Twisted Sister is an American heavy metal band from Long Island, New York. Musically, the band implements elements of traditional heavy metal bands such as Iron Maiden and Judas Priest along with a driving style that is similar to AC/DC. While the band members' famously cross-dressed appearance might seem to link them with the 1980s glam metal movement, Twisted Sister's aggressive musical style was coupled with a more grotesque use of makeup and women's clothing resulting in a product quite distinct from the more hedonistic androgyny of glam metal groups like Mötley Crüe and Poison. The band considers the "glam metal" tag to be inappropriate.
Twisted Sister are also ranked No.73 in VH1's 100 greatest artists of hard rock.
Although the band was formed by guitarist Jay Jay French in December 1972, all of their songs were written by Dee Snider from 1976 onward. Snider remarked to David Letterman that the proposed name for the band was "This" but was rejected for fear of fans saying "This sucks". He describes Twisted Sister as "Slade meets Sex Pistols". Twisted Sister's most well-known hits include "We're Not Gonna Take It" and "I Wanna Rock", both popularized in the USA by regular airplay on MTV in the 1980s. Many of the band's songs explore themes of parent vs. child conflicts and criticisms of the educational system.
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