RodeoSchro said:

Nirvana killed rock. Rap killed pop. Sampling killed musicianship. So I'm not a fan of the 90's.

Although, country music was very strong in the 90's.

Perhaps that's no coincidence.

r u well?

brooksie said:

CrabalockerFishwife said:

Again, you people must only listen to whatever is on the radio... there's a lot more music out there, and if you can't find anything recent that you like, you either aren't looking hard enough, or you have poor/no taste.

Oy vey. I've said it before and I'll say it again....not everybody has the time, money, and/or inclination to go on some sort of Yetti like expedition for some hidden musicial gems. They didn't in the 70s and they don't now.

Since we're talking about the 90s...where were people supposed to ind all this fabled great music THEN? The internetz were HUGE in '91! As for tastes, come on now....

The thing is, it's rediculous to have to search for it when there are radio stations across the country that should be playing it. The fact that they play bullshit and people have to "search" for good music is ass backwards. People didn't have to search before and they shouldn't have to search now. It's the principle of the thing and I refuse to search for anything because I shouldn't have to.

To tell you the truth, when I do come across something that actually sounds good these days, it depresses me because I know I'm the only person listening to it. It's a lonely feeling like being deserted on a desert island away from civilization. I hate that feeling. I like to be with a bunch of people drinking with some great music playing and me up in the middle of them talking plenty of shit.

It's all in what you like. I personally love 90s music. Morsel than I do today's music.

CrabalockerFishwife said:

Again, you people must only listen to whatever is on the radio... there's a lot more music out there, and if you can't find anything recent that you like, you either aren't looking hard enough, or you have poor/no taste.

I do not think that modern music is totally bad, but the percentage of bad and horrible music grows relatively good and great. Mainstream artists become weaker ...
just compare:
70s: Queen, Pink Floyd, Led Zeppelin, Stevie Wonder, David Bowie ...
80s: MJ, Prince, Madonna, Scorpions, U2, Van Hallen, Metallica, Gans and Roses ....
90s: most of the great artists of the '70s and '80s continued to release great albums + Red Hot Chili Peppers, Radiohead, Nirvana....
00's, I can think of who I personally consider worthy artists - Muse, Nightvish, Amy Winehouse ... but the most mainstream and popular are Britney, Justin, Rihanna, Katy ..... never before has there been such dominance of mediocrity in music.

LiLi1992 said:

never before has there been such dominance of mediocrity in music.

But there has always been mediocrity in music, and in popular music. Go listen to The Bay City Rollers... that was garbage 1970s pop music, and they had #1 hits.

yes, the decline started after 1995 (some say that it started during 1995, lol)

but, being a 90s kid, I just love the pop singles that appeared during the 96-99 era, and hey, back then hip-hop still was HIP-HOP (not shit-hop) and pop still was POP (not shit-dance)

the 00s producers stink, mostly...

for me, the 90-95 era is flawless; 96-99 had a lot of crappy acts (teen pop, teen bands, folk/pop female songwriters) but at least we had the last truly great era of electronic music...and, as I've said, the 96-99 mainstream hits were like 1000000000 times better/more varied than the shit that rules the charts today; hell, even Adele sounds like someone from the mid-to-late 90s, lol

[Edited 3/5/12 10:05am]

CrabalockerFishwife said:

LiLi1992 said:

never before has there been such dominance of mediocrity in music.

But there has always been mediocrity in music, and in popular music. Go listen to The Bay City Rollers... that was garbage 1970s pop music, and they had #1 hits.

Keyword: the proportion ....
Now a lot more garbage, it's just a fact.

JoeTyler said:

and hey, back then hip-hop still was HIP-HOP (not shit-hop) and pop still was POP (not shit-dance)

I never heard it called that before.

But yes, I'd agree that most popular dance, r&b and hip-hop music is weak.

JoeTyler said:

yes, the decline started after 1995 (some say that it started during 1995, lol)

but, being a 90s kid, I just love the pop singles that appeared during the 96-99 era, and hey, back then hip-hop still was HIP-HOP (not shit-hop) and pop still was POP (not shit-dance)

the 00s producers stink, mostly...

