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Terrib3Towel said:

Hip Hop really started to dominate in the 90s. I'm on my iPod so I can't post the videos, but there are videos of the #1 hits of the 90s and most of them are hip-hop and R&B songs. This is on the pop charts btw. I've read music articles on the "anti-pop" movement of the 90s, I guess there is some truth to it? Teeny-pop blew up from 99-01 and music sales were at an all-time high. Then illegal downloading started and we all know the rest lol. I can't really think of many pop acts from the 90s, there's MJ and Whitney but they had established careers by the 90s. Mariah was pop for a bit, but went hip hop. Michael Bolton perhaps? I really don't know many non-R&B acts of the 90s.

Grunge, alternative, r&B and of course hip-hop kind of owned

But there was 90's dance pop like real mccoy, snap!, CeCe Pennison, amber etc.

Otherwise it was either alternative singer songwriter types, hip-hop r&b..

I never really noticed this honestly till this thread

I think the lingering apprehension by certain mainstream genre artists to identify as "pop" acts is laughable. There definitely was an anti-pop sentiment then as now. But the fact of the matter is based on sales, airplay, corporate investment, cultural currency, etc. hip hop, R&B and various types of music that had to that point been IDed "alternative" were the pop music of the 90s, as much as their purveyors would be loathe to admit it.

[Edited 4/10/13 15:04pm]

"Alternative"

When you and a thousand bands who sound just like you line the entire FM band, you're not an alternative to anything anymore.

Lammastide said:

"Alternative"

When you and a thousand bands who sound just like you line the entire FM band, you're not an alternative to anything anymore.

Maybe alternative is a bad word

But it's kind of like how grunge was big in the early 90's then mid to late 90's it was post grunge sounding bullshit.

The early 90's started with good singer songwriters and by the end of it a million people just like them... and of course boy bands

I wonder how long the current boy band fascination will have this time around?

Gunsnhalen said:

Lammastide said:

"Alternative"

When you and a thousand bands who sound just like you line the entire FM band, you're not an alternative to anything anymore.

Maybe alternative is a bad word

But it's kind of like how grunge was big in the early 90's then mid to late 90's it was post grunge sounding bullshit.

The early 90's started with good singer songwriters and by the end of it a million people just like them... and of course boy bands

I wonder how long the current boy band fascination will have this time around?

Don't think I'm chiding you for using the term "alternative." That certainly was what folk were calling it back then. I just thought that label was ridiculous anytime after, say, 1988.

How soon we forget:

Ace of Base

Backstreet Boys

Hanson

98 Degrees

'N Sync

Spice Girls

All were pretty big in the states in the 90s.

Trust me, Terrib3, being a '90s child, pop music was definitely more around than wasn't around...

[Edited 4/10/13 15:31pm]

Terrib3Towel said:

Hip Hop really started to dominate in the 90s. I'm on my iPod so I can't post the videos, but there are videos of the #1 hits of the 90s and most of them are hip-hop and R&B songs. This is on the pop charts btw. I've read music articles on the "anti-pop" movement of the 90s, I guess there is some truth to it? Teeny-pop blew up from 99-01 and music sales were at an all-time high. Then illegal downloading started and we all know the rest lol. I can't really think of many pop acts from the 90s, there's MJ and Whitney but they had established careers by the 90s. Mariah was pop for a bit, but went hip hop. Michael Bolton perhaps? I really don't know many non-R&B acts of the 90s.

M'ky but to answer the actual question the answer is NO. You just named MJ, Whitney, and Mariah. They were POP artists that made POP music--not R&B, and certainly not "hip-hop" ( @ Mariah ) -- who had mega success in the 90s...

along with Celine

Boyz II Men

Babyface

Toni Braxton

Madonna

Shania (country my ass...she was POP)

And other already mentioned in this thread

The Party

Lammastide said:

Gunsnhalen said:

Maybe alternative is a bad word

But it's kind of like how grunge was big in the early 90's then mid to late 90's it was post grunge sounding bullshit.

The early 90's started with good singer songwriters and by the end of it a million people just like them... and of course boy bands

I wonder how long the current boy band fascination will have this time around?

Don't think I'm chiding you for using the term "alternative." That certainly was what folk were calling it back then. I just thought that label was ridiculous anytime after, say, 1988.

