| Some of the most innovative, original and inventive | | | | decade of the twentieth century and a band from |
| music has come about in the recent past. The 1990's | | | | Berkeley, California called Green Day were at the |
| were an era of musical experimentation, and many of | | | | front of that trend. Green Day are typically attributed |
| those experiments worked well and changed the | | | | with helping along the movement of a subset of |
| music scene for today. However, much like with any | | | | punk music called pop punk. Pop punk is a very apt |
| musicians in the modern era, these pioneers of the | | | | title because the style combines the lyrics and |
| 1990s were influenced by sitting on a piano stool or | | | | rhythm of pop music with the guitar and general |
| piano bench cushions. Yes, nearly all musicians are | | | | tough attitude of punk music. Other pop punk bands |
| influenced by classical music. The 1990s was the start | | | | that were popular in the 1990s were Blink 182 and |
| of the grunge trend and brought in a new era for | | | | The Offspring, each with their own specific style |
| punk music in which punk attitude, lifestyle and music | | | | within the genre of pop punk. |
| went mainstream for the first time. Lastly, the 1990s | | | | Rap was also an important part of the 1990s music |
| were an important era for rap music, and essentially | | | | revolution. Rap was a young genre at the time and |
| when rap was brought to the fore as a mainstream | | | | there were not many established rappers that most |
| and universally accepted genre. | | | | of the country would be able to recognize. However, |
| As mentioned previously, grunge was a big music | | | | that all changed in the nineties. Tupac and Notorious |
| genre at the start of the decade. Some of the most | | | | BIG started a rivalry in rap music that would turn into |
| famous bands from that time period were classified | | | | an all out war between the East and West coasts |
| as grunge when they first came out. Kurt Cobain and | | | | with the casualties being the rappers themselves. |
| his band Nirvana started this trend. Later they were | | | | Nobody really knows how the fighting started but |
| followed by other bands such as Pearl Jam and the | | | | the two rap moguls began taunting each other, with |
| Smashing Pumpkins. According to music experts, | | | | each rap basically daring the other to do them one |
| grunge is characterized by heavy fuzz used as a | | | | better. The rivalry caught the attention of the |
| sound effect and lots of distortion of the guitars | | | | country and after a while even most of suburban |
| sound. Also, there is a certain style associated with | | | | America had chosen a side in the east coast versus |
| grunge that generally includes flannel shirts and a | | | | west coast scuffle. |
| typically deadpan stage presence, devoid of the | | | | Despite what some critics may say, the 1990s were |
| theatrics of the hair bands of the 1980s such as Van | | | | one of the most important and revolutionary eras in |
| Halen and Kiss. | | | | modern music. The last part of the last century |
| Punk rock also became popular again in the last | | | | paved the way for music of this century. |