History Music / Motorhead

%%* BadassLonghair
* BadassMustache: Just ''look'' at those magnificent chops.

-->-- '''Lemmy Kilmister'''

* Ian "Lemmy" Kilmister - Vocals/Bass
* Phil Campbell - Guitars
* Mikkey Dee - Drums

* Lucas Fox - Drums (1975)
* Larry Wallis - Guitars (1975-1976)
* Phil "Philthy Animal" Taylor - Drums (1975-1984, 1987-1992) (classic lineup)
* "Fast" Eddie Clarke - Guitars (1976-1982) (classic lineup)
* Brian "Robbo" Robertson - Guitars (1982-1984)
* Pete "Frank" Gill - Drums (1984-1987)
* Mick "Würzel" Burston Guitars (1984-1995)
* Tommy Aldridge - Drums (1992)
* Matt Sorum - Drums (live, 2009)

* BerserkButton: Lemmy hated being told his band played Heavy Metal. It's Rock 'n' Roll!

* FreudianTrio: The classic lineup, with Lemmy as the Ego, Eddie as the Superego, and Philthy as the Id.

SexDrugsAndRockAndRoll [[XMeetsY meets]] HeavyMetal.

* MohsScaleOfRockAndMetalHardness: They're about an 8, which is very heavy for their genre of metal and even heavier for the time they emerged.

-->--'''Lemmy Kilmister'''

* AllDrummersAreAnimals: Phil "Philthy Animal" Taylor.
* AntiLoveSong: "Too Good to Be True" from ''March ör Die''.

* BadassGrandpa: Dude rocked harder than most people a third of his age until his death.
* BadassLonghair

** Also "You Better Run" from March ör Die album, as well as its title track.

* BawdySong: "The Claw" and "Ridin' with the Driver."
* BedlamHouse: "Back at the Funny Farm" from ''Another Perfect Day''.

* BloodKnight: "March or Die"

* TheCasanova: Lemmy.

* DepartmentOfRedundancyDepartment: "Killed by Death".

* {{Badass}}: Lemmy Kilmister, of course!
** BadassBookworm: Ozzy praised Lemmy on being incredibly well-read and intelligent, often packing his luggage mostly with books. When he was writing lyrics for Ozzy he'd blown through a World War II book Ozzy lent him in an hour and wrote the man ''three'' sets of lyrics for "Mama, I'm Coming Home."
** BadassGrandpa: Dude rocked harder than most people a third of his age until his death.
** BadassLonghair
** BadassMustache: Just ''look'' at those magnificent chops.

-> ''"We're fuckin' artists! We're sensitive as '''''SHIT!'''''"''
-->--'''"Philthy Animal" Taylor'''

Mot[[{{HeavyMetalUmlaut}} ö]]rhead was founded in the middle of TheSeventies by bassist/vocalist Ian "Lemmy" Kilmister, after being fired from Music/{{Hawkwind}} for, in Lemmy's words, "doing the wrong kind of drugs." Many members, with only Lemmy remaining, came and went. Along with Music/JudasPriest, they kickstarted the NewWaveOfBritishHeavyMetal at the end of TheSeventies. Despite being called "the most punk band of the Heavy Metal scene", Lemmy preferred to call the music of his band by the simple name of "Rock and Roll."

* ''Ian "Lemmy" Kilmister'' - Vocals/Bass
* ''Phil Campbell'' - Guitars
* ''Mikkey Dee'' - Drums

* ''Lucas Fox'' - Drums (1975)
* ''Larry Wallis'' - Guitars (1975-1976)
* ''Phil "Philthy Animal" Taylor'' - Drums (1975-1984, 1987-1992) (classic lineup)
* ''"Fast" Eddie Clarke'' - Guitars (1976-1982) (classic lineup)
* ''Brian "Robbo" Robertson'' - Guitars (1982-1984)
* ''Pete "Frank" Gill'' - Drums (1984-1987)
* ''Mick "Würzel" Burston'' Guitars (1984-1995)
* ''Tommy Aldridge'' - Drums (1992)
* ''Matt Sorum'' - Drums (live, 2009)

->''"We want to be the band that, [[WalkingWasteland if this band moved in next door to you, your lawn would die]]."''

* WorldWarI: ''1916'''s cover art and title song, which is based on the battle of Somme. Also a massive TearJerker.

