Metal still existed, with big bands like Pantera, Metallica, Anthrax, and Black Sabbath hammering out their rage in front of sold-out crowds. Ska was doing its own thing off in the corner. As for rock, the heyday of grunge was replaced with navel-gazing alt bands like Everclear and Live. A new generation of country artists had taken over for the old guard and its popularity shot up as Garth Brooks, Shania Twain, Tim McGraw, and countless others popified country-western and traditional fans complained. Bubblegum pop was hugely popular, with Britney Spears and Christina Aguilera controlling the airwaves. Two waves of boy bands had risen, NKOtB replaced by Backstreet Boys and NSYNC. We were raised on classic rock and 80s pop, hair metal, and nudie suit country. There was dramatic evolution in musical genres from the late 1990s to the early 2000s. Nu metal (hyphen optional) was certainly a product of its time, though not the only one. Hot takes and covers of Slipknot, Disturbed, Linkin Park, and the other kings of nu metal are popular enough to surprise folks old enough to forget that teenage anger, angst, and exploration are universal. “ Are You Ready? Gen Z Is Bringing Nu Metal Back” is a shallow dive into the resurgence of nu metal thanks to the Tik-Tok kids discovering the music of their parents’ youth.
An interesting piece in Monday’s New York Times sent me on a journey back in time.
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