Mötley Crüe | |
|---|---|
 Mötley Crüe performing atSweden Rock Festival in 2012, from left to right:Vince Neil,Nikki Sixx (background),Tommy Lee (foreground),Mick Mars | |
| Background information | |
| Origin | Hollywood, California, U.S. |
| Genres | |
| Works | Discography |
| Years active |
|
| Labels | |
| Spinoffs | |
| Spinoff of | London |
| Members | |
| Past members | |
| Website | motley |
Mötley Crüe is an Americanheavy metal band formed inHollywood, California, in 1981[1][2][3] by bassistNikki Sixx and drummerTommy Lee, with guitaristMick Mars and lead vocalistVince Neil joining right after. The band has sold over 100 million records worldwide.[4][5][6] They have achieved seven platinum or multi-platinum certifications, nine Top 10 albums on theBillboard 200 chart (including 1989'sDr. Feelgood, which is Mötley Crüe's only studio album to reach number one), twenty-two Top 40 mainstream rock hits, and six Top 20 pop singles.[7][8]
The members of Mötley Crüe are often noted for theirhedonistic lifestyles and theandrogynous personae they maintained. Following thehard rock and heavy metal origins on the band's first two albums,Too Fast for Love (1981) andShout at the Devil (1983), the release of its third albumTheatre of Pain (1985) saw Mötley Crüe joiningthe first wave of glam metal.[9][10] The band employ elaborate live performances, which include flame thrower guitars, roller coaster drum kits, and the use of pyrotechnics such as fireworks and lighting Sixx on fire.[7][11] Mötley Crüe's most recent studio album,Saints of Los Angeles, was released on June 24, 2008. What was planned to be the band's final show took place on New Year's Eve, December 31, 2015. The concert was filmed for a theatrical andBlu-ray release in 2016.[12][13]
After two and a half years of inactivity, Neil announced in September 2018 that Mötley Crüe had reunited and was working on new material.[14][15] On March 22, 2019, the band released four new songs on thesoundtrack for itsNetflix biopicThe Dirt, based on the band'sNew York Times best-sellingautobiography of the same name. The soundtrack went to number one on theiTunes All Genres Album Chart,[16] number 3 on theBillboard Top Album and Digital Album sales charts,[17] number 10 on theBillboard 200, and Top 10 worldwide.[18] The autobiography returned to theNew York Times Best Seller list at number 6 on Nonfiction Print and number 8 on Nonfiction Combined Print & E-Book.[19] Mötley Crüe embarked on itsfirst major tour in seven years during the summer and fall of 2022, co-headlining a North American tour withDef Leppard.[20]
The band has experienced several lineup changes over the years, leaving Sixx as the only constant member; these included the introduction of lead vocalistJohn Corabi (who was Neil's replacement from 1992 to 1996) and drummersRandy Castillo andSamantha Maloney, both of whom filled in for Lee following his departure from Mötley Crüe in 1999; he returned to the band in 2004. In October 2022, after 41 years of service, Mars announced his retirement from touring with the band, withJohn 5 (formerly ofDavid Lee Roth,Marilyn Manson andRob Zombie) replacing him.
The nucleus of the group first came together in early 1981, when former Suite 19 guitarist/lead vocalist, and one-time member ofQuiet Riot andDokken,Greg Leon and drummerTommy Lee decided to form a new band.[21][22] They attended the farewell gig of a popular local band calledLondon, and Lee was already impressed by the image and stage presence of their bassist,Nikki Sixx. Even before meeting Sixx, Lee claims he had posters of London on his bedroom walls.[23] "Tommy just loved how Nikki looked", recalled Leon. "He was gung-ho about him, saying, 'This is the guy we should get'." Sixx auditioned twice but Leon felt he was "awful", telling Lee "He looks great. He's great on stage. But he can't play bass at all."[24]
Lee subsequently became friends with Sixx and went to his Hollywood home to listen to new material he was working on. The music had been rejected by his London bandmates for being too heavy, and Lee says he immediately began banging on the table in time with the music and "everything just seemed to mesh".[23] Lee subsequently hired Sixx for the new band, prompting guitarist/vocalist Leon to quit in protest. "I never played a show with Nikki Sixx. Tommy and I played together many times, but I was gone as soon as Nikki entered the picture. But they couldn't find a guitar player or singer initially, so they kept calling me. But I refused," Leon has said of his time in the band.[24] Sixx and Lee began a search for new members and soon met guitarists Robin Moore (Jeff Gill)[25] and Bob Deal, better known asMick Mars, after answering an advertisement that he placed inThe Recycler that read: "Loud, rude and aggressive guitar player available". Mars auditioned for Sixx, Moore and Lee, and was subsequently hired while Moore was fired at the same session according to the band's biographyThe Dirt.[26]
Although a lead vocalist named O'Dean Peterson was auditioned,[27][28] Lee had knownVince Neil from their high school days atCharter Oak High School inCovina, California,[29] and the two had performed in different bands on thegarage band circuit. Upon seeing him perform with the band Rock Candy atthe Starwood in Hollywood, California, Lee suggested they have Neil join the band. At first Neil refused the offer.
On the same day as Mars, lead vocalistMichael White, who previously played withNikki Sixx in London, joined the band.[30] But White eventually ended up leaving.
As the other members of Rock Candy started to think about moving in more of aNew Wave direction and became involved in outside projects, Vince Neil grew anxious to try something else.[31] Lee asked again; Neil was hired on April 1, 1981, and the band played its first gig at the Starwood nightclub on April 24.[32]
I wanted a band that would be likeDavid Bowie and theSex Pistols thrown in a blender withBlack Sabbath.
