'80s Metal History (January 22nd)

January 22, 1989: Metallica's first music video for the song "One" premiered on MTV Headbangers Ball in the US, featuring scenes from the 1971 anti-war film "Johnny Got His Gun". To avoid paying royalty fees each time the video was shown, the band bought the rights to the film.

January 22, 1990: Guns N' Roses won "Favorite Heavy Metal/Hard Rock Artist + Album" at the American Music Awards. A drunk Slash and Duff McKagan launched obscenities during their acceptance speech prompting broadcast delay for all awards shows.

January 22, 1990: Skid Row won "Favorite Heavy Metal/Hard Rock New Artist" at the American Music Awards, beating out Warrant and Winger.

January 1982: Def Leppard's "Bringin' On The Heartbreak" didn't get much traction when released in 1981, but a fledgling MTV needed clips to telecast and the power ballad helped drive the "High 'N Dry" LP to No. 38 on the US Billboard Top LPs & Tapes chart.

January 22, 1982: AC/DC's "Let's Get It Up" was issued as a single in the UK. Singer Brian Johnson summarized the song as "Filth, pure filth. We're a filthy band." 🤭 The second single from "For Those About To Rock" reached No. 13 on the Official Charts. Release date source: Record Mirror - January 23, 1982.

Happy Birthday to former Guns N' Roses drummer Steven Adler (January 22, 1965).

Remembering Scorpions bassist [1974-92] Francis Buchholz, who died January 22, 2026 at age 71. R.I.P.

Remembering former W.A.S.P., L.A. Guns and Riley's L.A. Guns drummer Steve Riley who would have celebrated a birthday today (January 22, 1956). Steve died in 2023. R.I.P.

Remembering Riot and Jack Starr singer Rhett Forrester, who died January 22, 1994 at age 37. R.I.P.

January 22, 2016: Megadeth released their 15th studio album "Dystopia" in North America, the first to feature guitarist Kiko Loureiro and last with bassist David Ellefson before his dismissal from the band in 2021. Release date source: Blabbermouth.net - October 1, 2015.

January 22, 1990: Almost a year after the release of their debut album, Skid Row's "18 And Life" was issued as a single in the UK (June 1989 in North America), where it was an overseas hit as well, reaching No. 12. Release date source: [UK] Kerrang! ad -January 20, 1990.

Formed in 1975 as Bow Wow and releasing nine studio albums, one of the first Japanese metal bands adopted a mainstream sound and renamed themselves Vow Wow. The band released three studio albums including compilation "Shock Waves" in 1986, featuring single "Shot In The Dark". Ads for the band called them "A unique blend of American Rock and Eastern Roll".

January 1985: Mötley Crüe's Vince Neil was on the cover of Hit Parader Magazine. Inside were 100 pages of metal mayhem, including "The Metal Nobleman" Iron Maiden and Van Halen "The Gripes of Roth" (clever).