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the Beastie Boys were more influential overall than Nirvana
Posted on 6/6/24 at 10:49 pm
Posted on 6/6/24 at 10:49 pm
Agree or disagree? I'm not a Nirvana hater, I actually like them quite a bit, and while I was present to witness the shift in pop culture that resulted after Team Spirit, and recognize the impact it had, it seems like the Beasties have never really gotten their due with respect to cultural influence.
Firstly, the music. Licensed to Ill is an ultimate summer jam classic. Yeah, it's juvenile and obnoxious, but so was the band at the time, and most of the target audience. But side 1 captures a perfect moment in time, and, along with Run DMC, introduced hip hop to the suburbs (regardless of whether you think that's a good thing or not), the popularity of which, is still strong with white kids today. The 808 drum machine continues to influence hip hop.
Paul's Boutique- I won't go into this one too much because people love to nerd out on it and anyone on a Gen Xish music board has heard it all before. But widely considered a masterpiece of sampling that had immediate impact on producers like Dr Dre, even if it wasn't considered a smash hit at the time.
Check Your Head- this is one of my favorites ,but to the point of the thread, this is where I feel their influence on 90's culture had the most impact. And that's on fashion/aesthetics. Vintage ringer t-shirts, Ben Davis, baggy pants, Pumas, skate brands like Etnies. Basically 90's skater. The flannel grunge look that Kurt Cobain popularized had a shelf life of a year or two, people were in baggy pants, vintage T's, beanies, and 'old-school' sneakers for most of the decade. It also went a long way to restore punk as a viable genre in the 90's despite containing only a couple punk songs.
Ill Communication was a massive hit and and an amazing album, but at this point, they had so many copycats, I feel like this is where their influence started to wane.
So this isn't just about the music, although I think a case can be made on that, alone, but pop culture in general.
Firstly, the music. Licensed to Ill is an ultimate summer jam classic. Yeah, it's juvenile and obnoxious, but so was the band at the time, and most of the target audience. But side 1 captures a perfect moment in time, and, along with Run DMC, introduced hip hop to the suburbs (regardless of whether you think that's a good thing or not), the popularity of which, is still strong with white kids today. The 808 drum machine continues to influence hip hop.
Paul's Boutique- I won't go into this one too much because people love to nerd out on it and anyone on a Gen Xish music board has heard it all before. But widely considered a masterpiece of sampling that had immediate impact on producers like Dr Dre, even if it wasn't considered a smash hit at the time.
Check Your Head- this is one of my favorites ,but to the point of the thread, this is where I feel their influence on 90's culture had the most impact. And that's on fashion/aesthetics. Vintage ringer t-shirts, Ben Davis, baggy pants, Pumas, skate brands like Etnies. Basically 90's skater. The flannel grunge look that Kurt Cobain popularized had a shelf life of a year or two, people were in baggy pants, vintage T's, beanies, and 'old-school' sneakers for most of the decade. It also went a long way to restore punk as a viable genre in the 90's despite containing only a couple punk songs.
Ill Communication was a massive hit and and an amazing album, but at this point, they had so many copycats, I feel like this is where their influence started to wane.
So this isn't just about the music, although I think a case can be made on that, alone, but pop culture in general.
This post was edited on 6/7/24 at 12:30 am
11
Posted on 6/6/24 at 10:55 pm to northshorebamaman
Depends what you mean by “influential”. If you’re talking about musically and who did more people try to emulate? Nirvana takes that in my book.
People in hip hop actually went the opposite way from what the beastie boys were doing - no live instruments, less punk rock, ditching the DJ as part of the act. Hell the 3 guys were Jewish and I didn’t see many Jews flocking to the mic. Whereas with Nirvana, people are still ripping them off…think of all the post-grunge stuff that dominates the airwaves from the mid 90s starting with the likes of Bush and Silverchair, to Creed and Nickelback, to Seether and Puddle of Mudd.
Now, if you’re talking about it from the perspective of uniqueness and turning the world on its head? Beastie Boys all day long. To your point, they made hip hop accessible to the masses, for better or worse. Nirvana wasn’t the gateway drug for an untapped market - they took what was going on in the PNW scene and just did it slightly better. Flannel and jeans wasn’t “grunge”, it was (and still is) standard attire for folks in the PNW.
People in hip hop actually went the opposite way from what the beastie boys were doing - no live instruments, less punk rock, ditching the DJ as part of the act. Hell the 3 guys were Jewish and I didn’t see many Jews flocking to the mic. Whereas with Nirvana, people are still ripping them off…think of all the post-grunge stuff that dominates the airwaves from the mid 90s starting with the likes of Bush and Silverchair, to Creed and Nickelback, to Seether and Puddle of Mudd.
Now, if you’re talking about it from the perspective of uniqueness and turning the world on its head? Beastie Boys all day long. To your point, they made hip hop accessible to the masses, for better or worse. Nirvana wasn’t the gateway drug for an untapped market - they took what was going on in the PNW scene and just did it slightly better. Flannel and jeans wasn’t “grunge”, it was (and still is) standard attire for folks in the PNW.
