1. 1990’s
The Electronic Age

2. What’s Happening in the 90s?
1990’s = electronic age
World Wide Web changes communication forever
By ’ million online; ’ million
TV in 98% of households by ’98
’90 - S. Hussein invades Kuwait - Gulf War
’93 - war in Somalia; trying to oust Warlord General Adid
'94 - overthrow of military dictatorship in Haiti

3. What’s Happening in the 90s?
’ ,000 US Troops sent to Bosnia - NATO Peacekeeping
’99 - US joins NATO in airstrike against Yugoslavia to halt government’s policy of ethnic cleansing in Kosovo
Sex scandal in the military - “Tailhook affair” - Navy & Marine officers were accused of sexually abusing 26 women
President Clinton accused of sexual misconduct. Narrowly escapes impeachment for perjury & obstruction of justice

4. VIOLENCE!
’92 - S. Central LA rioted after 4 white policemen were acquitted of charges after beating a black motorist - all of which was caught on video
’93 - 1st World Trade Center bombing
’95 - OJ Simpson is tried for the murder of his wife and white boyfriend - points out continual racial division in the country

5. VIOLENCE!
’95 - Bombing of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal building in OK City - US Army vet Timothy McVeigh
Between Feb. ’96 and April ’99 - at least 14 school shootings. Most lethal on Apr 20 ’99 at Columbine HS in Littleton, CO. 14 students and 1 teacher were killed, 23 wounded

6. Good
Minimum wage increased to $5.15/hr
Stock market reaches all-time high
US hosts the Summer Olympics in Atlanta in ’96
Historic
July ’90 - American Disabilities Act - protects rights of Americans with physical or mental disabilities

7. Historic (continued)
9/93 - “Don’t ask, don’t tell” - keep sexuality hidden in the military
’93 - Gordon Shaw - Mozart Effect. Some music improves test scores by as much as 30% if you listen continuously
12/31/99 - US returns control of Panama Canal - ends 85 years of US control
Brady Bill - 5 day waiting period when purchasing a gun
CD burners commonplace - Napster, Kazaa offer online file sharing

8. Alternative... again!
Roots back to the 80s college scene - REM, The Smiths, The Cure
Local groups: The Throwing Muses (Newport, RI); The Pixies (RISD) - have a huge influence on Nirvana
Jane’s Addiction - Perry Farrell (lead singer) creates Lollapalooza as a “going away tour” for J.A.
Other touring festivals from the 90s - Lilith Fair - celebrates female musicians; Oz Fest - metal bands; Warped Tour - punk bands

9. Alternative... again!
Hole - Courtney Love (Kurt Cobain’s girlfriend, later wife)
The Breeders - bass player from the Pixies with her sister
Alternative definitions: 1 - underground and independent music that challenges the status quo; 2 - music industry’s term to denote the various choices available (need to identify and exploit new trends)

10. Alternative... 60’s inspired
Phish: extended approach of Grateful Dead
wove Rock, Folk, Jazz, Country, Bluegrass & Pop into their music)
Very devoted to improvisation
Blues Traveler, Dave Mathews Band: provide optimistic, energetic open-minded alternative to nihilism and self-absorption of other alt. bands

11. Grunge
Grows out of alternative - Grunge is a lifestyle, Alternative is a look and sound
Originates in Seattle, Washington
Considered the last great Rock form to emerge; since then, guitar-driven rock has fallen off
Posters were the advertising choice (similar to the 60s); artistically awesome, but if you don’t see one, you don’t know about the shows

12. Grunge
Influences: Glam, Punk (urgency & dissatisfaction), Alternative, and Heavy Metal
Rebels agains music industry
Early grunge groups: SoundGarden, Alice in Chains, Stone Temple Pilots, Pearl Jam and Nirvana
The movie Singles brings Grunge to national attention

