Why do people blame Nirvana for killing Hair Metal?

~~Soulflower~~ · 10-01-2014, 06:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Psy-Fi

Good indeed!

lol

Musicwhore A-Z · 10-01-2014, 02:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Soulflower

It is a pretty well established music cliche which is why I really wanted more info about it since this is a rock oriented forum.

How would you define grunge music? Can you post some examples? When I looked some info on the genre I notice there are apparently sub genres within grunge itself.

I always thought KISS and hair metal was corny not sure why some rock fans are mad that it died off. It is actually good that it did...

Believe it or not 'Soulflower' KISS was a huge influence on MANY of the bands from Seattle. By the same token, some of the 80's rock bands tried to somewhat distance themselves from KISS so as not to be associated with a "70's band". Unfortunately, rightly or wrongly KISS decided to ride the coattails of the same bands that THEY obviously influenced during the "hair metal" era. Go figure (

). Just thought I'd clarify that. Great thread.

~~Soulflower~~ · 10-01-2014, 08:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Musicwhore A-Z

Believe it or not 'Soulflower' KISS was a huge influence on MANY of the bands from Seattle. By the same token, some of the 80's rock bands tried to somewhat distance themselves from KISS so as not to be associated with a "70's band". Unfortunately, rightly or wrongly KISS decided to ride the coattails of the same bands that THEY obviously influenced during the "hair metal" era. Go figure (

). Just thought I'd clarify that. Great thread.

Thanks!

I think KISS is an outrageously overrated band and I don't like Gene Simmons. It is interesting you think this way. In what ways do you feel Grunge bands were inspired by them? I don't see it.

Urban Hat€monger ? · 10-01-2014, 08:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Soulflower

Thanks!

I think KISS is an outrageously overrated band and I don't like Gene Simmons. It is interesting you think this way. In what ways do you feel Grunge bands were inspired by them? I don't see it.

Hard to Believe: A Kiss Covers Compilation - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

**Janszoon** · 10-01-2014, 08:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Soulflower

I think KISS is an outrageously overrated band and I don't like Gene Simmons.

I completely agree with you on both fronts.

The Batlord · 10-01-2014, 01:53 AM

Maybe middle-aged dudes who never let go of their mullet still say that, but the only people I ever hear saying grunge killed anything are the whiny tools who bitch about it killing thrash metal. As if it wasn't a genre which had already been stale for several years.

Forward To Death · 10-01-2014, 03:51 AM

Probably because they were the most prolific band of the sub-genre that took over rock after hair metal was starting to die off. I don't think they killed it, hair metal was becoming popular in the early half of the 1980s, and if you consider it an extension of glam rock even longer than that.

Grunge and hair metal aren't really all that different. Alice In Chains actually started out as a hair metal band in the late 80s.

~~Soulflower~~ · 10-01-2014, 05:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Forward To Death

Probably because they were the most prolific band of the sub-genre that took over rock after hair metal was starting to die off. I don't think they killed it, hair metal was becoming popular in the early half of the 1980s, and if you consider it an extension of glam rock even longer than that.

Grunge and hair metal aren't really all that different. Alice In Chains actually started out as a hair metal band in the late 80s.

It definitely is heavily influenced by it but they sound very different

**Janszoon** · 10-01-2014, 06:51 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Soulflower

Hey Music banter I am feenin for some music knowledge. As you guys know Rock is not really my forte so I wanted to get some info. I commonly hear Nirvana is the blame for the decline in Hair Metal in the late 80's and I wanted to know your opinion on it. I always thought Hair Metal was a fad that had already declined by the time Nirvana really became popular which was in the early 90's.

Let me explain this by way of my firsthand experience: I started high school in the fall of of 1991 and at that time the biggest, most popular new music among my classmates was Guns 'n Roses simultaneous album releases of Use Your Illusion I and Use Your Illusion II and the Van Halen song "Right Now". Nobody in my high school except myself and my friends listened to alternative music at all. Then Nirvana's "Smells Like Teen Spirit" came out, and at first it was only popular among my friends, but suddenly it spread like wildfire, in a way that was completely unprecedented for an alternative type song to do at the time, and by the time winter rolled around everyone at my school loved Nirvana. After that came groups like Pearl Jam and the hair metal and hard rock that had totally dominated the consciousness of my classmates rapidly began to fade away. It was really pretty incredible how fast it happened. In retrospect, hair metal was kind of running out of steam, and changing to be a lot less flashy, by the time Nirvana came along, but it's definitely true that "Smells Like Teen Spirit" was the thing that really knocked it out of the game.

~~Soulflower~~ · 10-01-2014, 06:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Janszoon

Let me explain this by way of my firsthand experience: I started high school in the fall of of 1991 and at that time the biggest, most popular new music among my classmates was Guns 'n Roses simultaneous album releases of Use Your Illusion I and Use Your Illusion II and the Van Halen song "Right Now". Nobody in my high school except myself and my friends listened to alternative music at all. Then Nirvana's "Smells Like Teen Spirit" came out, and at first it was only popular among my friends, but suddenly it spread like wildfire, in a way that was completely unprecedented for an alternative type song to do at the time, and by the time winter rolled around everyone at my school loved Nirvana. After that came groups like Pearl Jam and the hair metal and hard rock that had totally dominated the consciousness of my classmates rapidly began to fade away. It was really pretty incredible how fast it happened. In retrospect, hair metal was kind of running out of steam, and changing to be a lot less flashy, by the time Nirvana came along, but it's definitely true that "Smells Like Teen Spirit" was the thing that really knocked it out of the game.

Thanks!

I was listening to that song yesterday and I really like it!

The music video is interesting as well lol

Why do you think Grunge music had such a short run? Do you think it made a negative impact on rock music overall?

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10-01-2014, 03:51 AM	#7 (permalink)
Forward To Death Trolier Than Thou Join Date: Mar 2012 Location: Minnesota Posts: 1,336	Probably because they were the most prolific band of the sub-genre that took over rock after hair metal was starting to die off. I don't think they killed it, hair metal was becoming popular in the early half of the 1980s, and if you consider it an extension of glam rock even longer than that. Grunge and hair metal aren't really all that different. Alice In Chains actually started out as a hair metal band in the late 80s.