Hey, you gotta have a little tempo to hop and the fact that it was stripped down to nothing but a weak sounding computerized beat with some talking over it was certainly not hip.

You gotta go back to the early 1980s for the really good rap songs and there was still a lot of decent ones in the late 1980s. That stuff from the 1990s and today is just the same stuff that was originally underground in the late 1980s that R&B stations refused to play earlier because it was a bunch of "nothing" musicwise with some talking over it. The rappers used to complain about not being able to get airplay in the 1980s but the good stuff made it onto the airwaves. It was really great when it was a 12 Inch Single dominated genre because 12 Inches were invented for either one time club jams by artists without an album or for extended club jams of mainstream album artists. When more and more rappers made albums, that's when it started fucking up. I could slap the hell out of LL Cool J for making "I Need Love" and making all these fools lose their rhythm.

vainandy said:

JoeTyler said:

yes, the decline started after 1995 (some say that it started during 1995, lol)

but, being a 90s kid, I just love the pop singles that appeared during the 96-99 era, and hey, back then hip-hop still was HIP-HOP (not shit-hop) and pop still was POP (not shit-dance)

the 00s producers stink, mostly...

Hey, you gotta have a little tempo to hop and the fact that it was stripped down to nothing but a weak sounding computerized beat with some talking over it was certainly not hip.

You gotta go back to the early 1980s for the really good rap songs and there was still a lot of decent ones in the late 1980s. That stuff from the 1990s and today is just the same stuff that was originally underground in the late 1980s that R&B stations refused to play earlier because it was a bunch of "nothing" musicwise with some talking over it. The rappers used to complain about not being able to get airplay in the 1980s but the good stuff made it onto the airwaves. It was really great when it was a 12 Inch Single dominated genre because 12 Inches were invented for either one time club jams by artists without an album or for extended club jams of mainstream album artists. When more and more rappers made albums, that's when it started fucking up. I could slap the hell out of LL Cool J for making "I Need Love" and making all these fools lose their rhythm.

You and I are always on the same page! I gotta elaborate on the highlight tho.

Hip hop in the 90s slowed to a crawl. People actually use to bust some serious moves to it in the 80s, but it literally became undancable around 92-93 or so. We went from Afrika Bambaataa's "Planet Rock" to Snoop in about a decade! Listening to Snoop was/is like watching molasses in winter...slow as hale!

Hip hop was originally a dance music form (hence the term breakdancing) and it was all about fly moves....dayum. How did it become literally about standing still and looking "gangsta"?

You might be right about LL . Before that, "slow jam" type hip hop stuff was just not really done. He might have set it off, but it was those Cali folks that really slowed the beat.

vainandy said:

JoeTyler said:

yes, the decline started after 1995 (some say that it started during 1995, lol)

but, being a 90s kid, I just love the pop singles that appeared during the 96-99 era, and hey, back then hip-hop still was HIP-HOP (not shit-hop) and pop still was POP (not shit-dance)

the 00s producers stink, mostly...

Hey, you gotta have a little tempo to hop and the fact that it was stripped down to nothing but a weak sounding computerized beat with some talking over it was certainly not hip.

You gotta go back to the early 1980s for the really good rap songs and there was still a lot of decent ones in the late 1980s. That stuff from the 1990s and today is just the same stuff that was originally underground in the late 1980s that R&B stations refused to play earlier because it was a bunch of "nothing" musicwise with some talking over it. The rappers used to complain about not being able to get airplay in the 1980s but the good stuff made it onto the airwaves. It was really great when it was a 12 Inch Single dominated genre because 12 Inches were invented for either one time club jams by artists without an album or for extended club jams of mainstream album artists. When more and more rappers made albums, that's when it started fucking up. I could slap the hell out of LL Cool J for making "I Need Love" and making all these fools lose their rhythm.

I'd admit that 90s hip-hop was slower than 80s hip-hop, but the quality was still there, at least the mid-to-late 90 sgave us Dre, Snoop, 2Pac, NBig, Jay Z or Eminem. The Slim Shady LP and The Marshall Matters LP were not shit-hop, definitely...

