You Gotta Pick it Up!

The 1990s were a strange time, looking back. It was so strange that there was nostalgia for it mere seconds after it ended, but does that mean they were all that good? Though those of us who lived through the decade think of it in one of two ways (the first of many bland decades to come, or the last bastion of originality) the truth is that through the first half of it a lot of interesting things were happening both in the mainstream and in the underground that affected many people's lives in ways it still does to this day. So in many ways, the 1990s never really went away, unlike, say, the 1950s or 1980s which faded pretty fast after the decades' end.

We take some of it for granted now, but those in Gen Y, due to their long memory and nostalgia obsession, managed to keep most of what happened in the forefront of our minds even during the emptiness of the '00s. This laser focus has done a few things, some of which is positive, such as preventing cheap nostalgic cash-grabs from taking root and having as much of an effect as it has for said above decades, and to keep the past constantly in mind so that it can be taken forward by those who would want to. In many ways, the 1990s was the last decade to really have any character at all, which is why it is remembered so clearly by so many.

The 1990s never really went away, even during a period (the '00s) where it was uncool to even so much as smile or have fun. 1980s nostalgia has since returned to freshen the landscape up a bit, but it was due to the constant counter-cultural act refusing to let the 1990s die that anyone could put their mind in a framework that would allow them to accept the past. Remember, we're only supposed to be blindly marching forward. The more were pushed forward and told we ca't look back, the more we are going to fight against it and do just that.

This is why as long as Gen Y is alive the 1980s and 1990s will never really go away. It's the last reminder from the generation of when things were stable, yet there was something new and exciting awaiting around every corner.

Take for example, Ska music. If you are a '90s kid you are having one of two reactions, either rolling your eyes, or nodding your head as the memories and sounds of this forgotten genre fill your brain. In the era of the transition from cassette to CD, the strange surging sounds of Alternative, New Jack Swing, and Third Wave Ska, made the decade a lot more interesting for pop music, at least until the late '90s suddenly banned all three from the radio overnight.

However, as stated above, the 1990s never really went away, but those paying attention did take notice when things they enjoyed were suddenly and unceremoniously thrown away for things that were 180 degrees its opposite. That's how you went from positive and fun music like ska to negative and abrasive stuff like Nu Metal by the end of the negative, and almost overnight.

But we should start from the beginning.

Though it began in Jamaica in the late 1950s/early 1960s (before Reggae!) and was popularized by such artists as Prince Buster, Desmond Dekker, and the Skatellites, influenced by Jazz, R&B, and local Mento music, Ska really managed to hit mainstream influence during the shift from Punk to New Wave in the late 1970s and early 1980s. This was one of the last periods Punk was doing anything interesting and the addition of a dance groove to the then-fresh 1950s Rock n' Roll revival sound gave it an even more energetic flow. This era was known as Two Tone: the second wave of Ska. Being the child of so many disparate styles is what makes the genre so fascinating for those listening, especially how it clicked with the normal working class who loved music they could blow off steam to, and is a shame that it is looked down on by so many today.

An example of Two Tone:

The first two waves never really died out, they just waned in popularity, but they were the base for what came in the late '90s. You see, despite the popularity of the genre, it never really affected the mainstream all that much. That was, until the late 1980s. While Metal and good Rap were on the radio, the underground was starting to get weird again, despite its initial stale nature throughout most of the decade. Punk was quickly realizing it was getting too far up its rear, its sound was getting too formulaic and tired, and few bands out there were anything close to the fresh and exciting sounds of the 1970s Punk bands. Aping Black Flag, Bad Religion, and the Descendents first two albums incessantly, would eventually smother the genre into bland pop punk and badly dated hardcore ranting, but for now there were those looking for another way. The genre needed something new, a kick in the pants to remind them that the genre was more than what it became.

Enter Third Wave Ska.

