Although their methods were far from orthodox, they did what they had set out to do by getting noticed. As a result of their first release and the buzz they created in Canada, the band landed their first recording contract with a major label, Elektra Records, and they immediately got to work on their first mass-marketed release.
With the new label came new management and it was in 1983 that the band really began to take the music scene by storm. They played the US Festival that year and began to establish themselves as a household name due to their outlandish outfits, notorious partying and raging live shows. Motley Crue tickets had become the next “hot” thing, and the band strategically began to release albums behind these legendary live shows.
Over time, the band released seven high-end studio albums, beginning with Shout at the Devil in 1983. Every one of their releases climbed towards the top of the album charts, and millions of Motley Crue albums have been sold worldwide. That doesn’t mean that Motley Crue didn’t deal with their share of struggles.
The band was highly successful, but they collectively dealt with one major problem that nearly tore the band and their individual lives apart - addiction and substance abuse. All the notorious partying began to take its toll, and several incidents caused problems.
In 1984, singer Vince Neil was charged with DUI and vehicular manslaughter when he was in a head-on collision on his way to the liquor store. The accident killed his passenger, and Neil was sentenced to 30 days in prison.
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