The newly formed band did not yet have a name. Neil has said that he told his bandmates that he was "thinking about calling the band Christmas". The other members were not very receptive to that idea. Then, while trying to find a suitable name, Mars remembered an incident that occurred when he was playing with a band called White Horse, when one of the other band members called the group "a motley looking crew". He had remembered the phrase and later copied it down as "Mottley Cru". After slight modification of the spelling, "Mötley Crüe" was eventually selected as the band's name, with the stylistic decision suggested by Neil to add the two sets ofmetal umlauts, supposedly inspired by the German beerLöwenbräu, which the members were drinking at the time.[34] Other than the periods of February 1992 to September 1996 and of March 1999 to September 2004, and until October 2022, the lineup of Neil, Sixx, Lee, and Mars remained the same.[35]
The band soon met its first manager, Allan Coffman, the thirty-eight-year-old brother-in-law of a friend of Mars's driver.[36] The band's first release was the single "Stick to Your Guns/Toast of the Town", which was released on its own record label,Leathür Records, which had a pressing and distribution deal with Greenworld Distribution inTorrance, California. On November 10, 1981, its debut albumToo Fast for Love was self-produced and released on Leathür, selling 20,000 copies. Coffman's assistantEric Greif set up a tour of Canada,[37] while Coffman and Greif used Mötley Crüe's success in the Los Angeles club scene to negotiate with several record labels, eventually signing a recording contract withElektra Records in early 1982. The debut album was then remixed by producerRoy Thomas Baker and re-released on August 20, 1982—two months after its CanadianWarner Music Group release using the original Leathür mixes—to coincide with the tour.[38]
Listening toQueen inspired Mötley Crüe to work with Roy Thomas Baker onToo Fast for Love. He would come in, "Hello Darlings ..." and listen for maybe thirty minutes or so and leave. And we're like, "What?! Where's he going?". But he produced Queen, so, man, we had to have him produce us, too.
During the "Crüesing Through Canada Tour '82", there were several widely publicized incidents. First, the band was arrested and then released atEdmonton International Airport for wearing their spiked stage wardrobe (considered "dangerous weapons") through customs, and for Neil arriving with a small carry-on filled with porn magazines (considered "indecent material"); both were stagedPR stunts. Customs eventually had the confiscated items destroyed. Second, while playing Scandals Disco inEdmonton, a spurious "bomb threat" against the band made the front page of theEdmonton Journal[40] on June 9, 1982; Lee and assistant band manager Greif were interviewed by police as a result. This too ended up being a staged PR stunt perpetrated by Greif. Lastly, Lee threw a television set from an upper story window of the Sheraton Caravan Hotel. Canadian rock magazineMusic Express noted that the band was "banned for life" from the city.[41] Despite the tour ending prematurely in financial disaster, it was the basis for the band's first international press.[42]
In 1983, the band changed management from Coffman to Doug Thaler andDoc McGhee. McGhee is best known for managingBon Jovi and laterKiss, starting with theirreunion tour in 1996. Greif subsequently sued all parties in a Los Angeles Superior Court action that dragged on for several years, and coincidentally later resurfaced as manager of Sixx's former band, London. Coffman himself was sued by several investors to whom he had sold "stock in the band", includingMichigan-based Bill Larson. Coffman eventually declared bankruptcy, as he had mortgaged his home at least three times to cover band expenses.[43]
The band became better known in the United States after playing at theUS Festival on May 29, 1983.[44] Their second album,Shout at the Devil, was released on September 26, 1983.[45] The album represented the band's mainstream breakthrough in America and would eventually be certified 4× platinum.[46] The album was mentioned by an ABC news reporter in a piece on conservative Christian groups complaining about modernSatanism.[47][48] They gained the attention ofOzzy Osbourne, and became a support act on his 1984tour forBark at the Moon. The band members were developing a reputation for their backstage antics, outrageous clothing, extreme high-heeled boots, heavily applied make-up, and seemingly endless abuse of alcohol and drugs.[49]
In December 1984, Neil crashed hisDe Tomaso Pantera, killing his passenger,Hanoi Rocks drummerNicholas "Razzle" Dingley.[50] Neil, charged with aDUI andvehicular manslaughter, was sentenced to 30 days in jail (although he served only 18 days) and subsequently was sued for $2,500,000. The short jail term was negotiated by his lawyers, enabling Neil to tour and pay the civil suit.[51]
The band's third album,Theatre of Pain, was released on June 21, 1985, and dedicated in Dingley's honor, and it started a newglam metal phase in the band's style.[52]Theatre of Pain was commercially successful, reaching number 6 on theBillboard album charts[53] and eventually being certified quadruple platinum.[54] However, the recording of the album was fraught with tension in the wake of Neil's accident and Sixx's growing addiction,[55] and members of the band have said that they consider it a creative disappointment.[56]
Mötley Crüe spent most of the next year on a world tour in support ofTheatre of Pain. In February 1986, while inLondon,England, Sixx suffered a near-fatal heroin overdose, and the person who sold him the drugs dumped his unconscious body in adumpster. The incident inspired Sixx to write the song "Dancing on Glass" for their next album.[57]
The band's fourth album,Girls, Girls, Girls, was released on May 15, 1987, and debuted at number 2 on the Billboard 200.[58] Sixx has said in interviews that he believes the album would have debuted at number 1, if not for behind the scenes maneuvering byWhitney Houston's record label.[59] The band again changed their look for the album and subsequent tour, trading the glam elements of the previous album for abiker aesthetic.[60] The band faced many of the same personal issues that plagued the recording ofTheatre of Pain and Sixx has complained that those issues compromised the album's quality,[61] although he has spoken more positively about the record in subsequent years.[62]
