:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc():focal(749x0:751x2)/cher-bon-jovi-stevie-nicks-80s-hair-081224-7e7bd478ee8a4cfcbcfc9fcc44c7913d.jpg "Stars with big hairstyle in the 80s compared to their current appearance")
In the 80s, everything in rock and pop music became big. Big sound, big bands, big clothes and – perhaps most important of all – big hair!
The decade that introduced hair metal saw fledgling rock stars up the ante and tease their hair to the sky. Even veteran celebs of the ’60s and ’70s gave in to the era’s over-the-top style, trading in disco glitter and hippie chic for mountainous manes held aloft by enough AquaNet to puncture the ozone layer. It was undeniably a defining moment in pop culture that burned brightly and eventually burned out.
Take a look back at some of the musicians whose hair was at its peak in the ’80s—and see how their style evolved after the decade ended.
Cher
Harry Langdon/Getty; Kevin Mazur/Getty
After becoming known for her straight mane in the ’70s, Cher’s hair took off in the ’80s. These days, the “Believe” singer is something of a chameleon, constantly changing, as she did with this blonde look at a pre-Grammy party in February 2024.
Lita Ford
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Kiss Me Deadly rocker Lita Ford’s teased curls from 1984 stand in stark contrast to her more understated contemporary style.
Jon Bon Jovi
Gutchie Kojima/Shinko Music/Getty; John Nacion/Getty
In the 80s, Jon Bon Jovi was known for his lush mane as well as for hits like “Livin’ on a Prayer.” Today, the 62-year-old is a silver fox whose gray mane still reminds him of his shaggy youth.
Tina Turner
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Known for her fabulous wigs, soul R&B icon Tina Turner tended toward an edgier rock’n’roll look in the ’80s, sporting a more elegant hairstyle before her death in 2023 at the age of 83.
Stevie Nicks
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During her solo heyday in the 1980s, Fleetwood Mac singer-songwriter Stevie Nicks traded in hippie chic for a big, bold new romantic style. In recent years, the 76-year-old has re-curled her straight, flaxen mane on her current tour.
CC DeVille
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As a member of Poison, guitarist CC DeVille shaped the hair metal era. The ’80s may be over, but the 62-year-old still looks like a rock star – even if his hair isn’t as high as it once was.
Ann Wilson
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Heart’s sound has always been bold, but by the ’80s the band had embraced the decade’s excesses – and singer Ann Wilson had a hairstyle to match. The hair got even bigger as Heart entered their glam-rock phase, but these days Wilson prefers tousled braids and lets her powerful voice do the talking.
David Bowie
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David Bowie may have only worn this impressive wig for his role in “The labyrinthbut it’s typical 80s. When he died in 2016 at the age of 69, the iconoclastic pop star had long had a stylish short hairstyle.
Dee Snider
Richard E. Aaron/Redferns; Phillip Faraone/WireImage
While Twisted Sister frontman Dee Snider teased his naturally curly hair up to the sky in the 80s, the 69-year-old rocker now tames his voluminous mane by tying it back.
Nikki Sixx
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Of all the members of Mötley Crüe, bassist Nikki Sixx probably had the longest haircut. The 65-year-old may have lost weight in recent years, but his current rocker hairstyle is still vaguely reminiscent of the glorious 80s.
Grace Slick
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Like other rock stars of the ’60s and ’70s, Grace Slick went go-go in the ’80s—both in terms of Jefferson Starship’s music and her hair. Today, in the present, the 84-year-old singer has dipped her once-dark locks into a luscious silver.
slash
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The more things change, the more they stay the same. Guns N’ Roses lead guitarist Slash has stayed true to his signature curly hair and top hat look.
