New York Dolls - History - Influence

Influence

The band influenced a wide range of musicians and bands across multiple generations, initially hard rock bands like Kiss and Aerosmith, followed by the American and British punk rock movements, and a huge wave of "hair metal" bands of the mid-1980s. They inspired various members of The Sex Pistols, especially guitarist Steve Jones, who later said that looking back at his movements on stage, he was embarrassed by how much he copied Johnny Thunders' style. The Sex Pistols' manager, Malcolm McLaren, worked with the New York Dolls towards the end of their career, though he never officially managed them, he had been a UK contact and supplier of glam clothes & boots stretching back to the time of the Dolls first UK visit.

The New York Dolls were first and foremost a major influence on the rock music scene in New York City, having accumulated a devoted cult following during their career. By the time the New York Dolls had disbanded, Ira Robbins wrote that they "singlehandedly began the local New York scene that later spawned the Ramones, Blondie, Television, Richard Hell & The Voidoids, Dead Boys, Talking Heads and others. A classic case of the whole being greater than the sum of its parts, the Dolls were much more than just a band.

The Smiths' Morrissey and R.E.M.'s Michael Stipe are both fans of the New York Dolls. Morrissey was the president of the Dolls' UK fan club as a teenager, wrote a book about them, and produced their comeback show; Stipe was a guest on One Day....