When I use the term SHIT-HOP I'm basically talkin' about the dull synth-pop/rap sound of the 00s, made famous by the BEP... but if you consider I Need Love the first shit-hop song, then damn, because that was basically the late-80s, lol

[Edited 3/5/12 11:06am]

The 90s is the decade I admittedly rank the lowest out of the last five. Having said that, I do like a lot of 90s albums. My top 50:

1. Tori Amos - Little Earthquakes
2. Nirvana - Nevermind
3. My Bloody Valentine - Loveless
4. PJ Harvey - To Bring You My Love
5. Deadsy - Commencement (1999 release)
6. Faith And The Muse - Evidence Of Heaven
7. Janet Jackson - The Velvet Rope
8. Björk - Homogenic
9. Shakira - Dónde Están Los Ladrones?
10. Nine Inch Nails - The Downward Spiral

11. Sonic Youth - Goo

12. PJ Harvey - Rid Of Me
13. Pizzicato Five - Playboy & Playgirl

14. U2 - Achtung Baby
15. Nine Inch Nails - The Fragile
16. Tori Amos - To Venus And Back
17. Janet Jackson - Janet.
18. Lauryn Hill - The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill
19. Lenny Kravitz - Mama Said
20. Le Tigre - Le Tigre

21. The Time - Pandemonium
22. Deee-Lite - World Clique
23. Depeche Mode - Violator
24. Tori Amos - Under The Pink
25. Madonna - Erotica
26. Prince - The Gold Experience
27. Hole - Live Through This
28. Original Motion Picture Soundtrack - Singles
29. Madonna - Ray of Light
30. Type O Negative - October Rust

31. Tori Amos - Boys For Pele
32. Fiona Apple - Tidal
33. Rancid - ...And Out Come The Wolves
34. Curve - Cuckoo
35. Wendy & Lisa - Girl Bros.
36. Sleater Kinney - Dig Me Out
37. Cranes - Forever
38. Rosetta Stone - Adrenaline
39. Mors Syphilitica - Mors Syphilitica
40. Gitane Demone - Am I Wrong?

41. Switchblade Symphony - Serpentine Gallery
42. Belly - King
43. Hole - Celebrity Skin
44. Café Tacuba - Revés/Yo Soy
45. Cocteau Twins - Heaven Or Las Vegas
46. PJ Harvey - Is This Desire
47. Portishead - Portishead
48. Maxwell - Maxwell's Urban Hang Suite
49. Dinosaur Jr - Green Mind
50. Kenickie - At The Club

vainandy said:

brooksie said:

Oy vey. I've said it before and I'll say it again....not everybody has the time, money, and/or inclination to go on some sort of Yetti like expedition for some hidden musicial gems. They didn't in the 70s and they don't now.

Since we're talking about the 90s...where were people supposed to ind all this fabled great music THEN? The internetz were HUGE in '91! As for tastes, come on now....

The thing is, it's rediculous to have to search for it when there are radio stations across the country that should be playing it. The fact that they play bullshit and people have to "search" for good music is ass backwards. People didn't have to search before and they shouldn't have to search now. It's the principle of the thing and I refuse to search for anything because I shouldn't have to.

To tell you the truth, when I do come across something that actually sounds good these days, it depresses me because I know I'm the only person listening to it. It's a lonely feeling like being deserted on a desert island away from civilization. I hate that feeling. I like to be with a bunch of people drinking with some great music playing and me up in the middle of them talking plenty of shit.

It's rare for me to listen to traditional radio anymore. Great music used to come on several stations 24/7, but not now.

brooksie said:

vainandy said:

Hey, you gotta have a little tempo to hop and the fact that it was stripped down to nothing but a weak sounding computerized beat with some talking over it was certainly not hip.

You gotta go back to the early 1980s for the really good rap songs and there was still a lot of decent ones in the late 1980s. That stuff from the 1990s and today is just the same stuff that was originally underground in the late 1980s that R&B stations refused to play earlier because it was a bunch of "nothing" musicwise with some talking over it. The rappers used to complain about not being able to get airplay in the 1980s but the good stuff made it onto the airwaves. It was really great when it was a 12 Inch Single dominated genre because 12 Inches were invented for either one time club jams by artists without an album or for extended club jams of mainstream album artists. When more and more rappers made albums, that's when it started fucking up. I could slap the hell out of LL Cool J for making "I Need Love" and making all these fools lose their rhythm.

