Mötley Crüe’s Mick Mars Turns 65 Today: Why People Think He’s The Most Underrated Guitarist Of All Time

Mötley Crüe guitarist and co-founder who’s known for his powerful riffs, Mick Mars, recently celebrated his 65th birthday and in honor of his almost four-decade-long music career, we have decided to discuss why he’s one of the most underrated guitarists in the metal scene.

His career as a musician started in the ’70s after he dropped out of high school and started playing in a series of blue-based rock bands. However, as he didn’t manage to find his calling for a whole decade, and he finally put an ad in a Los Angeles newspaper looking for a new band and described himself as a ‘ loud, rude and aggressive guitar player.’

This caught the attention of Nikki Sixx and Tommy Lee who were putting together a new band and they hired Mick Mars after they heard him play. The name Mötley Crüe was in fact Mick Mars’ idea as he remembered that someone had described one of his old bands as a ‘motley looking crew.’

Although the band achieved mainstream fame during the ’80s, some Mötley Crüe fans argue that Mick Mars didn’t receive the attention that he really deserved. Some critics stated that Mick was the best at his role in the band, as he is a better guitarist than Tommy is a drummer, Vince is a singer, and Nikki is a bassist (excluding his songwriting).

Although his band members achieved worldwide critical acclaim, for some reason Mick Mars remained underrated. However, his heavy, aggressive, melodic solos and bluesy riffs show that this is unfair. His live performances which are a true testament to his talent and the fact that he’s as consistent and accurate as he’s in the studio, prove that Mick Mars is one of the most underrated guitarists of the metal scene.

You can listen to the Top 10 Mötley Crüe Riffs created by Mick Mars below.