Mötley Crüe

In the 80s, American heavy metal band Mötley Crüe became better known for their wild lifestyles than for their music. In later years, some have known them only as the former band of Pamela Anderson's ex, Tommy Lee.

After gigging extensively and self releasing an album, Too Fast for Love (1981), they signed a deal with Elektra Records in 1982, who remixed their debut and re-released it. With the album, a famous appearance at the US Festival, and media coverage of their naughty rock star exploits, the profile of the band grew massively. Through the glory days of the 80s they released four albums on familiar themes of sex, drugs and rock 'n roll, and their private life echoed the excesses of their lyrics, including fatal drunk car crashes, near death overdoses and plenty of visits to rehab.

They entered the 90s with Decade of Decadence (1991) which fared well, peaking at No.2 on the charts. However, during the 90s appetite for their music faded. They became rather more famous for the women they bedded than for their three albums and their comparatively poor sales performances. By 1999 Lee left the band and in 2000, after the release of New Tattoo, the band split. An autobiography cataloguing their bacchanalian lifestyle, The Dirt, did little to harm their reputation during their split.

The band reformed in 2004, although speculation about Lee's continuing involvement was resolved after he resigned in late 2007. In 2008 they released the album Saints of Los Angeles which debuted at No.4 on the Billboard charts.