![\"\"](\"http:\/\/blog.musoscribe.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/winger_chapter_one.jpg\")
One of the most high-profile musical movements of the late 1980s and early-to-mid \u201890s was what is now called (somewhat disparagingly) \u201chair metal.\u201d Characterized in equal measure by the arrangement values of heavy metal, the commercial appeal of pop and fashion \u2013 often with a decidedly androgynous quality \u2013 hair metal shifted significant units, becoming a serious force in pop culture.<\/p>\n
In those days, for various reasons (more often than not a disdain for one, two of possibly even three of the aforementioned defining features), some of us gave the style a complete miss. Preferring instead to focus our attention on other types of music (in my case, what we now know as \u201ccollege rock\u201d and\/or \u201calternative rock\u201d) we let the entire hair metal scene blow by without more than a cursory acknowledgment.<\/p>\n
But as so often the case when one discounts an entire subgenre, throwing the proverbial baby out with the bathwater means that some quality music gets ignored in the process. And that\u2019s the case when I consider the music of Winger.<\/p>\n
Formed in New York City in 1987, the group formed by bassist, singer and songwriter Kip Winger and keyboardist Paul Taylor had its roots in work with and for Alice Cooper. After landing a deal with Atlantic Records, the band recorded and released its self-titled debut in 1988. Right out of the gate, the group found itself on the crest of a wave: Winger<\/i> soared into the upper reaches of the Billboard<\/i> 200 album chart (peaking at #21), with sustained commercial momentum, eventually going Platinum. MTV and AOR\/rock radio both loved Winger\u2019s music: the debut album spawned no less than four hits.<\/p>\n
Inevitably, heavy touring followed. Within two years, though Winger completed and released a followup album, 1990\u2019s In the Heart of the Young<\/i>. That record sold even better than did the debut, a surprising feat against the backdrop of the hair metal scene\u2019s decline. Three of the record\u2019s singles made it into the Top 20, a remarkable achievement for any act in any genre, in any era. The inclusion of \u201cpower ballads\u201d certainly helped sustain Winger\u2019s appeal.<\/p>\n
As my wife \u2013 who listened to Winger in those days \u2013 tells me, Kip Winger was known for being on the attractive side. Contemporary reports suggest that may have worked against the band in a sense, being taken less seriously as musicians because their lead singer was a looker. And perhaps that they tried harder in the face of that skepticism.<\/p>\n
Winger\u2019s third album, Pull<\/i>, was released three years later. That record displayed a scaling back of some of the pop-leaning elements of the group\u2019s sonic approach, instead favoring a harder edge and more thoughtful lyrics. As is so often the case when an artist reaches a certain point and digs into its creative inclinations, hardcore fans loved it, but the general public was less enthusiastic. By 1994 Winger had split, its members going in various directions including solo releases, more work with Alice Cooper, and stints with Dokken and Whitesnake.<\/p>\n