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Was Nirvana the last generation defining music act?

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Nirvana, love them or hate them, were the representatives of grunge culture which was immensely popular in the early to mid 90s and grunge became the defining music of that particular generation. It was also possibly the last generation of music before the Internet became hugely popular.

It seems like since then popular music has become much more splintered and the top 40 generally caters to dance/club music.

Were Nirvana and co the last group to transcend their music and become a cultural movement?
 
Inebriated said:
Nirvana, love them or hate them, were the representatives of grunge culture which was immensely popular in the early to mid 90s and grunge became the defining music of that particular generation. It was also possibly the last generation of music before the Internet became hugely popular.

It seems like since then popular music has become much more splintered and the top 40 generally caters to dance/club music.

Were Nirvana and co the last group to transcend their music and become a cultural movement?
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I like grunge as much as the next guy, but hip hop went through a renaissance at the exact same time, and one could make a pretty convincing argument that it's influence was wider reaching and more definitive than the grunge movement.

norm9 said:
Death Row Records.
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yep.
 
I think if there is one, we won't know for at least a few years. No one thought about Nirvana the way they do now when they were first being discovered.
 
On a large scale? Yes. For now. I think it could happen again, but it's unlikely. Music is too fragmented and is treated as a disposable commodity.
 
They didn't come to define "the" generation until well after. Hell, in the early 90s you were still either into Pearl Jam or Nirvana. The idea that a single fan could like both bands was sort of grunge apostasy. You would have had a lot of people arguing against you in 1992 or 1993 if you said that Nirvana is this generational voice, as popular as they were, similar to how if you ever said that about any music act today, you'd get a big blowback. Music is more splintered now, but Beyonce and Taylor Swift both seem to have a far greater reach today than Nirvana had in 1991 or 1992.
 
Love her or hate her, I think it's safe to say that the level of commericalized poppy sensations that has defined large swaths of music in the last 15-20 years can be safely attributed to the success of one Britney Spears.
 
The Albatross said:
They didn't come to define "the" generation until well after. Hell, in the early 90s you were still either into Pearl Jam or Nirvana. The idea that a single fan could like both bands was sort of grunge apostasy. You would have had a lot of people arguing against you in 1992 or 1993 if you said that Nirvana is this generational voice, as popular as they were, similar to how if you ever said that about any music act today, you'd get a big blowback. Music is more splintered now, but Beyonce and Taylor Swift both seem to have a far greater reach today than Nirvana had in 1991 or 1992.
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Having farther reach isn't really the same as having music that represents a subculture that then becomes the popular culture. What cultural change have beyonce or taylor actually had on society? In what way does any of their music represent the sentiment of a segment of society moreso than the rest of the same music being pumped out on top 40 radio.
 
The Albatross said:
They didn't come to define "the" generation until well after. Hell, in the early 90s you were still either into Pearl Jam or Nirvana. The idea that a single fan could like both bands was sort of grunge apostasy.
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lol what? there was a ton of crossover. there was no "east coast/west coast rivalry" going on in the alternative music scene. There were a ton of bands in addition to those two that moved a bunch of records as well- Alice in chains, soundgarden, stone temple pilots, smashing pumpkins, RATM, etc. And that's ignoring the kids who were into Metallica, which had their biggest album in 1991 or so IIRC.

Music is more splintered now, but Beyonce and Taylor Swift both seem to have a far greater reach today than Nirvana had in 1991 or 1992.
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nowhere close. Taylor swift's biggest albums top out at about 8 million units, and she pulled her music from streaming sites.

"Nevermind" sold 31 million copies. In Utero sold 15 million. Unplugged in New York sold 25 million, and this was in an era where CDs were still $20 a pop. Complete and total domination. Swift will NEVER get that high.
 
Personally I feel like there will be more generational defining music acts to come, I don't feel like Nirvana was the last of a kind. Though, Nirvana was the band that defined the entire grunge genre for the mainstream, and Cobains suicide was the moment where the genre ceased to exist. Kurt was hailed as the ambassador for the whole sub genre, which he was very reluctant about because he hated the label that came with it. In the last few interviews before he died, he claimed that he was bored with grunge and wanted to move Nirvana into an 80's new wave sound.

I do feel like Kurt Cobain may be the last of his breed in mega rockstars.


