Decades of Sound
SPIN x Bose
A new generation of Sublime revisits the ‘90s
SPIN talks to Jakob Nowell, son of the late frontman Bradley Nowell, about the generation that gave us Sublime, grunge, and the Spice Girls.
“Grunge is an offshoot of punk with a different coat of paint.”
“The 90s was my favourite decade of sound and music. From Tool, Beck, A Tribe Called Quest, to Oasis. Oasis is the most influential band on today’s music scene. Though they weren’t my favourite band back in the day, in high school, it was like those songs felt like they’d come out a month ago. They were just so current and relevant, and I feel like they stood the test of time in a different way.”
Griff on the impact of the 2000s
As Griff continues her meteoric rise, we sat down with her to chat about the music that influenced her career.
“I had a very sheltered upbringing... noughties music was getting most raunchy at this point, so, so much of it was forbidden fruit”
“The genre that had the biggest impact on music in the noughties, I'd say, was R&B. I feel like it really peaked then, and it's time to resurrect it. Again, all of the soul, all of the grooves, all of the production, even the arrangements, I just think chords were more adventurous and bridges were a thing back in the noughties. You’d just have a big power bridge that was just key change. R&B brought a lot of life and energy and influenced pop music and other music.”
An indie legend shares his favourite ‘80s tracks
Ben Gibbard shares the artists that made the biggest impact on his career and reveals his favourite one-hit wonders, offering a glimpse into the musical influences that shaped his iconic sound and career.
“All of us that came up as independent artists in the ’90s, we all have Black Flag to thank for all the work they did building this highway and infrastructure of touring.”
Killer Mike on the influence of rock on rap
Killer Mike hails the ’80s as music’s most transformative decade, celebrating its diversity and the transformative influence of rock on hip-hop.
“What Run-DMC did was they took old rock stylings and they reinterpreted them as rap. So when they had the big anthem-like arenas, rap played in arenas.”
“Rock was coming out of a 20-, 30-year domination out of the ’60s, ’70s, and going into the ’80s. But hip-hop took that mantra, it was like a relay race. They took the baton and they carried it all the way through. Appetite for Destruction is one of the greatest albums I’ve ever heard. Master Puppet is one of the greatest albums I’ve ever heard. With that said, those albums had a profound effect on this rapper that sits here before you today.”
The Last Dinner Party’s Georgia Davies declares the ’70s as music’s peak era
Georgia from The Last Dinner Party crowns the ’70s as music’s golden age, when raw creativity and legendary icons reigned supreme.
“Would have loved having no social media. Would have liked the least homophobia and misogyny and racism that were still very much prevalent.”
“I would have loved the idea that the birth of rock and roll was so recent that every idea that I would write is still fresh, and I wouldn’t have to look at the whole of history and like, try and come up with something new. When it’s when it’s all kind of new, that’s that would be really exciting to me.”
The ’80s according to Bad Brains
H.R. from Bad Brains reflects on the influence of Miles Davis on his music and the iconic venue CBGB, where their legendary 1984 performance became a defining moment in the ’80s punk scene.
“My favourite thing about the ’80s was call and response between the band and the audience.”
“The artist who had the biggest impact on my career was Miles Davis. The reason was his ability to be able to play his music with so many different, new instruments. And also his uncomparable ability to have influence with his instrument.”
Featured in this story