You and I are always on the same page! I gotta elaborate on the highlight tho.

Hip hop in the 90s slowed to a crawl. People actually use to bust some serious moves to it in the 80s, but it literally became undancable around 92-93 or so. We went from Afrika Bambaataa's "Planet Rock" to Snoop in about a decade! Listening to Snoop was/is like watching molasses in winter...slow as hale!

Hip hop was originally a dance music form (hence the term breakdancing) and it was all about fly moves....dayum. How did it become literally about standing still and looking "gangsta"?

You might be right about LL . Before that, "slow jam" type hip hop stuff was just not really done. He might have set it off, but it was those Cali folks that really slowed the beat.

Exactly. 95% of it was on 12 Inch singles only and 12 Inches were considered "dance singles". Slow songs on 12 inches were extremely rare and basically nonexistent.

JoeTyler said:

vainandy said:

Hey, you gotta have a little tempo to hop and the fact that it was stripped down to nothing but a weak sounding computerized beat with some talking over it was certainly not hip.

You gotta go back to the early 1980s for the really good rap songs and there was still a lot of decent ones in the late 1980s. That stuff from the 1990s and today is just the same stuff that was originally underground in the late 1980s that R&B stations refused to play earlier because it was a bunch of "nothing" musicwise with some talking over it. The rappers used to complain about not being able to get airplay in the 1980s but the good stuff made it onto the airwaves. It was really great when it was a 12 Inch Single dominated genre because 12 Inches were invented for either one time club jams by artists without an album or for extended club jams of mainstream album artists. When more and more rappers made albums, that's when it started fucking up. I could slap the hell out of LL Cool J for making "I Need Love" and making all these fools lose their rhythm.

I'd admit that 90s hip-hop was slower than 80s hip-hop, but the quality was still there, at least the mid-to-late 90 sgave us Dre, Snoop, 2Pac, NBig, Jay Z or Eminem. The Slim Shady LP and The Marshall Matters LP were not shit-hop, definitely...

When I use the term SHIT-HOP I'm basically talkin' about the dull synth-pop/rap sound of the 00s, made famous by the BEP... but if you consider I Need Love the first shit-hop song, then damn, because that was basically the late-80s, lol

[Edited 3/5/12 11:06am]

I wouldn't say it was the first, just the first one that got airplay. Over the years since then, I've come across some stuff from the early 1980s that got no airplay whatsoever and I can see why.

As for the late 1980s, there was still a lot of folks jamming and they were on the air. Egyptian Lover, Pretty Tony and Freestyle, LA Dream Team, Afro Rican, etc. Most of that slow to midtemp "talking over a beat" shit was underground where it belonged.

vainandy said:

JoeTyler said:

I'd admit that 90s hip-hop was slower than 80s hip-hop, but the quality was still there, at least the mid-to-late 90 sgave us Dre, Snoop, 2Pac, NBig, Jay Z or Eminem. The Slim Shady LP and The Marshall Matters LP were not shit-hop, definitely...

When I use the term SHIT-HOP I'm basically talkin' about the dull synth-pop/rap sound of the 00s, made famous by the BEP... but if you consider I Need Love the first shit-hop song, then damn, because that was basically the late-80s, lol

[Edited 3/5/12 11:06am]

I wouldn't say it was the first, just the first one that got airplay. Over the years since then, I've come across some stuff from the early 1980s that got no airplay whatsoever and I can see why.

As for the late 1980s, there was still a lot of folks jamming and they were on the air. Egyptian Lover, Pretty Tony and Freestyle, LA Dream Team, Afro Rican, etc. Most of that slow to midtemp "talking over a beat" shit was underground where it belonged.

don't know them, lol, pure underground I guess, lol

CrabalockerFishwife said:

LiLi1992 said:

never before has there been such dominance of mediocrity in music.

But there has always been mediocrity in music, and in popular music. Go listen to The Bay City Rollers... that was garbage 1970s pop music, and they had #1 hits.

That's true. But I say a little cotton candy adds variety to a musical diet.

