Quiet Riot

Formed in the early 1970s in Los Angeles around guitarist Randy Rhoads and singer Kevin DuBrow, Quiet Riot emerged from the California hard rock and heavy metal scene before shifting to a glam metal aesthetic in the early 1980s. The first two albums, Quiet Riot (1977) and Quiet Riot II (1978), were released only in Japan, after which the band reorganized around DuBrow and drummer Frankie Banali. With Metal Health (1983)—combining towering riffs, hook-laden choruses, and covers of Slade—the group broke onto the international stage; the album is often cited as the first heavy metal record to reach the top of the U.S. charts. Subsequent releases, including Condition Critical (1984) and QR III (1986), continued in this vein, balancing melodic heavy metal with hard rock tailored for large venues and music television. Despite numerous lineup changes and the deaths of Kevin DuBrow in 2007 and Frankie Banali in 2020, Quiet Riot has carried on with various singers and musicians centered around guitarist Alex Grossi, continuing to tour and release studio albums such as Rehab (2006), Quiet Riot 10 (2014), Road Rage (2017), and Hollywood Cowboys (2019), while preserving the band’s signature blend of metallic energy and straightforward hooks.