Out of the Cellar

Released at the beginning of 1984, Ratt’s Out of the Cellar was one of the first works to crystallize what would later become known as hair metal, and it remains one of the genre’s most memorable works. Ratt didn’t have the visual impact of their rivals Mötley Crüe, but Out of the Cellar is more consistent than Crüe’s precedent-setting Shout at the Devil, which was released just a few months earlier. The songwriting is stronger, and the production — courtesy of pop metal guru Beau Hill — is sharper. “Round and Round” was the band’s monster hit and the album’s centerpiece. All hair metal is based on the blend of grinding riffs and sweet hooks, but “Round and Round” is one of a handful of songs that perfects the formula. Other standouts include “You’re In Trouble,” “Back For More” and “The Morning After.” Ratt wasn’t as fearsome as Mötley, nor were they as fluffy as Poison. Instead, Out of the Cellar occupies the middle ground, with one foot firmly planted in malevolent hard rock, and the other tipping towards pop delirium.