When thinking about the 1980s, many have fond memories of the music whether they call it hair metal, hard rock or something else.

Rock N Skull 2016, which runs Oct. 28-30 at the Tree of Joliet Performing Arts Center in Joliet, brings together several acts from when the hair was high, the hooks were catchy and the fashion was out there.

“What comes around goes around, pardon the pun. What's out there now isn't that palatable to a lot of people who like rock,” said vocalist Stephen Pearcy via phone from MT Studios in Burbank, Calif., where he is finishing up his fourth solo record, “Smash.” “The '80s were so animal. It was so new and exciting and colorful and dangerous. It still is. I still listen to Led Zeppelin, Judas Priest, Black Sabbath — all the bands I grew up with. Most of us are still around whether it be as solo artists or with a band. The more, the merrier,” he said.

“You never lose that love. It brings you back to a certain time and era in someone's life and it's all new again.”

Pearcy is best known as the former lead singer of Ratt, which released hits such as “Round and Round” and “Lay It Down.”

“I cherish the beginning of it all — the struggle and getting to achieve playing bigger shows and getting signed, getting a first gold record, then you're platinum, then you're multiplatinum. It went on and on for years,” said Pearcy about founding Ratt, which traces its origins to 1973.

“Playing great places you never thought you'd play — Madison Square Garden, the Forum, Donington Park — and playing beside your peers, Aerosmith, Van Halen, etc. — it's all good.”

Several of Pearcy's peers from the 1980s scene are booked for the Rock N Skull 2016 festival.

L.A. Guns headline Friday, which also includes Jetboy; Babylon A.D.; Anthony Corder, the voice of Tora (unplugged); Todd Poole, the voice of Roxy Blue (unplugged); the Fifth; Johnny Lima; Ammunition; House of Shakira; and American Bombshell.

Brian Howe, formerly of Bad Company, headlines Saturday, which also includes Danger, Jack Russell's Great White, Pretty Boy Floyd, Tuff, Eclipse, Martina Edoff, Livesay and the Radio Sun.

Pearcy and friends headline Sunday, which also includes Junkyard, Trixter bassist P.J. Farley, Kingofthehill, Tigertailz, Tango Down and InnerSiege.

“I'll be there playing all the Ratt hits and solo stuff. I'll have special guests there,” said Pearcy, chief executive officer of Top Fuel Records, an indie record label he created in 1995 to release solo records, compilations and music for television, movies and commercial use.

Frontiers Music Srl has pegged early 2017 for the release of Pearcy's “Smash,” being produced by Pearcy and Matt Thorne, who owns MT Studios and plays in Pearcy's solo backing band.