I think the 90's is a decade that, like the 70's was during the 90's, is and will be revisited. Here are some of the 90's strengths:

Hip-Hop's Golden Age, 1990-1997: This includes what, IMHO, was the greatest single year for hip-hop ever -- 1994. Some artists topped charts by selling out; other artists went no. 1 without compromising a thing. The game was geographically and stylistically diverse. It had a lot of "something" to say, as opposed to a lot of "nothing" or "same thing" to say.

Alternative Music: Nirvana proved everything old was new again, and new bands took rock in new directions.

Soul Renaissance: Me'Shell Ndegeocello, Maxwell, Badu, D'Angelo, and others provided an alternative sound of their own on black radio.

Singles: There were tons of great pop singles in the 90's. Signature albums may have been rare, but just about every year of the decade had at least a handful of outstanding pop songs.

It was neither as great as the revisionists say nor as bad as the critics say.

sextonseven said:

The 90s is the decade I admittedly rank the lowest out of the last five. Having said that, I do like a lot of 90s albums. My top 50:

1. Tori Amos - Little Earthquakes
2. Nirvana - Nevermind
3. My Bloody Valentine - Loveless
4. PJ Harvey - To Bring You My Love
5. Deadsy - Commencement (1999 release)
6. Faith And The Muse - Evidence Of Heaven
7. Janet Jackson - The Velvet Rope
8. Björk - Homogenic
9. Shakira - Dónde Están Los Ladrones?
10. Nine Inch Nails - The Downward Spiral

11. Sonic Youth - Goo

12. PJ Harvey - Rid Of Me
13. Pizzicato Five - Playboy & Playgirl

14. U2 - Achtung Baby
15. Nine Inch Nails - The Fragile
16. Tori Amos - To Venus And Back
17. Janet Jackson - Janet.
18. Lauryn Hill - The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill
19. Lenny Kravitz - Mama Said
20. Le Tigre - Le Tigre

21. The Time - Pandemonium
22. Deee-Lite - World Clique
23. Depeche Mode - Violator
24. Tori Amos - Under The Pink
25. Madonna - Erotica
26. Prince - The Gold Experience
27. Hole - Live Through This
28. Original Motion Picture Soundtrack - Singles
29. Madonna - Ray of Light
30. Type O Negative - October Rust

31. Tori Amos - Boys For Pele
32. Fiona Apple - Tidal
33. Rancid - ...And Out Come The Wolves
34. Curve - Cuckoo
35. Wendy & Lisa - Girl Bros.
36. Sleater Kinney - Dig Me Out
37. Cranes - Forever
38. Rosetta Stone - Adrenaline
39. Mors Syphilitica - Mors Syphilitica
40. Gitane Demone - Am I Wrong?

41. Switchblade Symphony - Serpentine Gallery
42. Belly - King
43. Hole - Celebrity Skin
44. Café Tacuba - Revés/Yo Soy
45. Cocteau Twins - Heaven Or Las Vegas
46. PJ Harvey - Is This Desire
47. Portishead - Portishead
48. Maxwell - Maxwell's Urban Hang Suite
49. Dinosaur Jr - Green Mind
50. Kenickie - At The Club

nice list. i have about 2/3 of those myself. my list would have 2 from blur and pulp,respectively and maybe one oasis as well. also jeff buckley, soundgarden and teenage fanclub and my bloody valentine. anyhoo- cheers!

[Edited 3/5/12 17:30pm]

sextonseven said:

The 90s is the decade I admittedly rank the lowest out of the last five. Having said that, I do like a lot of 90s albums. My top 50:

1. Tori Amos - Little Earthquakes
2. Nirvana - Nevermind
3. My Bloody Valentine - Loveless
4. PJ Harvey - To Bring You My Love
5. Deadsy - Commencement (1999 release)
6. Faith And The Muse - Evidence Of Heaven
7. Janet Jackson - The Velvet Rope
8. Björk - Homogenic
9. Shakira - Dónde Están Los Ladrones?
10. Nine Inch Nails - The Downward Spiral

11. Sonic Youth - Goo

12. PJ Harvey - Rid Of Me
13. Pizzicato Five - Playboy & Playgirl

14. U2 - Achtung Baby
15. Nine Inch Nails - The Fragile
16. Tori Amos - To Venus And Back
17. Janet Jackson - Janet.
18. Lauryn Hill - The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill
19. Lenny Kravitz - Mama Said
20. Le Tigre - Le Tigre