This post was edited on 6/6/24 at 10:57 pm
Posted on 6/6/24 at 11:11 pm to SouthPlains
quote:People like Kanye are still sampling and and citing them as a major influence. Love him or hate him (not a big fan myself), he has a wider influence than Puddle of Mudd or Silverchair. Daft Punk claimed them as an influence. You seem to be limiting your examples to rock bands. They've had a huge influence on hip hop, particularly with the popularity of deep bass lines, and production in general.
Whereas with Nirvana, people are still ripping them off…think of all the post-grunge stuff that dominates the airwaves from the mid 90s starting with the likes of Bush and Silverchair, to Creed and Nickelback, to Seether and Puddle of Mudd.
Even with that limitation, Beastie Boys, arguably paved the way for bands like RATM and "rap metal" in general.
quote:I've lived the majority of my life in Seattle (just moved away two years ago), and that just isn't true. It was standard attire for Aberdeen in 1990 and try-hard transplants but absolutely not 'standard attire' in Seattle since at least the mid 90's.
Flannel and jeans wasn’t “grunge”, it was (and still is) standard attire for folks in the PNW.
BETA Page
eta-appreciate the thoughtful response though. not just trying to be argumentative.
This post was edited on 6/6/24 at 11:14 pm
Posted on 6/7/24 at 12:49 am to northshorebamaman
The fashion you're talking about I think can be more attributed to Green Day and all the pop punk bands coming out around that time. They were the next big thing after Nirvana and all the new people getting into punk in particular were dressing like that. I remember all the Green Day, Offspring, and Rancid fans wearing that kind of stuff.
As for flannel, I still wear it everyday.
As for flannel, I still wear it everyday.
Posted on 6/7/24 at 6:39 am to Brosef Stalin
I always think of Mike Watt (Minutemen/fIREHOSE) when I think of the influence of flannel in underground/punk rock... Of course the Seattle scene brought it more to the mainstream...
He even dedicated an album name/cover to the cause.. flyin' the flannel..
He even dedicated an album name/cover to the cause.. flyin' the flannel..
Posted on 6/7/24 at 8:25 am to northshorebamaman
Easily the Beastie Boys. Nirvana represent the high point of grunge but they weren't revolutionary. Paul's Boutique was a mind blowing change of direction in rap/rock. There is a playlist on Spotify with all the songs that Paul's Boutique sampled that is pretty cool. And I'm not making a who is better distinction here.
Posted on 6/7/24 at 9:09 am to rebelrouser
I’m probably in the minority but I don’t think Nirvanas music has held up as well as others.
I think it was perfect timing in the early 90s when kids were desperate for something different
I think it was perfect timing in the early 90s when kids were desperate for something different
Posted on 6/7/24 at 9:48 am to northshorebamaman
it depends on your age. I was in my mid 20’s and 30’s during the 90’s. I couldn’t name a beastie boys song with a gun to my head but I still enjoy nirvana
Posted on 6/7/24 at 10:03 am to northshorebamaman
Disagree. I don't see how the Beastie Boys were influential at all. It amazes me that anyone listens to them at all other than to get a giggle out of Fight For Your Right. Just terrible "music".
Posted on 6/7/24 at 10:30 am to AlxTgr
Posted on 6/7/24 at 10:43 am to Cdawg
Posted on 6/7/24 at 1:46 pm to northshorebamaman
I kinda agree with you and I think Nirvana basically changed popular music. Licensed to Ill, Paul's Boutique and Check Your Head helped create rap rock/nu metal. I mean, Kid Rock based much of his career off of variations of "Looking Down the Barrel of A Gun".
Posted on 6/7/24 at 3:45 pm to northshorebamaman
quote:
Agree or disagree?
While I disagree, I would concede that the Beasties were very, very influential on much of what came after. For that matter, folks sleep on Run-DMC.
quote:
along with Run DMC
Hah, I typed before I read that.
Posted on 6/7/24 at 5:34 pm to northshorebamaman
I’m pretty sure I never bought another rap/hip hop album after 1990, but I can still sing along to almost every track on these:
Posted on 6/7/24 at 6:18 pm to northshorebamaman
You make a good argument, but Nirvana was still more influential.
Posted on 6/8/24 at 5:36 am to northshorebamaman
I wonder what the butterfly effect would be if License to lll went with the originally planned album title: “Don’t Be A F*gg*t”
I’d say my formative years and run in music are entirely pillared on Nirvana, Beastie Boys, NIN, and Prince.
Also, I don’t think Beasties had the long term impact on hip hop that they deserve because it didn’t fit the narrative the prison system was going for when they collaborated with (funded) the music industry to create a direct pipeline for black youths to go to jail. That meeting was very real.
I’d say my formative years and run in music are entirely pillared on Nirvana, Beastie Boys, NIN, and Prince.
Also, I don’t think Beasties had the long term impact on hip hop that they deserve because it didn’t fit the narrative the prison system was going for when they collaborated with (funded) the music industry to create a direct pipeline for black youths to go to jail. That meeting was very real.
This post was edited on 6/8/24 at 5:38 am
Posted on 6/8/24 at 8:40 pm to Cdawg
Posted on 6/9/24 at 9:26 pm to northshorebamaman
Nirvana inspired more music/bands than beastie boys. And I like beastie boys.
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