Dokken

Out of Los Angeles in the early 1980s, Dokken carved out a distinct corner of the Sunset Strip scene built on melodic hooks and searing guitar work rather than pure shock value. The band centered on vocalist Don Dokken and guitar virtuoso George Lynch, whose creative tension — and very real personal friction — became both the engine and the eventual undoing of the classic lineup. Rounding out the core was bassist Jeff Pilson and drummer Mick Brown, who together gave the band a rock-solid rhythmic foundation. Lynch's fluid, technically impressive playing set him apart even in an era overflowing with shredders, earning him a devoted following all his own. Dokken hit their commercial peak with a run of strong albums in the mid-80s, particularly Breaking the Chains, Tooth and Nail, Under Lock and Key, and Back for the Attack, the last of which cracked the top ten. Their sound balanced radio-friendly melodies with genuine hard rock muscle, landing them on tours with bands like Aerosmith and Dio and a memorable slot in the A Nightmare on Elm Street 3 soundtrack with Dream Warriors. Though the band fractured by the late 80s due to internal conflicts, their influence on melodic hard rock is hard to overstate, and reunions over the years have kept the Dokken name very much alive for fans who still know every Lynch lick by heart.