Tito wrote:Ehwmatt wrote:Ya know Tito, when it comes down to it, whatever cheese factor was involved in the AOR of the 80s is offset by the high level of talent that was present across the board in most of the popular AOR bands.
There is some good music from the 90s goin strong, generally the groups that had a strong sense of melody, good vocals, harmonies, etc... like the Gin Blossoms. Just saw them a couple weeks ago and they were great.
Where at though? I know some still tour but they are not in the mainstream if you will. There isn't a major clamoring for that era. Hell, how many 80's compliations are there, just in the last 2 or 3 years alone. Nevermind, the last decade or so. There are very few 90's compliations. I would even submit there are more songs from the early 90's leftover melodic/hair metal era on compilations than the main genre of the 90's. Grant it those songs (hair metal) are usually on the 80's or related compilations but still.
In addition, as far as touring, how many tour packages focus on the 90's. I can't think of one. But, every year there are mulitple 80's related packaged tours...although I've noticed the number has slightly dwindle the last couple of years it seems.
As far as cheesy, don't read my more detail review of THTS above.
One thing you are forgetting is that the generation that grew up with '90s music isn't quite to the point where they are going to go out and drop dime on 90s compilations and what not. We don't have the money to... yet! I was born in 86, grew up with all the stuff from the '90s, the good and the bad. I still have all my original albums. Factor in the fact that the CD/record industry virtually died as we came of age and the digital phenomenon, and we may never see compilations like that for 90s music. Plus, 90s pop music was arguably more fragmented than the 80s scene with hip-hop, grunge, and other subgenres of pop music coming into their own. The 80s wasn't homogeneous by any stretch, but there's a certain unity you hear even stacking up a midtempo Survivor song vs, say, a Van Halen song.
Most of my friends don't own entire Gin Blossoms, Pearl Jam, Vertical Horizon, Hootie Albums etc., they already downloaded the songs they want from Limewire or (unlikely) bought the songs they wanted off of iTunes. You're never going to be able to compare the two eras going down that path I don't think. As for tour packages, like you (I think) alluded to, many of the biggest '90s acts are either dead or broken up for the time being.
Groups like Soundgarden, No Doubt, and Hootie are broken up (I think No Doubt may be reuniting, not sure). Alice In Chains is perhaps among the first of the 90s to enlist a hired gun lead singer after Layne Staley OD'd. They gig and are in the studio recording as we speak. Once reunions and/or replacements begin happening, I wouldn't be shocked to see 90s tour packages start cropping up in another 7-10 years when my generation is aging a bit and starting to get the nostalgia bug (and money to satisfy it through purchasing compilations/concert tickets/etc).
And a point I want to make sure isn't lost in all of this, there is no questioning the fact that the '80s acts in general just had more talent as a whole. Doesn't mean there weren't excellent bands in the 90s though.
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