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1[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/skid_row.jpg]]
2->''They call us problem child, we spend our lives on trial, we walk an endless mile, we are the youth gone wild!\
3We stand and we won't fall, we're one and one for all, the writing's on the wall, we are the youth gone wild!''
4-->"Youth Gone Wild"
5
6Skid Row is an American HeavyMetal band formed in 1987. Because of their image, they're often associated with glam rock, but eventually were seen in a more traditional sense of Main/HairMetal. First formed in New Jersey, the band got introduced to a producer by their friend Jon Music/BonJovi and were an instant success. The band's first album went platinum five times, and as of the end of 1996 the band has sold 20 million albums worldwide.
7
8The rise of grunge in 1991 and the departure of original lead singer Sebastian Bach in 1996 contributed to a decline in the band's fortunes. While they still recorded and toured with other singers (Johnny Solinger from 1999-2015, Tony Harnell of {{Music/TNT|Band}} in 2015, and ZP Theart of Music/{{Dragonforce}}), they had a much lower profile than their heyday in the late 80s and early 90s. It remains to be seen if they can revive their fortunes with their current vocalist, Erik Grönwall, formerly of H.E.A.T.
9
10Their [[SignatureSong most popular songs]], "18 and Life", "I Remember You" and "Youth Gone Wild", come from their first album. Their second album, ''Slave To The Grind'', was considerably [[DarkerAndEdgier heavier and less mainstream]] than their first album, with several songs that could even be considered ThrashMetal.
11
12!!Members (Classic members in '''bold''', current members in ''italic''):
13
14* ''Erik Grönwall'' - lead vocals (2022-present)
15* '''''Scotti Hill''''' - lead and rhythm guitar, backing vocals (1987-present)
16* '''''Dave "The Snake" Sabo''''' - lead, rhythm and acoustic guitar, backing vocals (1986-present)
17* '''''Rachel Bolan''''' - bass guitar, acoustic guitar, backing and occasional lead vocals (1986-present)
18* ''Rob Hammersmith'' - drums, backing vocals (2010-present)
19
20'''Former members:'''
21
22* Matt Fallon - lead vocals (1986-1987)
23* Jim Yuhas - rhythm guitar (1986-1987)
24* John Ratkowski Jr. - drums (1986-1987)
25* '''Sebastian Bach''' - lead vocals (1987-1996)
26* '''Rob Affuso''' - drums (1987-1996)
27* Johnny Solinger - lead vocals (1999-2015; died 2021)
28* Charlie Mills - drums (1999-2000)
29* Phil Varone - drums (2000-2004)
30* Timothy [=DiDuro=] - drums (2004)
31* Dave Gara - drums, backing vocals (2004-2010)
32* Tony Harnell - lead vocals (2015)
33* ZP Theart - lead vocals (2015-2022)
34
35!!Discography:
36
37* ''[[SelfTitledAlbum Skid Row]]'' - 1989
38* ''Slave To The Grind'' - 1991
39* ''B-Side Ourselves'' - 1992 (EP)
40* ''Subhuman Race'' - 1995
41* ''Thickskin'' - 2003
42* ''Revolutions per Minute'' - 2006
43* ''United World Rebellion: Chapter One'' - 2013 (EP)
44* ''Rise of the Damnation Army: United World Rebellion: Chapter Two'' - 2014 (EP)
45* ''The Gang's All Here'' - 2022
46
47----
48!!Tropes related to the band:
49
50* AlbumTitleDrop: For their album title and their band name, in "Youth Gone Wild" from ''[[SelfTitledAlbum Skid Row]]'':
51-->''I said, "Hey man, there's something you oughta know''
52-->''I tell ya, Park Avenue leads to''
53-->''SKID ROW!"''
54* TheBandMinusTheFace: Sebastian Bach was fired from the band in 1996 and was replaced by relatively unknown Texan Johnny Solinger (who himself left the band in 2015). To this day, many Skid Row fans are hoping that Sebastian Bach will someday reunite with Skid Row, and Bach himself has said that he would not be opposed to rejoining the band; however, Erik Grönwall (ex-H.E.A.T) was confirmed as their new official singer in March 2022, and the other members have adamantly refused to even consider the possibility of reuniting with Bach.
55* BasedOnATrueStory: "18 and Life" was based on a story guitarist Dave "Snake" Sabo read about an 18 year old boy who accidently shot his friend.
56* BigGuyLittleGuy: Bach with basically everyone. He is 6' 3" and towered over the other members.
57* BuxomBeautyStandard: The song "Big Guns." In fact, when asked about the song's meaning during an interview, Sebastian Bach simply stated "Well, you know, we like big tits."
58* ChildPopstar: Sebastian Bach recalls his first experience singing on stage at the age of twelve was with a band of older students at his school who had overheard him singing along to the first [[Music/ThePolice Police]] album. He later joked that he, "Must have looked like Music/JustinBieber."
