Paul Williams is a musical genius. At 95 years old, he's still writing songs from his basement.
Best American music of the last 25 years?
What songs and artists best represent American music over the past 25 years?
I am making a mega playlist for my friend immigrating to the States next month. She loves English music but it's heavily censored where she is from. What are the best songs to help her catch up to date on popular genres and show her the best songs of the last 25 years?
Bonus points for songs that cover the plight of generations or relevant sociopolitical situations at the time.
87 responses
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2022 - 25 = 1997 as the cutoff date. Hmmm. Gillian Welch for sure. Tiff Merritt. Chris Thile with Punch Brothers and with Nickel Creek. I’ve attended an Americana music fest since the 1980s and have been fortunate to see a lot of good music and "acts". | |||
@chayro - FZ would have preferred to not have to deal with other musicians at all, and could do all of the music himself, but they didn't quite have the technology he'd have needed in Frank's day... He did like using the Synclavier, though... Your question could be applied equally to Captain Beefheart.... | |||
@bdp24 - do you think the people who played with Zappa actually liked the music, or were they just jazzed by the status of being selected to play with someone with such impossible musical standards? | |||
@bdp24 - I don't know how old you are, but I can assure you that back in the late 60's and early 70's, 'singer/songwriter' was a VERY popular style of music among people my age, who were teenagers. Elton John, Rod Stewart, James Taylor, Joni Mitchell, Jackson Browne, Don McLean, Johnny Winter, and I could go on and on. Today, all you have to do is look at the pop charts and I think you might see more individual names than band names. Guitar-based rock bands have not been the most popular genre among younger folks for quite some time now. Hip-hop, pop, and electronica rule the roost. Doesn't bother me either way. | |||
Houston, Texas based 3 piece band, ‘Khruangbin’ is a real treat for anyone who is feeling adventurous. Their most recent album is great, but then again, so are their previous releases. They started out leaning more toward being a jam band with few scant vocals, and with each album release they’ve incorporated well placed vocals in a gradual and natural progression while staying true to their character. Saw them perform at The Greek Theatre in November and boy did they give a mind blowing performance. Highly recommend giving them a listen. | |||
Speaking of Mary Gauthier (who DID debut within the past 25 years), Anne Johnson has a short but sweet feature article on her in the latest issue (no. 164) of the PS Audio online mag Copper, a favorite read of mine. In the same issue is Part 2 of an article on Shelby Lynne, another fine singer/songwriter. It’s seems like a lot of younger music fanatics think in terms of bands, rather than solo artists. As you get older, you learn that it is often the songwriter in a band that makes them good, not the band itself. Many songwriters who start out in bands eventually end up going solo, then choosing the musicians they want to record their songs with. Can you imagine Randy Newman being in a band? ;-) John Hiatt made his professional debut as a member of White Duck, whose sole album In Season (UNI 73140) is fairly rare and collectible. My copy is not for sale ;-) . | |||
'Doesn't seem like many people on this thread like any American music from any artists who debuted in the past 25 years, just older artists who were/are still around.' Which is why I mentioned Goose but most people don't want to know about groups they've never heard of, especially if the band is currently in their twenties. | |||
Sturgil Simpson Emmylou Harris But mostly the one everybody's seemingly forgotten -- John Stewart. I listened to the guy for years. Saw him live at the Troubadour, as well as other venues. I learned a bunch of his songs and sang them in a gruff John Stewart-esque folk singer bass-baritone. I was first introduced to him when I won his California Bloodlines LP when I rated the record on a Dick Clark dance TV show. | |||
@cincyjim - Jon Anderson from Yes is American music from the past 25 years? Doesn't seem like many people on this thread like any American music from any artists who debuted in the past 25 years, just older artists who were/are still around. I'm not sure that 'represents American music of the past 25 years', which the OP was looking for suggestions for, but good suggestions anyway. | |||
So by definition wouldn't the most popular music be the best music? Does an artist have to have a hit to be the best? (I don't actually agree with that but as an argument it does have merit) There is a lot of really good music being made today both in the USA and elsewhere. Whether it's a hit or not is mostly due to marketing, lack of music education and intent (dance music is very popular within certain age groups) Over 25 years ago FM radio was the way to be informed of what was going on in the music scene. Today it's more of an active endeavor or can be outsourced to a program like Roon that uses a computer program and crowd sourcing to build your playlist. The good news is that due to streaming we aren't limited by geographic boundaries or radio program managers, the only real constraint is time. While it will never be mainstream I really enjoy Stages: Volume III by
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This is pretty sad. Most of the names posted haven't had a hit in 25 yrs. Artists I love like Prince, Tom Petty, John Mellencamp and Bruce Springsteen all had their major hits before the 25 yr threshold. Bruno Mars, pearl jam, red hot chili peppers, Dave mathews band, the killers, Eminem, Kanye, Kendrick Lamar, Taylor swift, the weekend, lady gaga, maroon 5, imagine dragons, chainsmokers, Linkin park, foo fighters, green day Much more in country music. It is scary how American music (top 40) has slipped the past 25 yrs. My kids and their friends listen to rap and hip hop. No wonder country music is so popular now. | |||
Ooh, good ones @slaw. I should have included Mary Gauthier, whom I had the pleasure of seeing live in a small Portland club last year. She was fantastic (very funny, and a good story teller), just her voice, her acoustic guitar (she’s a very effective player---very dynamic), and her wonderful songs. She was joined on harmony vocals on some songs by the woman whom often opens for her on the road (as on this night), don’t remember her name. But for Pete’s sake, how could I forget Levon Helm?! After leading The Band following the departure of J.R. Robertson, and following the deaths of Band pianist/singer/songwriter Richard Manuel and bassist/singer/songwriter Rick Danko, Levon recorded and released two albums, Dirt Farmer in 2007 and Electric Dirt in 2009, both winning him Grammy Awards. Not bad for an Arkansas hillbilly. ;-) | |||
+1 Brandi Caroline Spence Mary Gauthier M.C. Taylor Tift Merritt Bonnie Raitt Lucinda Williams Hall & Oates John Fogerty Gov’t Mule Drive-by Truckers Jason Isbell Tom Petty The Black Keys Rhiannon Giddens Son Volt Bill Callahan John Mayer Emmy Lou Harris Steve Earle Shawn Colvin Joan Osborne Amy Helm Ryan Adams M.C. Ward Sturgill Simpson
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Well, I scanned and did not see Brandi Carlile mentioned anywhere. I fell in love with her when she was getting big from her album The Story. Now about 10 years later I own every record on vinyl and have seen her live 5 times. She is the most sincere artist on stage I have seen from 100s of concerts over 30 years. She simply blows my mind! Many have never heard of her so if you are one, here is a nice video introduction to Brandi:
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I know I have missed a lot of Pop and Rock bands over the past 25 years, so I know there are more. Greg Porter Charles Lloyd Wilco Bad Plus Jack White Nels Cline John Zorn Jason Isbell / Drive by Truckers Julian Lage Mattlew Shipp Rene Marie Rosanne Cash Chick Corea Beach House Bob Dylan Aaron Brooks Bill Frisell John Hiatt William Parker !
