If you’re a ’90s kid, you might remember it as a time of incredible musical diversity.

As bands faced increasing pressure to do something different in order to stay ‘relevant’, genres began to branch out. Where the music of the 80s consisted mainly of classic rock and roll and punk, now grunge, alternative rock, industrial and metal came to the fore.

The trend towards the ‘dark and grim’ that began in the 1980s with goth rock bands like Depeche Mode, Joy Division and Sisters Of Mercy, now took a more dramatic turn with the rise of more ‘extreme’ industrial metal, with artists like Marilyn Manson and Nine Inch Nails hitting the scene.

However, whereas in the ’80s rock, punk and metal had largely been a subculture built on independent labels supported by die-hard fans, in the ’90s the music became heavier and more consumed on a larger scale. much wider.

Rock and heavy metal had become big business and was no longer considered simply “music for rebellious teenagers”. Rock and metal got a new, sophisticated, and updated makeover, as record labels acquired and polished them into something more “consumable.”

At the same time, pop and experimental music was also booming, with electro still on the scene since the ’80s, and underground raves meant big business.

At this point, rap and hip-hop began to become more popular and became the distinctive genre we know today, with artists like Snoop Dogg and Jay Z becoming iconic celebrity figures.

Reggae and R&B also continued to be popular in this era, with the genres quickly merging to expand into new and exciting musical worlds; from electro-swing to ska, there was something for everyone.

Soul especially took off in the ’90s with soul superstar Whitney Houston, who quickly became one of the best-selling music artists of all time, selling more than 200 million records worldwide.

So what music continues to inspire us today? Let’s refresh our memories by reviewing some of the artists who have aged best in the last 30 years.

Tracy Chapman

Tracy Chapman is instantly recognizable as one of the most talented political singers of our time.

Singer-songwriter and Black rights and LGBTQIA+ activist Chapman has a classically simple, yet deeply expressive quality to her voice and lyrics, and she has an exceptional talent for creating memorable yet meaningful blues music that ties in with her political activism.

Talkin’ About A Revolution, in particular, has become a modern anthem for Black and LGBTQIA+ activism, and she remains closely aligned with those political causes, while also volunteering for Amnesty International and AIDS/Lifecycle.

The public knows a limited amount about Chapman’s private life, and she has always been something of a recluse.

His relationship with Alice Walker, author of the Black LGBTQIA+ novel The Color Purple, was kept secret for most of his career, with Chapman choosing to draw attention to their cause rather than herself.

Tracy Chapman’s music was undoubtedly influential, but not always by choice. In 2018, Chapman sued Nikki Minaj for infringing Baby Can I Hold You’s copyright on her song Sorry, ultimately receiving $450,000.

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A woman who truly puts ‘art’ in ‘artist’, Icelandic singer, songwriter and visual performer Björk has consistently broken down creative and cultural barriers in her music.

Unlike some of the heavier ’90s bands, Björk’s music gift was thought-provoking without being depressing, and she had the wisdom of centuries while looking through the eyes of a child.

His music throughout the ’90s and beyond was memorable, quirky and original, playing with the dichotomies of technology vs. nature and war vs. peace, to create complex music full of depth and experimental sounds.

Björk was instrumental in using a variety of sounds from cultures around the world, with influences from her own Icelandic culture, as well as elements of Westernized music and tribal percussion styles.

As femininity was revived in the ’90s, with the rise of feminist ‘Riot Grrl’ bands, Björk’s music was perhaps ahead of its time in that it rejected stereotypes of what it was to be male or female.

Songs like ‘Venus As A Boy’ changed the narrative about traditional masculinity by rejecting conventional ideals of ‘strength’ or ‘toughness’ to emphasize the qualities of tenderness and selfless love in men.

His approach to religion is similarly thoughtful, and many of his songs, including Human Behavior and Earth Intruders, highlight his philosophical thoughts on human society. While some initially seem critical of the impact of humans on earth, Björk’s complex view of life captures both sides of the coin.

In The Modern Things, he describes how “all modern things… have always existed, have been waiting on a mountain.” Perhaps a suggestion that human nature is as natural as nature itself.

Nirvana

It’s hard to even think of the ’90s without immediately thinking of Nirvana and its tragic leader, Kurt Cobain.

Nirvana’s music was a complex and contradictory mix of depressing nihilism and passionate social activism, and this summed up the social attitudes of the younger generation of the time.

Nirvana’s typical theme was often dark, with various songs about drug addiction, sexual violence, misogyny, racism, and homophobia, but at no point were these themes touched upon for impact.

The band’s songs closely reflected Cobain’s social attitudes and his belief in creating a better world that came to light when his diaries were published after his death in 1994. Perhaps this makes Nirvana even more relevant in the era. current #MeToo and #BlackLivesMatter.

Nirvana created a sound, and it was a wild, raw, throaty sound, that came to define the genre of grunge music. Combining the “refinement” of mainstream music with the unfiltered passion of punk, grunge appealed to a youth that had been disenfranchised and suppressed.

Many ‘edgier’ rock bands tried to recreate the ‘Nirvana’ sound, including Weezer, Oasis and the Foo Fighters, the latter of whom were even committed enough to play at volumes that literally shook the earth, but few had. done. been truly innovative in the issues that her music addressed.

Nirvana weren’t afraid to tackle tough topics, pour their hearts out on stage, and stay true to their music and morals.