21. The Time - Pandemonium
22. Deee-Lite - World Clique
23. Depeche Mode - Violator
24. Tori Amos - Under The Pink
25. Madonna - Erotica
26. Prince - The Gold Experience
27. Hole - Live Through This
28. Original Motion Picture Soundtrack - Singles
29. Madonna - Ray of Light
30. Type O Negative - October Rust

31. Tori Amos - Boys For Pele
32. Fiona Apple - Tidal
33. Rancid - ...And Out Come The Wolves
34. Curve - Cuckoo
35. Wendy & Lisa - Girl Bros.
36. Sleater Kinney - Dig Me Out
37. Cranes - Forever
38. Rosetta Stone - Adrenaline
39. Mors Syphilitica - Mors Syphilitica
40. Gitane Demone - Am I Wrong?

41. Switchblade Symphony - Serpentine Gallery
42. Belly - King
43. Hole - Celebrity Skin
44. Café Tacuba - Revés/Yo Soy
45. Cocteau Twins - Heaven Or Las Vegas
46. PJ Harvey - Is This Desire
47. Portishead - Portishead
48. Maxwell - Maxwell's Urban Hang Suite
49. Dinosaur Jr - Green Mind
50. Kenickie - At The Club

Fantastic list, I'll hve to check out a few I don't know.

Angela Winbush - Angela Winbush

Art n' Soul - Touch Of Soul

Bar-Kays - 48 Hours

Blu - Out Of The Blu

Brian McKnight - I Remember You

Cameo - Emotional Violence

Chuckii Booker - Niice 'n' Wiild

Dazz Band - Under The Streetlights

Dazz Band - Here We Go Again

D'Influence - Prayer 4 Unity

D'Influence - London

Don-E - Changing Seasons

Earth, Wind & Fire - Avatar / In The Name Of Love

El DeBarge - In The Storm

Eric Benet - True To Myself

Gino Vannelli - Yonder Tree

Gino Vannelli - Slow Love

Impromp2 - You're Gonna Love It

J. Spencer - Blue Moon

Kenny Lattimore - From The Soul Of Man

Kim Burrell - Everlasting Life

Kipper Jones - Ordinary Story

LaLa Hathaway - Moment

Low-Key - Back 2 Tha Howse

Mint Condition - From The Mint Factory

Mint Condition - Defenition Of A Band

Mint Condition - Life's Aquarium

Neon Phusion - Future Ain't The Same As It Used To Be

Philip Bailey - Dreams

Rahsaan Patterson - Rahsaan Patterson

Roger Troutman - Bridging The Gap

Slave - Masters Of The Fungk

Tony Toni Tone - Sons Of Soul

Tony Toni Tone - House Of Music

Wayman Tisdale - Power Forward

[Edited 3/6/12 4:47am]

namepeace said:

I think the 90's is a decade that, like the 70's was during the 90's, is and will be revisited. Here are some of the 90's strengths:

Hip-Hop's Golden Age, 1990-1997: This includes what, IMHO, was the greatest single year for hip-hop ever -- 1994. Some artists topped charts by selling out; other artists went no. 1 without compromising a thing. The game was geographically and stylistically diverse. It had a lot of "something" to say, as opposed to a lot of "nothing" or "same thing" to say.

Alternative Music: Nirvana proved everything old was new again, and new bands took rock in new directions.

Soul Renaissance: Me'Shell Ndegeocello, Maxwell, Badu, D'Angelo, and others provided an alternative sound of their own on black radio.

Singles: There were tons of great pop singles in the 90's. Signature albums may have been rare, but just about every year of the decade had at least a handful of outstanding pop songs.

It was neither as great as the revisionists say nor as bad as the critics say.

Hip Hop's Golden Age...the 90s?! Nah son, that's when the DJ was totally overshadowed by the MC....I mean people forgot that the DJ even existed!

