The Motley Crue, when they came on the scene, they were less of a band than a gang. They got drunk, did crazy amounts of cocaine, and walked the circuit in stiletto heels and spandex. The Sunset Strip cliche - if there's ever been a stereotype. For fecks sake! They took business advice from David Lee Roth and thought of Ozzy Osbourne as their rock n roll role model. The Bark at The Moon tour featured both acts and they barely survived. I rest my case. The first two albums Too Fast For Love (1981 original Leathur release), Shout At The Devil (1983), easily their best work followed by the odd ball and record. Indeed. The self-titled 1994 release fronted by vocalist John Corabi (The Scream) may not sound like classic MC, but it's a little ripper. The band has sold 100 million albums globally (per its official website) and the early image (with spiked leather borrowed from Blackie Lawless and co) took the world and Mrs. Gore by surprise. There hasn't been many great songs post 1994 though. Generation Swine?

Weird stuff you've heard of before. In 1984, Neil was in a head-on car collision and Nicholas "Razzle" Dingley (Hanoi Rocks) was killed. MC would later release two box sets titled "Music to Crash Your Car To". Dude. Not cool. On December 23, 1987, Sixx suffered a heroin overdose and was declared dead on the way to the hospital. The paramedic (MC fan) revived Sixx with two shots of adrenaline. Sixx would later write the song "Kickstart My Heart" about the situation. In 1988 came a lawsuit by Matthew Trippe whom claimed that he had been hired as Sixx' doppelgänger in 1983. They broke-up in 2015 and signed a contract to no longer tour. However. The Dirt (book) is about to become a film and they plan to continue putting out new music for the movie and future. For now. Here's the BIG TEN - knock 'em dead, kid! \m/

10. Home Sweet Home
9. Wild Side
8. Hooligan's Holiday
7. You're All I Need
6. Kickstart My Heart

5. On With The Show
"Frankie died the other night. Some say it was suicide. But we know how the story goes". Gotta' love the sheer punk attitude of the debut and the darn right juvenile work of this semi-ballad. The odd blue note and definitely far from perfect, you're never going to enjoy the 'Show' if you're old at heart and mind. It's one of those songs that you can only compose when you're young and part of the whole youth scene. "He was stopped on a dime with a switchblade knife. Some damn punk went and took Frankie's life".

4. Til' Death Do Us Part
"I've walked my walk -talked my talk -lived and died in my songs". It's got that groove 'ala Whitesnake (er's a new song for ya') meet KISS (the hottest band in the world) and the obvious Led Zeppelin influence. Massive production by Bob Rock and let's face it, they never sounded better on record (sonically). It's however John Corabi on vocals and not to everyones liking I may add.

3. Too Young To Fall In Love
Another hit single from Shout at The Devil. The lyric, unfortunately one of several MC tracks that may not exactly speak of women on a positive note. Nikki Sixx seemed obsessed with killing them to be honest? The same goes with 'You're All I Need' also included on the list. etc. It's not literally (or we hope), but there's something larger at play, something riff-invoking that, much like a car crash, is only made clear in the sum of its parts. Slamming drums, crashing cymbals, and one helluva catchy hook to finish things off. "Well, now I'm killing you. Watch your face turning blue. Not yet a man just a punk in the street". Tipper Gore to the rescue.

2. Live Wire
You can't go wrong with cowbell? The song that transformed the gang from nobodys' to up and coming hooligans with stardom in their sight. Some may say they borrowed a bit too much from Girlschool (the riff). The spark of energy in motion is particularly relevant to this lyric, which is all about youth and feeling unstoppable, meeting someone out in the streets (too hot to stop). It could be about music and going on stage of course, but I also think it describes the sheer attitude of the band and wanting to turn all that energy into success. Plug me in -I'm alive tonight...

1. Looks That Kill
"Now listen up. She's razor sharp. If she don't get her way. She'll slice you apart".. They became rapidly successful after playing at the US Festival and with the aid of the hit single from Shout At The Devil and the new medium of MTV. It was a perfect match made in heaven. The dangerous boys and their image, the timing of MTV and media who loved to expose the "satanic band". Not to mention the overall jagged guitars by Mars and shout-a-long refrain. "Now she's a cool, cool black. She moves like a cat. If you don't get her game. Well. You might not make it back"...

This list by: Urban "Wally" Wallstrom,

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