1990s analysis

The 1990s was an incredibly transformative decade for popular music, defined by major technological advancements and its incredible diversity of musical styles, ranging from love ballads to grunge music. Grunge music is a type of alternative rock genre which was a fusion of punk and metal music which had emerged in the mid-1980s and by early 1990s, its popularity had spread to many more places. Grunge bands like Pearl Jam and Nirvana rejected glam rock of the '80s and Alternative rock bands such as The Smashing Pumpkins and Radiohead helped to expand the genre's reach even further. Grunge bands were very successful toward the mid '90s through bands releases such as Nirvana's Nevermind and Alice in Chains' Dirt. In turn, this success of grunge boosted the popularity of alternative rock while also becoming the most popular style of rock music.

Hip-Hop had also grown greatly moving into the '90s. Formerly known as disco rap, hip-hop is a genre of pop music which emerged from the African American community in the 1970s. Artists like Lauryn Hill and Dr. Dre defined the era and it began to dominate mainstream music. Within the style, there was much diversity; ranging from the introspective lyrical mastery of B.I.G's storytelling in Ready to Die to Missy Elliott and Lauryn Hills' blend of soul and R&B with rap music, along with bands like Wu-Tang Clan brought a more gritty tone into the mix.

Pop music reached new heights with the rising of iconic stars and groups; from Boy bands like Backstreet Boys to solo artists such as Britney Spears and Mariah Carey. Groups such as Backstreet Boys and NSYNC captured an audience with their mix of choreography and harmonised vocals while spice girls dominated with their infectious hits such as Wannabe, which became their number one hit upon its release in 1996. Artists like Whitney Houston and Celine Dion captured the hearts of their audiences with much more laid back, ballad style songs through their incredible stage presence and powerful, emotional performances.

1990s Rock and Roll compositional techniques

Alternative song structures

The 1990s gave rise to some more interesting, more experimental song structures which gave some songs a very unique feel. The most commonly used song structure, even today, is the standard verse-chorus (AB) structure. Some 90s songs experimented with adding new sections such as instrumental breaks and extended bridges. An example of this is the song 'Alive' by Pearl Jam (1991) which features an extended guitar solo. Another atypical song structure is known as circular structure, which involves the song being looped with similar progressions and no dramatic chorus shift. An example of this is 'Fade Into You' by Mazzy Star (1993) which keeps a consistent, repeating progression.

Dynamic songwriting

Many bands in the 90s such as Pixies, Smashing Pumpkins and Nirvana helped to popularise the use of quiet verses and louder choruses, creating massive effects on the listener through the contrast. This was especially popular in alternative rock and grunge songs. Another popular dynamic effect was to have gradual increases or decreases in volume, also known as crescendos and diminuendos. This effect was often paired with changes in speed to add emotional depth and complexity to the music in the 90s.

1990s Rock and Roll production techniques

Sequencing

In the early 90s, many producers still relied on the use of hardware sequencers which were often built into synthesisers or drum machines but equally also found as standalone units. Later on, software sequencers and DAWs began to take over and it lead the rise of computer based sequencing, moving away from pure MIDI sequencing.

Example of Cakewalk 5.0 - developed by twelve tone systems. It is a windows-based MIDI sequencer

Autotune and vocal effects

Autotune was invented by Antares Audio Technologies in 1997. It became popular with Cher's 1998 hit 'Believe' was released, where it was used to create a robotic vocal effect. In the early days of autotune, many artists would use it as a subtle pitch correction, usually in professional studio recording environment but towards the end of the 90s, artists began to experiment with using autotune as a stylistic effect on their music. Reverb is another example of a widely used vocal effect, used to give them a spacious, even otherworldly feel and to add depth to their music.

Notable Producers/musicians

Max Martin

Born in 1971, Max Martin is a Swedish producer and songwriter who has significantly impacted the shape and sound of modern pop music. In the late 90s, he rose to fame through his work on hits for popular artists including the Backstreet Boys, NSYNC and Britney Spears. His signature style of polished production and catchy melodies, in addition to emotionally engaging hooks in his music became the foundation for the contemporary pop we know today. With over 25 No.1 hits in his career, Martin has worked with many world-famous artists including Katy Perry, Taylor Swift and Arianna Grande. His ability to adapt to the changes in trends over the years, all while maintaining his own signature sound has made him one of the most successful producers and songwriters in music history.

Technology used in the 1990s Rock and Roll recordings

DAWs

In the early 1990s, many DAWs still heavily relied on dedicated hardware in order to function effectively. Systems like Digidesign Sound Tools and Sonic Solutions were some of the first computer based digital recording environments, which were able to use software systems to operate rather than be reliant on specific hardware. Steinberg Cubase and Emagic Logic, which would later become the Apple Logic Pro we know today, were mainly MIDI sequencers in the early years of the decade but started to integrate many audio recording features.

Multitrack recorders

The 90s gave rise to multitrack recorders which would bridge the gap between digital and analogue technology. The Alesis Digital Audio Tape, known as ADAT for short, was launched in the early 1990s and was a game changer for music production. It was widely used in project studios as it allowed for users to sync together and stack multiple units for 16, 24 and even 32 tracks. Each of these units was made up of up to 8 tracks recorded onto S-VHS tapes.

The Alesis ADAT (1991)

Page updated

Google Sites

Report abuse