The Police
REM
Soul Asylum
Sonic Youth
The Smiths
Talking Heads
U2
10,000 Maniacs
INXS
Depeche Mode
Crowded House
The Cure
....as a few key examples.
Here's the background, and why I'm asking.
I'm an avid music collector, with a collection of thousands of digital music files. Over the years, the majority were ripped from my own personal CD collection, with some added from iTunes, and others acquired from others, file sharing services long gone, etc.
Occasionally, I share and/or send parts of my collection (especially the new acquisitions) with some friends, relatives, etc.
One of these is a neighbor, who is as big of a nerd as I am, and constantly gives me some lighthearted grief about how I choose to categorize my music, and assign them genres. Among other things. I usually don't care what he says, and how he classifies his files once I give them to him, but this time he crossed a line.
Over a few (maybe too many) beers earlier today, we got into a nice little debate on whether the category of "Alternative" music should exist or not. Which I couldn't really believe that he believed. He doesn't think that "Alternative" deserves its' own genre, and that most of these bands really just belong to a "Rock", "New Wave" or "80's Pop Music" category.
All of which I sort of consider as valid categories on their own, but not for these bands, and their unique sound they represented.
My own thought, and how I classify the music of these bands, are as "Alternative".
To me, it's those band from the late 80's and early 90's, who broke away from Rock, Pop and also New Wave music, with their more "folkish-punkish-coffe shop-very early start of Americana" sounding sound. And the movement only lasted until about 1995 or so, bridging between the 80's and 90's, when lots of other sounds started to emerge on their own (ie. Americana, post rock, grunge, electronic, etc.)
So let me know what you think, and help me settle the debate. And go back, next time we're together for a beer, and either set him straight, or admit I was wrong.
Yes, yes....I understand this is a first world problem.
And TIA for your opinions....
Another sidenote:
Another yes, yes..... for those of you who want to change the topic of the thread, I am fully aware of all the streaming music services, that have likely replaced digital file-sharing in many of your minds. And there is no need to try and convert this "semi-old", to go 100% over to using only those channels instead of maintaining my own digital file collections. I'm already a user of some those as well, use them for my own purposes of discovery and trying out music before I acquire it, etc. But I will never be a user anywhere near the level and scale of my own digital file library, for my own personal reasons and opinions.
REM
Soul Asylum
Sonic Youth
The Smiths
Talking Heads
U2
10,000 Maniacs
INXS
Depeche Mode
Crowded House
The Cure
....as a few key examples.
Here's the background, and why I'm asking.
I'm an avid music collector, with a collection of thousands of digital music files. Over the years, the majority were ripped from my own personal CD collection, with some added from iTunes, and others acquired from others, file sharing services long gone, etc.
Occasionally, I share and/or send parts of my collection (especially the new acquisitions) with some friends, relatives, etc.
One of these is a neighbor, who is as big of a nerd as I am, and constantly gives me some lighthearted grief about how I choose to categorize my music, and assign them genres. Among other things. I usually don't care what he says, and how he classifies his files once I give them to him, but this time he crossed a line.
Over a few (maybe too many) beers earlier today, we got into a nice little debate on whether the category of "Alternative" music should exist or not. Which I couldn't really believe that he believed. He doesn't think that "Alternative" deserves its' own genre, and that most of these bands really just belong to a "Rock", "New Wave" or "80's Pop Music" category.
All of which I sort of consider as valid categories on their own, but not for these bands, and their unique sound they represented.
My own thought, and how I classify the music of these bands, are as "Alternative".
To me, it's those band from the late 80's and early 90's, who broke away from Rock, Pop and also New Wave music, with their more "folkish-punkish-coffe shop-very early start of Americana" sounding sound. And the movement only lasted until about 1995 or so, bridging between the 80's and 90's, when lots of other sounds started to emerge on their own (ie. Americana, post rock, grunge, electronic, etc.)
So let me know what you think, and help me settle the debate. And go back, next time we're together for a beer, and either set him straight, or admit I was wrong.
Yes, yes....I understand this is a first world problem.
And TIA for your opinions....
Another sidenote:
Another yes, yes..... for those of you who want to change the topic of the thread, I am fully aware of all the streaming music services, that have likely replaced digital file-sharing in many of your minds. And there is no need to try and convert this "semi-old", to go 100% over to using only those channels instead of maintaining my own digital file collections. I'm already a user of some those as well, use them for my own purposes of discovery and trying out music before I acquire it, etc. But I will never be a user anywhere near the level and scale of my own digital file library, for my own personal reasons and opinions.
