Mid-90s: RATM and Weezer’s Blue Album

As the 1990s progressed throughout time, the musical world slowly evolved away from the pop-like sounds of the 80s and standard bubble-gummy sound that bands from hair metal were making widespread. Bands adopted a much heavier sound which became widely popular in mainstream music. As time progressed the 90s transitioned into a music style that was more heavy within the lyrics yet had a lighter happier sound. While we got a glimpse of some of this heavier sound with bands such as Nirvana, I think it is even more accentuated in the mid-1990s with other bands. And, the 90s returned to talent which is mighty refreshing!

A prime example of this early anger would be Rage Against the Machine (RATM) where they began to merge the profanity and style of heavy 80s rap, the anger of pure rebellion, with crazy guitar/bass chords. The constant pounding of the beat along with this dynamic yet heavy countermelody makes me simply want to bang my head to the rhythm. While their hit single “Killing in the Name” is definitely one of the most rage filled songs I’ve heard in a while (which would make sense given the band name), it still had great appeal to me. I felt a side of me come to life from within that felt like pure rebellion. I also feel that the arc of the song was dynamic enough to keep the audience engaged throughout the entire work.

Another band that was probably even more influential on history than RATM would be Weezer. Weezer arguably has influenced a lot of modern day music through its unique style that made them ultimately stand out. The Blue Album is a very interesting piece of work. For some reason a lot of their songs sound familiar but this might due to the fact that they so greatly impacted current music styles. I would say that Weezer has a lighter feel than RATM but still utilize heavy guitar/bass sounds among a fast-paced beat throughout many of their songs. What I especially enjoy about Weezer is that I am able to actually understand what they are saying even though they are able to also maintain a relatively loud and intense countermelody. They seem to like to alternate and contrast between this heavy bass with lighter more pop-oriented vocals. I think this makes their music have a wider appeal to audiences and is probably a cause of why they became so widely popular. For the audiences that love a sick beat or a wicked guitar melody, they deliver. For audiences that love the pop feel of lighter vocals and catchy verses, they deliver.

I’d like to spend the rest of this blog talking about the Blue Album by Weezer because there is just so much to listen for in their music! I love how the contrast they emit throughout their songs. If you were to just listen to the main countermelody without lyrics, you would probably classify it as standard classic rock (although I’m also hearing influences of indie rock styles in the mix). The lyrics resemble the lightheartedness of bands from decades earlier in the 60s. The lyrics remind me of the Beatles because they discuss innocent topics such as love yet there is a certain level of skill that went into composing the message. The lyrics are meaningful yet simplistic and ultimately add another side to their songs. They lyrics on other levels are actually sad. They are intellectual yet self-deprecating. Weezer is able to apply a positive connotation to some lyrics that are actually quite depressing. It is simply mind-blowing how they are able to so greatly contrast. The songs and messages off the Blue Album can be relatable and I feel that many others would also have this opinion about the music.

During this time we also see the mild influences of the underground seen in which indie rock was just starting to bubble to the surface. I hear a lot of influences blended together in Weezer including the Beatles and even grunge artists. They somehow adopt the lighthearted feel of pop bands and mix them with the heaviness of earlier 90s bands such as RATM. Weezer is definitely an influential and talented band. Compare RATM’s single to some of Weezer’s: