Are the 1990s doomed to be a forgotten decade?

[Des-Lab]

The 90's definitely had its signature sound as did any other decade prior. Whether or not you like it is another story (me personally....I don't care for most of the signature 90's sounds like Pearl Jam, Weezer, NIN, etc). But there were still a few gems in the rough that were good songs. Tracks like "Dreams" by The Cranberries, "Fade Into You" by Mazzy Star, "Children" by Robert Miles, to name a few still sound as fresh as they did when they first came out. This is what separates the good 'period' songs from the timeless 'classic' ones.

Keep one thing in mind. Every decade up to the 90's was the "anti" of whatever preceded it:

60's bubblegum pop and rock was a backlash to the prudish R+B and big band of the 50's.

70's Classic Rock was a backlash to 60's bubblegum pop and Beatles wannabes.

80's glam/flash/synth was a backlash to 70's bands playing to their amplifiers.

90's organic grunge was a backlash to everything synthetic of the 80's.

Where did we go from there? The 90's were the last decade that had a clear and defined character to it. Post 2000 and everything all sounds the same, regardless of genré. Listen to the top 10 from 2004 and compare it to that of 2015. The songs may be different, but the sounds are by and large the same. And not very creative or all that pleasing to the ears. Almost all are mass produced from about a half dozen basic templates. At least with all of the previous decades, the music sounded like....music.....complete with instrumentation, harmonies, rhythm, etc. Let's see someone try and replicate what I think is arguably one of the greatest albums of all time: "Scarecrow" by John [Cougar] Mellencamp. Every song, every note on that album, from start to finish, is an utter masterpiece that does not sound dated and can appeal to almost anyone. No one can make anything that comes even remotely close to music like that anymore.

I am so starved to hear new music that I would like. And although every once in a blue moon, I'll hear or dig something up that I like. But I otherwise stopped listening to my radio for new music many years ago.

So to answer the OP's question, yes. I think there will be a resurgence in 90's music....eventually. The problem like I said. Is of those four decades, musically, the 90's were probably the worst. That could help explain why we haven't seen the comeback the way 60's-80's music has enjoyed a second life. 90's music just wasn't that great. Most people who connect to it do so because of the sentimental connection to an earlier period in life. Not because they like the music. Big difference.

[Dude111]

Hey its good to see ya Des!

[BigSwede]

Originally Posted by Des-Lab

60's bubblegum pop and rock was a backlash to the prudish R+B and big band of the 50's.

Big bands disappeared with the bebop craze in the 40s.

[JBtwinz]

I just turned 60 this year so my window of music was the 70’s and 80’s which I won’t say was the best but will say those 20 years most likely had the broadest spectrum of bands and performers that could actually play real instruments and fill stadiums very easily and yes I know the Stones and Beatles and others toured in the 60’s but the 70’s saw a phenomenal amount of bands touring. We literally could see a band each week at our Civic center in Providence, RI. Boston, Eagles, Zepp, Fleetwood Mac, Kansas, VH, Journey, Styx, Frampton, etc. Everyone was putting out quality chart busting albums.

Something happened in the 90’s where music became packaged and through technology, innovation and the internet the way we viewed music became different. You still had some great bands but it became harder for them to become relevant past their first or second album and they no longer had the ability to fill stadiums. Pearl Jam is one of those bands that beat the odds to stay mainstream as their following is huge.

My daughters are 12 (we stared late) and I do not see them have any musical interest other than music they see on TIC-TOC. They used to like Taylor Swift but much like their friends they could care less.

It also seems like the only musical acts appearing here locally at our amphitheater’s and small music halls are those groups from the 70’s and 80’s. The only groups that seem to have the ability to fill our stadium and auditorium are those like the Motley Cru tour, Rolling Stones, Guns and Roses, and the like pre-COVID-19.

Now I am not saying music has died but, I think the days of new music in which real instruments are played and the bands can remain relevant enough to fill a stadium are pretty much gone.

You Tube is the new platform for so many musicians now like Post Malone, Billy Eilish, etc. They easily become mainstream now without even having to work their way up through bars and clubs anymore.

So I don’t think the 90’s are irrelevant or insignificant but rather there was a jog 180 degrees where music as we older music lovers know changed. It wasn’t good or bad but rather a pretty big change the way music was accepted and recognized through mainstream outlets.