13. Nirvana Biggest group out of the grunge scene.
“Smells Like Teen Spirit” is their most popular song. From Nevermind album
Kurt Cobain = new voice of the generation
Commits suicide on the way to becoming the “John Lennon of Gen X”
Lyrics puts into words a discontented, disconnected, and disinterested youth culture
Inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in (first year of eligibility) continue

14. “Smells like teen spirit” Lyrics
Load up on guns
Bring your friends
It's fun to lose and to pretend
She's overboard, self assured
Oh no I know, a dirty word
Hello, hello, hello, how low [x3]
Hello, hello, hello
With the lights out, it's less dangerous
And I forget just why I taste
Here we are now, entertain us
Oh yeah, I guess it makes me smile
I feel stupid and contagious
I found it hard, it was hard to find
Oh well, whatever, nevermind
A mulatto, an Albino
A mosquito, my libido, yeah
Hey, yay
I'm worse at what I do best
And for this gift, I feel blessed
Our little group has always been
And always will until the end
A mosquito, my libido
A denial, A denial, A denial, A denial, A denial
A denial, A denial, A denial, A denial
Songwriters: Chris Novoselic / David Grohl / Kurt Cobain
Smells Like Teen Spirit lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc
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15. “New” Country
Big boost from the FCC’s “Docket 80-90” that led to addition of more FM stations to rural and suburban areas
Became worldwide phenomenon thanks to Garth Brooks - he broke records for sales & concert attendance through the 90s
Dixie Chicks became one of the most popular female country bands in the 90s and early 2000s. Debut album Wide Open Spaces was certified platinum (12x)
Country artists: Shania Twain, Trace Adkins, Tim McGraw, George Strait, Billy Ray Cyrus, Vince Gill, Faith Hill

16. Punk
Punk has many different sounds in the 90s. Not “in your face” like it was in the 70s/80s… (Whiny)
‘93 - Green Day was signed to a major label. The following year, they put out their album Dookie - sold over 9 million albums in 2 years
Formed ’87 - Billie Joe Armstrong (vocals/bass), Mike Dirnt (bass/vocals), Tre Cool (drums) and Jason White (guitar/vocals)
Other punk bands: The Offspring, No Doubt, NOFX
Ska punk bands: Sublime, Mighty Mighty Bosstones, Reel Big Fish, Less Than Jake

17. Alternative Folk, Hip-Hop & Country
Folk - Ani DiFranco - resisted the lure of corporate music business; created the independent label “Righteous Babe Records”
Song “Not A Pretty Girl” - blends progressive outlook of urban folk music with the rebellious energy of alt rock - demonstrates that social injustice registers in mind but also in heart
Performances can be very small, informal
Also in alt. folk: Tracy Chapman, Jewel, Indigo Girls

18. Hip-Hop - Lauren Hill - self-conscious alternative to violence & sexism of Dre, Biggie and Tupac
Blends rap, reggae, and R&B
Country - K.D. Lang - involved in scandal: “Meat Stinks” campaign with PETA. She was played heavily in “cattle country” and her partnership with the campaign led to radio stations boycotting her music
Also announced her homosexuality - helped her career - “icon of lesbian chic” and crossed over to adult contemporary pop

19. Adult Contemporary Pop
Biggest success story of the 90s - women!
Don’t have to be a sex star to perform!
Jewel - b: Jewel Kilchner 5/23/74. Debut album Pieces of You - one of the best selling debut albums of all time (15x platinum); most popular song “Who Will Save Your Soul”
Alanis Morissette - b: 6/1/74. 7 Grammy awards. First album Jagged Little Pill released in ’95 sold more than 33 million copies
Other A.C. artists - Sheryl Crow, Tori Amos, Joan Osbourne, Melissa Etheridge, Sarah McLachlan, Ani DiFranco

20. Teen Pop
Early 90s - genre takes a back seat to grunge and gangsta rap that crossed into the main stream
Mid 90s - teen pop makes a comeback with artists: The Spice Girls, Hanson, Britney Spears, Christina Aguilera, Destiny’s Child, Jessica Simpson
Very popular for a few years. A few things led to the demise:
over saturation of teen pop music
considered inauthentic and corporate fodder
fan base is growing up; tastes changing
other genres gaining popularity