59* CoverAlbum: ''B-Side Ourselves'' EP, which contains covers of Music/TheRamones, Music/{{Kiss}}, Music/JudasPriest, Music/{{Rush|Band}} and Music/JimiHendrix.
60* DarkerAndEdgier: ''Slave to the Grind'', though they were this to the rest of the glam scene to begin with.
61* DudeLooksLikeALady: The whole band back in the day, but special attention has to be given to Sebastian Bach. A common joke is that Bach made a prettier girl than most ''actual'' women.
62* DrugsAreBad: Sebastian Bach has said that "Wasted Time" was written about former Music/GunsNRoses drummer Steven Adler's heroin addiction.
63* EvenTheGuysWantHim:
64** A segment on Metal Head Magazine #2 has drummer Rob Affuso and Sebastian Bach’s girlfriend at the time, Maria Aquinar, looking at photos of Bach in a magazine. When Maria remarks on Bach’s attractiveness, Affuso responds with “He’s alright. I’d do him!”
65** A number of the comments on Skid Row videos are of guys saying while they are not gay, they find the young Sebastian Bach very attractive and prettier than most women.
66* GenderBlenderName: Bassist Rachel Bolan, born James Richard Southworth.
67* GenreShift: The band's self-titled debut album was HairMetal (although it was heavier and more aggressive-sounding than most other hair metal at the time). With their second album, ''Slave to the Grind'', the band dropped the hair metal in favor of Music/JudasPriest style heavy metal as well as some ThrashMetal tracks that sounded similar to Music/{{Megadeth}}.
68* GirlsWithGuns: "Beggar's Day" (''Slave to the Grind'')
69* {{Greaser Delinquents}}: "18 and Life" has main character Ricky with his friend wearing greaser jackets, then Ricky murders his friend.
70* IfICantHaveYou: One of two possible interpretations of the lyrics “They say you left town with another man/Now I’m off to Mississippi with a gun in my hand” from “Shut Up Baby, I Love You”.
71* LeadBassist: Rachel Bolan is the band's bassist and primary songwriter.
72* LongHairedPrettyBoy: Sebastian Bach, one of the biggest examples of this in his younger days, as evidenced by all the comments made on Skid Row's videos. (See DudeLooksLikeALady and EvenTheGuysWantHim above).
73* MrFanservice: The whole group though special mention to Bach and Bolan.
74* MurderBallad: "18 and Life", which is about a man drunkenly shooting and killing an innocent bystander and facing the consequences.
75* MurderTheHypotenuse: The other possible interpretation of the lyrics from “Shut Up Baby, I Love You” (see [[IfICantHaveYou If I Can’t Have You…]] above).
76* PowerBallad: "18 and Life," "I Remember You," "In a Darkened Room," and "Wasted Time."
77* PrecisionFStrike: "Get the Fuck Out" from ''Slave to the Grind''. When they performed it for Wembley Stadium in 1991, it allegedly got them banned from performing at the venue again.
78* {{Pun}}: Their 1992 compilation ''B-Side Ourselves''.
79* PurpleProse: "In a Darkened Room" has much more formal lyrics than the average. And Sebastian Bach sounds [[LargeHam pretty hammy]] in his delivery, too.
80--> ''Can I face the day''\
81''When I'm tortured in my trust''\
82''And watch it crystallize''\
83''While my salvation, it crumbles to dust?''\
84''Why can't I steer the ship before it hits the storm?''\
85''I've fallen to the sea, but still I swim for shore''
86* RippedFromTheHeadlines: "18 and Life" was written when guitarist Dave Sabo read a newspaper article about the event.
87* ScrewTheRulesImFamous: How Bolan describes Bach’s attitude once the band reached fame:
88--> “By that point the stupid shit he was doing was almost becoming sociopathic. He seemed to feel that he was above all rules and regulations.”
89* SelfTitledAlbum
90* StartMyOwn: Sebastian Bach.
91* StepUpToTheMicrophone: On their 1992 B-sides album, ''B-Side Ourselves'', Rachel Bolan sang lead on their cover of "Psycho Therapy" by Music/TheRamones. He has since sung lead once on the post-Sebastian album ''Revolutions per Minute''.
92* SuccubiAndIncubi: The final track from their debut album, "Midnight/Tornado" is sung from the perspective of an Incubus, describing how the character feeds on women's lust and is only able to come out at night.
93* TitleTrack: ''Slave to the Grind'', ''Subhuman Race'', and ''The Gang's All Here'' each have one of these.
94* VocalTagTeam: While the band itself doesn’t fall under this, their song “Another Dick In The System” from ''Revolutions Per Minute'' does, having the lead singer at the time, Johnny Solinger, and Bolan trading sections of the verses and duetting on the chorus.
95* WalkingShirtlessScene Bach And Bolan got lots in their prime days. Rob And Scotti had [[ShirtlessScene shirtless scenes]] from time to time.
96* WhosYourDaddy: From “White Trash”, off of ''Revolutions Per Minute'': “My sister, she’s got three babies/But she don’t remember who their daddy is”.

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