Zombine said:
I'd say Skrillex is the face of the freshly settled dubstep movement.
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I remember when a friend of mine introduced me to dubstep back in 2005 or 2006, he was hyping it to me as the next big thing, as it was hot in the UK at the time. I thought it sounded like shit, and it did nothing for me at all. This is a genre I thought would never catch on over here. I guess Skrillex is at the forefront of the genre in the mainstream media.
 
Soulja Boy Tellem. He paved the way for being signed off of Youtube/the Internet and gave unsigned internet artists hope.
 
Lady Gaga yo. She brought theatrics back and of course popularized the overproduced electro pop. We're juuuuuust getting over her sonic influence.
 
Nirvana being the defining grunge act is even pretty debatable. Grunge, I think, was one of those musical movements that was predicated not by the success of a single 'genre defining act', but rather the fact that you had a handful of extremely successful bands that hit the crest of the wave together. How can someone ultimately decide between who was the 'defining' act of grunge when you are debating about bands like Pearl Jam, Nirvana, and Soundgarden? Not to mention some of the lesser known bands that the genre leaders really owed their successes to...
 
This is really hard to define. I think Nivana is probably the most well known band of grunge but I think Soundgarden was better and a lot of those grunge bands could now have a case made that they are legendary. All of those bands blend together now as far as importance, in my eyes anyway.

In the early - mid 90's, I'd say absolutely yes. Nirvana defined their genre simply because they were the biggest thing going for it. Kurt's death only made them bigger and more defining of the gender during its time.
 
nemss said:
I'd say yes, everything now is too commercialized to shift the industry.
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The 90's was plenty commercial.

The Top 20 Billboard Hot 100 Hits of the 1990s

1. "How Do I Live" - LeAnn Rimes
Hot 100 Peak Position: 2, Peak Date: December 13, 1997

2. "Macarena (Bayside Boys Mix)" - Los Del Rio
Hot 100 Peak Position: 1, Peak Date: August 3, 1996

3. "Un-Break My Heart" - Toni Braxton
Hot 100 Peak Position: 1, Peak Date: December 7, 1996

4. "Foolish Games/You Were Meant For Me" - Jewel
Hot 100 Peak Position: 2, Peak Date: April 19, 1997

5. "(Everything I Do) I Do It For You" - Bryan Adams
Hot 100 Peak Position: 1, Peak Date: July 27, 1991

6. "I'll Make Love To You" - Boyz II Men
Hot 100 Peak Position: 1, Peak Date: August 27, 1994

7. "Too Close" - Next
Hot 100 Peak Position: 1, Peak Date: April 25, 1998

8. "One Sweet Day" - Mariah Carey & Boyz II Men
Hot 100 Peak Position: 1, Peak Date: December 2, 1995

9. "Truly Madly Deeply" - Savage Garden
Hot 100 Peak Position: 1, Peak Date: January 17, 1998

10. "Candle In The Wind 1997/Something About The Way You Look Tonight" - Elton John
Hot 100 Peak Position: 1, Peak Date: October 11, 1997

11. "End Of The Road" (From Boomerang) - Boyz II Men
Hot 100 Peak Position: 1, Peak Date: August 15, 1992

12. "The Sign" - Ace Of Base
Hot 100 Peak Position: 1, Peak Date: March 12, 1994

13. "The Boy Is Mine" - Brandy and Monica
Hot 100 Peak Position: 1, Peak Date: June 6, 1998

14. "Because I Love You (The Postman Song)" - Stevie B
Hot 100 Peak Position: 1, Peak Date: December 8, 1990

15. "Whoomp! (There It Is)" - Tag Team
Hot 100 Peak Position: 2, Peak Date: July 31, 1993

16. "Rush Rush" - Paula Abdul
Hot 100 Peak Position: 1, Peak Date: June 15, 1991

17. "You're Still The One" - Shania Twain
Hot 100 Peak Position: 2, Peak Date: May 2, 1998

18. "I Will Always Love You" - Whitney Houston
Hot 100 Peak Position: 1, Peak Date: November 28, 1992

19. "Gangsta's Paradise" (From Dangerous Minds) - Coolio Featuring L.V.
Hot 100 Peak Position: 1, Peak Date: September 9, 1995

20. "Nothing Compares 2 U" - Sinead O'Connor
Hot 100 Peak Position: 1, Peak Date: April 21, 1990
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Nirvana was truly great, but Andrew Wood's Mother Love Bone is what you're looking for if you want to hear grunge's truly tragic "non-commercial" breakout roots.
 
I remember this argument, and I was on the Nirvana train back then, but also like rap and hip hop which was big back then as well.

