VMAS 20 years ago (1995 / 1996)

[wahkeenasitka 1,995]

Everybody on GGD is talking about last night's VMAs, and why the ratings went down & all the bad performances, and how everything became so centered around ONE queen bee artist. 

And I am going to make the case that the reason why the VMAs sucked is because of lack of diversity. 

VMAS 2016: Beyonce, Rihanna, Britney, Ariana, Nicki........... 

Let's compare this to the golden age of MTV's VMAs in 1995 & 1996....... Look at the DIVERSITY of music styles, genres, and NOT ONE SINGLE ARTIST DOMINATING. 

VMAS 1995: 

Taken from: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1995_MTV_Video_Music_Awards

Video of the Year

TLC – "Waterfalls"

Green Day – "Basket Case"

Michael Jackson and Janet Jackson – "Scream"

Weezer – "Buddy Holly"

Best Male Video

Tom Petty – "You Don't Know How It Feels"

Chris Isaak – "Somebody's Crying"

Elton John – "Believe"

Lucas – "Lucas with the Lid Off"

Best Female Video

Madonna – "Take a Bow"

Des'ree – "You Gotta Be"

PJ Harvey – "Down by the Water"

Annie Lennox – "No More I Love You's"

Best Group Video

TLC – "Waterfalls"

Green Day – "Basket Case"

The Rolling Stones – "Love Is Strong"

Stone Temple Pilots – "Interstate Love Song"

Best New Artist in a Video

Hootie & the Blowfish – "Hold My Hand"

Jeff Buckley – "Last Goodbye"

Des'ree – "You Gotta Be"

Filter – "Hey Man, Nice Shot"

Portishead – "Sour Times (Nobody Loves Me)"

Best Metal/Hard Rock Video

White Zombie – "More Human than Human"

Green Day – "Basket Case"

Meat Puppets – "We Don’t Exist"

Stone Temple Pilots – "Interstate Love Song"

Best R&B Video

TLC – "Waterfalls"

Boyz II Men – "Water Runs Dry"

Michael Jackson and Janet Jackson – "Scream"

Jade – "5-4-3-2 (Yo! Time Is Up)"

Montell Jordan – "This Is How We Do It"

Best Dance Video

Michael Jackson and Janet Jackson – "Scream"

Paula Abdul – "My Love Is for Real"

C+C Music Factory – "Do You Wanna Get Funky"

Montell Jordan – "This Is How We Do It"

Madonna – "Human Nature"

Salt-n-Pepa – "None of Your Business"

Best Alternative Video

Weezer – "Buddy Holly"

The Cranberries – "Zombie"

Green Day – "Basket Case"

Hole – "Doll Parts"

Stone Temple Pilots – "Interstate Love Song"

---------

Even though some of these people didn't win, they nominated Jeff Buckley!!!! Portishead! PJ Harvey! The Cranberries! Hole! Stone Temple Pilots! Annie Lennox! Weezer! Bjork! 

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And in 1996, when I was a junior in high school, That was the year of SMASHING PUMPKINS. REAL MUSIC. 

1996 VMAS: 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1996_MTV_Video_Music_Awards

Video of the Year

The Smashing Pumpkins – "Tonight, Tonight"

Bone Thugs-n-Harmony – "Tha Crossroads"

Foo Fighters – "Big Me"

Alanis Morissette – "Ironic"

Best Male Video

Beck – "Where It's At"

Bryan Adams – "The Only Thing That Looks Good on Me Is You"

Coolio – "1, 2, 3, 4 (Sumpin' New)"

R. Kelly (featuring Ernie Isley and Ronald Isley) – "Down Low (Nobody Has to Know)"

Seal – "Don't Cry"

Best Female Video

Alanis Morissette – "Ironic"

Björk – "It's Oh So Quiet"

Tracy Chapman – "Give Me One Reason"

Jewel – "Who Will Save Your Soul"

Best Group Video

Foo Fighters – "Big Me"

Bone Thugs-n-Harmony – "Tha Crossroads"

The Fugees – "Killing Me Softly"

Hootie & the Blowfish – "Only Wanna Be with You"

Best New Artist in a Video

Alanis Morissette – "Ironic"

Tracy Bonham – "Mother Mother"

Garbage – "Stupid Girl"

Jewel – "Who Will Save Your Soul"

Best Hard Rock Video

Metallica – "Until It Sleeps"

Alice in Chains – "Again"

Marilyn Manson – "Sweet Dreams"

Rage Against the Machine – "Bulls on Parade"

Best R&B Video

The Fugees – "Killing Me Softly"

Toni Braxton – "You're Makin' Me High"

Mariah Carey and Boyz II Men – "One Sweet Day"

D'Angelo – "Brown Sugar"

Best Rap Video

Coolio (featuring L.V.) – "Gangsta's Paradise"

2Pac (featuring Dr. Dre and Roger Troutman) – "California Love"

Bone Thugs-n-Harmony – "Tha Crossroads"

LL Cool J – "Doin' It"

Best Alternative Video

The Smashing Pumpkins – "1979"

Bush – "Glycerine"

