While I will leave the actual history of the chart to Billboard's articles (which you can click below), I will offer you my take on the genre, which actually might more be a 'radio format' since Alternative was really a "catch-all" genre bucket as to what originally landed on the chart.
While the chart is thirty years old, Alternative (under many different names) goes back before the autumn of 1988. In fact, many consider the first beginnings of it back in the late 1960's, with acts like Velvet Underground, The Stooges and MC5. You could probably make a case with the garage rock bands of the mid 60's as well. But those acts never really fit in any category, which pretty much was the point. Back then, acid rock, hard rock, heavy metal, introspective singer-songwriter, and glam ruled the airwaves, not to mention pop, bubblegum and the like, much of it schmaltzy. But progressive rock stations played a bit of everything in those days, delving deep into albums, which were in vogue back then.
But as the 70's continued, those playlists of the FM stations became more tight and predictable. Arena rock bands ruled the rock airwaves from the mid 70's on, with acts like Boston, Styx, Journey, REO Speedwagon and the like. Music was getting predicable. Enter the punk rock scene, which I consider the start of what is now alternative music. You know about those early bands like The Ramones, Sex Pistols, Blondie, Talking Heads, Elvis Costello and many others. Punk gave way to New Wave (many of these bands and others fell under that umbrella) and while most of the acts weren't really huge, some of them, such as Blondie, The Police, Talking Heads and others did break through. The Knack broke wide open with "My Sharona" which effective ended the popular reign of disco music in 1979.
New Wave gave way to what the trades called "New Music", much of it labeled as post-punk, synth-pop, New Romantic, or the Second British Invasion. Much of this change in music, around 1982 or so, was brought about by the popularity of MTV. A lot of this dominated late 1982 and '83, with bands like Human League, Duran Duran,, Culture Club, ABC, Dexy's Midnight Runners, A Flock of Seagulls, Men at Work and others. Mainstream album rock stations played these artists eventually, and although they were soon dropped as they were essentially more pop artists than core rockers, acts like U2, INXS, The Fixx, and especially R.E.M. were continued to be played, all those artists did make it into the 1990's still relevant, some even thriving beyond that.
While there was a backlash of sorts with that music in 1984, with pop (Michael Jackson, Prince, Madonna,) and glam metal (Def Leppard, Motley Crue, Bon Jovi, etc) starting to dominate the charts, much of the alternative bands dried up, but many not disappearing. Depeche Mode, Erasure, The Cure, were very popular in the middle to late 1980's, if not actually dominating the charts.
For me, it was finally a chance to jump off the pop bandwagon and try something new. Arena rock was starting to get a bit stale (but still ok, with bands like Van Halen and the second coming of Aerosmith) and was getting trumped by the hair bands, it was time to search for something new. Some radio stations, most notably WLIR out on Long Island were starting to play strictly alternative music. There was one problem though.
Living in Budd Lake, northwest Jersey, I couldn't get WLIR (soon to change call letters to WDRE), unless I got closer to work which was in Roseland at the time. A top 40 station, Trenton's WPST did lean towards Modern Rock (as it was known at the time) and even had a specialty show on weekends, the "Modern Rock dance party".
By the time the Modern Rock Tracks chart debuted in the autumn of 1988, I was ecstatic. Even though I wasn't able to hear the songs on the list (which was at the time, mostly based on college radio stations), I was amazed as to what type of artists were being played. The first number one was "Peek-A-Boo" by Siouxie & the Banshees, a band that originated in the post-punk, new wave arena, but whose sounds became more eclectic, in keeping with the format. And it wasn't all synth-pop. True, Depeche Mode, The Cure, Erasure were there, as were bands like They Might Be Giants and Big Audio Dynamite, but more guitar-based bands were included, like R.E.M., The Smithereens, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Jane's Addiction, The Stone Roses, The Rave-Ups, Happy Mondays, Ned's Atomic Dustbin, to name a few were staring to make inroads. Reggae acts like Ziggy Marley & the Melody Makers were on the chart, as was Jersey-born Joan Armatrading. Some did cross over to became pop hits, such as Tracy Chapman's "Fast Car", and "What I Am" by Edie Brickell & New Bohemians.