On December 23, 1987, Sixx suffered a heroin overdose. He was declared clinically dead on the way to the hospital, but the paramedic, who was a Mötley Crüe fan,revived Sixx with two shots of adrenaline.[63] His two minutes in death were the inspiration for the song "Kickstart My Heart", which peaked at No. 16 on the Mainstream U.S. chart, and which was featured on 1989'sDr. Feelgood, their first U.S. number one album. From 1986 to 1987, Sixx kept a daily diary of his heroin addiction and eventually entered rehab in January 1988, prompting the band to cancel their planned tour dates for that year.[64]
While 1988 was the first year that Mötley Crüe did not tour, controversy again hit the band that year in the form of a lawsuit by Matthew Trippe. Trippe claimed that Sixx was hospitalized in 1983 after a car crash involving drugs and that he had been hired as Sixx'sdoppelgänger. The suit was regarding the loss of royalties from his time in Mötley Crüe and the case was not closed until 1993 when Trippe dropped his charges and disappeared from public view.[65]
Their decadent lifestyles almost shattered the band until managers Thaler and McGhee pulled an intervention and refused to allow the band to tour in Europe, fearing that "some [of them] would come back in bodybags".[66] Shortly after, all the band members jointly entereddrug rehabilitation in an effort to move forward as a band.[67]
After finding sobriety, Mötley Crüe reached its peak popularity with the release of their fifth album, theBob Rock-producedDr. Feelgood, on September 1, 1989. Rock and the band recorded the album inVancouver, with the band members recording their parts separately for the first time to reduce infighting and to focus on individual performance.Aerosmith lead singerSteven Tyler, who was recording the albumPump at the same studio, provided backing vocals.[68] On October 14 of that year, it became a No. 1 album and stayed on the charts for 114 weeks after its release.[69] The band members each stated in interviews that, due in no small part to their collective push for sobriety,Dr. Feelgood was their most solid album musically to that point.[70] Thetitle track and "Kickstart My Heart" were both nominated for Grammys in the Best Hard Rock Category in 1990 and 1991, respectively, but lost both years to songs byLiving Colour.[71] The band did find some success at theAmerican Music Awards, asDr. Feelgood was nominated twice for Favorite Hard Rock/Metal Award, losing once toGuns N' Roses'Appetite for Destruction, but winning the following year, beating outAerosmith'sPump andPoison'sFlesh & Blood. Mötley Crüe was nominated twice for Favorite Hard Rock/Metal Artist.[72]
In 1989, McGhee was fired after the band alleged he had broken several promises that he made in relation to theMoscow Music Peace Festival, including giving his other band,Bon Jovi, advantages in terms of slot placement. Thaler then assumed the role of sole band manager.[73]
Mötley Crüe spent the fall of 1989 and most of 1990 on a massive world tour, the band's biggest to that point. It was a major financial success but left the band feeling burnt out.[74] In April 1990, Lee suffered a concussion during a mishap involving a rappelling drum kit stunt during a live concert inNew Haven, Connecticut.[75]
On October 1, 1991, the band's first compilation album,Decade of Decadence 81–91, was released. It peaked at No. 2 on theBillboard 200 album chart. It was reportedly designed as "just something for the fans" while the band worked on the next "all new" album.[76]
Neil left the band in February 1992 following the release ofDecade of Decadence, during a period in which most other prominentglam metal bands of the 1980s were breaking up or otherwise seeing their popularity decline significantly amid the advent ofgrunge andalternative music. It remains unclear whether Neil was fired or quit the band. Sixx has long maintained that Neil quit, while Neil insists that he was fired. "Any band has its little spats," Neil observed in 2000, "and this one basically just stemmed from a bunch of 'fuck yous' in a rehearsal studio. It went from 'I quit' to 'You're fired' ... It was handled idiotically. The management just let one of the biggest bands in the world break up."[77]
In the running for the vacant frontman position wasKik Tracee vocalistStephen Shareaux.[78][79] Ultimately Neil was replaced byJohn Corabi (formerly ofAngora andthe Scream). Although Mötley'sself-titled March 1994 release made theBillboard top ten (No. 7), the album was a commercial failure. It prompted negative reactions from many fans due to Neil's absence and its sound. Corabi suggested the band bring back Neil, believing the latter would always be seen as the voice of the band. This eventually resulted in his own firing in 1996.[80] Corabi spoke about his time with the band and his thoughts on the first record with Mötley Crüe. Corabi said: "my record was the first record that they had done that didn't go platinum, didn't make some sort of crazy noise, and everybody panicked".[81] During his time away from the band, Neil released a moderately successful solo album,Exposed in 1993,[82] and a less commercially successful follow-up,Carved in Stone in 1995.[83]
AfterRolling Stone magazine broke out the news in their November 26, 1996 issue, the band reunited with Neil in 1997,[84] after their current manager, Allen Kovac, and Neil's manager, Bert Stein, set up a meeting between Neil, Lee, and Sixx. Agreeing to "leave their egos at the door", the band releasedGeneration Swine. Although it debuted at No. 4, and in spite of a live performance at the American Music Awards, the album was a commercial failure, due in part to lack of support from their label.[85]
In 1998, Mötley Crüe's contractual ties with Elektra had expired, putting the band in total control of their future, including the ownership of the master recordings of all of their albums. Announcing the end of their relationship with Elektra, the band became one of the few groups to own and control their publishing and music catalog. They are one of only a handful of artists to own the masters to their material and reportedly did so by being the biggest pain they could be until Elektra got fed up and handed over the rights in order to get the band off their label.[86] After leaving Elektra the band created their own label,Mötley Records.[87]
Mötley Crüe released their compilationGreatest Hits in late 1998, featuring two new songs, "Bitter Pill" and "Enslaved".[88] In 1999, the band rereleased all their albums, dubbed as "Crücial Crüe". These limited-edition digital remasters included demos, plus live, instrumental, and previously unreleased tracks.[89] In 1999 the band releasedSupersonic and Demonic Relics, an updated version ofDecade of Decadence featuring the original songs from that album and several previously unreleased B-sides and remixes,[90] as well as their first official live albumEntertainment or Death[91] (which was the original working title for the studio albumTheatre of Pain).[92] The band then went on aco-headlining tour withthe Scorpions.[93]
