Grab the Aqua Net and keep an eye on your daughters.

This was the vibe in the 1980s, when rockstars sporting leather and gravity-defying hairstyles, oozing charisma, and delivering electrifying guitar solos captivated audiences on MTV and in Los Angeles’s Sunset Strip clubs.

The culture of excess during this time, accompanied by iconic rock tracks, is showcased in “Nöthin’ But a Good Time: The Uncensored Story of ’80s Hair Metal,” a three-part docuseries debuting on Paramount+ on September 17.

The title, inspired by Poison’s 1988 hit, features the distinctive umlauts associated with Mötley Crüe, who is prominently featured in the series, which is as vibrant and entertaining as the era it documents. Director Jeff Tremaine (“The Dirt”) employs archival interviews, creative animations, and modern insights from insiders like Poison’s Bret Michaels, Ratt’s Stephen Pearcy, Extreme’s Nuno Bettencourt, Guns N’ Roses drummer Steven Adler, and Slipknot’s Corey Taylor, who passionately defends the glam of the ’80s.

While the series explores the decline of the hair metal genre following the rise of grunge and Nirvana in the early ’90s, many of the featured musicians continue to flourish today.

“After almost 40 years in the music industry, my enthusiasm remains unchanged,” Michaels shared with YSL News. “I have more vigor than ever and will always give it my all. That’s what ‘Nothin’ But a Good Time’ is all about—embracing the moment with a catchy guitar riff and hook-filled chorus. Its simplicity makes it timeless.”

Here are some additional highlights from the docuseries.

The Essence of ’80s Hair Metal: ‘Hard Work and Passion’

The vibrant nightlife of the Sunset Strip was the starting point for many hair metal bands. Venues like Whisky a Go Go, The Roxy, and the Rainbow Bar and Grill were playgrounds for rise-to-fame bands such as Quiet Riot, Mötley Crüe, Ratt, Great White, White Lion, and Guns N’ Roses.

Although Poison originated from a small town in Pennsylvania (Mechanicsburg), distinguishing them as rare East Coast contenders alongside bands like Skid Row, Bon Jovi, and Cinderella (the latter two notably missing from the docuseries), they recognized the necessity of relocating to the epicenter of metal.

In an age before the internet, bands relied on flyers for promotion, plastering the Sunset Strip with them and earning significant income from their shows, often stapling them on telephone poles or slipping them under car windshields.

Competition was fierce, as Michaels recalls in the documentary, with bands staying up late to ensure their flyers stood out. Poison triumphed when a local print shop provided them with a batch of neon green paper, making their promotions pop and inadvertently establishing their trademark color.

However, the hustle for promotion was tiring for the young artists aiming to revel in the ultimate trio of sex, drugs, and rock ‘n’ roll.

“It was a blend of innocence, dedication, and passion,” Michaels reflects now. “Poison’s work ethic was relentless. While everyone else was renting limos to arrive at the club, we showed up in a windowless Chevrolet Chevette because all our funds went into promotion.”

The Emergence of the Power Ballad

The docuseries highlights how, paradoxically, many hair metal bands found their greatest hits weren’t the hard-hitting anthems filled with intricate guitar solos, but rather songs expressing softer emotions.

Power ballads, characterized by their slower tempos, emotional lyrics, and escalating drama, actually began to emerge before the rise of the ’80s (consider KISS’ “Beth” from 1976).

However, Mötley Crüe made a significant impact with their hit “Home Sweet Home,” while Warrant hit peak success on rock charts with “Heaven,” and Bret Michaels from Poison continues to captivate audiences when he plays the first notes of “Every Rose Has Its Thorn.”

“I penned that song outside a honky-tonk in Dallas while staying in a mini-Winnebago,” Michaels shared with YSL News regarding Poison’s top Billboard Hot 100 hit in 1988. “After our performance to a small crowd of about 50 or 100, I returned to the bus feeling inspired after my breakup. Music has been my lifeline; it mended my heart.”

How Sex Sold Rock ‘n’ Roll

The often shallow themes in glam metal hits (no one would compare the lyrics of Europe’s “The Final Countdown” to Dostoevsky) were typically accompanied by videos filled with scantily clad women and flashy cars.

The use of the “hot girl” trope in Warrant’s candid “Cherry Pie,” Whitesnake’s “Here I Go Again,” and Mötley Crüe’s “Girls Girls Girls” may not be viewed positively today, yet the bands remain unapologetic about a time that embraced misogyny.

Steven Sweet, drummer for Warrant, admits that they did not view model Bobbi Brown dancing in “Cherry Pie” as objectifying during that era.

Michaels echoed a similar perspective, noting that the bands operated with a youthful, carefree mindset.

“We were just a group of college kids enjoying life, and from my experience, there was no pressure involved,” he explained. “Everyone was having a good time, and rock brought a thrilling energy. It was a different era without any hidden motives.”