The nineties were an exceptional decade for music which, unfortunately, has not been reprised to this day. The formerly mentioned decade witnessed the emergence of alternative rock music as an outlet for those who were saturated by the excesses that characterized the eighties and the lack of substance of some of its music. Accordingly, during the nineties, music audiences began to value talent over appearance, catchy rhythms, meaningless lyrics, and flashy choreographies. Moreover, throughout this time, music was conceived as a means to inspire and move listeners, rather than a mere tool for product placement. Thus, the nineties gave birth to a phenomenal musical genre that has yet to be surpassed since it created a deep connection with the afflicted souls of a generation, valued music’s inspirational quality over intricate musical arrangements, and introduced the world to a plethora of invaluable artists for whom music was their utmost priority. Alternative rock music of the nineties successfully captured the distress of a young generation afflicted by multiple struggles. First and foremost, this music genre accurately voiced the concerns of those who could not imagine a thriving future as prosperous members of society, and for whom the American dream was nothing but a distant notion. For instance, in his song “Loser”, Beck Hansen skillfully described the apathy that overtakes an individual’s being when he is faced with life´s unavoidable grim prospects. Similarly, this kind of music resonated with all those individuals who were struggling to feel comfortable in their own skin. To illustrate, in one of its most popular songs, “Creep”, the alternative rock band Radiohead managed to convey the excruciating angst experienced ... ... middle of paper ... ...he essence of a grief-stricken generation, exhibited an unyielding emphasis on the importance of piercing passion over musical intricacy, and introduced the world to a vast array of gifted musicians who did not deem music as a tool to achieve recognition or financial stability. In turn, the decades that followed the rise of alternative rock have been inundated with so-called musicians whose main goal has been to get their faces plastered on magazine covers and achieve maximum public exposure, rather than devoting themselves to their craft. Consequently, the world has been left with nothing but an endless parade of shocking behavior, skimpy outfits, and mediocre music. Unfortunately, if the current state of affairs is any hint of what the future holds for music audiences, the magic generated by the nineties alternative rock will not be matched in years to come.
In Justin Pearson's memoir, From the Graveyard of the arousal Industry, he recounts the events that occured from his early years of adolesence to the latter years of his adulthood telling the story of his unforgiving and candid life. Set in the late 1970s "Punk" rock era, From the Graveyard of the Arousal Industry offers a valuable perspective about the role culture takes in our lives, how we interact with it and how it differs from ideology.
Rock n’ roll gave people the voice they did not have in the early years. As the genre of music became more wide spread, people actually began to speak out. Altschuler touches on the exploration of how the rock n' roll culture roughly integrated with replaced and conflicted with preceding cultural values. Many of these values were very touch topics. Besides black civil rights, sexuality were one of the most sensitive t...
Now a days, we are used to shocking lyrics and eye catching looks. It seems that every artist now is fighting to be so different that everyone is drawn to them. It was not always like this. In the late nineties and early two-thousands, most artists tried to fit in with the other blonde, processed pop stars that the industry was spitting out. When there was an artist who was not always happy and did sing about PG rated topics, they were blamed for what was wrong with the world, especially teenagers. In his article ‘I’d Sell You Suicide: Pop Music and Moral Panic in the Age of Marilyn Manson”, Robert Wright delves into and debunks claims that rock music, especially that of Marilyn Manson, is a main cause for teenage suicide.
The hippie aesthetic era was an important time in rock and roll during the late 60’s and on into the early 80’s. It was a time were rock had a sense of purpose. They sung about the issues that plagued the country. It was also a time where technology would play an important roll in the sound of music, with the advancement in recording and synthesizer technology (Covach, “The Hippie Aesthetic”). The hippie aesthetic was not immune to the advancement of music. This essay will go over three songs that represent the different aspects of this era. It’ll will review a song that is predominately hippie aesthetic, a song that is a little of both, and finally a song that has no trace of hippie aesthetic.
Hard as it may be to believe, it has been MANY years since Nirvana's release of Nevermind, the album that most people who still could be referred to as Generation X-ers consider the seminal alternative rock LP of all time. Nirvana's crunching guitars and mangled lyrical stylings may not have the lasting artistic influence of, say, Bach, but for many people the band's widespread commercial and critical success marked a key turning point in radio rock n' roll. The slickly produced, monotonous and insipid music that ruled the 1991 airwaves was finally getting some real competition from bands like Nirvana, Alice in Chains, Soundgarden and others. It was okay to mosh. But where has that passion, that feeling gone to again?
