'80s Metal History (June 24th)

After a tumultuous two years in the wake of "Shout At The Devil"'s unexpected success, Mötley Crüe went more glam for their third studio album. Featuring singles "Smokin' In The Boys Room" and "Home Sweet Home", "Theatre Of Pain" was released in North America on June 24, 1985 (July 1st in the UK).

Mötley Crüe "Theatre Of Pain" release date source: [US] FMQB radio trade publication "New Releases" + ad - June 21, 1985; Billboard Magazine front page ad + full page ad - June 29, 1985; [UK] Kerrang! ad + review - June 27, 1985; Debuted UK Official album chart on July 13, 1985.

June 24, 1985: After playing Columbus, Minnesota a day earlier, Iron Maiden with RATT and Mama's Boys traveled less than four hours for their next show at the Red River Valley Fairgrounds in Fargo, North Dakota.

June 1981: After the demise of their band "Phantom Lord", James Hetfield and guitarist Hugh Tanner formed a new band called "Leather Charm" with bassist Ron McGovney. Metallica would form less than a year later.

June 24, 1985: Y&T released their first live album "Open Fire" in North America (July 12th in the UK), recorded at various venues in Greater London in early '85 and at the Keystone Club in Palo Alto, California. The LP was difficult to find until it was reissued 20 years later. Release date source: [US] FMQB radio trade publication "New Releases" - June 21, 1985; [UK] Kerrang! - July 11, 1985.

June 1988: "With a newfound penchant for gritty blues-rock à la the Stones or Aerosmith", Cinderella released "Gypsy Road" as the lead single from their forthcoming album "Long Cold Winter". It went on to become a Top 20 US rock hit. Release information source: R&R radio trade publication ad - June 24, 1988.

June 24, 1984: Scorpions were on the road in the US and brought the "Love At First Sting" tour to Cincinnati. With vast exposure at Top 40 radio and MTV, the album released in March had already gone platinum and "The Scorps' Yankee tour is doing practically sell-out business, with only Van Halen outgrossing 'em on the road." -Kerrang!

June 24, 1991: A Top 30 US rock hit several months earlier, Queenrÿche released "Best I Can" as a single from the album "Empire" in the UK... "It was a situation of us writing about handicapped people and their determination to reach their goals. A lot of people really embraced that song, people with serious disadvantages, and we are happy about that as it was a rallying song to get behind of and kind of inspired them to seek their goals and move in the right direction." -Geoff Tate. Release date source: Kerrang! - June 22, 1991.

Late-June 1980: Recorded in London and Manchester in 1973, Black Sabbath "Live At Last" was issued in the UK, without the permission or knowledge of the band by former manager Patrick Meehan, who owned the rights to the recording. The album was a success, reaching No. 5 on the Official Charts. Release information source: Record Mirror ad - July 5, 1980.

June 24, 1997: Vince Neil returned to Mötley Crüe and they released their seventh studio album "Generation Swine". Frustrated with poor sales of their previous album, they fired numerous people around the group, including their accountant.

June 24, 2008: Mötley Crüe released their ninth studio album (and last one to date) "Saints Of Los Angeles", their first full-length LP with the original lineup since 1997's "Generation Swine". The title track was a Top 5 US rock hit. Release date source: Blabbermouth.net - June 5, 2008.