Layers of leather and spandex, teased hair, and made-up faces were part of de rigueur during the ’80s hair metal scene. I Wanna Rock: The ’80s Metal Dream, a three-part docu-series premiering on Paramount+ on July 18, explores the life and times of five bands that lived through and survived the era.
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The series, named after the 1984 Twisted Sister hit “I Wanna Rock,” chronicles fives bands who chased their metal dreams. The docu-series features Twisted Sister’s Dee Snider, along with former Mötley Crüe frontman John Corabi from The Scream, Kip Winger of Winger, Vixen’s Janet Gardner, Dave “Snake” Sabo from Skid Row, and former Guns N’ Roses manager Vicky Hamilton.
“Five young dreamers chasing stardom in the cutthroat world of ’80s metal,” reads the descriptor accompanying the trailer for the series. “Some will succeed, some will fail, but each will make you see an entirely new side of the metal genre.”
The series is broken down into three episodes. I Wanna Rock is produced by MTV Entertainment Studios in partnership with Gunpowder & Sky, and directed and executive produced by Tyler Measom, who also co-directed the 2019 documentary I Want My MTV.
“I Wanna Be Somebody,” introduces the series. “As ’80s metal sweeps America, five rockers set out to make it in the world of hair spray and spandex,” reads the descriptor of the first episode. The second episode, “Headed for Heartbreak,” explores the new age of the genre. “Metal has been taken to new heights. As our rockers become stars, they battle personal demons, sexism, and even Congress,” explains a descriptor of episode 2. Episode 3, “Smells Like Change,” captures the breakdown of the scene with the emergence of the 1990s grunge and alternative movement, particularly the arrival of Nirvana and their meteoric “Smells Like Teen Spirit.”
“From country to grunge, the world’s taste in music is changing, and every metal musician is fighting for survival,” reads the description of the closing episode. “Some will make it, some won’t but all will be changed forever.”
(Photo by Fin Costello/Redferns)