Everclear – "Santa Monica"

Foo Fighters – "Big Me"

Best Video from a Film

Coolio (featuring L.V.) – "Gangsta's Paradise" (from Dangerous Minds)

Brandy – "Sittin' Up in My Room" (from Waiting to Exhale)

Bush – "Machinehead" (from Fear)

Adam Clayton and Larry Mullen, Jr. – "Theme from Mission: Impossible" (from Mission: Impossible)

Breakthrough Video

The Smashing Pumpkins – "Tonight, Tonight"

Björk – "It's Oh So Quiet"

Busta Rhymes – "Woo Hah!! Got You All in Check"

Foo Fighters – "Big Me"

Garbage – "Queer"

Radiohead – "Just"

-------------------------------------------

Let me reiterate, yet again, that modern pop music of 2014 / 2015 / 2016 is really centered around super banal, basic pop princesses. And there's just no diversity. It's become SO BORING. Especially when you compare it to the DIVERSITY of genres, styles, artists, performers and amazing musicians who were promoted 20 years ago. 

The 90s was a golden age for music. That's all I'm saying. 

[The Surrealist 27,470]

So many amazing artists. Chris Isaak und Beck. 

[Stephen 30,431]

"REAL MUSIC!!"

[Chic 20,830]

I hope when I'm that old I'm not pretentious or uneducated enough to label anything "real music"

Premise is decent, terminology sucks

2/10

[Runway 27,876]

Madonna, MJ, TLC, Janet Jackson

20 years later we have Halsey  

[xeynuraf 191]

Even when you look at the first mtv on youtube it was full of a wide range of Big stars of all styles ages and genres. Is sad where pop is right now. Vmas will die eventually. Is not the biggest event like it was back then. I think i heart radio awards and billboard awards will get bigger with time although the pop scene will not get any better. 

[Brian Ryan 1,468]

20 years ago... people bought music, R&B music was mainstream, Rock was more mainstream, and millions weren't on their laptops doing other things. MTV adjusted with the times. No one cares about a TRL when there's youtube. Stay in the now.

[xeynuraf 191]

4 minutes ago, BrianxRyan said:

20 years ago... people bought music, R&B music was mainstream, Rock was more mainstream, and millions weren't on their laptops doing other things. MTV adjusted with the times. No one cares about a TRL when there's youtube. Stay in the now.

Staying in the now and mtv's progression is not necessarily better. I think that is the point of the post.

[Bear 7,515]

I wouldn't use the term real music (Ari, Nicki etc all make real music) but I get your point.

The VMA's back then focused on the music and the celebration of music, whereas these days all they care about is how to get the biggest ratings- which ironically has led them to lose ratings. They need to realize that they are a music awards show and not a feud/gossip/cheap entertainment news company. 

 

[Brian Ryan 1,468]

Just now, Bear said:

I wouldn't use the term real music (Ari, Nicki etc all make real music) but I get your point.

The VMA's back then focused on the music and the celebration of music, whereas these days all they care about is how to get the biggest ratings- which ironically has led them to lose ratings.

 

 

Or people just not interested in award shows. All around the impact and audience of award shows is the not same 10 years, especially not 20 years ago.... no matter who is on the stage.

[BornSimon 4,818]

You can't compare the 90s to what we have nowadays. In the 90s music was culture while now it's, for the most part, like McDonalds. You use it once, then throw it away, and that is why very few songs turn into classics. Just look at the number of classics we have from the 90s and the number of classics we have nowadays. Everything moves way too fast.

[xeynuraf 191]

Maybe the big wigs at this event think that they should focus on teens turning the vma into teen choice awards. No variety.

[wahkeenasitka 1,995]

2 minutes ago, BornSimon said:

You can't compare the 90s to what we have nowadays. In the 90s music was culture while now it's, for the most part, like McDonalds. You use it once, then throw it away, and that is why very few songs turn into classics. Just look at the number of classics we have from the 90s and the number of classics we have nowadays. Everything moves way too fast.

well it goes back to the premise of my "I hate pop music" thread the other day - pop music in 2015 / 2016 is focused on blockbusters which the music industry hopes is going to yield the most amount of attention / money... for example Adele's Hello. That's what the focus is on now, how many sales, rather than quality & diversity of talent. 

[Brian Ryan 1,468]

5 minutes ago, Bear said:

I wouldn't use the term real music (Ari, Nicki etc all make real music) but I get your point.

The VMA's back then focused on the music and the celebration of music, whereas these days all they care about is how to get the biggest ratings- which ironically has led them to lose ratings. They need to realize that they are a music awards show and not a feud/gossip/cheap entertainment news company. 

 

 

Just like then.... just like now they picked the people that were selling records. All of those artists were heavily popular. It may have went down in ratings. It's still virtually the most talked about thing on Twitter, Youtube, Facebook, and other things. The night still was about the vmas and whatever else people were doing.

[Swan Heart 7,382]

Björk, Alanis, The Smashing Pumpkins, Beck, Radiohead, Marilyn Manson, Garbage....

Now that would be one hell of a show.