In 1999, Lee quit to pursue a solo career, due to increasing tensions with Neil. "All we got was a call from his attorney saying he wasn't coming back," recalled the singer. "He wasn't into rock 'n' roll anymore. He even said that rock is dead ... It all happened during a void in Mötley. We weren't even rehearsing, so it was no big deal."[94]
Lee was replaced by a longtime friend of the band, formerOzzy Osbourne drummerRandy Castillo. The band releasedNew Tattoo in July 2000.[95] Before the ensuing tour commenced, Castillo became ill with a duodenal ulcer. The band brought in formerHole drummerSamantha Maloney for the Maximum Rock tour withMegadeth[96] as Castillo concentrated on his health. However, while Castillo was recovering from stomach surgery, he was diagnosed with squamous cell carcinoma after finding a tumor on his jaw. He died on March 26, 2002.[97] Soon afterward, the band went on hiatus.[98]
While the band was on hiatus, Sixx played in side projects58 andBrides of Destruction.[99][100] Neil was featured on the first season of VH1's reality showThe Surreal Life,[101] and had his own special titled "Remaking Vince Neil", which focused on his solo career and attempts to get in better physical shape.[102] Mars, who suffers from a hereditary form of arthritis which causes extensive spinal pain calledankylosing spondylitis,[103] went into seclusion in 2001 dealing with health issues. Lee went on to formMethods of Mayhem,[104] while performing as a solo artist at the same time.[105]
A 2001 autobiography titledThe Dirt, co-authored by all four of the band members andNeil Strauss, presented Mötley Crüe as "the world's most notorious rock band". The book made the top ten onThe New York Times Best Seller list and spent ten weeks there, and would return to the list after the film adaptation was released in spring 2019.[106]
In 2003, the band released twobox sets entitledMusic to Crash Your Car To: Vol. 1 andVol. 2, featuring the music from their entire career.[107][108] The titles of the collections were heavily criticized byHanoi Rocks singerMichael Monroe, among others, due to their possible reference to Neil and Razzle's fatal automobile accident, and that Neil was found guilty of manslaughter for the incident.[109]
A promoter in England, Mags Revell, began clamoring for a Mötley Crüe reunion, ostensibly presenting himself as the voice of anxious fans waiting for more from the band.[110] After meeting with management several times, in September 2004, Sixx announced that he and Neil had returned to the studio and had begun recording new material. In December 2004, the four original members announced a reunion tour, staging an announcement event in which they arrived at the Hollywood Palladium in a hearse.[111] The tour began on February 14, 2005, inSan Juan, Puerto Rico.[112] The resulting compilation album,Red, White & Crüe, was released in February 2005. It features the band members' favorite original songs plus three new tracks, "If I Die Tomorrow", "Sick Love Song" (co-written by Sixx andJames Michael), and a cover ofthe Rolling Stones' "Street Fighting Man". A small controversy was caused when it was suggested that neither Lee nor Mars played on the new tracks (duties were supposedly handled byVandals drummerJosh Freese)[citation needed]. However, aVH1 documentary of the band's reunion later showed that Lee did indeed play on some of the tracks. The Japanese release ofRed, White & Crüe includes an extra new track titled "I'm a Liar (and That's the Truth)".Red, White & Crüe charted at No. 6 and has since gone platinum.[113]
On New Year's Eve 2004 the band appeared on a live episode ofThe Tonight Show. Neil yelled an obscenity during the performance, leading to anFCC investigation.[114] TheNBC network responded by banning the band, leading to the band subsequently suing the network, claiming they were being unfairly punished.[115] The lawsuit was eventually settled out of court and the band made several subsequent appearances on the network.[116]
In 2005, Mötley Crüe was involved in an animation-comedy spoofDisaster!,[117] which was written by Paul Benson and Matt Sullivan and which was used as the introduction film to concerts on their Carnival of Sins tour.[118] That tour continued throughout 2005 and was commemorated with the release of alive album and DVD in 2006.[119][120] In the fall of 2005 the band re-recorded "Home Sweet Home" as a duet withLinkin Park lead singerChester Bennington and donated the proceeds to the victims ofHurricane Katrina.[121]
In 2006, Mötley Crüe went on theRoute of All Evil Tour, co-headlining withAerosmith and taking performers fromLucent Dossier Experience on the road with them.[122]Paramount Pictures andMTV Films planned to adapt their autobiography,The Dirt, into a movie,[123] but the production was delayed for several years and the deal eventually fell through.[124] In June 2007, Mötley Crüe set out on a small European tour. A lawsuit was filed by Neil, Mars and Sixx againstCarl Stubner, Lee's manager. The three sued him for contracting for Lee to appear on two unsuccessful reality shows the band claim hurt its image.[125] It was later reported on Motley.com that the lawsuit had been settled.[126]
In 2007, Sixx published his diaries as the bestselling autobiographyThe Heroin Diaries: A Year in the Life of a Shattered Rock Star, covering the band'sGirls, Girls, Girls world tour and his 1987 overdose,[127] and Sixx's side project bandSixx:A.M. releasedThe Heroin Diaries Soundtrack as a musical parallel to the novel.[128]
Vince Neil (not the band) hosted the Motley Cruise from January 24 to 28 in 2008; this featuredRatt,Skid Row andSlaughter.[129]
On June 11, 2008, Mötley Crüe and manager Burt Stein filed suit against each other. Stein was Neil's personal manager and, according to the band and rival manager Kovac, served as the band's manager at one time. The band and Kovac sued in Los Angeles County Superior Court, claiming Stein was not entitled to a cut of Mötley Crüe's earnings. Stein sued the same day in Nashville's federal court, saying he was entitled to 1.875 percent of what the band makes.[130] Other litigation between the parties arose in Nevada. In July 2009, lawyers for both sides announced that the disputes had been "amicably resolved" through a "global settlement".[131]
Mötley Crüe's ninth studio album, titledSaints of Los Angeles, was released in Japan on June 17, 2008, and in America on June 24, 2008.[132] The album was originally titledThe Dirt, as it was loosely based on the band's autobiography of the same name, but the title was later changed. In the US, the album was released byEleven Seven Music. Eleven Seven took over US distribution of their back catalog.[133]