The way I see it is that there were people who weren't as open to other genres other than what they liked, and I would roll my eyes when my metal friends were like "rap is short for crap."

I remember hearing some dude on NPR talking about how he visited a school in some small town in Texas in the 90s and it was like all the kids listened to country or whatever was really popular and he visited the place again in the mid 00s and there were kids listening to all kinds of music thanks to youtube and whatnot.


CDs were expensive back in the day haha, now I see people bitch about 99 cents for a song lol. You had to be selective for those 15 dollar albums.
 
RyanDG said:
Nirvana being the defining grunge act is even pretty debatable. Grunge, I think, was one of those musical movements that was predicated not by the success of a single 'genre defining act', but rather the fact that you had a handful of extremely successful bands that hit the crest of the wave together. How can someone ultimately decide between who was the 'defining' act of grunge when you are debating about bands like Pearl Jam, Nirvana, and Soundgarden? Not to mention some of the lesser known bands that the genre leaders really owed their successes to...
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It's true that the phrase "grunge" was first used back in the late 70's and the genre was still forming itself long before Nirvana came around. But It was Nirvana that opened the genre up to mainstream audiences and where it really became defined. Kurt Cobain will always be the one name that gets associated with the genre the most. Though most of these bands never really thought of themselves as "grunge" as it was a label that they were all shoehorned into. Record companies knew they were onto something with grunge and they were labeling any rock band that came out of Washington state with it. Pearl Jam were always a bit sheepish about that label and were happy to drop it as soon as that fad ended.

YoungHav said:
Soulja Boy Tellem. He paved the way for being signed off of Youtube/the Internet and gave unsigned internet artists hope.
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I agree with this. I think Youtube is where we will see the next big things in music... though this has already been the case with Bieber and Soulja Boy (like you said). I am also happy about Youtubes existence because it gives a new forum for music videos to live on (especially from unknowns).
 
At the time Pearl Jam was played much more on the radio and was probably more popular. Dieing in your prime makes you a legend. At least Nirvana's music was awesome unlike the Baby Boomer's Jim Morrison. The Doors sucked.
 
biggersmaller said:
The 90's was plenty commercial.

The Top 20 Billboard Hot 100 Hits of the 1990s



Nirvana was truly great, but Andrew Wood's Mother Love Bone is what you're looking for if you want to hear grunge's truly tragic "non-commercial" breakout roots.
Click to expand...

MLB was more glam than grunge. Take it from someone that was there for all of this.

There were many bands that broke down the alt-rock door (MLB not being one of them - they themselves being inspired by bands like Jane's Addiction - who did), but Nirvana was undoubtedly the band that stepped through it and set the world on fire.

And this coming from someone that placed Nirvana near the bottom of my favorite bands at the time.

Edit - and MLB was as commercial as it got. That was a band with major aspirations to be the biggest band in the world.
 
FrontalMonk said:
Love her or hate her, I think it's safe to say that the level of commericalized poppy sensations that has defined large swaths of music in the last 15-20 years can be safely attributed to the success of one Britney Spears.
Click to expand...

And after her you have the Lady Gaga era....

And was grunge really the defining sound of that era? Maybe I am remembering all those years listening radio wrong...
 
FriedConsole said:
At the time Pearl Jam was played much more on the radio and was probably more popular. Dieing in your prime makes you a legend. At least Nirvana's music was awesome unlike the Baby Boomer's Jim Morrison. The Doors sucked.
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That is all debatable, and irrelevant. I liked PJ far more than Nirvana, but it was Smells like Teen Spirit that changed everything. It's not about who was (again, debatabley) more popular. It was about who set the fire.

Although, without bands like Pixies, Dino Jr and Meat Puppets - there never would have been a Nirvana. But that's also irrelevant to this discussion. Because it was Nirvana that broke through.
 
Inebriated said:
Nirvana, love them or hate them, were the representatives of grunge culture which was immensely popular in the early to mid 90s and grunge became the defining music of that particular generation. It was also possibly the last generation of music before the Internet became hugely popular.

It seems like since then popular music has become much more splintered and the top 40 generally caters to dance/club music.

Were Nirvana and co the last group to transcend their music and become a cultural movement?
Click to expand...

Wu-Tang comes to mind.
 
graffix13 said:
Yes, they were.
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No, they were not.

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I mean they had 1 major single. I don't nirvana was generation defining by any means. As fucked up as it sounds, cobain's death was the best thing for their legacy.
 
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