Adolescents and Heavy Metal Music

Heavy metal music, once only a fringe branch of rock music, grew enormously in popularity in the 1980s. By the end of the decade, groups such as Guns-N-Roses and Metallica were selling millions of records and performing to sell-out audiences in large arenas all over the country. Other groups, such as Megadeth, Anthrax, and Slayer, developed an avid following of "metalheads" (as heavy metal fans call themselves; a.k.a. "headbangers") who could be counted on to buy tens of thousands of any record they released. Characterized by a highly distorted gu i ta r sound, pounding rhythms, and lyrics more screamed than sung, heavy metal songs were generally avoided by mainstream radio stations seeking a wide audience. However, through occasional radio airplay, through exposure on MTV, and —most of all —through word of mouth among fans of heavy metal, the popularity of these groups skyrocketed. In 1989, the group Guns-N-Roses reported a 2-year income of over $20 million (Associated Press, 1989).