iTunes picked "Saints of Los Angeles" in their "Best of 2008" in the Rock category as the number one song. The song was nominated for a Grammy Award in the "Best Hard Rock Performance" category, but lost to "Wax Simulacra" byThe Mars Volta.[134] The song was released in the music game seriesRock Band as downloadable content the day the single was released. It was briefly sold as aRock Band exclusive, making Mötley Crüe the first band to release a single exclusively through avideo game.[135] The song sold more units viaRock Band than it did via traditional streaming sites.[136] Additionally, the entireDr. Feelgood album was released as downloadable content inRock Band, excluding "T.n.T. (Terror 'n Tinseltown)".[137]
From July 1 to August 31, 2008, Mötley Crüe headlined the popularCrüe Fest music festival, which included opening actsBuckcherry,Papa Roach,Trapt, andSixx:A.M.[138] They then spent the fall and winter of that year on tour withHinder,Theory of a Deadman andThe Last Vegas.[139]
The band made a guest appearance in the fourth season finale of theFOX crime dramedyBones on May 14, 2009, entitled "The End in the Beginning", performing the song "Dr. Feelgood".[140] The following month they performed at theDownload Festival at theDonington Park motorsports circuit (June 12–14, 2009), playing on the second stage on Friday night.[141]
Mötley Crüe headlined theCrüe Fest 2 festival, which ran from July to September 2009. Supporting them wereGodsmack,Theory of a Deadman,Drowning Pool, andCharm City Devils. The band's set celebrated the 20th anniversary ofDr. Feelgood by performing the album in its entirety on each night of the tour. They re-released the album as a special 20th anniversary deluxe edition.[142]
Mötley Crüe headlinedOzzfest in 2010, along withOzzy Osbourne andRob Halford.[143] Neil released histhird solo album and autobiography, both entitledTattoos and Tequila.[144]
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Mötley Crüe co-headlined amid-year tour withPoison and special guestsNew York Dolls in 2011 for the band's 30th Anniversary and Poison's 25th anniversary.[145] On August 30, 2011, Mötley Crüe, along with co-headlinersDef Leppard and special guestsSteel Panther, announced aUK Tour commencing in December 2011.[146]
In February 2012 the band appeared along with supermodelAdriana Lima in a commercial for theKia Optima, which premiered duringSuper Bowl XLVI.[147] In the same month the band hosted its firstresidency at theHard Rock Hotel and Casino inLas Vegas.[148] In March 2012, Mötley Crüe announced aco-headlining tour withKiss. The tour kicked off July 20 in Bristow, Virginia, and ran through September 23.[149] In the spring and summer of 2013 the band toured throughout Canada withBig Wreck.[150] The band returned to Las Vegas for a second residency in the fall of 2013.[151]
On January 28, 2014, at the conference inside Beacher's Madhouse Theater in Hollywood, Mötley Crüe announced the full details of its retirement, including a tour initially spanning 70 North American dates, withAlice Cooper playing as a special guest. The tour commenced in Grand Rapids, Michigan, on July 2, 2014. The band members had signed a "cessation of touring agreement", which prevented them from touring under the Mötley Crüe name beyond the end of 2015.[152][153] In a later interview, Sixx talked about the possibility of releasing new music, saying that "We have music written, [but] it's not put together yet". He speculated that the band would release it in a song-by-song format as opposed to a full-length album format, elaborating with "It's hard, to be honest with you, to spend six [or] nine months to write eleven songs—all those lyrics ... everything ... the vocals, the guitars, the bass, the sonics, the mixing, the mastering, the artwork. ... You put it out and nothing [happens], because now people cherry-pick songs. So we go, 'Why don't we write songs and find vehicles to get one, two or four songs to ten million people rather than eleven songs to a hundred thousand people."[154]
During the tour the band played a new song, "All Bad Things", over the speakers throughout the venue before it took the stage. On November 22, 2014, inSpokane, Washington, at theSpokane Arena, Mötley Crüe played the final concert of the first North American leg of The Final Tour.[155]
On January 15, 2015, it was announced that the band's career would end with international concerts in Japan, Australia, Brazil and Europe before heading out for a second leg of North American concerts throughout 2015, ending with a concert at theMGM Grand Garden Arena inLas Vegas on December 27, followed by three concerts atStaples Center on December 28, 30 and 31, 2015. In May 2015, The Crüe and Alice Cooper announced a set of 12 concert dates for Europe at a conference in London.[156]
On September 19, 2015, the band played theRock in Rio festival on the main stage.[157]
Mötley Crüe performed, for what was then advertised to be the last time, atStaples Center inLos Angeles on December 31, 2015. The band reported that its New Year's Eve show was going to be released as a film in 2016; the movie was titledMötley Crüe: The End.[158]
In 2017, frontman Vince Neil told hostSammy Hagar on the showRock and Roll Road Trip that Mötley Crüe were "completely done".[159] However, on September 13, 2018, Neil announced viaTwitter that Mötley Crüe was recording four new songs;[14][160] this was later confirmed by bassist Nikki Sixx, who said that the new material was recorded for the film adaptation of the band's biography,The Dirt.[15] Neil clarified that, though the band has signed a contract to no longer tour, they still plan to continue putting out new music for the future.[161]
Netflix releasedThe Dirt biopic based on the book of the same name that coincided with an 18-song soundtrack on March 22, 2019.[162] The film is directed byJeff Tremaine (Jackass), produced by Julie Yorn and Erik Olsen, executive produced by Rick Yorn,[163] and co-produced by Kovac, who is Mötley Crüe's manager, CEO ofEleven Seven Label Group[164] and founder of Tenth Street Entertainment.[165]The Dirt starsDaniel Webber as Neil,Iwan Rheon (Game of Thrones) as Mars,Douglas Booth as Sixx and Colson Baker (a.k.a.Machine Gun Kelly) as Lee.[166] Also starring in the movie isPete Davidson (Saturday Night Live) as record executive Tom Zutaut.[167]Rolling Stone wrote thatThe Dirt is "a truly debauched movie that delves deep into their rise from the early Eighties Sunset Strip metal scene to their days as arena headliners."[168] The film portrays many of the adventures the band went on including touring withOzzy Osbourne and theTheatre of Pain tour.[169]
