I Love the 90's?

Wham. Pat Benetar. Devo.  Air Supply.  Katrina and the Waves.   The wonderful world of 80's music.  I admit it - I love 80's music.  And when you say 80's music, almost everyone knows what you mean.  Sure, there was some punk rock, and glam rock, but it that was a part of the 80's music phenomenon, much like disco defined the 70's.  In addition to the music, the economic boom of the 80's translated it into be the "me" decade, which prompted lots of wealth creation and consumerism (the economist in me rears its ugly head occasionally - sorry).  Remember the "Material Girl?"

Four years after the close of the decade, VH1 has already produced several episodes of "I Love the 90's".  What artists are featured?  How about Cypress Hill, Garth Brooks, Nirvana, Celine Dion, and Brittney Spears?  Yep.  See any similarities between their music?  Nope, me neither.  I can't deny that there was some great music made in the 90's, especially with the emergence of the Seattle grunge scene the introduction of the passionate, emotional, female vocalist (Tori Amos' Little Earthquakes is still one of my favorite albums).  The key word to describe 90's music is eclectic.  There is no common sound to the 90's, and that is not necessarily a bad thing.  Some listened to grunge.  Some to country. Some to boy bands (yes, Hanson counts).  Unlike the 80's, which has spawned dedicated dance nights at clubs across the country, I don't see the same thing happening with 90's music.

Maybe I am in denial because I feel like the 90's weren't that long ago and to remember them as a 'decade in history' means I am somehow old.  Maybe it's because my friends and I were so obsessed with 80's music during our high school and college years in the 90's that the Billboard 80's collection (1983 rules!) were played more often in our car stereos than Arrested Development or Hootie and the Blowfish.

Long live the 1990's.  It was a great decade, though don't trivialize the music of the decade by calling it all 90's music.