Motley Crue + Nikki Sixx Commemorate Band’s 45th Anniversary

This year marks the 45th anniversary of Motley Crue (who formed in Hollywood, Calif. in 1981). To commemorate the occasion, Motley Crue and founding bassist Nikki Sixx have shared a heartfelt reflections on the band’s early days (including Sixx humbly reminding his followers that “we all start somewhere”).

What Did Motley Crue Say About Their Anniversary?

Yesterday (Jan. 17), Motley Crue’s social media accounts shared a collage of clips to celebrate the group’s history (with their cover of the Beatles’ “Helter Skelter” from 1983’s Shout at the Devil as the soundtrack).

Alongside it, they wrote:

NOW LISTEN UP!

It was January 17th, 1981 when Nikki first jammed with [drummer] Tommy [Lee]. Soon after, [guitarist] Mick Mars and [singer] Vince Neil joined and the rest, as they say, is history…

In “Kickstart My Heart” the lyrics say, “When we started this band / All we needed was a laugh / Years gone by, I’d say we’ve kicked some ass.”

The fans were always right by our side. We don’t know where all of the years went. It went by in a flash. What we can’t forget though, are the four and a half decades of fans who have counted themselves as CRÜEHEADS, supporting us through it all.

To all those Crüeheads, we are in debt and thank you from the bottom of our hearts.

Happy 45th Birthday to us!

You can see Motley Crue’s post below:

What Did Sixx Say About Motley Crue?

Sixx also took to social media yesterday to post a “Motley Crue 45” logo alongside an in-depth and endearing tale of Motley Crue’s earliest days.

“As time rolls on, you forget the little things—the small, throwaway moments that years later turn out to be the birth of something that changes you… and a lot of other people’s lives,” he began, adding:

Back then, I was pretty much living in a dilapidated house just off Lankershim Boulevard in North Hollywood. Falling apart. Barely hanging on.
Worth noting, though—it did have a waterbed and an old rotary Bakelite phone ,So yeah, we were doing just fine.

That was the house where I showed a 17-year-old Tommy Lee a pile of songs that would later end up on our debut album [1981’s ‘Too Fast for Love‘]. It’s where we first met Mick Mars. It’s where we dreamed, jammed, argued, laughed, and tried to turn noise, attitude, and fun into something you could actually explain.

We rehearsed like madmen. Burned through a few singers before we finally met Vince Neil.

From there, Sixx describes the band as “four broke, ratty kids with nothing but ideas and nerve” and mentions that said is where “the name Mötley Crüe was born” in addition to “about a million other stories that probably shouldn’t be told in polite company.”

He continued: “The bottom line is this: we all start somewhere. And most of the time, we have no clue what’s about to come out of those first moments. In that house, Mötley Crüe was born 45 years ago. I hope you’ve enjoyed the ride as much as we have. Proud to be part of this band.”

Endearingly, Sixx also thanked “Vince, Tommy, and Mick for decades of loud, dangerous, honest music,” clarifying that he continues to look back on the absolute “creative freedom” they had in having “the balls at that age to play and say” what they did without ever being questioned.

Finally, Sixx concluded: “Thank you. And God bless the Children of the Beast.”

You can see Sixx’s post below:

READ MORE: The Best Ballad by 15 Bands of the Hair Metal Era

Fans’ Responses to Motley Crue + Sixx

Given that the people who follow Motley Crue and Sixx probably love the band, it’s no shock that they replied to those posts with similar admiration and fond memories.

Regarding the band’s post, one person asked, “Why is this not a national holiday?!? Guess I’ll have to watch The Dirt again tonight!” Likewise, another follower cheered: “First time hearing your music I was in 7th grade – now I’m almost 55! Where did our years ago! Still crank you up when I hear your music come on in the car”

One person even rejoiced:

I knew the backstory on the band, but I had no idea that we shared the same birthday! How cool is that? I grew up listening to these guys. They were an important part of my youth. They paved the way for numerous other bands. And they did it their way. Thank you guys…..you’ll always be my #1 band.

Of course, Sixx’s statement was met with equal enthusiasm.

“That just made me feel old!” one person confessed, adding: “Been a fan since the beginning and taught my kids all about good music from the start. You inspired them to play the guitar. Your one of my favorite from just a girl from Idaho!”

Later, someone else said: “Reading this post fills us with reflection, emotion, pride, and apprehension about what the future holds. Many fans are wondering what will happen next. Thank you for every work you’ve created, showing us a part of yourselves. Your music will forever remain in our thoughts.”

Elsewhere, speculated: “Out of curiosity, what would 1986’s Nikki Sixx say to 2026’s Nikki Sixx? Would they like each other?”

The love shown by – and to – Motley Crue and Nikki Sixx is certainly justified, as the quartet are easily among the biggest rock and metal bands of all time.

Back in 2017, for instance, Motley Crue topped Loudwire’s list of the 10 Greatest Hair Metal Bands due largely to their best record – Shout at the Devil – plus other standouts such as Too Fast for Love,1987’s Girls, Girls, Girls and 1989’s Dr. Feelgood (which remains their best-selling album).

Other Motley Crue News

Earlier this month, Loudwire reported on Falling in Reverse‘s Ronnie Radke responding to Tommy Lee calling him an “idiot” in response to “the ongoing drama between [Radke] and the drummer’s wife, Brittany Furlan.”

In a nutshell, and as Loudwire wrote, Furlan “rehashed her 2025 catfish scandal with a Radke impersonator . . . after she shared a series of posts on her Instagram story alleging the Falling in Reverse frontman created fake social media accounts to troll her.” This led Radke to not only reply to her claims but also “reportedly [try] to file a temporary restraining order against her in Los Angeles as a result.” However, “the court denied his request [via People].”

During a brief chat with TMZ, Radke then stated:

Well Tommy, I have a bunch of fans too. They send me stuff and they sent me [Furlan] bringing it up again and saying that I have all these different phone numbers. I have to respond to that. I don’t want all these people thinking that it’s me! I don’t understand, it’s like I’m taking crazy pills at this point. . . . I’m gonna literally email all the metadata to Tommy Lee so he can go over it and he can look at it all. And you know what? If you find anything weird, post it. I implore all of you to post it all.

Days later, Catfish host/producer Nev Schulman entered the arena by suggesting that – as Loudwire put it – “if Radke was completely innocent, he could have discussed it with Brittany and Tommy Lee privately rather than blasting it on social media and offered to help find out who’s been making the fake social media accounts.”

Last week, Loudwire also published a story about Furlan allegedly filing a restraining order against Radke for harassment. Among other things, Furlan “claimed that Radke begged her to leave Tommy Lee and that the singer stood her up at his house after they made plans to meet up, according to the [TMZ] report.”

While that situation continues to unfold, though, Motley Crue are preparing for their 2026 North American tour (during which they’ll celebrate their 45th anniversary and the 20th anniversary of their Carnival of Sins tour). They’ll be joined by Tesla and Extreme, and they’ll be appearing across the country between the middle of July and the end of September.

You can check out all the upcoming dates and grab tickets here.

So, what do you think of Motley Crue and Sixx’s posts? Do you have any fond memories of Motley Crue? Let us know!