Better Decade for Music: 80s or 90s?
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Whenever you “came of age” tends to sway this opinion. Mine was the 1980s so thus own vote. But I feel the 80s was the last era for the most longest lasting iconic acts and work. The remaining years increasingly were one offs. The nature of the music business contributed to this but I just think it made music increasingly disposable as a result.
What "ruined" a lot of 80's music and film, to me, was the use of things so specific to the era that it looks and sounds dated. Synthesizers in music, for instance, that upon hearing you know had to have been released in the 80's even if you've never heard the song before. Now, I hold the 80's near and dear in spite of its flaws, similarly to how one takes a liking to a B horror movie or something. And 80's pop is phenomenal. I'm usually not a pop fan, but 80's pop I listen to all the time.
But I do give the nod the the 90's on the rock front. It's basically grunge vs hair bands if we're talking about the most decade-specific denominations of rock, and I'd take Alice in Chains over Motley Crue (as just one example, obviously).
But I do give the nod the the 90's on the rock front. It's basically grunge vs hair bands if we're talking about the most decade-specific denominations of rock, and I'd take Alice in Chains over Motley Crue (as just one example, obviously).
I grew up through both. While some of my favorite bands fall into the 80s category, the 90s was a far better decade. It was transformative.
I don't have an opinion on which one is objectively better. I will say the 90s gets some credit that isn't deserved.
Edit: When I say 90s, I'm referring specifically to alternative/grunge.
Edit: When I say 90s, I'm referring specifically to alternative/grunge.
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70's was better than both! 
hmm, good tunes or depressing suicide inducing music that ushered in the end of decent rock n roll...tough choice. Now, get off my lawn!
Like the OP said, it’s what you grew up with/near. For me, it’s the 90s… grunge was ingrained into me. There’s still a few groups that beat out most 90s rock bands, such as The Clash.
Psh. Depressing music has been around since music existed. Even just keeping it somewhat modern, guys like Pete Seger and Woody Guthrie had a pulse on that market long before the 90's ever came along.
I haven't even voted yet because I'm still not sure... but I look back at how much I took the 90's for granted. Like, there was SO much good music in that early grunge stage. It was as if it all came out of nowhere. I was born in '83, so I didn't fully appreciate it because that was just what was on at the time, when I first started listening to the radio (well, I guess I did listen to a little B94 and Variety 96 before that). We had 104.7 (I think... or was it 94.7?) The Revolution and 105.9 The X basically start around the same time, if memory serves. And, like I said, it's amazing how many good tunes from a myriad of bands were released in such a small window.
By the late 90's, stuff was kind of trending toward nu metal. And then the grunge/alternative-esque stuff that came after that was only a shell of what the early/mid 90's were, in my opinion.
70's was better than both!
Well yeah, but that's why the 70's isn't included.
I would say the difference would be it becoming THE mainstream force in the musical scene, versus a few acts here or there.
I mean, music and movies have definitely shaped this victim mentality that prevails in society today. But I don't know if it took until the 90's to become mainstream. Every era has had some upbeat stuff and some depressing stuff.
psh...not all of it...Started with the Nirvana (speaking of suicide) grunge crap...never understood what made their lives so damn depressing. .People today have a greater knowledge and recognition of the music (gee, some of it was actually enjoyable) of the older decade of the 80s than the 90s. Will be the same way 50 years from now...
Again, my point was, it's never been THE thing in the musical mainstream like in the 90s.
You ever been to Seattle ? Trust me ....
Just about all the music from the 90s was influenced by the music from the 80s. Also, most of the hits from the '90s are from artists who just became established in the eighties.
Grunge bands weren't spitting out many top 10 hits, though. The stuff toward the top of the charts would have been more like the freaking Macarena, Tubthumping, Sugar Ray's Fly, Spice Girls, TLC Waterfalls, Gettin' Jiggy With It, I Will Always Love You, etc. Alternative grunge rock wasn't charting very high in the grand scheme of things, on average.
