Blogs

How Will We Categorize Our Current Decade of Music?

We all know that the 70s was the decade of classic/arena rock, the 80s was the decade of hair metal/synth pop and the 90s was the decade of grunge/alternative rock. This brings up a question that a lot of music lovers must wonder: how will we categorize our current decade of music?

It's funny how music tends to change every generation. The 70s was the era of classic rock where groups such as Led Zeppelin, Aerosmith and Lynyrd Skynyrd took over the entire music scene. Next up was the 80s, where both hair metal rockers such as Guns 'N Roses, Def Leppard and Bon Jovi reigned, along with glamorous pop icons such as Madonna and Cyndi Lauper. The music scene changed from more laid-back, mellow classic rock to loud metal riffs and techno-sounding pop beats, and society's wardrobe changed from bellbottoms and beads to leather and lace.

Lynyrd Skynyrd


Next came the 90s alternative grunge rock era. Suddenly, it didn't matter what you looked like or how you could sing. The rock star criteria no longer meant that you had to belt out high notes like Bon Jovi and Madonna, or wear fancy leather and lace. As long as you had a distortion petal, could scream bloody murder and had a few ripped jeans and torn flannel shirts on hand, you fit right in. Artists such as Nirvana, Pearl Jam, Alice in Chains and Soundgarden soon took over the airwaves, "making Seattle the new Los Angeles," as Kurt Cobain once stated.

Nirvana


So with all this sound and attire change every ten years, what words would we use to categorize our current decade of music? Is it the generation of emo rock because of artists such as Fall Out Boy, Panic! at the Disco and Metro Station? Has the grunge rock 90's look transformed into the emo rock attire of the 2000s? It seems as though skinny jeans and half parted bangs look has taken over the majority of the music youth culture in society these days.

Fall Out Boy


What about pop rockers such as The Killers and Maroon 5? Is this generation geared more toward pop rock as opposed to hardcore edgy rock and roll? Or perhaps rock music has taken a backseat to pop icons such as Britney Spears and Justin Timberlake? It seems as though in the 90s, the Seattle rockers took over the MTV and VH1 spotlight. Now, not only has music television transformed into reality television, but when it does air music, it seems to be more focused towards either emo rock, pop icons, or hip hop artists.

It's no question that hip hop music is another genre that has taken over the charts throughout the past eight years. In the year 2000, Eminem's The Marshall Mathers LP sold over 9 million copies in the US, and Nelly's debut Country Grammar sold over 6 million. Alternative hip hop also made its way into the music scene, with artists such as Mos Def and The Roots.

Nelly


So is hip hop the dominating genre that has taken over the music population throughout the past eight years? Is our decade of music going to be known as the decade of hip hop because of all the artists in that genre that have topped the album charts? Or does rock music still have some sort of effect on today's music scene?

What about other big rock bands of the 2000s such as Coldplay, Linkin Park and the White Stripes? What category would they fall under?

It's entirely possible we may not be able to categorize our current decade of music until we're already well into the year 2010 and beyond. Then maybe we can look back on the last 10 years and sum it up into one category that best describes the entire decade. To a lot of music lovers, it may seem as though music went downhill after the 80s and 90s, but then again, most people have a tendency to favor the generation of music that they grew up listening to.

Story and photos by Rachel Burke

Comments, please...