Mötley Crüe

Hollywood's loudest, roughest crew since 1981.

Mötley Crüe formed in Hollywood, California, in 1981 when bassist Nikki Sixx and drummer Tommy Lee joined forces with guitarist Mick Mars and lead vocalist Vince Neil. This American heavy metal band quickly gained a reputation for their hedonistic lifestyles and wild, sometimes androgynous style. Their sound evolved from the hard rock and heavy metal origins of their first two albums into the glam metal wave that defined their third release. With elaborate live performances featuring flame thrower guitars and roller coaster drum kits, they established themselves as one of the most visually striking acts in rock history.

Quick Facts

Origin

Hollywood, California, U.S.

Genre

Heavy metal
glam metal
hard rock

Years active

1981–2002, 2004–2015, 2018–present

Label

Mötley
Beyond
Eleven Seven Music
Elektra
Leathür
Warner Music Group
Big Machine

Spinoffs

Sixx:A.M.; Methods of Mayhem; Brides of Destruction; 58

Spinoff of

London

Current members

Nikki Sixx
Tommy Lee
Vince Neil
John 5

Past members

Greg Leon
Mick Mars
Michael White
John Corabi
Randy Castillo

Lore & Background

The band's name originated from an incident when Mick Mars played with a group called White Horse; a member described them as "a motley looking crew," which Mars later adapted to "Mottley Cru" before Vince Neil suggested adding metal umlauts, inspired by the German beer Löwenbräu. Their early lineup formed after Greg Leon and Tommy Lee decided to create a new band following a farewell gig for London. Although Leon initially felt Sixx was "awful" on bass, Lee hired him anyway. They found Mick Mars through an ad in The Recycler seeking a "Loud, rude and aggressive guitar player." After brief stints with other vocalists, Vince Neil joined on April 1, 1981, having known Lee from high school at Charter Oak High School in Covina.

Reader's Guide

Mötley Crüe's discography includes seven platinum or multi-platinum certifications and nine Top 10 albums on the Billboard 200. Their 1989 album Dr. Feelgood remains their only studio album to reach number one. They achieved twenty-two Top 40 mainstream rock hits and six Top 20 pop singles worldwide, selling over 100 million records. After a hiatus following their planned final show on December 31, 2015, the band reunited in September 2018. In March 2019, they released four new songs for the Netflix biopic The Dirt soundtrack, which reached number one on the iTunes All Genres Album Chart and number ten on the Billboard 200. Following Mick Mars's retirement from touring in October 2022 after 41 years, John 5 joined as his replacement.

Did You Know?

The band's 2015 final show was filmed for a theatrical and Blu-ray release in 2016.
During their 1982 Canada tour, a fake bomb threat made the front page of the Edmonton Journal.