Recently I've been in an extremely sentimental and reflective mood and today for some reason I began (I guess it has been for those 311 and REM threads that I've posted) thinking about what was the last true defining year of music...
I began thinking of which year did some of the most significant/influential albums were all released w/in the span of 12-months, events that transpired from major concerts to even tragedies..... I gathered from all that thinking that the last "true defining" year of music was '94.....
All intents and purposes '94-'95..... That was during my Senior Year HS (so perhaps I'm more partial to that for how crucial that year was in my life in general), however, it's evidence by all of this......
First, what "landmark" albums were released during that period? There are several (just to list a few to provide some insight) Some arent landmarks, but quite memorable...
1) "Superunkown" - Soundgarden
2) "American Thighs" - Veruca Salt
3) "Dookie" - Green Day
4) "Smash" - Offspring
5) "Vitalogy" - Pearl Jam
6) "Jar of Flies" - Alice-in-Chains
7) "Purple" - STP
8) "Mellow Gold" - Beck
9) "Throwing Copper" - Live
10) "Awake" - Dream Theatre
11) "Blue Album" - Weezer
12) "Bake Sale" - Sebadoh
13) "Chocolate & Cheese" - Ween
14) "Cracked Rear View" - Hootie & The Blowfish
15) "Parklife" - Blur
16) "Definitely Maybe" - Oasis
17) "The Downward Spiral" - NIN
18) "Dulcinea" - Toad The Wet Sprockett
19) "Korn" - Korn
20) "Ill Communication" - Beastie Boys
21) "John Henry" - They Might Be Giants
22) "Let's Go" - Rancid
23) "MTV Unplugged" - Nirvana
24) "Too High To Die" - Meat Puppets
25) "Portrait of an American Family" - Marilyn Manson
26) "Robbin' the Hood" - Sublime
27) "Sixteen Stone" - Bush
28) "Youthanasia" - Megadeth
29) "Twice Removed" - Sloan
30) "Under the Pink" - Tori Amos
31) "Whip-Smart" - Liz Phair
32) "Under The Table And Dreaming" - Dave Matthews Band
33) "Brandy" - Brandy
34) "The Crow" - Soundtrack
35) "Grace" - Jeff Buckley
36) "Ruby Vroom" - Soul Coughing
37) "Monster" - REM
38) "No Need To Argue" - The Cranberries
39) "Ready to Die" - Notorious BIG
40) "Live Through This" - Hole
41) "Thug Life: Thug Life Vol. 1" - Tupac
42) "Four" - Blues Traveler
43) "Far Beyond Driven" - Pantera
44) "CrazySexyCool" - TLC
45) "Stranger Than Fiction" - Bad Religion
46) "Crooked Rain, Crooked Rain" - Pavement
Lord.. there were several of course a lot more.... Several songs such as "Plowed" by Sponge, "Possum Kingdom by Toadies.. just to name a few....
There was the huge event of The Eagles reuniting for "Hell Freezes Over" and of course who can forget Woodstock II?
Unfortunately, there was the tragedy of the death of Kurt Cobain and everything surrounding it.....
To me personally it was the last "vital" year of music and pretty much everything has gone downhill for the most part... The 2 years that since have nearly approached those heights/levels (but not quite) were 1997 and 2001...
I began thinking of which year did some of the most significant/influential albums were all released w/in the span of 12-months, events that transpired from major concerts to even tragedies..... I gathered from all that thinking that the last "true defining" year of music was '94.....
All intents and purposes '94-'95..... That was during my Senior Year HS (so perhaps I'm more partial to that for how crucial that year was in my life in general), however, it's evidence by all of this......
First, what "landmark" albums were released during that period? There are several (just to list a few to provide some insight) Some arent landmarks, but quite memorable...
1) "Superunkown" - Soundgarden
2) "American Thighs" - Veruca Salt
3) "Dookie" - Green Day
4) "Smash" - Offspring
5) "Vitalogy" - Pearl Jam
6) "Jar of Flies" - Alice-in-Chains
7) "Purple" - STP
8) "Mellow Gold" - Beck
9) "Throwing Copper" - Live
10) "Awake" - Dream Theatre
11) "Blue Album" - Weezer
12) "Bake Sale" - Sebadoh
13) "Chocolate & Cheese" - Ween
14) "Cracked Rear View" - Hootie & The Blowfish
15) "Parklife" - Blur
16) "Definitely Maybe" - Oasis
17) "The Downward Spiral" - NIN
18) "Dulcinea" - Toad The Wet Sprockett
19) "Korn" - Korn
20) "Ill Communication" - Beastie Boys
21) "John Henry" - They Might Be Giants
22) "Let's Go" - Rancid
23) "MTV Unplugged" - Nirvana
24) "Too High To Die" - Meat Puppets
25) "Portrait of an American Family" - Marilyn Manson
26) "Robbin' the Hood" - Sublime
27) "Sixteen Stone" - Bush
28) "Youthanasia" - Megadeth
29) "Twice Removed" - Sloan
30) "Under the Pink" - Tori Amos
31) "Whip-Smart" - Liz Phair
32) "Under The Table And Dreaming" - Dave Matthews Band
33) "Brandy" - Brandy
34) "The Crow" - Soundtrack
35) "Grace" - Jeff Buckley
36) "Ruby Vroom" - Soul Coughing
37) "Monster" - REM
38) "No Need To Argue" - The Cranberries
39) "Ready to Die" - Notorious BIG
40) "Live Through This" - Hole
41) "Thug Life: Thug Life Vol. 1" - Tupac
42) "Four" - Blues Traveler
43) "Far Beyond Driven" - Pantera
44) "CrazySexyCool" - TLC
45) "Stranger Than Fiction" - Bad Religion
46) "Crooked Rain, Crooked Rain" - Pavement
Lord.. there were several of course a lot more.... Several songs such as "Plowed" by Sponge, "Possum Kingdom by Toadies.. just to name a few....
There was the huge event of The Eagles reuniting for "Hell Freezes Over" and of course who can forget Woodstock II?
Unfortunately, there was the tragedy of the death of Kurt Cobain and everything surrounding it.....
To me personally it was the last "vital" year of music and pretty much everything has gone downhill for the most part... The 2 years that since have nearly approached those heights/levels (but not quite) were 1997 and 2001...
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