It's no secret the economy isn't what it used to be. In the two previous decades we have seen both economic downturns produce music movements that are rooted in anti-materialism and frugal living. Both the Grunge and New Wave movements were rooted in cheap, creative fashion choices, a resistance towards past days examples of bling-bling and a less superficial take on life . Are Heidi, Spencer, and Lauren going to have to run for The Hills the way Brandon, Brenda, and Dylan were run out of Beverly's own hills in the 90's?
It's The Economy Stupid!
Some may argue the reason for grunge's instant obsoleting of Hair Metal was Nirvana being an inarguable force coupled with the metal bands having grown stagnant and boring. I fall on the side of Nirvana's takeover being a perfect storm of a great record in an economic downturn that needed something a little more real. In economically prosperous times, our culture develops a worship of indulgence, excess and fiscal bragging. While Axl Rose and Brett Michaels were singing about sleazy pool table "bang sessions" - Eddie Vedder, Billy Corgan, and Kurt Cobain were writing about situations alienated youth could relate to easily.
In times of desperation, people need all the shoulders to lean on they can find. Living in strained financial situations, parents are under stress and taking it out on young children, creating desperate and alienated music listeners. These young music listeners are forced into going towards a reality they feel a kinship with rather than the fantasy of bling, and groupies (a life that seems ridiculously out of reach) that the Hair Metal bands offered.
History Repeating
In the late 70's we saw the Carter/Reagan economic slowdown, bring us movements like New Wave, Punk Rock and kill the silliness of Glam Rock and Disco. A dilapidated, bankrupt New York City created a climate for an angry and rebellious Punk Rock scene to develop. Had the city been in a happy-go-lucky-Giuliani-Disneylandification period, the population would not have welcomed such dark subject matter with open arms.
Not Just Rock
It wasn't just rock music that received a major face lift in grunge times, in the late 80's we saw NWA and Public Enemy scare the life out of white America with Gangsta Rap. It wasn't until the early-nineties that the predominant face of rap would see an attitude shift from LL Cool J's "I'm The Type Of Guy" to Onyx's "Throw Ya Gunz". Onyx, Gang Starr and Wu-Tang brought a much darker and relatable world to inner-city poverty and strife.
The Implications
Is this the death of Cribs, Bling, and Bentleys? Will Hinder have to change their haircuts like Metallica did? Is Bang Camero headed for a crash? Will the Real Housewives of Orange County be replaced with the modern day Peg Bundy in Juicy Sweatpants?
If Barack or even Paul Krugman can steer us out of this global financial meltdown, we will undoubtedly be back to the materialistic society for which we are mocked for across the world. Just as Jay-Z's "Girls, Girls, Girls" and Limp Bizkits "Nookie" took us right back to where both cultures were before they got more real... Rest assured, once we are on stable ground, it will all come back again and W.B. Yeats' saying of history being like a wheel will once again ring true with a deafening blast.
photo by flickr user Domato
Some may argue the reason for grunge's instant obsoleting of Hair Metal was Nirvana being an inarguable force coupled with the metal bands having grown stagnant and boring. I fall on the side of Nirvana's takeover being a perfect storm of a great record in an economic downturn that needed something a little more real. In economically prosperous times, our culture develops a worship of indulgence, excess and fiscal bragging. While Axl Rose and Brett Michaels were singing about sleazy pool table "bang sessions" - Eddie Vedder, Billy Corgan, and Kurt Cobain were writing about situations alienated youth could relate to easily.
In times of desperation, people need all the shoulders to lean on they can find. Living in strained financial situations, parents are under stress and taking it out on young children, creating desperate and alienated music listeners. These young music listeners are forced into going towards a reality they feel a kinship with rather than the fantasy of bling, and groupies (a life that seems ridiculously out of reach) that the Hair Metal bands offered.
History Repeating
In the late 70's we saw the Carter/Reagan economic slowdown, bring us movements like New Wave, Punk Rock and kill the silliness of Glam Rock and Disco. A dilapidated, bankrupt New York City created a climate for an angry and rebellious Punk Rock scene to develop. Had the city been in a happy-go-lucky-Giuliani-Disneylandification period, the population would not have welcomed such dark subject matter with open arms.
Not Just Rock
It wasn't just rock music that received a major face lift in grunge times, in the late 80's we saw NWA and Public Enemy scare the life out of white America with Gangsta Rap. It wasn't until the early-nineties that the predominant face of rap would see an attitude shift from LL Cool J's "I'm The Type Of Guy" to Onyx's "Throw Ya Gunz". Onyx, Gang Starr and Wu-Tang brought a much darker and relatable world to inner-city poverty and strife.
The Implications
Is this the death of Cribs, Bling, and Bentleys? Will Hinder have to change their haircuts like Metallica did? Is Bang Camero headed for a crash? Will the Real Housewives of Orange County be replaced with the modern day Peg Bundy in Juicy Sweatpants?
If Barack or even Paul Krugman can steer us out of this global financial meltdown, we will undoubtedly be back to the materialistic society for which we are mocked for across the world. Just as Jay-Z's "Girls, Girls, Girls" and Limp Bizkits "Nookie" took us right back to where both cultures were before they got more real... Rest assured, once we are on stable ground, it will all come back again and W.B. Yeats' saying of history being like a wheel will once again ring true with a deafening blast.
photo by flickr user Domato
No lie. I was on the phone with a major label rep last week and we talked about this very thing....the death of pop and the rise of alt. rock.
You are on to something Jesse!
You are a very smart person, nice post.