* CoverVersion: They've covered a lot of songs. Let's see... "The Train Kept a-Rollin'" by Tiny Bradshaw, "I'm Your Witch Doctor" by John Mayall, "Emergency" by Girlschool, "Please Don't Touch" (together with Girlschool) by Johnny Kidd and the Pirates, "Louie Louie" by Richard Berry, "(I'm Your) Hoochie Coochie Man" by Music/MuddyWaters, "Stand by Your Man" by Tammy Wynette, "Masterplan" by Music/ThePlasmatics, "[[Music/TwistedSister Shoot 'em Down]]", [[Music/{{Metallica}} "Enter Sandman", "Whiplash"]], "[[Music/TedNugent Cat Scratch Fever]]", [[Music/TheRollingStones "Jumping Jack Flash", "Sympathy for the Devil"]], [[Music/SexPistols "God Save The Queen"]], [[Music/{{Queen}} "Tie Your Mother Down"]], [[Music/BritishSteel "Breaking the Law"]] and "[[ZZTop Beer Drinkers and Hell Raisers]]".

* SurprisinglyGentleSong: Though Motörhead didn't record it themselves, Lemmy wrote Ozzy Osbourne's "Mama, I'm Coming Home", a gut-wrenching power ballad.

** Then there's "The Game" from ''Hammered:''

!!Some examples of tropes which fits with the band:

* TheAlcoholic: Lemmy admitted he was an alcoholic, claiming to have consumed a bottle of Jack Daniel's on a daily basis since the late '70s, but didn't care because it didn't turn him into an asshole. He was also known to say that he couldn't quit drinking because "My insides are in an alcohol solution, and without it they'll die." He did finally cut back on his alcohol consumption after a serious health scare in 2013; he went from drinking a fifth of Jack every day, to screwdrivers(vodka & orange juice). Typically, when his manager asked him why he was drinking screwdrivers now, Lemmy replied "Orange juice is good for you."

* AudienceParticipationSong: Invoked in "The Chase is Better Than the Catch" where, during the break, Lemmy repeatedly sings "''Let me hear ya''".

For I am Mars, the god of war, and I will cut you down.

-->You know I'm gonna lose, and gamblin' is for fools.
-->But that's the way I like it, baby. I don't wanna live forever!

* CatchPhrase: "We are Motörhead. We play Rock 'n' Roll!", which is what Lemmy said at the beginning of every show.
* CoitusUninterruptus: In the very early days of Motorhead (Lemmy estimates it was 1975), a groupie climbed on stage and gave Lemmy a blowjob right there while he was in the middle of performing.

* CoverVersion: They've covered a lot of songs. Let's see... "The Train Kept-A-Rollin'" by Tiny Bradshaw, "I'm Your Witch Doctor" by John Mayall, "Emergency" by Girlschool, "Please Don't Touch" (together with Girlschool) by Johnny Kidd and the Pirates, "Louie Louie" by Richard Berry, "(I'm Your) Hoochie Coochie Man" by Music/MuddyWaters, "Stand by Your Man" by Tammy Wynette, "Masterplan" by Music/ThePlasmatics, "[[Music/TwistedSister Shoot 'em Down]]", [[Music/{{Metallica}} "Enter Sandman", "Whiplash"]], "[[Music/TedNugent Cat Scratch Fever]]", [[Music/TheRollingStones "Jumping Jack Flash", "Sympathy for the Devil"]], [[Music/SexPistols "God Save The Queen"]], [[Music/{{Queen}} "Tie Your Mother Down"]], [[Music/JudasPriest "Breaking The Law"]] and "[[ZZTop Beer Drinkers and Hell Raisers]]".

** Also, they recorded a song called Dead Man's Hand as a B-side to The One To Sing The Blues in 1991.

* EpicRocking: "Just 'cos You Got the Power" (from ''Eat the Rich'' single and ''Rock 'n' Roll'' reissue) and the extended version of "Overkill" from various compilations go over seven minutes, which are a rare occurrence for ThreeChordsAndTheTruth-specific band like Motörhead.

* HeavyMeta: "Rock 'n' Roll" and "Rock 'n' Roll music"

-->''I'm a Vibrator,''

-->''I'm a Vibrator,''
-->''And I'll never ever break your heart''

** A more literal example, "I am the Sword" from ''Bastards''.

-->''I am the Game, you don't wanna play me''

* InsistentTerminology: Lemmy used to claim they just play Rock 'n roll, [[BerserkButton and hated being told otherwise.]] According to a quote of his, it's because at the time 'heavy metal was too slow and boring' and the band were inspired by rock and roll bands. In his later years, he seemed to be more at peace with the heavy metal label, and in his autobiography ''White Line Fever'' he actually refers to Motorhead as heavy metal several times.

