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allmusic.com...

Motley Crue were one of the most influential hair metal bands of the '80s, boasting a striking visual presence and hedonistic reputation rivaled only by Guns N' Roses. By combining Alice Cooper's shock rock with the bluesy, metallic stomp of the New York Dolls and Aerosmith, they helped establish hair metal as a commercial genre, sending their first five albums to platinum status in the process. Such success was at least partially due to Motley Crue's reputation as a riotous pack of rabble-rousers, replete with drug addictions, near-death experiences, groupie encounters, and celebrity girlfriends. Of course, that same self-indulgence nearly derailed the band, forcing the musicians to embrace sobriety during the creation of their most successful album to date, 1989's Dr. Feelgood. Like most hair metal bands, Motley Crue's album sales waned during the 1990s, as the popularity of grunge overshadowed most of the music that immediately prefaced it. Nevertheless, the band soldiered through the decade with modest success, releasing two gold-selling albums along the way. The new millennium brought similar luck, as Motley Crue established themselves as a fashionable touring act (with Crue Fest becoming the summer's highest-grossing festival in 2008) while continuing to release new material.