The first new song from the soundtrack was "The Dirt (Est.1981)", which was released on February 22, 2019. The band wrote two other new songs, "Ride With the Devil" and "Crash and Burn", and coveredMadonna's "Like a Virgin", on the album. The soundtrack additionally included fourteen previously released Mötley Crüe songs. It was produced byBob Rock, who producedDr. Feelgood, and was released on March 22, 2019, onMötley Records and Eleven Seven Music.[170] The soundtrack hit the Billboard Top 10 at No. 10, the first time Mötley Crüe hit the Billboard Top 10 in over a decade.[171]
The group's legacy was featured on a 2019 episode of theReelz documentary seriesBreaking the Band. Both Neil and Sixx had a negative reaction to how things were portrayed in the episode. Sixx said they would be pursuing legal action and called Reelz "the bottom of the barrel".[172]
In November 2019, rumors started to circulate of the band reuniting for a 2020 tour withDef Leppard andPoison, following the success ofGuns N' Roses'reunion tour. The band responded to an online petition rallying for the group's return, saying "this is interesting...".[173] On November 18,Rolling Stone magazine reported that all four band members had agreed to come back together for the tour, utilizing a loophole in their "Cessation of Touring" contract.[174] Later that same day, the band confirmed all reports with a statement on their website, posting a press release and a video of the contract being destroyed.[175] On December 4, 2019, it was officially confirmed that Mötley Crüe would embark onThe Stadium Tour withDef Leppard,Poison andJoan Jett & the Blackhearts in the summer of 2020.[176] Also in December 2019 Mick Mars announced that his debut solo album would be released in the spring of 2020.[177] On June 1, 2020, Mötley Crüe announced that The Stadium Tour would be rescheduled to June–September 2021 due to theCOVID-19 pandemic;[178] it was postponed once again to 2022, due to similar circumstances amid the pandemic.[20] In January 2022, in the wake of theOmicron variant surge, Sixx was asked by a fan on Twitter if The Stadium Tour was still happening this year; his response was, "We're 1000% hitting the road with Def Leppard for The Stadium Tour in mid-June...I can't f'ckin wait..."[179] Mötley Crüe later joined Def Leppard again for another tour together in Europe in 2023.[180][181]
In November 2021, Mötley Crüe sold their entire back catalogue toBMG Rights Management.[182]
In September 2022, Neil announced in an interview with theLas Vegas Review-Journal that the band would return for a US tour in 2023. In that same interview, he ruled out the possibility of further studio albums, stating that they were "strictly a touring band".[183][184]
On October 26, 2022, Mick Mars retired as a touring member of the band due to ongoing health issues, according to a statement released by Mars' publicist.[185] The next day, the band confirmed thatJohn 5 would take Mars' place as their new touring guitarist,[186][187] although he was later confirmed as a permanent member of the band in April 2023.[188] In a December interview with A Radio Rock in Brazil, Sixx confirmed that the band was not going away anytime soon, and stated that the band would be touring for eight more years.[189]
On April 6, 2023, Mars sued the band, alleging that they were trying to remove him.[190] In response to the lawsuit, the band issued a statement on the same day, denying that they had fired Mars, and that while he was still a member, had quit touring.[191]
On April 19, 2023, the band announced that they were working on new music with record producerBob Rock,[192] ruling out the possibility of the band working with Mars again.[188] Sixx later released a statement on a then-upcoming album on May 15, 2023, stating that it had finished production and the band had begun mixing the album.[193] In June 2023, Neil confirmed that they were set to perform another stadium tour in 2024.[194] In the following month, he confirmed that the band recorded three brand new songs.[195] In September 2023, John 5 confirmed the title of a new song as "Dogs of War", and that the band recorded a cover of "(You Gotta) Fight for Your Right (To Party!)" by theBeastie Boys.[196]
On April 23, 2024, it was announced that Mötley Crüe had signed a deal withBig Machine Records, and three days later the band released "Dogs of War", their first song in five years and their first with John 5.[197] Neil toldBillboard that same month that additional music from Mötley Crüe could be released by the end of 2024 or in 2025, though the new material would likely result in "a few songs here, a few songs there" rather than a full-length album.[198] Lee did not rule out releasing a new Mötley Crüe album, but stated that "recording and writing some stuff that you're feeling right at the moment and releasing it is, for us, a lot more fun and sort of a time stamp of where we're at right now."[199] Sixx said that the band had recorded two other new singles that were ready to be released.[200] A new EP, titledCancelled, was released on October 4, 2024.[201]
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Often clashing during the early 1980s, both bands were fighting for dominance in theLos Angeles metal scene duringMetallica's years prior to their relocation to theBay Area. Both singer/guitaristJames Hetfield and drummerLars Ulrich expressed their hatred of the heavy metal scene in Los Angeles during the time and frequently attacked multiple up-and-coming local bands in multiple interviews, including Mötley Crüe.[202] Allegedly before a show in 1982, Ulrich claimed he drunkenly screamed "Fuck Mötley Crüe!" at the band from outside theTroubadour in Hollywood, in which Sixx chased Ulrich in retaliation. Former lead guitaristDave Mustaine during a 1983 interview, referred to their style of glam metal as an abbreviation for "Gay LA Music".[203] Though despite their public disdain for glam metal, Metallica were impressed by the production and commercial success ofDr. Feelgood in 1989, later hiring the album's producerBob Rock to produce theirself-titled fifth album in 1991. Several years later, both Sixx and Ulrich would reignite the animosity after Ulrich accused Mötley Crüe of performing to a backing track at the1997 American Music Awards. Sixx responded via an online forum and would also attack Metallica's then-recent albumLoad insulting multiple members of the band for their change in sound and visual image.[204][205] During a 2003 interview, Sixx would strangely defend Metallica's then-latest albumSt. Anger by claiming "I have learned to have sympathy for the enemy".