As said before, the first two waves never really died. Through the 1980s there were bands still playing both styles, including groups such as The Toasters, Bim Skala Bim, or Bad Manners, even as big Two Tone groups such as The Specials or The English Beat broke up, or others such as Madness moved on to New Wave and more mainstream pop. At the same time, new bands such as Fishbone and Operation Ivy formed that had the spirit of Punk, but added the dancibility of Ska, adding a whole new edge to the genre and adding fresh new sounds to the landscape. This new underground sound began to tickle the fancy of this getting tired with the endless nihilism and whining of the then-modern Punk scene, and by the decade's end, Ska had flowered into a sensation into the radar of the mainstream. Despite what you might have heard, it did not happen overnight.

In this writer's opinion, it was the shot in the arm both genres needed for the time, as Ska had been treading water for a few years and needing a jolt of energy, and Punk was starting to feel the hyper-serious and joyless weight bands such as Bad Religion and Black Flag had put on it. If you go back and listen to the Two Tone or Punk of the mid-80s, it's pretty bland stuff and easy to see why they only fell further to the fringes. This was the rejuvenating boost both needed to finally reclaim the fun they'd been missing for near a decade.

While Punk would eventually shed Ska, and a segment of the scene always hated it, and kill itself in the '00s, Ska would spread to other countries and continue to flourish as an underground style. If anything, the 1990s was exactly what the genre needed to get its head on straight again.

I recently watched a documentary centered on this weird part of pop culture where Ska broke out big in the late '90s. Called Pick it Up: Ska in the '90s this piece was made to finally document this odd time in pop culture and perhaps give some context to all this madness. The story itself is fairly interesting, and more or less an example of the last pre-Clear Channel musical style allowed to actually gain natural popularity. There is a reason for that, and the documentary waste no time getting to the point within the first few minutes.

The very first thing that is brought up those who were there at the time was that it made them feel good. This is important to the genre's success. The positive vibes, the energy, and the fun, was what made it click with so many listeners and caused so many bands to form back in the time when the scene had nothing else going for it. There was something in the air that connected with a lot of people at the time and wanted them to spread positivity instead of the negativity the 1980s scene had fostered by the end of the decade. Just like in the mainstream, where exciting things were happening, the underground also wanted to have good vibes. And they did, for the first and only time since.

In this context, it's easy to see how Ska grew from underground sensation to mainstream explosion, especially in the sunny times of the early to mid '90s where arts and entertainment was still at high quality threshold. It was also the perfect music for Gen Y kids, and for those who simply felt good about where they were in life. It should be remembered that things were looking up at this time, whether accurate to reality or not, and the belief that things would only ever get better was the highest it had ever been, and will ever be again. Positive music would only match that feeling, unlike the dour Grunge scene that died out within the first two years of the decade. Gen Y didn't want any of that: they wanted to dance!

This is a bit hard to understand now, since there hasn't been a musical movement since Ska described as "fun" or "positive" in a very, very long time, but the reason the genre blew up was because it was the quintessential '90s attitude in spirit, or at least what the younger Gen Xers and Gen Y kids thought at the time. Things were looking up, and they wanted music to reflect it. Just seeing it from this angle gives the genre explosion that came out of it a lot of context.

However, as suddenly as it came, by the end of the 1990s, 2000, it was over. You could blame overexposure, but the fall happened so suddenly and abruptly that it was almost comical. '80s Metal and the Grunge scene didn't die overnight, it took a few years for them to vanish from the mainstream. But Ska? Suddenly you couldn't play an upstroke or a horn without the payola dregs radio DJs throwing your album out the window, unlistened. While the constant play and overexposure from MTV and radio was part of the fall that only tells half the story of what happened. Now, in 2020 it is next to impossible to find anyone, especially Millennial and younger that even know what the genre is. Then again, they probably don't know what MTV or Rolling Stone magazine is anymore either.

But we'll get to that.

