“There’s Too Much Music Nowadays”

Throughout my tenure at CREEM, so many people have complained to me about how “there’s too much music nowadays” and “it’s too easy to release your record,” which might be the most insanely stupid shit I’ve ever heard. I chalk it up to “I don’t have time to actually look” or “I’m fucking lazy” more than anything.

The ’90s were a different time for music, and good riddance. Never forget that it was the era when Van Halen became Van Hagar, the “Thong Song” was an actual thing that existed, and Aerosmith officially became a steaming pile. But nostalgia makes it easy to forget that for every Soundgarden or Oasis or even Dead Moon there were four or five instances of the Baha Men or Right Said Fred or some other indignity. They’d be shoved down your throat with all the grace of a Guantanamo facewash, repeatedly and without mercy, over and over, until finally, drooling with blood and sporting two black eyes, you’d look up at Casey Kasem/Rick Dees and gurgle out, “Jesus, fuck, I relent. You win, you are the master.” And to be perfectly clear, even if you were staunchly into outer genres like hardcore, indie, and underground rap like I was, you still knew everything about the Top 40 because it was everywhere, and it was constantly, mercilessly beat into you.