Totally disagree with Bon Jovi not being hair metal. They were absolutely a part of that scene along with Whitesnake, Ratt, Kix, Def Leppard, Quiet Riot, Dokken...
Hmm.....
I can't...
To me, Hair Metal was a fad in the late 80's. Whitesnake were a 70's band that made one album in 1987 with John Sykes, Neil Murray, and Ainsley Dunbar. On what planet are these guys Hair Metal? Tommy Aldridge Hair Metal?? Sure they all teased their hair and Tawny's hair for the videos, but I don't know. There is nothing Hair Metal about that 1987 album. That album rocks.
If Bon Jovi is hair Metal to you, that's fine. I mean, they're on the line, but for me, I always felt their music had more levity than a typical hair metal band. And Hair Metal doesn't have any success without Bon Jovi, so I can see the argument. I don't respect Hair Metal, but I respected Bon Jovi.
Def Leppard Hair Metal?? They were a NWOBHM band that happened to release one overproduced piece of shit in 1987 that girls really dug. While Def Leppard was probably the most successful band in the late 80's in terms of sales/attendence, I will still never consider them a Hair Metal band.
Kix? They were a Baltimore bar band who tried to cash in on the hair metal scene. Respect for their early stuff, but not for the crap they did later on.
Dokken? Sure.