As for alternative, it's best years were in the 80s, IMHO...even starting in the late 70s. Nirvana came in when the best stuff was going out. Sorry to tellya. Alternative was my stuff back then, so I can tell you just lame Nirvana seemed compared to the great alternative UK bands. It was like "we've gone from Siouxsie Sioux and The Cure to THIS?!"

brooksie said:

Hip Hop's Golden Age...the 90s?! Nah son, that's when the DJ was totally overshadowed by the MC....I mean people forgot that the DJ even existed!

Yessir. Most of hip-hop's greatest albums were made in that decade. You will recall that in that decade, a lot of great DJ's went into the production booth and made those albums great: Primo and Pete Rock are only a couple of examples. You could even argue that the PRODUCER overshadowed DJ and MC. Doesn't change that.

As for alternative, it's best years were in the 80s, IMHO...even starting in the late 70s. Nirvana came in when the best stuff was going out. Sorry to tellya. Alternative was my stuff back then, so I can tell you just lame Nirvana seemed compared to the great alternative UK bands. It was like "we've gone from Siouxsie Sioux and The Cure to THIS?!"

Son, I was around. Why did you think I said "everything old was new again"?

brooksie said:

namepeace said:

I think the 90's is a decade that, like the 70's was during the 90's, is and will be revisited. Here are some of the 90's strengths:

Hip-Hop's Golden Age, 1990-1997: This includes what, IMHO, was the greatest single year for hip-hop ever -- 1994. Some artists topped charts by selling out; other artists went no. 1 without compromising a thing. The game was geographically and stylistically diverse. It had a lot of "something" to say, as opposed to a lot of "nothing" or "same thing" to say.

Alternative Music: Nirvana proved everything old was new again, and new bands took rock in new directions.

Soul Renaissance: Me'Shell Ndegeocello, Maxwell, Badu, D'Angelo, and others provided an alternative sound of their own on black radio.

Singles: There were tons of great pop singles in the 90's. Signature albums may have been rare, but just about every year of the decade had at least a handful of outstanding pop songs.

It was neither as great as the revisionists say nor as bad as the critics say.

Hip Hop's Golden Age...the 90s?! Nah son, that's when the DJ was totally overshadowed by the MC....I mean people forgot that the DJ even existed!

Hip Hop's Golden Age was the 80's to me, RUN DMC, Whodini, LL, Eric B. and Rakim, Public Enemy, E.P.M.D., N.W.A., The D.O.C., KRS 1, Slick Rick and Dougie Fresh, MC Shan, Kool G. Rap, Big Daddy Kane, Afrika Bambaata, Ice T., MC Lyte, Roxanne Shante, U.T.F.O, Grandmaster Flash and The Furious 5,....... I'm leaving out a lot.

namepeace said:

brooksie said:

Hip Hop's Golden Age...the 90s?! Nah son, that's when the DJ was totally overshadowed by the MC....I mean people forgot that the DJ even existed!

Yessir. Most of hip-hop's greatest albums were made in that decade. You will recall that in that decade, a lot of great DJ's went into the production booth and made those albums great: Primo and Pete Rock are only a couple of examples. You could even argue that the PRODUCER overshadowed DJ and MC. Doesn't change that.

As for alternative, it's best years were in the 80s, IMHO...even starting in the late 70s. Nirvana came in when the best stuff was going out. Sorry to tellya. Alternative was my stuff back then, so I can tell you just lame Nirvana seemed compared to the great alternative UK bands. It was like "we've gone from Siouxsie Sioux and The Cure to THIS?!"

Son, I was around. Why did you think I said "everything old was new again"?

Well for starts...Imma chick!

Nevertheless, I'm amazed that someone who "was around" too could argue that the Golden Age of Hip Hop was the 90s. I guess dance has nothing to do w/ hip hop...just a bunch of dudes standing around talkin' like Moms Mabley w/ slow ass beats?!

As for Nirvana...exactly how did they relate to the cool-as-ice UK alternative bands we had been vibing to before alternative became "college radio"? They totally lacked style and basically did hair metal w/o the hairspray. They weren't hard enough to be punk or cool enough to be alternative....seriously.

MadamGoodnight said:

brooksie said:

Hip Hop's Golden Age...the 90s?! Nah son, that's when the DJ was totally overshadowed by the MC....I mean people forgot that the DJ even existed!

