The 2000’s Rock Style
The other day I was thinking about this: What band shaped music this decade the same way Nirvana did for the 1990’s? There is no denying that Nirvana inspired possibly hundreds of bands, and rock music for a decade. If they didn’t invent grunge, they certainly made it cool. But grunge as the 90’s knew it died out. Rock music has certainly changed (and NOT for the better). And that’s when I realized it. Nickelback (a band I loathe), shaped rock music for this decade.
Nickelback was around in the 90’s but hit the mainstream with their song, “How You Remind Me” in 2001, which is early enough in the decade to inspire other bands. If you’ll remember, “Smells Like Teen Spirit” by Nirvana came out 10 years eariler, in 1991. Since Nickelback hit the scene, lots of other similar (read: exactly the same) bands started popping up. Here is just a short list:
- Hinder
- Buckcherry
- Breaking Benjamin
- Thrice
- Three Days Grace
- Puddle of Mudd
My next question was Why? Well, much like Nirvana, there isn’t a lot of talent in Nickelback. Say what you will about either band, but their music is not hard to play, nor do/did they have any singing ability. It’s easy to imitate and a lot of bands probably figured if Nickelback can play and make it big, so can they. And then they do.
SO if you are sick of all these crappy sounding bands that all sound exactly the same on the radio, you have Nickelback to thank for it. Comments are open.
To even suggest that Nirvana is anything less than one of the best bands ever, is blasphemy. And I’m fairly certain that comparing Nirvana to Nickelback and saying that Nirvana is untalented are both hanging crimes.
I’d like to know your criteria on determining musical difficulty and singing ability. And while it’s not Beethoven, Cobain’s music tends to have unusual shifts, combinations, and tones that sets the band apart. As far as singing, Cobain’s voice is raw emotion; whether that emotion is angst or misery depends on the song. I think his voice comes across best on their Unplugged album, where there is an ethereal quality to the performance that is just haunting.
You haven’t mentioned Nirvana’s lyrics, but I’ll address them anyway. While they may be simple, they are far from simplistic; there are subtle pop and historical references in some songs and witty word play, alliteration, and complex metaphors.
Nirvana may have influenced legions of imitators, but don’t confuse the followers with the followed. Nirvana was original, talented, and a breath of fresh air.
Thanks for the post, While I was reading it I really did have one of those ‘UH- HUH’ moments.
keep up the good work, thanks!