Really tough one. I voted 90's. But to judge by decade isn't the best way to do it, IMO because sometimes musical style crosses decades. For instance, to me, the "80's" started about the time Blondie released Heart of Glass and ended the second The Starship released "We Built This City". That ushered in an unfortunate period for music. 1986 up until college rock started to break through was pretty bad. To me the 90's started when Jane's Addiction released Nothing Shocking in '88, really started to break through When Faith No More released epic in 1989 and then things totally exploded in 1991 with Nirvana, Pearl Jam, Soundgarden, The Red Hot Chili Peppers and Smashing Pumpkins all breaking through. We didn't know it then, but the music of the 90's peaked that year. Unlike the 80's were cool music just ended abruptly, It was a very long a slow descent downward, finally bottoming out when Nickleback broke through around 1996.
So based on that, I voted 90's because to me Grunge/Alt Rock > New Wave. Don't get me wrong, there were a ton of great new wave & early 80's pop songs. Tons. But the grunge/alt rock days of 1988-1996 had better bands, better whole albums, better concerts, etc. The "80's" had great songs. But the "90's" were a movement.
So based on that, I voted 90's because to me Grunge/Alt Rock > New Wave. Don't get me wrong, there were a ton of great new wave & early 80's pop songs. Tons. But the grunge/alt rock days of 1988-1996 had better bands, better whole albums, better concerts, etc. The "80's" had great songs. But the "90's" were a movement.
I used to love 104.7 The Revolution, I was always surprised that the X survived over it.
However, Grunge/alternative WAS the mainstream movement for a period of the 90s. At some point in time that can't be denied.
Really tough one. I voted 90's. But to judge by decade isn't the best way to do it, IMO because sometimes musical style crosses decades. For instance, to me, the "80's" started about the time Blondie released Heart of Glass and ended the second The Starship released "We Built This City". That ushered in an unfortunate period for music. 1986 up until college rock started to break through was pretty bad. To me the 90's started when Jane's Addiction released Nothing Shocking in '88, really started to break through When Faith No More released epic in 1989 and then things totally exploded in 1991 with Nirvana, Pearl Jam, Soundgarden, The Red Hot Chili Peppers and Smashing Pumpkins all breaking through. We didn't know it then, but the music of the 90's peaked that year. Unlike the 80's were cool music just ended abruptly, It was a very long a slow descent downward, finally bottoming out when Nickleback broke through around 1996.
So based on that, I voted 90's because to me Grunge/Alt Rock > New Wave. Don't get me wrong, there were a ton of great new wave & early 80's pop songs. Tons. But the grunge/alt rock days of 1988-1996 had better bands, better whole albums, better concerts, etc. The "80's" had great songs. But the "90's" were a movement.
Yeah, the specific years definitely aren't the greatest depictions, but it's too difficult to do otherwise. Certainly not any one song or album began or ended an era. And there's no way in hell Nickelback broke through as early as '96, haha. The first song of theirs I heard was Leader of Men, which actually isn't terrible, and that had to be in the 2000's, I would guess. But bands like Korn, Limp Bizkit... even Creed, I believe, really started to blow up in the late 90s.
Yep, same. I was sorely disappointed that the better of the two (in my opinion) didn't survive the cut.
Gotta agree with you on this . I graduated high school in the early 80'sReally tough one. I voted 90's. But to judge by decade isn't the best way to do it, IMO because sometimes musical style crosses decades. For instance, to me, the "80's" started about the time Blondie released Heart of Glass and ended the second The Starship released "We Built This City". That ushered in an unfortunate period for music. 1986 up until college rock started to break through was pretty bad. To me the 90's started when Jane's Addiction released Nothing Shocking in '88, really started to break through When Faith No More released epic in 1989 and then things totally exploded in 1991 with Nirvana, Pearl Jam, Soundgarden, The Red Hot Chili Peppers and Smashing Pumpkins all breaking through. We didn't know it then, but the music of the 90's peaked that year. Unlike the 80's were cool music just ended abruptly, It was a very long a slow descent downward, finally bottoming out when Nickleback broke through around 1996.
