motley Crue to stardom in a few short years.
“Red Hot” (Shout at the Devil)
It’s funny in hindsight that thrash metal fans were militantly opposed to glam metal in the ‘80s, as the two subgenres often had more in common than their respective fans were willing to admit. Just listen to Tommy Lee’s monstrous performance on “Red Hot,” which provides the bedrock for Mick Mars’ smoldering riffs and Vince Neil’s punky, piercing vocals.
Don’t let the glammy, fist-pumping hooks fool you: “Red Hot” can go toe to toe with any song off, say, Metallica’s Kill ‘Em All, released the same year.
“Shout at the Devil” (Shout at the Devil)
If heavy metal songs are like horror movies, then “Shout at the Devil” is all about the psychological dread that precedes the jump scare.
The song unfurls slowly with sinister riffs and defiant gang vocals before the band comes crashing in at full bore. The lurching, lumbering instrumental is offset by Vince Neil’s raw, piercing vocals, which still sound genuinely awe-inspiring no matter what critics have to say about his current state.
“Smoke the Sky” (Motley Crue)
When Motley Crue replaced Vince Neil with John Corabi for their 1994 self-titled album, they shed the last of their glam-metal trappings and became a bonafide heavy metal band.
Pot-smoking anthem “Smoke the Sky” epitomizes that shift with its gnarled down-tuned riffs, thunderous drumming and Corabi’s raspy howl. The breakdown at 2:12 is the single heaviest moment in Motley’s catalog and one of the toughest performances captured by any Sunset Strip band.
Light ’em up!
“Use It or Lose It” (Theatre of Pain, 1985)
Motley Crue pivoted hard to frothy pop-metal on their third album, Theatre of Pain, as demonstrated by their cover of Brownsville Station’s “Smokin’ in the Boys Room” and weepy power ballad “Home Sweet Home.” But their metallic past reared its head on “Use It or Lose It,” featuring relentless double-bass drumming, urgent vocals, choppy riffs and a blazing solo.
“Wild Side” (Girls, Girls, Girls, 1987)
Caught in the throes of addiction and dysfunction, Motley Crue’s depravity and desperation ring clear on “Wild Side.” Against choppy, percussive riffs and a martial stomp, Vince Neil invokes the Lord’s Prayer and exposes the seedy underbelly of the decadent Los Angeles rock scene that birthed (and nearly killed) the band.
Keep reading to see our picks for the best song on every Motley Crue album:
The Best Song on Every Motley Crue Album
Hailing from Los Angeles, the world’s most notorious rock band have released nine total studio albums over the last 45 years… here’s the best song from each one.
Gallery Credit: Sydney Taylor