Who is the defining artist of this generation?

[SuperJerk 0]

Soundgarden was allready breaking through before Nirvana did. Nirvana was fucking lucky to catch a break before making it big.

Soundgarden was making great music around the same time Nirvana hit it big, but never had anywhere near Nirvana's popularity or exposure. The lyrics and sound of the early 90s grunge bands was a totally reversal of what had been popular before that point. Nirvana wasn't just some hard rock act that got popular because the lead singer killed himself. They were part of something bigger...a change in the music industry away from Michael Jackson and ballad-centric "hair metal" of the late 80s.

 

You kids who didn't start paying attention to music until Limp Bizkit, Britney Spears, and Eminem made it big are simply too young to know what you're talking about. If, in the year 1992, you were listening to "Barney and Friends" instead of MTV (yes, they played music once), you are horribly unqualified to have an opinion on Nirvana.

[Corey_Lazarus 0]

...but are they? Nirvana wrote a bunch of similar-sounding shitty songs and got big because American youths are, and always have been, a bunch of pussies.

[Guest JustPassinBy]

Nirvana also helped usher in Alternative Rock that was played on the radio. Back in the early 90's, you didnt have college radio dominating the airwaves. However now, Alternative Rock/College Radio is some of the most popular radio airplay out there.

 

Most Influential Artist from 1990's-2006: Nirvana

2nd place: Dr. Dre is a really good choice bc it all goes back to taking a certain niche and getting it mainstream radio airplay. Dre/Snoop/Tupac took Rap music and commercialized it. Those 3 need special mention.

 

Most Talented Artist of 1990-2006:

This is really subjective for everyone. But I'm going to say Rob Thomas. Dave Matthews is close as well. In terms of original talent, musical skill, composition, and creativity... Those would be my top two.

Thomas/Matthews performing live are terrific.

[skullman80 0]

Soundgarden was allready breaking through before Nirvana did. Nirvana was fucking lucky to catch a break before making it big.

Soundgarden was making great music around the same time Nirvana hit it big, but never had anywhere near Nirvana's popularity or exposure. The lyrics and sound of the early 90s grunge bands was a totally reversal of what had been popular before that point. Nirvana wasn't just some hard rock act that got popular because the lead singer killed himself. They were part of something bigger...a change in the music industry away from Michael Jackson and ballad-centric "hair metal" of the late 80s.

 

You kids who didn't start paying attention to music until Limp Bizkit, Britney Spears, and Eminem made it big are simply too young to know what you're talking about. If, in the year 1992, you were listening to "Barney and Friends" instead of MTV (yes, they played music once), you are horribly unqualified to have an opinion on Nirvana.

 

Yeah there were a big part of ushering in about 10 years of absolutley shitty music. Nirvana wasn't talented nor were they groundbreaking, they were just at the right place at the right time.

 

Kobain was a terrible guitarist and his lyrics were laughable.

[snuffbox 0]

"With the lights out/its less dangerous" Is a pretty brilliant lyric, especially when viewed as a shot at religious/conservative sexual mores.

 

I like how Corey Lazurus really believes that anyone who doesnt listen to his fave metal bands are pussies. Country music blows, but the farmboys that dig it would more often than not beat the hell out of most metalheads.

[Slayer 0]

Country music blows, but the farmboys that dig it would more often than not beat the hell out of most metalheads.

If they listen to real downhome country guys like George Strait or Chris Ledoux, maybe.

 

If they listen to crapass pop country like Shania or Keith Urban, then probably not.

 

Same probably goes for the metal side too (respective).

 

It would be interesting, nonetheless

[snuffbox 0]

Nah. Most people that listen to country music seem to just let the radio play through all the current hits and a couple old good cuts. The kids that grow up on farms (very hard work) then typically move on to factory life are some tough motherfuckers...they dont have to listen to any certain music to be that way. I work in a welding factory, I hate country music, but I let these giant tobacco-chewing dudes play what they want on the radio.

 

Im not saying all metalheads are weak or anything, definitly not. But saying that anyone that doesnt listen to certain heavy metal acts are 'pussies' was, well, pretty wrong. And funny.

[Slayer 0]

I work in a welding factory

"Gentle pressure"

[Guest JustPassinBy]

The only good country music is either old school Johnny Cash or Dwight Yoakam.

 

Yoakam just has the distinct voice.

[snuffbox 0]

I work in a welding factory

"Gentle pressure"

 

Huh?

[C Dubya 04 0]

I'm sorry, but did someone list Rob Thomas as the most talented artist from 1990 to 2006??? Yeah, I'm not seeing it.

[Guest Felonies!]

The only good country music is either old school Johnny Cash or Dwight Yoakam.

Townes Van Zandt, ya big dummy. Old Crow Medicine Show does some cool bluegrass revival stuff, too. Wilco has that useless "alt.country" designation, but who thinks of them as a country band these days, really?

[snuffbox 0]

Steve Earle was/is a bad motherfucker.

[SuperJerk 0]

Yeah there were a big part of ushering in about 10 years of absolutley shitty music. Nirvana wasn't talented nor were they groundbreaking, they were just at the right place at the right time.

 

Kobain was a terrible guitarist and his lyrics were laughable.

 

You were 8 years old when Nirvana hit it big. Don't tell me they weren't groundbreaking because your knowledge of popular music up to that point was limited to whatever your parents were letting you listen to. In order to get Nirvana's appeal you have to put Nirvana in the context of the times they lived in. Until you do that, you won't understand.

