Jetboy

Although frequently viewed as followers of Mötley Crüe and Poison, the Los Angeles glam-rock outfit Jetboy from the 1980s included a key figure from the band sometimes credited with sparking the entire style: ex-Hanoi Rocks bassist Sam Yaffa. Rounding out the lineup alongside Yaffa were vocalist Mickey Finn, guitarist Fernie Rod, guitarist Billy Rowe, and drummer Ron Tostenson. While the group never achieved the mainstream breakthrough enjoyed by those flashier acts, their appearances on MTV’s Headbanger’s Ball brought them noticeable regional attention. The first two Jetboy albums, Feel the Shake in 1988 and Damned Nation in 1990, both issued by MCA, arrived at the height of the glam era, yet the rise of the Seattle sound soon pushed Jetboy and similar bands into the background behind the stripped-down approach of Nirvana, Soundgarden, and Pearl Jam. In the late 1990s, compilations gathering rare tracks and standout material appeared under the titles Day in the Unglamorous Life, Make Some More Noise, and Lost & Found. Among enthusiasts of 1980s glam and pop-metal, Jetboy remains one of the style’s most underappreciated acts.