Did (Glam) Music Really Lose Its Heart?

This week at Pilates, each day has been a “decades” theme. So Monday was 6os, Tuesday 70s, and so forth. Today was 90s. I wore a Metallica T-shirt and a flannel to match the theme. I wore a Def Leppard shirt for 80s day.

Anyway, I was selecting my hand weights before class, and a woman complimented me on my Metallica shirt. I thanked her, and then she said, “I was class of ‘84. I would have preferred the 90s. Loved the rock music. 80s music just lost its heart and soul.”

I’ll be the first to agree that Glam music is definitely commercial. There’s a reason why songs that were massive hits in the 1980s are still beloved today. - and used in commercials and movies endlessly. That said, I don’t think it is fair to say the music was “soulless” by the time grunge took over. I’ve always thought the switch was just a natural progression of tastes. One group ages out of high school and college, and the next follows, and along with it, new music, clothes, slang, and all the rest.

Folks could point to a late-era Glam band like Tuff and say, “See, it was just cookie-cutter with no creativity. That’s why they didn’t have big hits.” I’m not sure that’s fair. I have always believed the musicians in any band - but especially the ones who got signed and made it on MTV - were inherently creative and passionate about their craft.

Did Nirvana kill the endless party? Somewhat, but it wasn’t overnight.

Did Glam bands change their sound to match changing trends? Yes. See Def Leppard’s Slang, Motley Crue 94, and Winger’s Pull.

Did these Glam artists still care about their music? Of course, or they wouldn’t have bothered to adapt.

Did grunge artists pour their souls into their work, too? Of course they did.

Anyway, never forget. “Hair metal” lasted way longer than grunge… and people still love both genres today. Nothing soulless about that.