But alas, most of the songs I had no access to on a radio station. But then came the summer of 1990. As I had been doing for a few years, I had a share in a beach house at the Jersey Shore with friends, in Belmar. That summer, I was listening to "FM 106.3", "Real Rock Radio", WHTG-FM, which played alternative, past and present, along with some deep Classic Rock tracks. A year later, it evolved into "Modern Rock at the Jersey Shore" and was exclusively alternative. So, for three months out of the year, I at least got to catch up on the Alternative music scene. The following winter, I also joined a ski house in Mount Snow, Vermont and there was a radio station, WEQX which was also Alternative; I was in clover. It didn't matter that I was without it during spring and summer, although I did miss it.
And then came Grunge.
December, 1991 saw "Smells Like Teen Spirit" by Seattle-based Nirvana, scoring a major hit. It was followed by fellow grunge rockers Pearl Jam, Soundgarden and Alice in Chains, and similar bands like Stone Temple Pilots and Bush soon followed. They eclipsed just about all of the arena and hair metal bands in one quick swoop. Mainstream rock stations were playing them as well. Bands like Collective Soul, Lemonheads, Soul Asylum, Green Day and The Offspring were all over. Alternative thus became the mainstream, which was good AND bad. Good, because this music was widely heard, and bad, because it meant the mainstream caught up to what I was listening to. This sort of music became the latest trend in the canon of mainstream rock. Many stations became alternative, such as WRRV in Middletown, NY, and even Top 40 stations like Z-100 in New York leaned alternative. But in doing so, it cannibalized specialty stations like WDRE and thus it became less of an influence. But, FM106.3 and 102.7 EQX were still offering new stuff to listen to beyond it all.
Then, in the summer of 1996, metal band Metallica had a crossover hit with "Until It Sleeps". It was a different sound for them and it justly deserved airplay. But as a result, bands like Rage Against the Machine, Korn, Staind and others were being played on these stations, which was frankly the music I had tried to get away from in the first place. Also, in late 1996, pop music abandoned alternative and went back to danceable pop (Spice Girls and Backstreet Boys, anyone?). New York City finally got an alternative station in "K-Rock" at 92.3, but that was pretty much a farce; it was more of a hard rock station than alternative. In the late 90's, Alternative radio tried to move on with several trends, such as ska (No Doubt, Mighty Mighty Bosstones), swing revival (Cherry Poppin' Daddies, Big Bad Voodoo Daddy, Brian Setzer Orchestra), and electronica (The Prodigy, Chemical Brothers, Fatboy Slim)
, but ultimately, listeners seemed to prefer rap-rock (Rage, Kid Rock) or Nu Metal (Godsmack, Limp Bizkit, Korn) which took things into the early 2000's.
Luckily, real alternative stations started looking for more offbeat, eclectic things again, even embracing singer songwriters, male and female to carry on. FM106.3 became the more commercial, still alternative G106 until the end of 2003 when it became country, but WEQX continued. The "neo-garage" revival featured The White Stripes (whose member, Jack White I credited with "saving rock and roll"), The Strokes, The Vines and the Hives (and later, the Black Keys). The "emo" movement became popular as well, with bands like Jimmy Eat World, My Chemical Romance, Bowling For Soup, and others. Emo, however suffered a backlash, mainly from those nu metal fans, which was fine because they shouldn't have been considered alternative anyway.
As my shore and ski house days ended, I again was without a music source. But by then there was the internet, and access to online charts and alternative websites where I could listen and download new music. By then, my tastes were starting to stray far from the mainline. During the middle and late 2000's, I almost stopped listening to music all together.
