They’re too busy trying to look '80s around here to mock the '90s. Mullets, neon, badly coloured hair, electropop are all HUGE here.
I think the 80s got a double swig of love. I was born in 1980 and graduated in 99. We honestly were a bit too young for 80s nostalgia beyond kiddie stuff.
And yet if you go to any of my friend’s parties “Tainted Love” is bound to be on the soundtrack. We have appropriated another generation’s nostalgia. Maybe this is because our stuff is…less iconic? It’s hard to get nostalgic about “Black Hole Sun.” Or maybe because in the 90s it became more acceptable and “cool” to be part of a subculture, so we have too many ideas aobut the 90s to form a cohesive picture.
I worked with high schoolers for a while and was surprised at how well dressed they all were for their dances. I didn’t remember buying shiny heels and matching purses for informal dances. Then I remembered that we wore Doc Martens, loose flowered dresses and plaid shirts. What an ugly decade!
It’s not like Green Day, Weezer and U2 are still making music…oh wait…nevermind.
I’m 35 so I imagine that kids look at the 80s and 90s the way we looked at the 60s and 70s when we were in high school in the 80s. Some things about the 70s sucked (like Disco) while other things ruled (like Zeppelin). I’m sure kids today think many things about the 90s ruled (like Grunge music) and other things sucked (like Nu Metal).
I think what actually happens though is when you go to college, everything from high school becomes lame, however anything from about 10 years before high school becomes “classic” or “retro”. But then a few years after you graduate college, everything from high school becomes cool again. Maybe it’s just me. I started college in 1991, which basically was the start of the whole grung/alt rock thing. So really the start of college coincided with a total cultural shift in style, music, fashion and attitude.
Do kids finally think Nu Metal sucks? I figured the current kids would have adopted it as “old school” and cool. I feel like most of them probably haven’t heard grunge, or think of it as their parent’s music.
While we’re somewhat at it, how in HELL did Travis Barker become cool? When I was in high school you would’ve gotten your ass kicked (ok, picked on at the very least :)) for listening to Blink182, and now I can’t open my eyes without seeing half a dozen of that idiot’s tshirts, backpacks, stickers, etc.
In Britain and Ireland many '90s Britpop bands are still very popular at indie discos and the like. Pulp, Oasis, Blur etc. would be regularly playlisted.
noddle When I go out, I regularly find myself dancing to music and going “Oh, yeah, I love this song, I’ve always loved this song ever since – oh, my Jesus, holy shit this came out when I was fourteen.”
My 17-year-old SIL’s favorite band of all time is, in fact, Blink182. I think they have some good songs, but favorite band of all time? 