As with any trend, grunge began to lose its followers within a relatively short period of time, or perhaps it simply became excepted to the extent that its label changed from “fad” to “mainstream“. Grunge, much like most trends or fashions, relied upon commercialization to exist as such. When newness fades, replacements are sought and new titles created that are designed to draw popularity to address the apparent human need to represent uniqueness, but at the same time fulfill a desire to be accepted by others with similar likes and dislikes. If one (1) views history with regard to fads, it may be observed that fads do not exist unless there is mass-marketing of a concept or series of events to attain the popular interest of people.
Music has always been a way for people to express themselves, to share emotions and to escape, at least for a while, from the real world. It is, undoubtedly, an extremely important part of human life and history. On the last thirty years, music has changed radically, going from original, deep and real, to superficial and commercial stuff. In the documentary “Before the Music Dies”, directed by Andrew Shapter and produced by Joel Rasmussen in 2006, we get a whole new perspective of what is happening with the music industry nowadays, which might not be very comforting. Actually, the simple title of the video makes you wonder if music can really stop existing as we know it this days. How bad could the situation be?
In conclusion, I would like to state that even though this paper has marked a clear difference between what is perceived through the eyes of a witness as opposed to a research, the grunge movement, although a media commodity, an ironic mainstream movement whose philosophy was to oppose the mainstream in the first place, has left its mark on the music industry. It should, under no circumstance, be assumed that all there was to the grunge movement was a manipulation. It was the heart and soul of its audience, and remains quite so today, on an international basis. Not for its history, but for the content of its music.
Pop culture and mainstream media is a world of constant evolution, and throughout the ages music has been a factor in that said evolution. From the Jazz Movement of the 20’s to the Hip-Hop Revolution of the 90’s and everything in between, trends today and the basis of most Pop Culture revolved around what some would call “the sound of the decade”. Electronic Music has significantly changed the course of mainstream culture, had a remarkable rise in finance and business, all while making it today’s biggest music movement since the decade of Hip-Hop.
In closing, the undoubtable influence of music, more specifically of Rock ‘n’ Roll on American society is responsible for a number of changes to the status quo. These range from sexual liberation and racial desegregation all culminating with other influences to create an intergenerational identity. Despite the desperate attempts of older generations to smother these influences, these changes ultimately shaped the years that followed, molding the country into what it is today. Along the way these changes as well as individual involvement in them has also eased the lives of many through empowerment and a feeling of community and purpose. Despite a lull and renewal Rock ‘n’ Roll continues to serve as an agent of influence and change in today’s youth culture and continues to burn in the heart of past generations of loyal fans.
Rock music is a term that should be familiar. Originally dubbed “rock and roll” in the 1940’s and 1950’s, rock and roll is almost always fronted by an electrical guitar and heavily influenced by blues, R&B, and even country music. By the late 1960’s and early 1970’s rock and roll began to be shortened to just “rock music”, and the entire style starting branching out into other sub-genres such as punk rock, heavy metal, garage rock, hard rock, among others. The sub-genre in question however is Alternative Rock, which is generally defined as despite following the fundamentals of rock music, it strays away from what is considered “mainstream” at the time by using concepts such as extensive underground music association, muddied or distorted guitars, more prominent use of power chords, and even a sort of rebellious or defiant attitude in lyrics and sound.
Music has helped provided us with ways to express human emotion and take us to another place. As time has progressed music has evolved, changing styles of music and creating a wide range of genres. Transforming for many decades, music has been able to speak the language of generations from generations. Aside from their music, dress and fashion, parental and social expectations were different in fifties teen lives as well. In this essay I will discuss the decade of a teen from the fifties as compared to modern day teens, and the message they both deliver on society.
A music genre is a category of pieces of music that share a certain style or “basic musical language” (van der Merwe 1989, p.3). The two articles that I will be comparing are “Genres, Subgenres, Sub-Subgenres and More” by Kembrew McLeod (2001) and “On the Value of Popular Music” by S. Firth (1996). Categorizing music is especially challenging when it comes to fitting it into sub genres. As we move through the ages, and technology and communication becomes more complex, newer and unique genres are emerging. At first glance the more specific subgenres cause dispute and thoughts of “hipster” emerge. Nonetheless, upon further inquiry, each of them makes cultural sense to be part of our ever-growing society. The two articles that I will be comparing have different levels of exaggeration, meaning and purpose. Nonetheless, both tackle the issues in relation to genre and its ideology.
Throughout history, many genres of music have been linked to different counterculture movements that criticize the current state of affairs. In the 60s, America had bands like The Grateful Dead and Bob Dylan who sang about the atrocities of war with a free spirit mentality. Currently, popular culture has been overtaken by hip hop music and the glamorization of what it means to be a true thug (Heath). Between these two time periods, another go at a counterculture rebellion stands out. The artists and listeners of 90s grunge/alternative music wanted everyone to feel their angst. This specific counterculture was marked by anti-capitalism ideals and a “fight the man” war cry exclaimed through a new type of hardcore, underground