Joined: 25 Aug 2013 Age: 67 Gender: Male Posts: 36,754 Location: Long Island, New York
10 Sep 2021, 8:41 am
The release of that song as cliched as it sounds really changed the pop music scene overnight, September 10th, 1991 was really the day the 80s rock music wise died. Synthpop and Hair Metal were out Grunge and Alternative Rock was in. Excess be it big hair and spandex was out, Dress down was in, Sexist cocky lyrics out, self deprecating lyrics in. The nerdy, quirky outsiders finally had their moment. I would hear alt not only on alternative, but regular rock and top 40 stations for goodness sake.
I first heard about what would become known as the Seattle scene during the late 80s from my brother who had visited a former neighbor who had moved to the Pacific Northwest. He described the “rock” music dominating up there. I passed it off because the description was vague. I passed off ‘Smells Like Teen Sprit’ also not because I did not like the song but because it did not sound radically different to me. It was a combination of the 70s hard rock from my teen years and punk rock from my early adult years. What was not to like? It was not all that different from the “college rock” acts like the Pixies and Throwing Muses I was listening to on WLIR and MTV’s ‘120 Minutes’ anyways.
What made ‘Smells Like Teen Spirit’ unique was not just the song but the video so radically different from skimpily clad women withering around dominant at the time. Where are those Anarchy cheerleaders these days anyway?
‘Smells Like Teen Spirit’ is a staple of “alternative” platforms still. That is both good and bad. Good because it is proof of how good the song is, it does not sound like nostalgia. Bad because it is 30 years later it should sound dated. Rock music is still around and might always be around but the alt rock era that followed ‘Smells Like Teen Spirit’ was probably the last gasp of music especially rock music as a defining force. Technology probably makes a recurrence of that impossible and we are too diverse as people anyway. If it was the last gasp it sure was a good one and that is worth commemorating.
Whatever, Never mind
_________________ Professionally Identified and joined WP August 26, 2013 DSM 5: Autism Spectrum Disorder, DSM IV: Aspergers Moderate Severity
“My autism is not a superpower. It also isn’t some kind of god-forsaken, endless fountain of suffering inflicted on my family. It’s just part of who I am as a person”. - Sara Luterman
Joined: 18 Jun 2012 Age: 60 Gender: Female Posts: 20,481 Location: Aux Arcs
10 Sep 2021, 11:24 am
A classic. If the school pep rallies had been like that I would have attended.Instead we skipped and smoked pot in a van in the parking lot and listened to rock and roll.
_________________ I am the dust that dances in the light. - Rumi
10 Sep 2021, 8:41 am
