Fans of Heavy Metal music are mourning the death of the lead singer of the group that was arguably the first of the genre to put a record at the top of the Billboard pop charts. On Sunday, November 25th, the body of Quiet Riot lead singer Kevin DuBrow was found in his home outside of Las Vegas.
DuBrow had been a member of the band during their L.A. club days in mid 70's, and got to see the band become the vanguard of the burgeoning hard rock sound in the early 80's. Their 1983 release "Metal Health" (often incorrectly credited as their debut, although it was the first of their albums to be released in the U.S.) rode to the number one spot on the Billboard Hot 100, largely on the success of the second single.
Now, it does depend on how one defines the genre, but the number one spot for the album and the number five spot for the single were firsts for a Metal band in the U.S. But it was the first and last major hit for the band. When their success started to fade with their next release, DuBrow made something of a pariah of himself by accusing other successful Metal acts of riding his coat tails (his own band eventually fired him after getting fed up with his posturing). But even Metalheads have a heart, and although he never made it to the top again, he is being honored for his contributions to the scene.
Quiet Riot's biggest hit was actually a cover of a Slade tune, but it became the bands signature. What was the name of the song?
Bonus Question: What was the name of the album that "Metal Health knocked out of the number one slot on the Billboard Hot 100 back in 1983?
1 Comments:
The answer to the Trivia Question (Quiet Riot's biggest hit was actually a cover of a Slade tune, but it became the bands signature. What was the name of the song?) was "Cum On Feel The Noize."
The answer to the Bonus Question (What was the name of the album that "Metal Health" knocked out of the number one slot on the Billboard Hot 100 back in 1983?) was The Police "Synchronicity."
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