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Although most fans won't admit to it now, the 1980s produced some of the greatest heavy metal music in history.

1980 saw the release of Ozzy Osbourne's quadruple platinum classic "Bizzard of Oz." Two years later, four face-painting, hard-drinking Los Angeles street urchins who were aptly named "Motley Crue" shocked the music world with their debut album "Too Fast For Love." Two years later, the pentagram-encrusted rockers released their defining record, "Shout at The Devil," which sold over four million copies.

Other great "hair metal" acts followed, selling out arenas and reaching previously unimaginable heights of popularity. Groups like Hanoi Rocks, Cinderella, W.A.S.P. and Ratt were all multi-platinum artists.

On the heavier end of the spectrum was speed metal. Metallica released its faster-than-all-hell first album "Kill 'em All" in 1983, and followed it up in 1984 and 1986 with their epic collections "Ride the Lightning" and "Master of Puppets." But as fast and hard as those boys could play, they were considered lightweights compared to thrash metal groups like Pantera, Slayer, Venom and Testament.

All of these bands produced great music, sold their fair share of albums, and put on live shows that fans still remember to this day. By the middle of the decade, heavy metal was king.

But then something happened. Something more awful and more frightening than anything these hard-living metal maniacs sang about in their songs. That something was The Power Ballad.

It began in 1986, when Motley Crue's "Home Sweet Home" became a monster radio and MTV hit. Fans silently hoped it was just a thoughtless aberration from the band. But then others followed. Dokken gave us "Alone Again." Cinderella offered "Don't Know What You've Got 'Till It's Gone." Poison became the king of the power ballad with "Every Rose Has its Thorn" and "Something to Believe In."

Even Ozzy committed the ultimate sin when he teamed up with Lita Ford on "Close My Eyes Forever."

The problem with these songs is that they weren't metal. It wasn't just the slow, melodic sound of the music or the lead singer doing his best impression of the Carpenters on too many shots of Jack Daniels. The most offensive aspect of these tunes was their wimpy, touchy-feely themes. Heavy metal - whether it was glam, sleaze, speed or thrash - was all about being bad. It was about running from the cops, getting in a fight, drinking way too much, or bedding down the bleach-blond groupie.

That's what the fans loved so much about it: they could be vicariously bad. When Dave Mustaine sang: "What do you mean I don't support your system, I go to court when I have to," even the most straight-laced kid could feel like a bad boy. He could get a much-needed release of pent-up aggression by listening to a song or going to a concert, and then he could return to his relatively normal life.

But when Vince Neil crowed on about "Home Sweet Home," hardcore fans began looking for the exits; and they began seeking a deeper, darker form of music. The kids were looking for sex, drugs and violence, and the bands were whining on about heartache, need, love and loss.

Enter Nirvana. Enter Grunge. Just as punk rock had provided a musical haven for fans who were let down by the self-absorbed rock star theatrics of the classic '60s groups, grunge provided the same outlet for metal fans who'd been betrayed by their heavy metal masters.

It all ended so quickly. By 1992, Motley Crue, Cinderella and Poison had been replaced by Pearl Jam, Soundgarden and Stone Temple Pilots. Even the speed and thrash bands, with the sole exception of Metallica, waned in popularity. The ballads not only sunk the hair bands, they took everything metal down with the ship.

And that is how the Power Ballad killed the great heavy metal music of the 1980s.

Politics, News & Issues > Baseball News & Opinion Should Fred McGriff be voted into the baseball Hall of Fame?

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Fred McGriff belongs in the Hall of Fame. McGriff deserves a plaque in Cooperstown because, quite simply, he was one of the most consistent and productive players of his generation. From 1988 through 2002, a fifteen year period, "The Crime Dog" topped 30 home runs ten times, and bested 20 homers fourteen times. During that period, he also drove in more than 100 runs eight times, and topped 90 RBI on five other occasions. From 1989 through 1994, Fred McGriff finished in the top 10 in MVP. That's six years in a row. He also made six all-star teams and won three home run crowns. While there a...

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