The 1980s was a decade known for frizzy perms, overdone blush, blue eye shadow and the rise (and fall) of the crimper as a beauty necessity. The band Twisted Sister showed that all of these trends were even more shocking when applied to men. The band first came together in 1972 with the help of Jay Jay French on guitar. They were fans of everything glam rock and took influences from the New York Dolls as well as Kiss and Alice Cooper. They began taking in the scene and French added Eddie Ojeda on guitar, Kenneth Harrison Neil on bass and Kevin John Grace on drums. The perfect vocalist wasn't found until Dee Snider joined in 1976.

They replaced Grace with Tony Petri soon after and Snider started writing material. They were developing a following because of their live shows and were soon performing multiple sold-out shows. They added Mark Mendoza on bass in 1978, formerly of the Dictators. The next year, they recorded the single "I'll Never Grow Up Now!," which they released themselves in 1980. The single was followed by "Bad Boys of Rock ‘n' Roll." Despite the massive following of fans, the band was yet to be offered a deal. Twisted Sister found their first home at the independent Secret Records, who released the band's EP Ruff Cutts. They added A.J. Pero on drums and started working on a full-length release.

They released the album Under the Blade in 1982, which attracted attention in the underground music scene. They finally got a major record deal with Atlantic. They released You Can't Stop Rock ‘n' Roll on the label in 1983 and were soon finding chart success. The followed it up with more hit singles and albums, but by 1986 the band members were fighting. The band broke up soon after, but has since reunited various times for tours and new material.