Unpopular Opinions Thread

[utee94]

Alternative rock in the 90's was neither revolutionary nor innovative. It was just rock music marketed well.

But I still love it.

We've talked a lot about this on these message boards over the years.

Rock music really hasn't changed much since the early/mid 90s.  Many songs that come out now, sound like they could have come out in 2013, or 2003, or 1993.  One of the main drivers for that, is the lack of rapid invention/innovation in musical instrumentation and musical production, that we saw in decades prior to that.

In 1993, you could absolutely tell the difference from a song that came out in 1983.  And in 1983, you could tell the difference from a song that came out in 1973, and the same for 73 versus 63, and so on.

Synthesizers, electric guitars vs. acoustic, the advent of guitar pedals, advances in production techniques, and the changes from analog to digital recording and reproduction, are just some of the factors that dramatically changed the sound of music over all of those decades prior to the 90s.  But since then, the rate of advancement has significantly slowed.  And consequently, the rate of change in the sound of music has effectively stagnated.

I'm not complaining or saying it's a good or bad thing-- a lot of the "experimentation" that went into the evolution of music from the 50s through the 80s ended up sucking.  There's plenty of bad music from all decades and from all genres.  But I do find it interesting to discuss and explore how music has really stopped evolving at a rapid pace, in recent decades.

[MaximumSam]

Alternative rock in the 90's was neither revolutionary nor innovative. It was just rock music marketed well.

But I still love it.

It wasn't until Nirvana that bands stopped cosplaying the Rolling Stones

[847badgerfan]

I wouldn't call Nirvana alternative. It's grunge.

[LetsGoPeay]

There have been very few innovative bands since the mid-90's. Incubus is one that I like. They kind of blended that alternative rock sound with elements of urban music in a very unique way. They didn't last long though. 

Tool is another unique band. The lyrics can be disturbing but the actual musical talent is great. When you really hone in and listen to the individual instruments, they are incredibly talented. They can also sound like a 70's southern rock band on one song and then turn around and be a 2000's progressive heavy metal band on the next. They're very interesting. 

[LetsGoPeay]

I wouldn't call Nirvana alternative. It's grunge.

Grunge is a subset of alternative. 

[Cincydawg]

Is there any current music worth listening to?

I listen to a lot of 200+ year old stuff.

[utee94]

Grunge is a subset of alternative.

Agree, grunge was one subset of alternative.  

And there are plenty of bands doing some interesting fusion things, Incubus was one 25 years ago, Muse is one now.  But since they're really just combining elements of existing musical styles, it could have come out in 1997, or 2007, or 2017.

[utee94]

Is there any current music worth listening to?

I listen to a lot of 200+ year old stuff.

I like a lot of current music.

I like a lot of music from 400 years ago.

I hate music from 200 years ago.

Just kidding.

[847badgerfan]

Grunge is a subset of alternative.

Wrong.

[utee94]

Grunge (sometimes referred to as the Seattle sound) is an alternative rock genre and subculture that emerged during the mid-1980s in the American state of Washington, particularly in Seattle and nearby towns. Grunge fuses elements of punk rock and heavy metal, but without punk's structure and speed.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grunge#:~:text=Grunge%20(sometimes%20referred%20to%20as,without%20punk's%20structure%20and%20speed.

[betarhoalphadelta]

Wrong.

"Alternative rock" is by definition an alternative form of "traditional" rock. 

If grunge isn't a subset of alternative, then it's just "rock" and doesn't need to be called grunge. 

[utee94]

"Alternative rock" is by definition an alternative form of "traditional" rock.

If grunge isn't a subset of alternative, then it's just "rock" and doesn't need to be called grunge.

I guess you could argue that an offshoot subgenre like Punk persisted long enough to have its own name and its own standing, and not be categorized underneath Alternative Rock.

And then you could argue that Grunge did the same thing.

But Grunge didn't have nearly enough staying power to earn that distinction, and even though Punk arguably has, it's STILL generally classified as a subset of Alternative Rock.

Therefore, Grunge is a subset of Alternative Rock.

[847badgerfan]

Rock

Metal

Punk

Alternative

Grunge

Country


Your music menu. Thank me later.

[847badgerfan]

I guess you could argue that an offshoot subgenre like Punk persisted long enough to have its own name and its own standing, and not be categorized underneath Alternative Rock.

And then you could argue that Grunge did the same thing.

But Grunge didn't have nearly enough staying power to earn that distinction, and even though Punk arguably has, it's STILL generally classified as a subset of Alternative Rock.

Therefore, Grunge is a subset of Alternative Rock.

Tough to do that when everyone is dead. 

I did see Soundgarden live shortly before Chris Cornell killed himself.