** Many (TOO many) songs, but specially "Killed By Death".

* LoudnessWar: Motorhead has been called "the loudest band in the world", and has been clocked in excess of '''140 decibels''', a sound level roughly equivalent to that of a jet engine or the Space Shuttle.
* MadScientist: "I'm The Doctor" from ''Iron Fist''.

** DentedIron: His old age and bad habits eventually caught up with him: he had Type 2 diabetes and had to get a pacemaker in 2013, after his irregular heartbeat forced him to cancel shows. In October 2013, he admitted to quitting smoking and drinking a fifth of Jack ''daily''(he switched to screwdrivers). In 2015, he was forced to cancel several tour dates after a lung infection resulted in difficulty breathing and prevented him from singing, and sadly he passed away at the end of the year.

* SexDrugsAndRockAndRoll: Lemmy slept with at least 1,200 women (some accounts claim over 2,000), he was notorious for his love of speed and booze, and he kicked ass around the world with Motorhead for over 35 years. Really, only Nikki Sixx of Music/MotleyCrue could possibly represent this trope better than Lemmy since,well, Nikki can boast that he actually died from an overdose and came back a few minutes later.

* SopranoAndGravel: [=Headgirl=], the mashup between Girlschool and Motörhead.

* TakeThat: [[WordOfGod Lemmy]] said each verse of ''Orgasmatron'' represents one of man's substitutions for orgasms: Religion, Government and War. All three verses are from the perspective of the man in charge of each and none paint a pretty picture.

* WantingIsBetterThanHaving: "The Chase is Better Than the Catch," from ''Ace Of Spades''

* AwesomeMcCoolname: Lemmy Kilmister. That last name is his real one.

* AwesomeMcCoolname: Lemmy Kilmister.

* HeartbrokenBadass: In his autobiography ''White Line Fever'', Lemmy reveals that his first love was a young black girl he met when he was a teenager living in [[UsefulNotes/{{Britain}} England]]. She was killed in a hate crime. To the day he died, she remained the only woman he ever loved.

* TheAlcoholic: Lemmy admitted he was an alcoholic, claiming to have consumed a bottle of Jack Daniel's on a daily basis since the late '70s, but didn't care because it didn't turn him into an asshole. He was also known to say that he couldn't quit drinking because "My insides are in an alcohol solution, and without it they'll die."

* LongRunnerLineUp: Type 2. Kind of a bizarre example. While most people assume the band is basically [[RevolvingDoorBand Lemmy plus two other guys]], drummer Mikkey Dee has been in the band since 1992 and guitarist Phil Campbell has been in the band since 1984 (which makes him by far the longest-serving band member bar Lemmy). So although these members have been together since 1992, they were still a four-piece until guitarist Würzel (a member from 1984 to 1995) quit. The most recent (and final) line-up of Lemmy, Campbell and Dee existed from 1995 to 2015.

** DentedIron: His old age and bad habits eventually caught up with him: he had Type 2 diabetes and had to get a pacemaker in 2013, after his irregular heartbeat forced him to cancel shows. In October 2013, he admitted to quitting smoking and drinking. In 2015, he was forced to cancel several tour dates after a lung infection resulted in difficulty breathing and prevented him from singing, and sadly he passed away at the end of the year.

* OlderThanTheyLook: Lemmy lived to be 70 years old but still looked pretty damn good, appearing to be in his mid-40's to early 50's. This is amazing considering the fact that he was an alcoholic ''and'' smoker for so many years; he was blessed considering that what he did has been proven to make people look ''older'' than they are.
** Lemmy liked to joke that he drank so much that his body was being preserved in an alcohol solution, which is why he didn't look as old as he was.

* SexDrugsAndRockAndRoll: Lemmy slept with at least 1,200 women (some accounts claim over 2,000), he was notorious for his love of speed and booze, and he kicked ass around the world with Motorhead for over 35 years. Really, the only Nikki Sixx of Music/MotleyCrue could possibly represent this trope better than Lemmy since,well, Nikki can boast that he actually died from an overdose and came back a few minutes later.

* SexDrugsAndRockAndRoll: Lemmy slept with at least 1,200 women (some accounts claim over 2,000), he was notorious for his love of speed and booze, and he kicked ass around the world with Motorhead for over 35 years.

--->''I hold a banner drenched in blood, I urge you to be brave\\

On the night of December 28th, 2015, it was [[https://www.facebook.com/OfficialMotorhead/posts/1107561019276205 announced]] via the band's official Website/{{Facebook}} page that Lemmy had passed away at the age of 70 after a short battle with an extremely aggressive cancer, passing away while in front of his favourite video game and surrounded by his family.