 

So, Nirvana sucked...and that's why everyone wanted to sound like them? In the 90s, there were basically 5 acts in music every copied off of: Nirvana, Alanis Morrissette, Pearl Jam, Dr. Dre, and Garth Brooks. There are bands that were more technically competent than Nirvana, but that doesn't make them better. You obviously don't get why people liked Nirvana so much, so I'll explain it. The songs focused on raw emotion, rather than preconceived notions about melody arrangments. That was something different that what people wanted. Kurt Cobain was creative, not some paint-by-numbers studio musician who recorded the same song over and over again. Nirvana wasn't Creed.

 

I'll admit that after the intial wave of alternative music's popularity, you were left with pop-passing-as-alternative crap like Sugar Ray, Blink 182, and Smashmouth...but Nirvana (a great band) also helped popularize other great bands like Soundgarden, Alice in Chains, and Pearl Jam. An entire generation of rock music fans suddenly discovered there was something out there besides Guns-N-Roses, Warrant, and Skid Row. Then, you also have a reverse coattail affect, where older, more established alternative acts like Jane's Addiction and the Pixies benefited from the exposure that Nirvana was getting.Nirvana put alternative rock on the map in a way it never had before.

[SuperJerk 0]

I work in a welding factory

"Gentle pressure"

 

Huh?

 

MST3K reference.

[snuffbox 0]

Ah.

 

Note - If Tony Iommi didnt work in a welding factory back in the day, he wouldnt have sliced his finger off and invented heavy metal. Then we'd all be pussies!

[The Metal Maniac 0]

In the 90s, there were basically 5 acts in music every copied off of: Nirvana, Alanis Morrissette, Pearl Jam, Dr. Dre, and Garth Brooks.

 

So, heavy metal ceased to exist in the 90's?

 

I must've missed that.

[Black Lushus 0]

I wouldn't put Guns N Roses in the same class as Warrant, Skid Row, etc. etc. They stood out from those silly glam hair metal bands.

[Guest Felonies!]

I would. "November Rain" is probably one of the better hair metal power ballads (Because EVERY rocker has a soft side! Order "The Best Of Power Ballads" today!), and they're one of the better hair metal bands, but at the end of the day, they're still a hair metal band.

[Carnival 0]

November Rain is one of the top 50 songs of all time, give it respect Czech!

[Epic Reine 0]

Don't EVER diss Skid Row!

[Gary Floyd 0]

This thread really hasn't gone anywhere.

[UZI Suicide 0]

So, Nirvana sucked...and that's why everyone wanted to sound like them?

 

When Backstreet Boys and NSYNC got big in the late 90's, countless other boy bands were formed in the mold of them.

 

That's not to say Nirvana is as terrible as those groups, but you don't have to be good to have people copy you. People are going to copy whatever is popular at the time.

 

Personally, I agree with the Nirvana is overrated people. But I don't see how you can deny the mark they left on music for better or worse (and it's for the worse, because they opened the gate for a ton of shitty talentless bands to get popular by reaching deep into the souls of angsty teens!)

 

And I disagree about GNR being hair metal (although Axl did have his hair teased in a very gay hair metal style in the Welcome to the Jungle video), but their sound is much different from the Skid Row's and Ratt's and Twisted Sister's of the world.

[Guest Felonies!]

I dunno, I think of "Paradise City" as their "let's go party on a Saturday night" song, "November Rain" as their "every rocker has a soft side" song, and "Welcome To The Jungle" as their big heavy rock song. Also, they look and act pretty much the same as any hair metal band.

[Guest Coffey]

So, where's that leave "Sweet Child O' Mine" and "Mr. Brownstone?"

[2GOLD 0]

Nirvana is suffering from overexposure which is what I think is hurting them the most. I thought they were alright when they first hit the scene, nothing special. What made Nirvana into a legandary band is Kurt died, it's that simple. Kurt died and Nirvana was suddenly this amazing great band that will go down for all time as one of the best and blah blah blah.

 

They did their job but they aren't this amazing band they are being made out to be.

[snuffbox 0]

They're no Dwight Yoakem.

[Maztinho 0]

Nirvana wasn't great musically, but what mainstream musician is?

 

I mean essentially everything mainstream radio play outside of Tool is a I, IV, V chord progression (7th's included) in 4/4 time with occasionally people tossing in a vi or maybe a diminished vii.

 

Grunge went back to basic, gutteral chords, let the dissonance ring.

 

Nirvana was in the right place at the right time. I think that Grunge, or Alternative Rock would have busted out with some other band anyways. Nirvana simply happened to be the Voice of the Generation.

 

This generation, taking it as post-Nirvana, or post-GenX being tweens coming of age around the turn of the century would likely be Eminem which has been discussed to death.

 

He's going to be that one artist that is going to stand out when people look back at the 00's.

[Edwin MacPhisto 0]

Nirvana wasn't great musically, but what mainstream musician is?

 

I mean essentially everything mainstream radio play outside of Tool is a I, IV, V chord progression (7th's included) in 4/4 time with occasionally people tossing in a vi or maybe a diminished vii.

ahhhh "great musically" (terrible phrase) =/= "good songs"

 

Not arguing with you on Cobain as probably the musician most remembered from the 90s. I loathe the notion that music has to be technically complex or have a weird time signature to be "great."

[Guest Felonies!]

Unusual meter doesn't make a song automatically great, but there's something special about pulling off a really good song in 5 or 7 or something like that. "Morning Bell" is just kinda there in 4 but it's awesome in 5.