Interesting matter on mainstream appeal

I was watching Life in Pop, documentary on Pet Shop Boys on DVD and someone mentioned something intriguing about why band from the 80's like PSB, New order or Depeche Mode lost the mainstream appreal in the 90's.

Take a wild guess NOOLigans!! Dare you to.

Anyways, during some interviews of DJs they say "Listen to that, this is Blue monday by New order, this will be the last time you will hear it."

Guess, it has something to do with the way music direction was going. That band had changed the way music was heard in the 90's

Good question! I think the rise of MTV had a lot to do with it. Mainstream suddenly became grunge or that R&B shit, and there was a big growth in dance music that had previously been the domain of the club scene. Plus the deterioration in the significance of the single, the growth of the CD industry and latterly the growth of the internet.

Good try on answer, grunge and alternative rock had taken the airwaves and what band literally had changed that?

music tastes change. in music in particular there's always a push to market some new young act.

this doesn't invalidate the great music New Order make.

Nirvana singlehandedly changed music in the 90s like the Beatles did in the 60s before it was Rock and Roll. Now grunge is dead, electronic music purveyors like New order and Pet shop boys are back in the spot light thanks to in part by Madonna and Stuart Price

Richard Latanville wrote: Nirvana singlehandedly changed music in the 90s like the Beatles did in the 60s before it was Rock and Roll. Now grunge is dead, electronic music purveyors like New order and Pet shop boys are back in the spot light thanks to in part by Madonna and Stuart Price

Wrong.

Bands like Jane's Addiction and Pixies were the basis for alternative rock in the mid 80's and early 90's. Nirvana were on the tailcoat of it and just got lucky. What about other bands like Tad, Mudhoney, Soundgarden? Surely far more important than Nirvana?

Christopher Owens wrote:

Richard Latanville wrote: Nirvana singlehandedly changed music in the 90s like the Beatles did in the 60s before it was Rock and Roll. Now grunge is dead, electronic music purveyors like New order and Pet shop boys are back in the spot light thanks to in part by Madonna and Stuart Price

Wrong.

Bands like Jane's Addiction and Pixies were the basis for alternative rock in the mid 80's and early 90's. Nirvana were on the tailcoat of it and just got lucky. What about other bands like Tad, Mudhoney, Soundgarden? Surely far more important than Nirvana?

and Captain America, Melvins and Sonic Youth.

Mudhoney were the best though imo. one of my fave live bands as well as Soundgarden.

J.A.K wrote:

and Captain America, Melvins and Sonic Youth.

True, also don't forget Dinosaur Jr.

Plus, Guns N Roses and Metallica had brought back hard hitting rock music to the mainstream.

J.A.K wrote:

Christopher Owens wrote:

Richard Latanville wrote: Nirvana singlehandedly changed music in the 90s like the Beatles did in the 60s before it was Rock and Roll. Now grunge is dead, electronic music purveyors like New order and Pet shop boys are back in the spot light thanks to in part by Madonna and Stuart Price

Wrong.

Bands like Jane's Addiction and Pixies were the basis for alternative rock in the mid 80's and early 90's. Nirvana were on the tailcoat of it and just got lucky. What about other bands like Tad, Mudhoney, Soundgarden? Surely far more important than Nirvana?

and Captain America, Melvins and Sonic Youth.

Mudhoney were the best though imo. one of my fave live bands as well as Soundgarden.

Mudhoney were ace (I think they're still going?) - still play "Sweet Young Thing Ain't Sweet No More"! :)

I had a ticket to go and see a Sub Pop gig back at the Astoria in London in either '88 or '89 - it was Mudhoney, Tad and (3rd on the bill) was Nirvana... Unfortunately, had the beginnings of a cold that day, so couldn't make it... :(

I remember seeing Nirvana at Reading 92. God, what a show they put on. It made me realise they were the real deal and fantastic live. I personally do think they made people change the way they listen to music or what music they listen to. The quiet verse, loud chorus (AIWWIW a forerunner?) and the whole teenage angst thing. They probably did make it by luck and having the more commercial sound compared with other Seattle bands but I also saw Pavement and Mudhoney at the same show and I thought they were rubbish.

the Style has always been a factor. MTV just made it that much more obvious. In the early 80s, Duran Duran supposedly could track their popularity in America based upon where MTV was being installed.

Trust me record companies will always seize upon a "trend" promote the living hell out of it then go onto the next one.

Tim wrote: Good question! I think the rise of MTV had a lot to do with it. Mainstream suddenly became grunge or that R&B shit, and there was a big growth in dance music that had previously been the domain of the club scene. Plus the deterioration in the significance of the single, the growth of the CD industry and latterly the growth of the internet.

MTV in the early '80s was a treasure trove of new wave music. anyone who made a video got played. i remember lots of devo, pretenders, elvis costello and the like circa '81-'82. true faith was on pretty heavy rotation in '87. now you'd be hard pressed to find a single video amongst all the reality shows and documentaries, unfortunately.

You all forgot Husker Du, the true pioneers. Both the Pixies and Nirvana namechecked the Huskers as being one of the reasons they ever picked up guitars!