W.A.S.P.

Once the subject of hushed playground discussion, W.A.S.P.’s acronymic moniker—it stands for “we are sexual perverts”—now proves as tame as the band’s dated would-be metal. Forever linked to the PMRC, the Tipper Gore-headed council of censoring busybodies, W.A.S.P. raised eyebrows in the ’80s with aggressively raunchy rock and onstage antics, but we’re in a different era now. The group’s following has grown more and more selective over the years, but fans should appreciate the current lineup, which includes mastermind Blackie Lawless. To his credit, Lawless doesn't seem to have lost his zeal for cheesy hard-rock hook glory and even the occasional power ballad on 2009's Babylon. 

Updated 02/23/2010