Oh no i gotcha but i actually do agree with you on this. In fact i don't really think there is much ''alternative'' music nowadays even music with more than one genre is not seen as that different since they have been doing that for years.

JabarR74 said:

The Party

.. i hate to be rude but is the one in short shorts a girl or boy?

Gunsnhalen said:

JabarR74 said:

The Party

.. i hate to be rude but is the one in short shorts a girl or boy?

That's a girl for sure.

excuse me??

what '90s anti-pop movement??? NEVER heard of it

there were PLENTY of pop hits in the 90s (in the first half mostly with a dance-bouncy production) and by 95 mostly "organic" (britpop, female singer/songwriter) or R&B-oriented

by 99, teen-pop attacked with full force

pop music is always there, is the production which changes...

The 90's music was so bad I turned off the radio and never turned it back on. Thank god for NPR.

lazycrockett said:

The 90's music was so bad I turned off the radio and never turned it back on. Thank god for NPR.

I thought it was great from 1990-1996, with 1991 easily the best among those years. From 1997 onwards I started tuning it (mainstream) out.

JoeTyler said:

excuse me??

what '90s anti-pop movement??? NEVER heard of it

there were PLENTY of pop hits in the 90s (in the first half mostly with a dance-bouncy production) and by 95 mostly "organic" (britpop, female singer/songwriter) or R&B-oriented

by 99, teen-pop attacked with full force

pop music is always there, is the production which changes...

Pop music was definitely around in the 1990's, but between 1992 and 1996 it wasn't very popular to be "pop", so the only pop artists around during that time were actually mega huge. Michael Jackson, Whitney Houston, Janet Jackson, Mariah Carey, Celine Dion, and Boyz II Men were all huge during that period, but other groups either did dance music or changed their pop sound to be more R&B (Toni Braxton, Brandy, Monica) or alternative (Alanis Morissette). Pop music didn't return big-time to the mainstream until 1997, when there became a generational shift in music.

728huey said:

JoeTyler said:

excuse me??

what '90s anti-pop movement??? NEVER heard of it

there were PLENTY of pop hits in the 90s (in the first half mostly with a dance-bouncy production) and by 95 mostly "organic" (britpop, female singer/songwriter) or R&B-oriented

by 99, teen-pop attacked with full force

pop music is always there, is the production which changes...

Pop music was definitely around in the 1990's, but between 1992 and 1996 it wasn't very popular to be "pop", so the only pop artists around during that time were actually mega huge. Michael Jackson, Whitney Houston, Janet Jackson, Mariah Carey, Celine Dion, and Boyz II Men were all huge during that period, but other groups either did dance music or changed their pop sound to be more R&B (Toni Braxton, Brandy, Monica) or alternative (Alanis Morissette). Pop music didn't return big-time to the mainstream until 1997, when there became a generational shift in music.

^you're talking about the US charts

in Europe there was this army of poppy one hit wonders from 1990 to 1996 (just before the Spice Girls made it big) damn, Europop and Eurodance are words created during the '90s

Uk pop rock? Blur, Oasis, Robbie Williams...

It always amazes me that some American people only know and like American music. Some critical opinions say that people in the US only know US culture. I don't agree with this, but threads like this make me have some doubts.

For Europeans, the 90s was hugely pop-rock, being different to the 80s mainly in that the most part were "organic" bands, without the big electronic influence of the previous decade. I'm hugely surprised that only a couple of people here have mentioned "Britpop", with bands like Suede, Blur, Oasis, Pulp and The Boo Radleys, who were among the best and most successful bands of the 90s.

Definitely, the 90s was the last great pop decade.

[Edited 4/11/13 1:07am]

Javi said:

It always amazes me that some American people only know and like American music. Some critical opinions say that people in the US only know US culture. I don't agree with this, but threads like this make me have some doubts.

Most Americans ARE that way. Especialy about 80s and 90s music when there was no internet to explore what was popular in Europe that was not in America.

Javi said:

It always amazes me that some American people only know and like American music. Some critical opinions say that people in the US only know US culture. I don't agree with this, but threads like this make me have some doubts.

For Europeans, the 90s was hugely pop-rock, being different to the 80s mainly in that the most part were "organic" bands, without the big electronic influence of the previous decade. I'm hugely surprised that only a couple of people here have mentioned "Britpop", with bands like Suede, Blur, Oasis, Pulp and The Boo Radleys, who were among the best and most successful bands of the 90s.

