The band credited with spawning the "sleaze rock" lip-gloss and hairspray style that emerged from the Hollywood Strip (Los Angeles, California) at the dawn of the 80s and came to dominate rock in that decade. The most famous of those that followed included Poison and Guns n' Roses.

They celebrated a decade of decadence (all the sex, drugs and rock n' roll it's possible to have) in 1992 by sacking vocalist Vince Neil and struggling to survive as grunge killed off glam. But a new vocalist and a rawer sound weren't enough and the band slowly disintegrated over the next few years. However, the success of a reunion tour in 2004/05 took many by surprise and Mötley Crüe have since re-established themselves as one of the world's biggest rock bands.

For those never into the '80s rock scene, the band is perhaps most famous because their drummer Tommy Lee married Pamela Anderson and their honeymoon video started the internet celebrity sex video craze.

Their decadence continues to be legendary, as Denis Leary put it: "You could put them in a room with two tons of crack. They come out a half an hour later, 'Rock on man!'"