[206] In 2006, both Tommy Lee and former Metallica bassistJason Newsted took part in a reality show entitledRock Star: Supernova as they would both participate in creating a supergroup while the show's premise revolved around finding a frontman via contest. During a 2011 meet-and-greet inMexico City, Hetfield was approached by a fan attacking Mötley Crüe due to their public image and frequent appearances in tabloids. Hetfield refused to directly respond to the fan's comments towards Mötley Crüe but did find humor in his insults toward the band.[207] In 2015, Lee would reignite the feud when he posted a Tweet featuring a picture of Ulrich with the words "Straight Outta Tempo" superimposed over his face. Lee presumably used a meme maker intended to promote the 2015N.W.A biopic Straight Outta Compton. Following the post by Lee, Vince Neil had stated online that he was unaware of the feud with Metallica; however, during a later interview with anOregon radio show, Neil was again asked about the band's current relationship with Metallica and hung up on the show's host.[208] Things were alleged to have calmed down by 2017, when Hetfield appeared on Sixx's radio show 'Sixx Sense'.[209] During an interview in 2021, Sixx applauded Metallica's longevity and praised several of their releases during an interview.[210]
ThoughGuns N' Roses were initially hired to open for Mötley Crüe during the summer of 1987, things grew hostile between both sides in 1988 after Vince Neil alleged that then-Guns N' Roses guitaristIzzy Stradlin had assaulted his then-wife Sharise at the famed Cathouse club, according to Neil and club ownerRiki Rachtman. Things came to a breaking point at the1989 MTV Video Music Awards following Mötley Crüe's presentation of the award for 'Best Metal Video' to Guns N' Roses; however, only bassistDuff McKagan and drummerSteven Adler appeared at the stage to accept it. Following their performance withTom Petty, Neil rushed the side of the stage and threw a punch at Stradlin before being restrained by security. Guns N' Roses frontmanAxl Rose was enraged with the incident, threatening Neil after security had separated the two. During an interview in August 1990, Rose later challenged Neil to a fight during an interview withKurt Loder, claiming "Anytime he wants it,Atlantic City, I don't care. We'll put money on it."[211][212] Neil responded in early 1991 by challenging Rose to a fight: "Axl if you are watching this, I want to challenge you to a fight. I'm gonna give you time and I'm gonna give you the place. There's no backing out now buddy. It's time to put up or shut up.", later expressing his intent to possibly host the fight in an arena.[213] Reportedly,Eddie Van Halen and then-currentVan Halen singerSammy Hagar had offered money to possibly host the fight atMadison Square Garden in New York City. However, for unknown reasons, neither Rose or Neil responded to the offer. Neil claims Stradlin had called him with an apology for the incident, but the 1991 Guns N' Roses track "Shotgun Blues" was allegedly adiss track aimed at Neil.[214] Tensions were reported to have died down shortly afterwards when both Tommy Lee and former Guns N' Roses guitaristGilby Clarke participated with former Metallica bassistJason Newsted in a reality show entitledRockstar: Supernova, as they would contribute musical parts in the show's contest to find a vocalist of the newly formed supergroup. Things remained cordial until 2009 when Neil had lobbed insults towards Rose in response to Guns N' Roses' most recent album,Chinese Democracy, calling the record a flop and criticizing Rose for his management of the band at the time. In 2014,Revolver magazine honored Rose by calling him "The World's Greatest Singer"; in response, Neil jokingly mocked the award on Twitter, but deleted his response shortly afterward.[215]
The feud betweenalternative metal bandGodsmack and Mötley Crüe stems from the two sides clashing after Godsmack was hired as one of several supporting acts for Mötley Crüe during the band's 2009Crüe Fest 2 tour. Godsmack frontmanSully Erna and drummerShannon Larkin have claimed the feud originated from Mötley Crüe's treatment of the support bands on tour, particularly Godsmack's fans who allegedly often left venues early following their own performance. Larkin recalls in a 2011 interview withLoudwire: "Mötley Crüe's security were real weird with our guests getting backstage, like our guests might want to look at Mötley Crüe. Our guests were there to see us and they didn't care a shit about Mötley Crüe. Mötley Crüe is a legendary band that we all respect. When I was 17, I had 'Shout at the Devil' but it just kind of fronted us a little that they would think that our guests would be star-struck over them. So, that's where the bad blood came from."[216] Erna allegedly penned the 2010 track "Cryin' Like a Bitch" about Sixx in regards to his behavior towards Godsmack during the tour, though Shannon Larkin claims the song was written about formerSan Diego Chargers quarterbackPhilip Rivers. Sixx continued in a war of insults with the band as he alleged that Godsmack had asked to appear on his radio show multiple times, due to initial allegations of it being written as adiss track aimed at Sixx.[217] During a 2015 appearance on the "Jasta Show" (hosted byHatebreed frontmanJamey Jasta), Erna would attack Sixx further by calling Sixx an "old, fat, washed-up has-been". Erna continued the tirade by even challenging Sixx to a fight, claiming: "I'll say it straight out: I've never met a bigger fucking dick in my life than Nikki Sixx. He's a douchebag. He's straight-up a fucking douche, and I don't give a fuck what he says. He knows exactly where I am, and he knows exactly how he can find me anytime that motherfucker has the balls to come and look me up".[218][219] Sixx responded to Erna's comments on a Facebook livestream, calling him a "baby". Sixx would claim the band would refuse any future festival dates if they were booked on the same bill as Godsmack.[220]
