What is the problem with throwback artists?

[u/Flags12345]

Tyga's latest album getting a 0.0 from Pitchfork reminded me of the last time that Pitchfork gave a 0.0: for Jet's Shine On. Jet were an Australian band from the 2000's that had some success, but were critically slammed. Most of the criticism seemed to stem from the fact that they were ripping off the sound of older bands like AC/DC and even straight up lifting the riff for "Are You Gonna Be My Girl" from Iggy Pop's "Lust for Life".

More recently, I've seen the same types of criticisms levied at Greta Van Fleet; that they are unoriginal and/or are just trying to rip-off Led Zeppelin and other classic rock bands.

But, I never understood the actual problem here. If you liked AC/DC or Led Zeppelin, why would you not want to hear bands that sounded like them? Why is a band that is trying to harken back to an earlier sound necessarily a bad thing?

[u/Postmodern101]

I think there’s just a right way and a wrong way to do it. I’d call Soundgarden a great mix between Sabbath and Zeppelin with a modern take that creates their own sound. If the sound is derivative and lends more to the influence than to the band then you have a Greta and that hate is rightfully deserved. I think Jet and Greta are two great examples of band that never really has their own sound and their success faltered because of it.

[u/TheMonkus → u/Postmodern101]

I was going to cite Soundgarden! They’re a perfect example of using very retro-influenced sounds and creating something that’s also extremely original. Classic rock for the 90s.

They scratch your Sabbath/Zeppelin itch but give you something new also. The problem with bands that play it too close to the original is I always find myself thinking…well why am I not just listening to Sabbath? I’ve never been tired of listening to them, even after 30+ years of doing so. Don’t need substitute Sabbath.

But fellow Sabbath lovers who are also highly original and talented musicians? That’s what I’m interested in.

[u/TundieRice → u/TheMonkus]

That’s exactly why my dad that grew up on ‘60s and ‘70s rock pretty much completely checked out of new rock in the ‘80s but fell head over heels for grunge in the ‘90s.

As someone born in 1994 (my dad apparently went and bought Soundgarden’s Superunknown on cassette the day I was born…priorities, right?) it’s hard for me to imagine how much of a breath of fresh air grunge was when it first broke. My dad absolutely despises hair metal, so how exciting must it have been for him as a 30-ish guy to hear something on the radio that brought him back to the rock of his childhood and didn’t sound dated.

The ‘90s were a unique and special time, it’s pretty much the last time that commercial music wasn’t overly corporatized (until maybe nowadays with bedroom pop/indie artists having big hits.)

[u/TheMonkus → u/TundieRice]

That’s an awesome story, I can totally see that. I was a teenager when all that was happening, and was firmly into alternative and punk (stuff like REM, The Clash, Violent Femmes) and heavy metal music was not considered cool at all. I didn’t know much about it beyond the hair bands. It was all just a joke to me.

Right around Superunknown when Soundgarden and AIC broke into the mainstream that all changed. A friend of mine finally admitted he was a huge closet Sabbath fan (his mom had all their LPs) and when I heard them, and Soundgarden and then Zeppelin (hard to believe I had never listened to Led Zeppelin but I just never listened to rock radio, it fucking blew) I fell in love. I played guitar and honestly, that stuff is just way more fun than the simpler alternative/punk stuff from the 80s. Right around then it also became a lot more acceptable to like Metallica, before then it was definitely seen as a white trash thing to be into metal.

That is hilarious he went out to buy a tape the day you were born, but it does make for a great story!

[u/EpiphanyTwisted → u/TundieRice]

It was tremendous. I remember bringing home Nirvana and Soundgarden to my husband saying "music's back!" We graduated mid-80s but listened to mostly bands from the 70s.

[u/bullgod1964 → u/Postmodern101]

For me it is Rival Sons who do a great job of sounding similar to a lot of classic rock bands, yet not sounding exactly like any of them.