Students reminisced, decided and explained their favorite era of music on Wednesday, March 5, at Marshall University.
Students were polled and provided detailed feedback explaining their favorite era in music’s extensive history. Music has always been a reflection of the times, evolving with each passing decade and capturing the spirit of its era. Its combination of sounds brings on its own combination of feelings and emotions.
Music has undergone significant cultural change, even in the past few decades. From the latest chart-toppers to timeless classics, students at Marshall University gave a variety of answers as to what their favorite era of music was.
Taking it back a few decades was Marshall student and musician Alex Treacy, who said, “I’m definitely going with the late ‘90s and early 2000s punk-grunge scene.” He said as a musician, he liked taking ideas from this era and incorporating it in his own tracks.
The Grunge genre takeover was wildly popular during the time period mentioned by Treacy. The genre’s rise to fame is believed to have been caused by Nirvana, which emerged in the late 1980s in Seattle. While this form of alternative rock gained loads of attention during this period, it wasn’t the only prominent genre.
Hannah Adkins said, “I would definitely say ‘90s country music… I’m just a big Alan Jackson girl, so that’s probably why.”
Alan Jackson, award-winning, multi-platinum-selling country music singer and songwriter from Newman, Georgia, writes songs often viewed as humorous and simple.
The ‘90s allowed listeners all over the country to find a style that suited their ear best. Along with the artists mentioned by Treacy and Adkins, some other famous names from this period include individuals such as Celine Dion and Tupac Shakur. This period also brought along some notable groups like Soundgarden and Alice in Chains.
Macy Morgan said, “I would say the early to late 2000s because of nostalgia and growing up listening to that kind of music.”
Many of the students attending Marshall were born in the early to mid-2000s, looking at this era of music as what they had growing up. Not only were artists such as Bruno Mars, Katy Perry or even Drake often featured on the radio, but also all over commercials and other media outlets that surrounded these students as children every single day. While they might only like a specific singer from this period, the music as a whole was present throughout their entire childhood, the same as anyone growing up in any era of music.
While some students will agree on liking the same era of music, they will each have their own motives for doing so. No matter the era or genre, it’s safe to say music will always remain a powerful force in the lives of people everywhere.
Riley Burnett can be contacted at burnett40@marshall.edu
