The 6 Most Underrated Hair Metal Singers

Here are the six most underrated hair metal singers.

In the debaucherous world of hair metal, we’re all familiar with the genre’s most notable crooners. From David Coverdale to Sebastian Bach and everyone in between, the era’s most beloved vocalists not only had the swagger and style of the time, but had the pipes to back it up.

Like guitar players, there’s an array of singers in the hair metal genre that never quite reached the heights of their contemporaries; whether it was due to being overshadowed by larger than life personalities or limited commercial success.

Here are six of hair metal’s best kept secrets – the unsung vocalists whose talents far exceeded the recognition they ever received.

John Sykes (Blue Murder)

When you hear the name John Sykes, it’s only to be expected that your thoughts would flash to his blistering guitar work on Whitesnake’s ‘87 record or Thin Lizzy’s Thunder and Lightning (or even those two Tygers of Pan Tang albums he was on).

While Sykes’ is continually recognized for his exceptional fretwork, his vocal ability, on the other hand, is largely unknown.

After his tenure with Whitesnake came to an end, Sykes brought in bassist Tony Franklin and drummer Carmine Appice to form the hard rock trio, Blue Murder. The group released their self-titled debut record in April of ‘89 where Sykes showcased not only his virtuosic guitar playing, but his strong, resonant vocals.

For fans of Whitesnake, Sykes tracks such as “Jelly Roll” and “Black Hearted Woman” highlight his versatility and ability to transition between soft, brooding vocals to high-energy screams.

It’s a rare gift to possess the talent to both sing and play guitar with equal mastery, a combination few can achieve with true excellence.

Sadly, Sykes passed away at the age of 65 on Jan. 20, 2025. He was remembered warmly by dozens of his peers, as well as many former bandmates, underscoring his immense influence on generations of musicians.

Robin McAuley (McAuley Schenker Group)

Ireland’s Robin McAuley is a hidden gem of the genre — a vocal powerhouse whose brilliance has flown far too long under the radar.

Getting his start in 1982 with the English hard rock/pop band Grand Prix, McAuley went on to join forces with former Scorpions and UFO guitarist, Michael Schenker. Under the moniker McAuley Schenker Group (MSG – originally Michael Schenker Group), the duo released three phenomenal records spanning from 1987 to 1991 – with 1989’s Save Yourself, giving the pair their legacy defining hit, “Anytime.”

McAuley’s voice is a highlight of any project he’s a part of. It carries a unique richness, combining soaring melodic clarity with a gritty edge that lends itself perfectly to the hard rock and heavy metal scene.

Aside from the stellar vocal work he laid down in the studio with MSG over three decades ago, any fan-filmed video that you can find on YouTube shows that McAuley has managed to keep his pipes crisp and clear as time has passed.

He remains active with his own solo releases (his latest being Soulbound, coming in late February, 2025) and even teamed up with Winger’s Reb Beach, Dokken’s Jeff Pilson, and drummer Matt Starr for an ‘80s influenced project titled Black Swan.

All things considered, Robin McAuley stands as one of hair metal’s most overlooked talents and is long overdue for the praise he truly deserves in the hard rock world.

READ MORE: The 10 Best Hair Metal Albums of the 1990s

Ray Gillen (Badlands)

Following Jake E. Lee’s forced exit from Ozzy Osbourne’s solo band, he quickly set his sights on finding a line-up for his next venture. Enlisting ex-Black Sabbath vocalist Ray Gillen, Surgical Steel bassist Greg Chaisson, and KISS drummer Eric Singer – Badlands had a lineup that seemed primed for stardom, but sadly, never quite reached the heights that anyone expected.

More than three decades after the band’s self-titled release, one thing that still lingers in the memory of fans is Ray Gillen’s unmistakable voice – a powerful, soul-stirring instrument that remains the heartbeat of Badlands’ legacy.

Gillen got his start singing in the New Jersey club circuit before being offered to join Black Sabbath in 1986 after Glenn Hughes’ departure. Gillen even proceeded to record an album with the band, The Eternal Idol, which went on to be recorded with Tony Martin on vocals after internal strain led to Gillen’s departure. (You can actually hear some of Gillen’s demos in a 2010, two-disc expanded set of the record).

Badlands created one of the most underrated records of the time with their self-titled release, which unmistakably spotlighted Gillen’s vocal mastery. He was capable of soft, deep, rich lows to soaring highs, exhibited on tracks such as “Dreams In The Dark” or “Winter’s Call.”

His vocal lines were nothing short of soulful. It’s widely regarded that Gillen’s vocals deserve a place not just among the legends of hair metal, but alongside the greatest voices in rock history.

A little-known fact about Gillen is that he was actually on deck to handle vocals in John Sykes’ Blue Murder before Sykes decided to take on the role himself.

Dave Meniketti (Y&T)

Although Y&T (originally Yesterday & Today) got their start in Los Angeles down at the Starwood in the late ‘70s, to heavy metal outsiders, Y&T’s Down For The Count and Contagious fit the hair metal mold.

Y&T frontman Dave Meniketti stands as one of the era’s most criminally overlooked talents. He’s a powerhouse whose name deserves to be spoken in the same breath as the era’s greats… and quite frankly, could have made our 6 Most Underrated Hair Metal Guitarists list as well.

Rooted in blues, Meniketti has a warm, raspy edge to his vocals that sets his work apart from many traditional metal vocalists. Dave Meniketti’s voice is as much a signature of Y&T as his guitar work, making Meniketti a name that certainly deserves more credit.

Davy Vain (Vain)

The San Francisco Bay Area is known for 75 degree weather, the Golden Gate Bridge, Alcatrazz and the birth of thrash metal. Bands such as Metallica (by way of L.A.), Death Angel, Exodus and Testament ruled the scene in the 1980s, but, surprisingly, one of the most underrated hair metal bands spawned from the Bay Area as well.

For all of my die hard glam fans, we are of course talking about the band Vain.

Before Davy Vain became a frontman, he had his hands in production, even handling Death Angel’s The Ultra Violence. Although Vain’s sound has roots in the hair metal scene, their style very much incorporates gothic and alternative rock as well.

Vain’s well-crafted songs are what has created Vain’s staying power, but Davy Vain’s gritty vocals, a la Michael Monroe, fit with a Northern Californian edge is what made many folks a fan of Vain to begin with.

Bert Heerink (Vandenberg)

Despite Bert Heerink being an otherwise completely unrecognizable name in the world of hair metal, he made his mark with Dutch-American band, Vandenberg. And yes, you’re thinking of the right Vandenberg! The band was the brainchild of guitarist Adrian Vandenberg, long before he ever went on to team up with David Coverdale.

The four piece band released their self-titled debut in 1981 garnering the band success with the album’s single, “Burning Heart.” While Adrian’s guitar work is undoubtedly a standout on the album, Heerink’s vocals are also one of the biggest high points – and, dare I say, among the most underrated vocal performances of the period.

The rich, warm tone of Heerink’s voice is what makes his delivery so unique. While so many singers of the genre were concerned with pulling off ear piercing screeches, Heerink used his mastery of dynamics creating both quiet, introspective moments and powerful, soul-crushing crescendos over the course of Vandenberg’s first two records.

His voice even gained him the nickname, “The Dutch Robert Plant” which speaks volume on his abilities in and of itself.