The 1980s was quite the decade. Big sound, big glam, and people just wanting “Nothing But A Good Time.” My passion for music was born in the 80s. I fell in love with playing bass during that time. It seemed like the party would never end. That is … until September 24, 1991, rolled around.
Oh well, whatever, never mind
In May of 1991, a newly signed band from Seattle stepped into Sound City Studios in Van Nuys, California, to record some songs for their first major-label record. Their previous Sub-Pop album Bleach caught some attention, leading to their signing with DGC Records. A&R over at the label was confident that the album would sell maybe 500,000 copies (good numbers for a band still relatively unknown).
Preceded by the video for the song “Smell Like Teen Spirit” (the band’s first major hit), the album Nevermind sold in the millions, propelling Nirvana to overnight stardom, dethroning even Michael Jackson from the number 1 spot on Billboard and seemingly pulling the plug on every other rock genre out there. The combination of heavy riffs, punk-rock aesthetic and attitude, and catchy melodies appealed to a vast audience.
Goodbye, Glam Metal. Suddenly, Grunge (as it became known) was in.
All eyes turned to Seattle, and bands such as Pearl Jam, Soundgarden and Alice in Chains found themselves ahead of the pack, with most labels trying to capitalize on the Seattle Sound. Arguably, these were also some of the more commercially accessible groups in the fray; the sound coming out of Seattle was hardly that polished. Being mostly isolated from the rest of the industry for the longest time, bands in the area created their sound and style mainly to entertain themselves. Suddenly, every record label descended on Seattle looking for their Nirvana, and the thrift-store flannel shirts everyone wore were now selling for hundreds of dollars in department stores.
(Those wishing to learn more about the Seattle scene should watch the documentary Hype!)
Making The Switch or Mashing Things Up
It was clear that if rock bands from the 1980s wanted to stay relevant, they had to get with the times or fall by the wayside. With this shift, most rock acts either found themselves trying to follow the trend or just calling it a day. Motley Crüe is one example of an 80s band that tried to follow the trend and came out with their John Corabi-fronted self-titled album from 1994 (which for those who care I refuse to listen too).
Sadly (to me and them) many Glam Metal bands just ceased to exist. Others like Aerosmith had continued success with some of their biggest hits being released during that decade (songs like “Crying,” “Amazing,” “Livin’ on the Edge” and “I Don’t Want To Miss a Thing” were practically inescapable).
Newer styles were also finding their way into the mainstream, including the unlikely combination of rock with hip-hop elements. There were some previous offerings from the earlier years, such as Run DMC’s version of “Walk This Way” and “Bring The Noise,” a collaboration between Public Enemy and Anthrax, but Rage Against The Machine cemented the genre and brought it to the masses. A blend of hip-hop, funk, metal and social consciousness, the band proved very successful, with Tom Morello becoming an unlikely guitar hero.
The great mashup was part of a larger alternative metal scene that was growing, led by bands such as Korn, Limp Bizkit, Sevendust, Coal Chamber and Papa Roach. Here, we had a combination of harder metal elements while incorporating lower-tuned guitars (or 7-stringed guitars in Korn’s case), hip-hop elements such as rhythms and vocal styles, funk influences and a more aggressive sound. Lyrically, many bands were singing about much darker subjects, with the lyrics being sometimes autobiographical. It was loud and aggressive and gave something for the kids to latch onto, especially those who looked for music that spoke to them.
The last bastion of guitar heroes
The 1990s may have been one of the last times that guitar players were lauded, at least for a few years, when technical ability fell out of fashion, starting in the late 1990s and going into the 2000s. A new crop of players from the grunge era, such as Mike McCready and Kim Thayle, still knew how to wail away on the rock side, while Dimebag Darrell and Pantera kept technical guitar playing alive on the metal front.
Blues guitar also saw signs of good health with new players such as Johnny Lang and Kenny Wayne Shepherd. Some of the old guard also continued to get attention with new music from Pink Floyd (1994’s The Division Bell), as well as a series of new compilations of Jimi Hendrix’s music, notably 1994’s Blues and Live at Woodstock. Shred guitar also got some love with the inaugural G3 tour in 1996, featuring Joe Satriani, Steve Vai and Eric Johnson and a cavalcade of guest guitarists, all celebrating guitar mastery. For players and fans, it was probably the last great hurrah for a while.
Most people point at Grunge as the reason why 80s rock died out. My opinion, which I’ll espouse upon in a different blog is that it was a combination of grunge, MTVs shift from videos to TV shows and Beavis & Butt Head (yep those guys) killed the 80s. (I’m not bitter at all lol) That being said rock start long before the 80s and I’d dare to say rock is experiencing quite the resurgence today. The 789s chose these decades to play (the 70s, 80s and 90s) because they show how rock music grew and evolved wildly during those decades. We’re passionate about the artists and songs during these different time periods and connect deeply with the music. Whether you love the 70s more than the 90s, or the 90s more than the 80s or there a bits and pieces you love of each decade we hope you’ll come celebrate the music with us and make new memories together!