The documentary goes on to describe much of the music scene at the time of the late 1980s and early 1990s, including how most of the Third Wave bands formed, why kids dressed up for shows, and what exactly is that crazy dance they do and where did it come from? There's some good information for those completely unaware of the genre such as what's the difference between a Rude Boy, Mod, Skinhead, Punk, and so on . . . the differences are quite fascinating for those who remember when scenes had character (and weren't erroneously called "communities"), and it was impressive that so many different types of music scenes and listeners could come together under one banner to enjoy the music. It was something that brought people together.

Yes, racial unity was one aspect of Ska, but it went beyond that. Just like the crazy amalgamation of musical styles, it brought vastly different people together with the sound--it connected them at a time when it felt like we were all closer than ever. THAT is why Ska achieved the popularity it did. For one moment everyone put their cares behind them, got together, and danced, enjoying the lighter side of life where the junk and hardship that weighed you down didn't matter anymore. We're all in this together, and you know what? It's actually not all that bad. We can get through this.

In this aspect, Ska very much was the anti-Grunge only not a corporately-made label. In fact, most of the music from the 1990s is fairly miserable . . . aside from Ska. This is interesting, because when most people think of the 1990s it's not misery they think of. They think of a stable society, a local community you can trust, bright fashion, the rise of video game consoles, explosive action movies, and the last remnants of good television. Ska fits into that groove a lot better than any other '90s music scene does. The genre represents the feeling of those who lived at the time in a way none of the others really do. It's also aged much better than those have, as a result.

When people ask me why I still listen to Ska, this is why. This is the reason the music connects with me in such a strong way, and why I'll still put on Hang-Ups by Goldfinger, Willis by the Pietasters, or One Step Beyond by Madness, to this day. Ska still manages to inject energy and life into the listener in a way that has been forgotten. It's a musical style that represents a lot to those who like it, and it is one of the few musical experiences from the 1990s that still holds up today since it more accurately reflects the mood of the youth at the time.

In fact, speaking of video games, Tony Hawk Pro Skater's influence on the popularity of the genre was paramount. The documentary even mentions just how surprisingly influential such things as inconsequential things such as video game soundtracks were on the careers of bands. Tony Hawk personally picking Superman, for instance, ended up changing Goldfinger's entire career trajectory. It is funny to see just how different it was back then when video games are only considered big today. Back then, they could help jump-start entire careers. It is almost as if the industry had more pull back then than it does now.

Of course, not everything lasts forever, and neither did Ska's time at the top. Everything goes up most come down, and musical trends are no different.

Almost from the outset, a large chunk of the Punk scene disliked Ska, not to mention the Two Tone or First Wave purists that had it in for this crazy combination from the outset. Then there were the Emo kids who disliked it for being the antithesis for everything they wanted to do. It's hard to really emphasize, but the genre had a lot of enemies--including with itself. To this day, there are people who irrationally dislike the entire Ska genre because one band with a lead signer who overdosed in the mid-90s wrote a song about Santeria that ended up on the radio. It's a bit crazy to think about, but it's true. I'm still not sure why the genre has this image to these specific people, but there it is. If you missed out on the positive vibes and energy because you wanted more misery back, well, congratulations because that's what you got for the next 20 years in mainstream (and underground) rock music scenes. I hope it was worth it so you didn't have to hear Sublime rapping about a dalmatian in one overplayed radio song. No fun allowed, indeed.

At the same time, the people in the genre who got successful began feeling guilt that their "frothy" sound appealed to a lot of people. They started putting more overt messages and lecturing in their music (As great and as popular as the Mighty Might Bosstones Let's Face It album was, that song has their most embarrassing lyrics, by far) by assuming those listening to their music needed political issues dumped onto them, because apparently they were stupid. As if listeners don't already think about these things and are using a music based on unity and fun to blow off some steam instead. You know, the whole point of the genre in question?  Once you get pompous, the audience will walk away, and that is what happened here. Put yourself and your "causes" over your audience at your own risk. Ska wasn't immune from this.