The comedic glam metal bandSteel Panther engaged in a feud with Mötley Crüe following a tour between the two bands andDef Leppard in 2011. Numerous members of Steel Panther claim they were heavily influenced by Mötley Crüe's music; however, touring with the band exhibited a hostile environment, particularly from Nikki Sixx and Tommy Lee. In the years following the tour, guitaristSatchel claimed Tommy Lee had been rather hostile towards multiple band members due to allegations that he and singerMichael Starr had sex with Lee's girlfriend at the time.[221] Starr commented on Mötley Crüe's other feud with Godsmack, claiming Sully Erna would severely beat Sixx in a fistfight.[222] In a 2015 interview, Starr would claim the members of Mötley Crüe take themselves too seriously given the comedic nature of Steel Panther's music. Sixx would respond in 2016 claiming he prioritized taking his musical contributions much more seriously. During a 2018 interview, Satchel claimed "There are bands that hate our guts... We did a tour a few years ago with Def Leppard and Mötley Crüe". Things escalated in 2019 when drummerStix Zadinia and Starr appeared in a video on the channel 'Little Punk People' where the two were asked which dead musicians they could revive; Starr jokingly claimed he wanted to bring back Vince Neil from the 1980s, enraging Sixx, who later attacked Starr on Twitter for his comment. Shortly following the response from Sixx, Steel Panther's band account replied with an interview Mötley Crüe gave from 1994 (whilst Neil was not a part of the band), in which Sixx and guitarist Mick Mars mocked and joked at Neil's weight following a jet ski accident.[223] Though Mötley Crüe would not respond to the post, multiple band members of Steel Panther have praised Mötley Crüe's music as influential in multiple interviews afterwards.[224]
On October 27, 2022, co-founding guitaristMick Mars publicly announced his retirement from touring with the band after 41 years due to complications withankylosing spondylitis, a degenerative form of inflammatory arthritis leaving him unable to perform on tour.[225] Shortly afterwards, the band announced longtimeRob Zombie guitaristJohn 5 would be his replacement during the ongoing tour. In an interview withUltimate Guitar dated March 13, 2023,Carmine Appice, a friend of Mars', claimed that Mars, in addition to his declining health, had lost enjoyment for touring.[226] Enraged with the comments, Nikki Sixx responded on Twitter, attacking Appice, referring to him as "a washed up drummer."[227] Following Sixx's comments, Mars began to attack the band during an interview withVariety published April 6, 2023, claiming the band's severance payout was "laughable" as his royalties had allegedly been cut to 7.5% as a result of his retirement. Mars further claimed he was forced to retire as opposed to being fired by the band based on their own displeasure with his medical ailments.[228]
On April 7, 2023, Mars publicly filed a lawsuit against Mötley Crüe in theLos Angeles County Superior Court for unpaid royalties, claiming the band had severely cut his touring royalty agreement from 25% to 5% as a direct result of his retirement. The band's representative Sasha Frid had revealed claims that a 2008 legal agreement signed by all four band members had documented that no resigning participants would receive the same compensation attributable to live performances or merchandise sales if a particular member had chosen to quit the band.[229][230] Mars' attorney Ed McPherson publicly attacked the band in a statement due to their failure to reveal updated financial documents in regards to Mars' payout agreement following his retirement in October. According to Mars' accounts in the lawsuit, the band had forced him to sell off his remaining share in the band, labeling their behavior as "bullying". Nikki Sixx would make a public statement on Twitter expressing his disappointment with the lawsuit but offered his public support for Mars nonetheless. Following this statement Mars would further attack the band in aVariety article, taking aim at Lee and Neil for their previous legal incidents and alleged the band had been performing with a backing track throughout the tour.[231]
During an interview withRolling Stone on July 3, 2023, Mars elaborated further by claiming he has refused to speak with any members of the band ever again, stating his intention to pursue his full royalty percentage.[232][233] By September 2023, the matter remained in litigation.
Following the firing of Vince Neil in 1992, Mötley Crüe hired John Corabi as their new lead singer prior to the recording of their 1994 self-titled album. Fan reactions were mixed due to the uncharted nature of the band's change in sound with Corabi, in addition to their new stylistic direction of the 1990s. As the band began writing for their upcoming seventh album,Generation Swine, tensions over the album's creative direction began to surface between the band and Corabi. Corabi blamed much of the poor songwriting and production on Nikki Sixx's leadership, while Sixx blamed Corabi for being unable to write songs fluidly. The band had previously hired new manager Allen Kovac in 1994 prior to the release of the self-titled album; however, the mixed response to the record in addition to backlash towards Corabi from longtime fans proved to be strenuous on the band's public image, resulting in the band firing Corabi during the recording ofGeneration Swine. The band were forced by management and fan responses to rehire Neil, however; tensions with Corabi remained high for multiple years following the split. Corabi would later sue the band in 1997 due to removal of his songwriting credits on the album.[234] Despite the tensions, Corabi took part in a short-lived supergroup with Sixx entitledBrides of Destruction withL.A. Guns guitaristTracii Guns in 2003. Corabi later outlined his tensions with Sixx would resurface during the project and would attack Sixx during multiple public interviews for his poor leadership and even insulted his playing abilities.[235] Following guitarist Mick Mars' lawsuit against the band in 2023, Corabi expressed his support for Mars while criticizing the band's poor financial decisions.[236]
Mötley Crüe's musical style is most commonly described asheavy metal,[1][237][238]glam metal,[239][240] andhard rock.[241][242][238] According toAllMusic, the band has "a knack for meldingpop hooks to heavy metaltheatrics".[1] The band exploredalternative metal andgrunge sounds onMötley Crüe (1994)[243] andindustrial rock onGeneration Swine (1997).
Music criticMartin Popoff's bookThe Top 500 Heavy Metal Songs of All Time lists seven of the band's songs in its ranking.[244] Mötley Crüe was ranked tenth on MTV's list of Top 10 Heavy Metal Bands of All-Time and ninth on VH1's All Time Top Ten Metal Bands.[245] Music websiteLoudwire named the band the 22nd greatest metal band of all time.[246]Spin namedShout at the Devil the 11th best metal album of all time.[247] In 2013,LA Weekly named the band the third best hair metal band of all time.[240]Rolling Stone namedToo Fast For Love the 22nd best metal album of all time.[248]
In 2006, the band received a star on theHollywood Walk of Fame.[249]
In 2014, the tribute albumNashville Outlaws was released, featuring country music stars includingRascal Flatts,LeAnn Rimes andDarius Rucker covering various Mötley Crüe songs.[250] The album debuted at number 2 on theBillboard Country Album chart and number 5 on theBillboard 200.[251]
Current members[252]
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