If you’re a kid of the ’90s, you might remember it as a time of incredible musical diversity.
As bands faced increasing pressure to do something different to stay ‘relevant’, the genres began to diversify. Where the music of the ’80s mainly consisted of classic rock and roll and punk, now grunge, alternative rock, industrial and metal have come to the fore.
The trend towards the ‘dark and gloomy’ that began in the 1980s with gothic rock bands such as Depeche Mode, Joy Division and Sisters Of Mercy, has now taken a more dramatic turn with the rise of more ‘extreme’ industrial metal, with artists like Marilyn Manson and Nine Inch Nails coming on the scene.
However, whereas in the ’80s, rock, punk, and metal had largely been a subculture built on indie labels backed by die-hard fans, in the ’90s, the music became heavier and more consumed on a scale much wider.
Rock and heavy metal had become big business and was no longer considered simply “music for rebellious teens.” Rock and metal got a new, sophisticated and updated makeover as record labels snapped them up and polished them into something more “consumable”.
At the same time, pop and experimental music was also on the rise, with electro still on the scene since the ’80s, and underground raves were big business.
At this point, rap and hip-hop began to become more popular and became the distinctive genre we know today, with artists like Snoop Dogg and Jay Z becoming iconic celebrity figures.
Reggae and R&B also continued to be popular in this era, and the genres quickly merged to expand into exciting new musical worlds; from electro-swing to ska, there was something for everyone.
Soul took off especially in the ’90s with soul superstar Whitney Houston, who quickly became one of the best-selling music artists of all time, selling more than 200 million records worldwide.
So what music continues to inspire us today? Let’s refresh our memories by reviewing some of the artists who have aged best in the last 30 years.
Tracy Chapmann
Tracy Chapman is instantly recognizable as one of the most talented political singers of our time.
Black rights and LGBTQIA+ singer-songwriter and activist Chapman has a classically simple, yet deeply expressive quality to her voice and lyrics, and is exceptionally talented at creating memorable yet meaningful blues music that ties in with her political activism.
Talkin’ About A Revolution, in particular, has become a modern anthem for Black and LGBTQIA+ activism, and she continues to be closely aligned with those political causes, while also volunteering for Amnesty International and AIDS/Lifecycle.
The public knows a limited amount about Chapman’s private life, and she has always been something of a recluse.
Her relationship with Alice Walker, author of the Black LGBTQIA+ novel The Color Purple, was kept secret for most of her career, and Chapman preferred to draw attention to her cause rather than herself.
Tracy Chapman’s music was undoubtedly influential, but not always by choice. In 2018, Chapman sued Nikki Minaj for infringing Baby Can I Hold You’s copyright on her song Sorry, eventually being awarded $450,000.
blow jobjob
A woman who truly puts ‘art’ into ‘artist’, Icelandic singer-songwriter and visual performer Björk has consistently broken down creative and cultural barriers in her music.
Unlike some of the heavier ’90s bands, Björk’s musical gift was thought provoking without being depressing, and she had the wisdom of centuries as seen through the eyes of a child.
His music throughout the ’90s and beyond was memorable, quirky and original, playing on the dichotomies of technology vs. nature and war vs. peace, to create complex music full of depth and experimental sounds.
Björk was instrumental in using a variety of sounds from cultures around the world, with influences from her own Icelandic culture, as well as elements of Westernized music and tribal drumming styles.
As femininity was reclaimed in the 1990s, with the rise of the feminist bands ‘Riot Grrl’, Björk’s music was perhaps ahead of its time in that it rejected stereotypes of what it meant to be masculine or feminine.
Songs like ‘Venus As A Boy’ changed the narrative on traditional masculinity by rejecting conventional ideals of ‘strength’ or ‘toughness’ to emphasize the qualities of tenderness and selfless love in men.
His approach to religion is equally thoughtful, and many of his songs, including Human Behavior and Earth Intruders, highlight his philosophical thoughts on human society. While some initially seem critical of humans’ impact on the earth, Björk’s complex vision of life captures both sides of the coin.
In The Modern Things, he describes how “all modern things… have always existed, have been waiting on a mountain.” Perhaps a suggestion that human nature is as natural as nature itself.
Nirvana
It’s hard to even think of the ’90s without immediately thinking of Nirvana and their tragic leader, Kurt Cobain.
Nirvana’s music was a complex and contradictory mix of depressing nihilism and passionate social activism, and this epitomized the social attitudes of the younger generation of the time.
Nirvana’s typical theme was often dark, with various songs about drug addiction, sexual violence, misogyny, racism, and homophobia, but at no point were these themes touched on for impact.
The band’s songs closely mirrored Cobain’s social attitudes and belief in creating a better world that came to light when his diaries were published after his death in 1994. Perhaps this makes Nirvana all the more relevant in the era. current #MeToo and #BlackLivesMatter.
Nirvana created a sound, and it was a wild, raw, throaty sound that came to define the genre of grunge music. Combining the “refinement” of commercial music with the unfiltered passion of punk, grunge appealed to a youth that had been disenfranchised and suppressed.
Many ‘bolder’ rock bands attempted to recreate the ‘Nirvana’ sound, including Weezer, Oasis and Foo Fighters, the latter of which was even committed enough to play at literally earth-shaking volumes, but few had done so. made. been truly innovative in the themes her music addressed.
Nirvana weren’t afraid to tackle tough topics, pour their hearts out onstage, and stay true to their music and morals.