There was also over-saturation. Because the music was so bright and energetic, and hit with so many people at the time, bands were falling over themselves to form and play shows. You couldn't escape the sound for awhile, and the overexposure still irks people to this day. The context as to why this happened is completely lost.

However, the one thing nobody wants to talk about, even in the documentary, is that around the same time Ska was forcefully taken off the radio around 1998, so to was Swing music, Blues, New Jack Swing, Alternative Rock, and many other genres that were enjoying success throughout the decade. It was replaced wholesale by bland corporate music that persists to this day. It was as if the giant labels didn't like that there were too many musical options that they couldn't control and decided to force only their gruel onto the populace. Of course their payola lapdogstotally and coincidentally like-minded radio DJs fell in line to offer the same sort of crap to their listeners.

And now the music scene in the West is dead.

The reason for this has already been discussed on this blog multiple times, but the record labels had created their own pop stars that they owned, lock, stock, and barrel, and were instead using them to maximize profits off of teenybopper girls while flooding everything else out that anyone else might enjoy. Even Rock itself would devolve to post-Grunge Nu Metal in the mainstream and post-Punk Emo in the underground, thereby sapping all joy out of the musical landscape. Neither of those are around anymore, though, and neither is Rock's presence in the mainstream except through very old, and very safe, bands that haven't put out anything exciting since the 90s themselves.

You can deny this truth, if you'd like, but then ask yourself when the last fun thing you heard on the radio that wasn't pure studio gloss written and produced by a team of highly paid professionals singing about sex or drugs. You're going to have to go back decades to find an example. The big record labels own the industry, and they don't want you to have good music: they want you to consume theirs for eternity. Which s probably why there will never be nostalgia for the '00s, to be honest. As said earlier, there was '90s nostalgia five minutes after it ended due to the back half of the decade already being a departure. There was even 1980s nostalgia in the '00s. What is there to be nostalgic about in the '00s? Corporately owned radio stations, depressing music, and empty bubblegum pop? We still have that. It never went away.

Nonetheless, the music of Ska itself, just like other abandoned American genres like Rockabilly or Blues, found fertile ground overseas and in neighboring countries such as Mexico or far off in places like Japan, where they aren't so hung up on genre labels. Ska is still around, it's just, like every other good genre, not really alive in the West anymore. You have to go deeper than even the irrelevant, poseur-filled underground scene to find it. You can just chalk that up to the times, I suppose. Find it on your own, like everything else.

As I said, the 1990s were strange. In many ways it was the last gasp of the 1980s and mid-century trends in the West, but despite all that there was still a push for something better and a hope for better times. The slinking sludge of nihilism popped up with Grunge (featuring countless future suicide attempts and victims) and book-ending with the empty slink and forgotten bang of Nu Metal, but in between there were flashes of something else, perhaps a world that could have been if we had kept talking to each other. But that time is passed, and over. The 1990s are done.

Ska is still around, as is just about every musical genre that blew up at one time before being dumped by the labels, but it's never going to reach that point of popularity again. And that's fine. That's just the nature of the beast.

You can find the documentary on Ska's rise to popularity here. If you have any interest at all in what was going on in the 90s pop culture scene and how different it was, the documentary does shed some light on the times and put it into context. There's also some bonus features hat talk about religion in ska, shows off some of the art of the time, and has various background bits for different bands. All with a surprising lack of contemporary political crap everyone is sick of sick of hearing about. It's a good documentary that shows glimpses into the last embers of a shared culture before it was extinguished in our move to the 21st century. The party might be over, but at least you still have the memories, and you can still share and pass them around. Connection is what art is all about, after all.

Before we go, have a listen and hear why it was this bizarre off-kilter music connected with so many people at a time when it seemed like it shouldn't. This a music meant to appeal to normal folks, and to make them get up, dance, and have fun.

Grab the mates, go out on the town, and remember that life's an adventure. Today might not have been great, but there's always tomorrow, and who knows what's coming up next!

Isn't that fun? Sure it is, and fun is what the music is all about.

Create your own fun with the Pulp Mindset!