Then came Facebook, and by 2010 some great music was coming forth. The Black Keys, part of the neo-garage movement, became big in Alternative circles. Fleet Foxes were awesome, too. All, discovered on my own and by looking at Billboard's charts. Friends, such as Brian Sniatkowski, a longtime alternative fan going back to the late 1970's, featured a "Song of the Week", where I discovered bands like Avi Buffalo, Arcade Fire and MGMT. Websites featured obscure bands worth listening to. Even as rock music became less present in the pop world, some great music was being made if you just dug a little deeper. The last big "trend" in alternative was "indie" music (which, in reality was always the heart and soul of alternative) but "indie folk" was pretty hot in the early 2010's (Mumford and Sons, Lumineers, etc).
All this action was responsible for me to take an active listen to music again, and is the reason why I started this blog. I've been exposed to many new artists and reacquainted myself with older ones. There was even a radio station or two to surface in our area, most recently ALT 92.3, although I mostly listen to Sirius XM's "Alt Nation" or even stream WEQX in the middle of the night while I am working. And while I have also included current pop, country, and even a splash of hip-hop here and there, Alternative will always be where it's at when it comes to current music.
All of the above has been MY take on Alternative music through the decades. For a "definitive" look and to see which songs and artists have had the most impact nationwide, click on these links:
A Look at the Original Alternative Songs Charts in 1988 and How It Relates 30 Years Later
Billboard's Top Alternative Songs of the past 30 years.
Top Alternative Artists of the Last 30 Years
Top 300 Alternative Songs
Long Running Number 1's on Billboard Alternative Chart
CONGRATULATIONS, SHANNON!: A couple weeks ago, I mentioned that Hazelton PA artist and friend Shannon Marsyada had started a Kickstarter fund for an upcoming project. I am happy to say that she had met her goal!!!! A big "thank you" to those who had also contributed to this talent's project. Her new album will be entitled Oceans, and she has also shot a new video for what is presumably her next single. She recently appeared for a couple weeks at Jim Thorpe's (PA) annual Fall Foliage Festival--a place where I originally met her and saw her perform back in 2013. Meanwhile her current single, "Tough Girl" is still in my top 10 at #9 after peaking at #4 a couple weeks ago.
Here is wishing Shannon the best of luck and success with Oceans. I hope to make a trek out west to catch one of her shows soon.
EX'S....and ONE'S: I would also like to think that my SNS 100 has a wide range of music styles, and it is shown again that Elle King grabs her second #1 here with "Shame". The raspy vocalist (and daughter of comedian Rob Schneider) had previously garnered the top spot three years ago with "Under The Influence". "Ex's and Oh's", the song she's still known primarily for, which hit the pop chart at #10, reached #2 here in 2015. The song drops from the top spot this week on the Triple-A chart, but is still climbing Alternative, where it sits at #11.
King ends the five-week reign of Jersey girl Donna Missal as "Keep Lying" drops to #3. The song still hasn't made any chart as of yet, although she is still garnering attending and opening for acts that ARE currently on the chart. Sneaking into the runner-up spot is "All My Friends" by The Revivalists, moving 4 to 2. This was a former Triple-A number one as well. Jerseyans Real Estate move up to #4 with "Time". It's another great song, although the 2017 song didn't impact any charts which may ultimately keep it from the top. Finally, New Jersey makes it a trifecta in the top 10 this week as Spinn's "Crazy For You" moves up from 11 to 10.
Matthew Koma's band Winnetka Bowling League grabs the top 20 Impact Award this week as "On the 5" moves 25-15. It puts Koma in an exclusive club to have made my top 20 both as a solo and as a member of a band. Other in the club: Leila and Omnia Hegazy (Hegazy), Grace Potter (The Nocturnals), Matt Weiss (Off Guard), Brandon Flowers (The Killers), Phoebe Ryan (Town Hall), and Dan Auerbach, who goes it one better landing songs both solo and with two bands, The Black Keys and The Arcs). Also entering the top 20 are Rex Orange County and yet another by Tennis.
DEBUTING: I am excited about the new one by Burlington Vermont's Caroline Rose, "Jeannie Becomes a Mom". "Soul No. 5" reached #37 earlier, but this one should go much higher. This one has a awesome mellotron keyboard sound surrounding Rose's vocals which add up to an exciting song. Look for this one in the top 10 shortly.