So based on that, I voted 90's because to me Grunge/Alt Rock > New Wave. Don't get me wrong, there were a ton of great new wave & early 80's pop songs. Tons. But the grunge/alt rock days of 1988-1996 had better bands, better whole albums, better concerts, etc. The "80's" had great songs. But the "90's" were a movement.
(82') The early 80's music made me cringe . As the late 80's progressed I found it relieving with bands like Jane's and Faith.
But being a young teenager in the 70's nothing tops Sabbath , Zep , and Floyd ..(I could go on)
No comparison ..
90's pop is actually kind of underrated. A lot of it started to veer off more in a hip hop direction, which I'm not a huge fan of (but it was pretty solid if you were), but I'm talking about stuff like, for example, John Secada - Just Another Day Without You. Stuff like that is underrated in the 90's, in my opinion. And then of course you have all that great pop/rock, like Mr. Jones, Losing My Religion, No Rain, Standing Outside a Broken Phone Booth With money in My Hand, etc.
I mean, grunge/alternative is definitely what people associate the 90's rock scene with - yes. Typically, people don't consider albums by acts established in other decades when assessing a subsequent decade. For instance, Tom Petty released Into the Great Wild Open and Wildflowers in the 90's, but I rarely see people consider stuff like that as being part of the decade of music because he's "not a 90's act" and those weren't really the flavour du jour (well, I guess they sort of were actually, but the guy releasing them wasn't just bursting onto the scene).
Although sometimes established artists will try to emulate the modern en vogue sound, I suppose, such as Dylan with Empire Burlesque in the 80's... which sucks.
Can't say I really listened to 80s pop. I was listening to punk rock in the 80s. Lived close enough to Washington DC in high school to go to shows at the 930 Club. Saw some bands at the Electric Banana while at Pitt, but the punk scene in Pittsburgh just wasn't that great.
A lot of the 90s music was a crossover of alternative and punk into the mainstream.
So I'm taking the 90s.
A lot of the 90s music was a crossover of alternative and punk into the mainstream.
So I'm taking the 90s.
This board is a bunch of old guys who like dad rock, so I'm guessing 80's will win. But the 90's were a much better decade for music if you look at music outside of rock. The 90's was arguably the best decade for hip hop and R&B, and it was certainly the best decade for alternative rock.
Are the 90's the rap and/or hip hop golden era? I honestly don't know enough about that kind of music to weigh in. But it kind of feels like the 90's are to rap what the 70's were to rock. I know that stuff existed in the 80's, but it was pretty cheesy/still finding its groove, in my opinion.
80's did have Michael Jackson and whatnot, though. He's obviously pop, not hip hop, but I just mean he was pretty much at the top of the mountain in the 80's, so it isn't all about the rock.
Americans say the 1970s and 1980s were the best music decades | YouGov
Among US adults overall, the 1970s and 1980s prove to be the best decades for music, with 21% and 22% of the vote, respectively.
today.yougov.com
Fair point about MJ. But yeah, the early-90's are considered the Golden Era of hip hop. If you listen to most artists in the 80's, the flow is pretty clunky and the sound is overall pretty similar from one group to the next. In the early-90's, you saw a lot of artists pushing the boundaries and creating new sub-genres. I'd agree with the sentiment it was similar to the 70's with rock, where you had sub-genres like prog, punk, metal, alternative, etc emerge.
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80 to 84, you had the second British Invasion and punk leftovers and even the top 40 groups like Toto and stuff can actually play and write their own songs. Though as the decade wore on...the music was insipid I mean We Built this City and crap like that plus hair metal which I could not stand. The early 90's got the Grunge and some of the better Hip Hop pioneers then it went off the cliff.
Well I am glad that 90s rap is still looked fondly upon, because it's the only rap I listen to. There are times when I just assume that my out of touch white guyness is simply off the charts while I'm cruising in my Nissan Rogue and Busta Rhymes, Put Your Hands Where My Eyes Can See comes on.
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