Definitely, the 90s was the last great pop decade.

[Edited 4/11/13 1:07am]

I think generally the music scene in the states and Europe has been quite different, despite popular belief. The hip-hop / r&b scene in popular music in the 90s wasnt as popular in Europe, for instance Boyz 2 Men were huge in the states and among the most selling bands in american history while in Europe, they are not that known ( I believe they had some hits, but not like they had in the states). Blur, Oasis, Pulp like you mentionend were HUGE in Europe but not so much in the states.

GoldDolphin said:

Javi said:

It always amazes me that some American people only know and like American music. Some critical opinions say that people in the US only know US culture. I don't agree with this, but threads like this make me have some doubts.

For Europeans, the 90s was hugely pop-rock, being different to the 80s mainly in that the most part were "organic" bands, without the big electronic influence of the previous decade. I'm hugely surprised that only a couple of people here have mentioned "Britpop", with bands like Suede, Blur, Oasis, Pulp and The Boo Radleys, who were among the best and most successful bands of the 90s.

Definitely, the 90s was the last great pop decade.

[Edited 4/11/13 1:07am]

I think generally the music scene in the states and Europe has been quite different, despite popular belief. The hip-hop / r&b scene in popular music in the 90s wasnt as popular in Europe, for instance Boyz 2 Men were huge in the states and among the most selling bands in american history while in Europe, they are not that known ( I believe they had some hits, but not like they had in the states). Blur, Oasis, Pulp like you mentionend were HUGE in Europe but not so much in the states.

You're right, but I think most European music fans know the American pop and R&B artists of the 90s, they may like their music or not, but they would include them in a discussion about music in the 90s. On the contrary, it seems to me that many US fans simply aren't aware of what happens abroad.

Well if you're one of those people who consider Taylor Swift country, Rihanna an R&B artist and "pop" music to be purely something that Britney Spears puts out, you may as well think pop was close to non-existent in the early to mid 90's lol. I can't believe no one has started the argument of WHAT IS POP MUSIC yet.

But seriously though, like others have pointed out working with hip hop producers and having a few rap verses on your songs don't make you a hip hop artist. Michael incorporated a lot of hip hop elements into his music in the 90's but he was still a pop artist. The same goes for Mariah & TLC. And some fams may be in denial but most widely recognized Prince's work during the 90's was also POP!

Lammastide said:

"Alternative"

When you and a thousand bands who sound just like you line the entire FM band, you're not analternative to anything anymore.

also ^^^ THIS!!!

Don't let the image fool you OP, Green day is also just as much a pop band as Maroon 5.

[Edited 4/11/13 12:00pm]

It was all about THIS in the 90's!

Damn I miss the 90's!

CynicKill said:

It was all about THIS in the 90's!

you don't know what the hell you're talking about

Im kinda with cynic in the 90's i was all in the grrrl rock thing. I just have to add Belly, The Julianna Hatfield 3 Indigo Girls, Ani Difranco, Hole, Pj Harvey, Elastica, and Fiona to just name a few.

JoeTyler said:

728huey said:

Pop music was definitely around in the 1990's, but between 1992 and 1996 it wasn't very popular to be "pop", so the only pop artists around during that time were actually mega huge. Michael Jackson, Whitney Houston, Janet Jackson, Mariah Carey, Celine Dion, and Boyz II Men were all huge during that period, but other groups either did dance music or changed their pop sound to be more R&B (Toni Braxton, Brandy, Monica) or alternative (Alanis Morissette). Pop music didn't return big-time to the mainstream until 1997, when there became a generational shift in music.

^you're talking about the US charts

in Europe there was this army of poppy one hit wonders from 1990 to 1996 (just before the Spice Girls made it big) damn, Europop and Eurodance are words created during the '90s

True, pop muisc had a bigger influence in Europe during the 1990's, but Take That was pretty much a one hit wonder here in the USA, and only Oasis got any sort of mainstream airplay among Brit bands in that time. Americans probably know "Song 2" from Blur yet most likely couldn't name the band. The same could be said for Pulp. And nearly all of the Eurodance stuff was relegated to the dance charts and clubs here in the USA, of which a lot was remixed by American DJs for more accessibility.