Was 1992 one of the Greatest Years for Rock Music?

If you like any type of rock music, then you will definitely agree that the early 90's was a great time for your ears. The Britpop scene was exploding in the UK, whereas on the other side of the Atlantic, Grunge was taking over the world and the sounds of Seattle were traveling to every corner of the world.

It was a time where a new style and sound was taking over the album charts, leaving behind the pop beats and boy bands that were dominant for so long. Good looks were being replaced by good music, and the carefully manufactured and sometimes over the top looks of the 80's was finally coming to an end.

If the 1980's was full of electric keyboards, bad dances, really bad clothes and even worse haircuts, then the 1990's was something like a breath of fresh air. The music was more raw and energetic, and had a real badass feel about it, as though it really meant something to the artists that performed it. The kids of the 90's had their own soundtrack to their generation, and many people who were teenagers during that decade, still listen fondly to the albums that they grew up with.

It is similar to the 1960s where people grew up with The Beatles and The Rolling Stones as the soundtrack to their lives. The 1990s gave that generation their very own unique sound, and many bands that came out in that decade have stood the test of time, even if many of them are no longer together, making music or even alive. The tragic deaths of lead singers Kurt Cobain and Layne Staley (both dying on the same day 8 years apart) and Chris Cornell are prime examples of the talent lost.

The Hits of 1992

There were so many exceptional albums released during the early 1990s, probably none more so than in 1992. That was truly an amazing year for rock music, with some groundbreaking albums being released such as the debut album by Rage Against the Machine, Dirt by Alice in Chains, Angel Dust by Faith No More, Core by Stone Temple Pilots, and many others.

Some of these albums have truly stood the test of time, and sound as good today as they did almost 30 years ago. The Dirt album by Alice in Chains was the follow up to their debut album Facelift, and included some of their most famous tracks such as Down in a Hole, Would and Rooster. This album is considered by many to be one of the most important albums of the Grunge era, along with Nirvana's Nevermind, Pearl Jam's 10 and Soundgarden's Badmotorfinger. The whole Seattle scene was thriving at this point in time, and musical history was being made.

There was of course other music released in 1992 by various artists including Michael Bolton, Kenny G, Madonna, Céline Dion and many others.

Moderate Success

However, not everything released would be the success that we know it is today. A number of albums and singles completely flopped. Some artists were never heard of again, while others had some moderate success, but nothing close to the levels that they would achieve a few years later.

One track that is synonymous with the 1990's is Creep by the British band Radiohead. This track became an anthem during that decade, but its original release in September 1992 on the band's debut album Pablo Honey, was only a moderate success.

It wasn't until the track was re-released a year later in 1993 that it exploded and became a huge hit across the globe. The success turned Radiohead into rock superstars and their unique post-grunge / alternative rock became another sound that defined the era.

The track Creep is one of Radiohead's most famous, and is a popular track covered by aspiring artists. You can find the guitar chords online if you do a quick search for "Radiohead - Creep Parlophone". It is not too difficult and is one that many people try to learn. There are of course many other chords for Radiohead tracks but this is easily one of the most popular.

Over the past few decades, there hasn't really been anything similar to the music that was created during the early to mid-1990s. The sounds of UK bands such as Radiohead, Oasis and Blur, and American bands such as Nirvana, Pearl Jam and Alice in Chains has unfortunately not been replicated.

Though there are some new rock bands coming through with their own sounds and musical styles, they don't seem to have the impact, both musically and emotionally and some of the bands from the 90's. Whether or not there will ever been another rock explosion like that of three decades ago remains to be seen, but even if there isn't, at least we have a wonderful archive of amazing music that will last us a lifetime.