The '80s were an equally decadent and dangerous time for Motley Crue. But when the band emerged in 1987 with 'Girls Girls, Girls,' something was different.

Ruling the notorious Sunset Strip, the glam rockers rose to fame after releasing 'Too Fast for Love,' (1981) 'Shout at the Devil' (1983) and 'Theatre of Pain' (1985)– all within a four year period. But with 'Girls' came a head-to-toe image transformation: Vince Neil, Tommy Lee, Mick Mars and Nikki Sixx traded in their spandex and make-up for leather and motorcycles, ushering in a new era for the band as they released their fourth studio record in May of 1987.

The record chronicles a dark period during the band's career, steeped in heavy drug use, alcohol, and general debauchery and dysfunction as their lives played out in the seedy underworld of Los Angeles — one they helped personally craft. It marks a time when the band was fighting just to stay together and stay alive, let alone put forth their best music, but in the end, they managed to do a little of both.

Looking back now at what role 'Girls, Girls, Girls' played in their spanning career, it seems to be the glue that kept them together during a personally difficult time for each member, preventing the whole band from blowing up. While maybe not their most commercially successful release, it was still immensely popular. Besides, 'Girls, Girls, Girls' succeeded in other ways and gave the band a vehicle to live on another day... quite literally in one instance.