Hozier's debut album in 2014 made a lot of noise, sparked by his 2014 crossover hit, "Take Me To Church". That song peaked in the top 5 on Billboard and #2 here on SNS. Taking a page from Elle King, he exceeded his most famous hit here with the SNS #1 "Someone New". The singer/songwriter finally comes out with new product and debuts with "Nina Cried Power". The track, which features Staples Singers legend Mavis Staples, has a lot of heart and soul in it. Hozier puts a lot of emotion into it. Mumford and Sons, which sparked the indie folk trend earlier in the decade, but who had put on a more rock stance in their last outing, are back with "Guiding Light". The rocking aspect is a bit muted on this one but the sound is still there. Minnesota indie folk duo Flora Cash and Israel's Dennis Lloyd enter as well; both are in the alternative top 5 this week as well.
Paul McCartney makes his first SNS appearance as lead artist with "Come In To Me", from this 18th solo album, Egypt Stations. Many are saying it's his best in a long time, and the single is definitely contemporary but keeps the Sir Paul stamp on it as well. McCartney previously appeared on the SNS 100 as featured artists on Rihanna's "FourFive Seconds" which also featured Kanye West. The album debuts at #1, his first to do so since 1982's Tug Of War.
Also debuting are the latest by Twenty-One Pilots' "My Blood" which is much better than the previous "Jumpsuit", and kjband's "Evergreen Girl". The latter is from the studio outfit's "Live" album which is in effect a "greatest hits" set performed live in a studio. Ken Johnston takes the lead vocal on this one, but the song is marked by a cool jam in the song's middle.
CORRECTION: Selena Gomez inches up to #84 this week with "Back to You". The track "debuted" last week at #88. What I forgot was that this should have been a re-entry, as the song spent four weeks this past summer on my playlist, peaking at #90. The "weeks on list" column was corrected to show that activity. You also may have heard that she had to enter the hospital from complications from her recent kidney transplant. She is one of the better pop singers out there these days and I wish her the best.
Scenes ‘n’ Soundwaves 100
October 14 ,
2018| This Week | Last Week | ARTIST-Title | Weeks on List |
| 1 | 2 | NUMBER ONE: 
"Shame"
Album: Shake the Spirit
|
9 |
| 2 | 4 | The Revivalists - All My Friends | 5 |
| 3 | 1 | Donna Missal - Keep Lying | 10 |
| 4 | 5 | Real Estate - Time | 5 |
| 5 | 3 | James Hunter Six - I Don't Wanna Be Without You | 8 |
| 6 | 7 | King Princess - 1950 | 12 |
| 7 | 8 | The Kooks - Four Leaf Clover | 9 |
| 8 | 10 | Nick Waterhouse f. Leon Bridges- Katchi | 6 |
| 9 | 6 | Shannon Marsyada - Tough Girl | 9 |
| 10 | 11 | Spinn - Crazy For You | 9 |
| 11 | 16 | Curtis Harding - It's Not Over | 5 |
| 12 | 9 | Jeff Rosenstock - 9/10 | 8 |
| 13 | 15 | Lord Huron - Never Ever | 6 |
| 14 | 20 | Parquet Courts - Almost Had to Start | 7 |
| 15 | 25 | TOP 20 IMPACT OF THE WEEK:
"On the 5"
Album: Winnetka Bowling League
|
4 |
| 16 | 19 | Anna Calvi - Don't Beat The Girl Out of my Boy | 8 |
| 17 | 28 | Rex Orange County - Loving Is Easy | 4 |
| 18 | 18 | Lucius - Neighbors | 11 |
| 19 | 27 | Tennis - No Exit | 4 |
| 20 | 13 | Greta Van Fleet - When the Curtain Falls | 11 |
|
|
Songs
with the greatest increase in favorite points over the prior week.
● Songs
with 25 or more plays on my iPod.
▲ Songs with 50 or more
plays on my iPod.
The “Scenes ‘n’ Soundwaves 100” is a list
of current and recent song playlist which I am listening to.
No comments:
Post a Comment