Hip Hop's Golden Age was the 80's to me, RUN DMC, Whodini, LL, Eric B. and Rakim, Public Enemy, E.P.M.D., N.W.A., The D.O.C., KRS 1, Slick Rick and Dougie Fresh, MC Shan, Kool G. Rap, Big Daddy Kane, Afrika Bambaata, Ice T., MC Lyte, Roxanne Shante, U.T.F.O, Grandmaster Flash and The Furious 5,....... I'm leaving out a lot.

Leaving the 90's acts out . . . many of those groups had some of their best work in the 1990's. No one doubts the greatness of the 80's. But the 90's expanded the game. Not only were more quality acts coming from both coasts, but they were beginning to explode in the South. The well was deeper in the 90's.

brooksie said:

namepeace said:

Well for starts...Imma chick!

Nevertheless, I'm amazed that someone who "was around" too could argue that the Golden Age of Hip Hop was the 90s. I guess dance has nothing to do w/ hip hop...just a bunch of dudes standing around talkin' like Moms Mabley w/ slow ass beats?!

I can't believe someone who doesn't appreciate the art of MCing speaks with such authority on hip-hop at all. You dig what you dig and I respect that, but I'll take a great MC with a great DJ over a great DJ every time.

which brings me to the 1990's. Hip-hop's versatility and breadth in the 1990's made it a golden age. The well of talent was simply deeper. That's not to take anything away from the 80's -- many of the 80's acts led the way in the 90's too. The 80's set the stage but in terms of breadth, depth, and diversity the 90's were better. And the dance floors weren't exactly empty in the 90's. You may have been around so you may remember.

As for Nirvana...exactly how did they relate to the cool-as-ice UK alternative bands we had been vibing to before alternative became "college radio"? They totally lacked style and basically did hair metal w/o the hairspray. They weren't hard enough to be punk or cool enough to be alternative....seriously.

Apparently you stopped reading after the word "Nirvana."

[Edited 3/6/12 11:23am]

namepeace said:

MadamGoodnight said:

Hip Hop's Golden Age was the 80's to me, RUN DMC, Whodini, LL, Eric B. and Rakim, Public Enemy, E.P.M.D., N.W.A., The D.O.C., KRS 1, Slick Rick and Dougie Fresh, MC Shan, Kool G. Rap, Big Daddy Kane, Afrika Bambaata, Ice T., MC Lyte, Roxanne Shante, U.T.F.O, Grandmaster Flash and The Furious 5,....... I'm leaving out a lot.

Leaving the 90's acts out . . . many of those groups had some of their best work in the 1990's. No one doubts the greatness of the 80's. But the 90's expanded the game. Not only were more quality acts coming from both coasts, but they were beginning to explode in the South. The well was deeper in the 90's.

Not to me. Their earlier 80's work was better to me, but hey, we all have our own opinions.

MadamGoodnight said:

namepeace said:

Leaving the 90's acts out . . . many of those groups had some of their best work in the 1990's. No one doubts the greatness of the 80's. But the 90's expanded the game. Not only were more quality acts coming from both coasts, but they were beginning to explode in the South. The well was deeper in the 90's.

Not to me. Their earlier 80's work was better to me, but hey, we all have our own opinions.

There's a difference between "some of their best" and "best."

For example, PE's best album, IMO, was Nation of Millions, but Fear of a Black Planet and Apocalypse '91 were outstanding LPs in their own right.

Opinions vary. The consensus seems to be that the "golden age" spanned from the late 80s to the early 90's. Though I stuck to the 90's in this 90's thread.

http://en.wikipedia.org/w...ge_hip_hop

The early/mid 90's was the last time I was a fan of music that was popular. RHCP, Nirvana, U2, Lenny Kravitz, Radiohead, Dr. Dre, Prince, Guns n Roses, Bjork, Beastie Boys, Tribe Called Quest, Metallica, etc. just kill what's happening in music today.

Granted, I was a lot younger, but I was less a fan of 80's pop, so I think it had something to do with the quality of the music, not just my age.

The end of the 90's took a seriously bad turn with Britney, Backstreet, N'Sync, etc

Now, pop music is terminally ill, and it's not just because of illegal downloads. I keep hoping for a miracle, but American Idol and Glee are not going to make that happen.