Grunge, pop-punk and the 1990s, and popular music from 2000

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Chapters 17 and 18Grunge, pop-punk and the 1990s, and popular music from 2000GrungeBy the late 1980s, audiences were beginning to tire of the highly produced synth-pop sound, and a new wave of DIY guitar-based bands rose to prominence . Among these was the Seattle-based band Sonic Youth (pictured right).

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Getty Images/Redferns/Ebet RobertsNirvanaSonic Youth were very supportive of other Seattle-based bands. Among these was Nirvana (pictured right). Led by cult figure Kurt Cobain, Nirvana quickly rose to international stardom thanks to their album Nevermind and its hit song Smells Like Teen Spirit.


Getty Images/Martyn GoodacrePop-punkNirvana spearheaded a movement known as grunge. Like punk in the 1970s, grunge rebelled against commercial rock. Regarded as too extreme by some mainstream audiences, a more commercially acceptable form which maintained the energy was pop-punk.

Pop-punk was personified by Green Day (pictured right) and became popular after 1994.


Getty Images/Catherine McGannRadioheadOne of the more interesting and eclectic bands from the 1990s was Radiohead (pictured right). Their style was described by some as progressive punk, and they have been compared with Pink Floyd. Karma Police typifies their sound.


Corbis/Dennis Kleiman/Retna Ltd.Australian alternative rockAustralian bands adopted the pop-punk style with considerable success. Among these was Melbourne band Jet (pictured right) with its song Are You Gonna Be My Girl.


Getty Images/Bryan BedderPopular music from 2000As popular music moved into the new millennium, no major new style emerged. Rather, existing styles continued to fracture to produce many new sub-genres. One of the more intriguing and controversial artists to emerge has been Lady Gaga (pictured right).


Shutterstock.com/DfreeTeen popA new teen pop sound emerged, performed by artists such as Britney Spears (pictured right) and Miley Cyrus. This new teen pop style can be traced back to the sound of the Spice Girls in the late 1990s.


Shutterstock.com/Helga EstebThe singer-songwriterA more mature singer-songwriter style is personified in the music of K. D. Lang (pictured right).


Dreamstime.com/SbukleBritish bandsBritish bands remain popular, and Coldplay (pictured right) has dominated the international airwaves throughout the new millennium.


Getty Images/Justin GoffAustralia from 2000In Australia, female artists such as Kasey Chambers represents the blurring of styles and genres as she crosses over from country into mainstream popular music. This is most apparent in hits such as Not Pretty Enough.


Getty Images/Marc GrimwadePendulumYet another Australian band drawing international attention is Pendulum (pictured right). From Perth, they combine electronic dance music with mainstream rock to produce a commercially successful cross-over dance music style.


Getty Images/Samir HusseinSummaryWhile distinctly new popular music genres are yet to emerge in the new millennium, the face of popular music is changing. Reverence for music of the past is strong, but the way people access music is changing the face of the music industry. There is no doubt that popular music will continue to evolve, from the sound of the music, to the way it is produced and consumed.


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Grunge, pop-punk and the 1990s, and popular music from 2000