Classic Rock 70s 80s 90s 2019 - ~upd~
The journey from the 70s to 2019 shows a genre that refuses to fade. The excess of the 80s gave way to the raw emotion of the 90s, which eventually settled into the revered status of the modern era.
When radio stations updated their playlists in 2019, Pearl Jam’s Ten (1991) and Nirvana’s Nevermind (1991) slotted in right between The Who and The Doors. "Smells Like Teen Spirit" became the anthem of disenfranchised 30-somethings working desk jobs in 2019. Classic Rock 70s 80s 90s 2019
The 80s nearly killed Classic Rock before it was even called that. The rise of MTV, synthesizers, and New Wave forced the dinosaurs to adapt or perish. This decade is the most controversial for purists. The journey from the 70s to 2019 shows
The 80s fused rock with synth textures and glossy production. Music videos became essential, shifting how bands presented themselves. "Smells Like Teen Spirit" became the anthem of
In 1995, the VH1 specials and Rolling Stone lists began systematically ranking the 70s bands as untouchable gods. Led Zeppelin was no longer a band; they were a monument. The 90s did not produce "Classic Rock" in real time; it produced the retrospective lens through which we now view the 70s.
In 2019, Classic Rock was experiencing a massive youth movement. The soundtrack of Marvel’s Avengers: Endgame —the highest-grossing film of all time—featured heavy doses of 70s and 80s rock. The hit Netflix series Stranger Things had successfully introduced a new generation to the synth-rock vibes of the 80s.