21. Boy Bands
Groups of teenage or early 20-somethings that sing vocals only - no instruments (back-up bands)
Starts in late 80’s with New Kids on the Block, Menudo (Ricky Martin), and Boyz II Men
90s boy bands: ‘N Sync, Backstreet Boys, Westlife, 98*
These groups were usually put together by a manager for the sole purpose of making money. Kids were chosen not on talent, but many times by their looks
Boy bands along with Teen Pop fills a void for a genre that identifies with younger kids
BRIT POP: Oasis, Blur, Radiohead

22. Electronica / Techno
Techno is advancing with the computer technology that it is made with
Multiple genres of electronica / techno: Darkwave/Goth = synthpop + industrial; Yazoo = blues + synthpop; Trance = meditative; Drum & Bass = emphasis on rhythm structure and bass hits
90s Techno artists: Prodigy, Chemical Brothers, Moby

23. New Metal (Nu Metal)
Anthrax was the 1st - joined Public Enemy to remake “Bring ‘Da Noise”
Combines metal with hip-hop, hardcore punk, and grunge
Leads to a resurgence of old Heavy Metal groups. Ozzy founds Oz Fest - combines old groups with new
Tagline: “Bringing Metal to the Masses”
Influential bands: Korn, Deftones, Staind (from MA!), Limp Bizkit, Godsmack, and Slipknot
Marilyn Manson comes out of Oz Fest (shock rock) - due to his lyrical content, he gets blamed for the Columbine Massacre - the 2 students were fans of his

24. Cover vs. Tribute Bands
Tribute band: plays music of a well-known act (only one) that usually has disbanded or stopped touring. Example: Elvis impersonators, Badfish (Sublime)
Cover band: plays songs by many artists.

25. Swing Revival
Beginning of the revival is credited to Royal Crown Revue and their song “Hey Pachuco” featured in The Mask, starring Jim Carrey
Other movies Swing Kids and Swingers helped bring the genre to national attention
Other bands: Brian Setzer Orchestra, Big Bad Voodoo Daddy, Cherry Poppin’ Daddies, Squirrel Nut Zippers
Ska-punk bands came out of this genre: Mighty Mighty Bosstones and Hepcat - combine ska and punk with a prominent brass section

26. World Music
What is it? It’s what the other 80% of the world’s population listen to
Large portion is played on traditional instruments, but Western instruments such as guitar and bass have worked their way in during the 2nd half of the 20th Century
1st introduced into Rock and Roll by Paul Simon’s Graceland - included multi-cultural rhythms and percussion; Carlos Santana

27. Celtic / Irish - Chieftains, Clancy Brothers, Gaelic Storm, The Prodigals, Flogging Molly
Riverdance gave a huge boost to Celtic music in the US. Grossly popular when it came out. Led to a boom in Irish Step dance classes
French - Gypsy Kings
Russian - Limpopo
African - Babatunde Olatunji, Lady Smith Blackmambazo
Middle Eastern - Ravi Shankar
Native American - Ulali, John Rainer Jr.

28. Babatunde Olatunji April 7, 1927 - April 6, 2003 - from Nigeria
Read in Reader’s Digest magazine about the Rotary International scholarship and applied - he was accepted and traveled to the US in 1950
Went to college at Morehouse College in Atlanta
released first of 6 albums Drums of Passion - introduced many to world music
Worked frequently with jazz musician John Coltrane - Coltrane helped found The Olatunji Center for African Culture in Harlem

29. Ravi Shankar April 7, 1920 - December 11, 2012 - from India
Sitar player - best known (played Monterey & Woodstock)
Inspired George Harrison to buy a sitar and write “Norwegian Wood”
Harrison studied sitar under Shankar for 6 weeks
Considered the most famous Indian musician ever
Father of Norah Jones