What worked and what differentiated them is that they were ahead of the self-parody that followed in the 80s. Suddenly everyone who could pick up a guitar, a can of hairspray, and leather pants at the thrift store decided they could be rock gods and make a lot of money. Many of them did, but they either died from cocaine, syphilis, or obscurity within 5 years when the 1990s hit them in their powdered faces. Their music never made it out of the self-parody stage, which is why it sounds so derivative and joke-y today. They had no talent nor vision and could only emulate what they thought would sell.