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Many great artists listed above. I’m a fan of Americana - Folk - singer-songwriter, but also some of the newer bands that don’t quite fit into a genre - which is the music I love best. My Morning Jacket Bon Iver (Justin Vernon) Fleet Foxes The National Bright Eyes Big Red Machine Modest Mouse Yola Okkervil River, Sonvolt, This is the Kit, The Weather Station, River Whyless, The Low Anthem, Monsters of Folk and of course Wilco. Those who say there’s no good music in the last 25 years are either stuck in the safe past or just not listening hard enough. Good music doesn’t always fall in your lap. You have to seek it out amongst the multitudes of crap - but it’s there. The kids are alright.
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For shame...nobody mentioned The Turnpike Troubadours? Good foot stomping music and lyric imagery up there with Bob Dylan, Joni Mitchell and Stevie Wonder. I mean, Gotdamn;
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When I feel like listening to more complex music, it’s often baroque era Classical for me. Try following the musical lines of the four harpsichord’s in J.S. Bach’s concerto for they and orchestra. Bach’s chord progressions (with modulations and use of inversion) have more in common with what you hear in, for instance, Brian Wilson’s "God Only Knows", than are the often pedestrian chord progressions in many modern Jazz songs. Of course Bach was not American, and his music is far older than 25 years. ;-) A major musical love of mine is vocal harmonies, very rare in jazz music, which is predominantly instrumental. But see, in the playing of many musicians, when they are providing accompaniment for a vocalist, I hear them just itching to get to their solo section of the song. The musicians I love are not thinking about their upcoming solo, but rather about the song, and how their playing can add to the music. Danny Gatton was a guitarist (R.I.P.) greatly respected by Jazz, Blues, Rockabilly, and Hillbilly musicians. Vince Gill made a compilation tape of Danny’s playing, and when he felt his road band was getting a little too cocky/self-satisfied, he would put the tape on the tour bus sound system. He named the tape "The Humbler". ;-) If you like the guitar playing of Jeff Beck, you should hear Danny Gatton. Another band I should have included is NRBQ, a true American treasure. Their music contains elements drawn from 1950’s Rock ’n’ Roll and Rockabilly (they made an album with Carl Perkins), Country & Western, Blues, Avantgarde Jazz (keyboardist Terry Adams is a big fan of Thelonius Monk and Sun Ra), Pop, Show Tunes, and everything else you can name. When David Sanborn had them on his TV show, he introduced them as "The best Rock ’n’ Roll Band in the world." They were that, but much more. | |||
Note that Frank Zappa and Steely Dan have zero in common. Frank simply didn’t care about any opinions regarding his complex and often unlistenable compositions, where Becker and Fagan were obsessing over every semitone to come up with funky yet cerebral pop songs that others may actually like. Their stuff still holds up, although for many it’s simply too complex...or something (my wife hates Fagan, but that could be related to some historic personal trauma or something). It’s the alleged modern "Americana" thing that often seems "lame and simple" which is not to say some talented players aren’t utilized like the aforementioned Nels Cline. I’ve worked as a live sound mixer/recording engineer with some astonishing people in the "singer-songwriter" or "folkie" world...Julian Lage (well, maybe Jazz), Anais Mitchell (stunning solo act as well as Broadway musical genius), etc., and recommend these people frequently. That said, when alone I listen to jazz pretty much exclusively, with other stuff sprinkled in. When I heard a "local boy" I’ve worked with for years was touring with Bonnie Raitt (Duke Levine) I had to hear her new album...and it’s great, although Duke ain’t on it. Tres Hombres and Little Feat get some gear pile exposure here and there as hey, they’re just worth it. | |||
Some of these artists go back more than 25 years. Of these Nanci Grifith gets the most bonus points in my opinion. Bela Fleck and Chick Corea are two of the great musician/composers of the late 20th and early 21 centuries. Bela Fleck Nanci Griffith Chick Corea Sarah Jarosz Tim O'Brien Emmy Lou Harris Keb Mo Julian Lage John Prine John Hiatt
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"seems kinda lame and simple". And there you have why I have always found Frank Zappa and Steely Dan so not to my liking. As if complexity alone denotes quality. Give me "God Only Knows" and "What Becomes Of The Brokenhearted" any day of the week. "All sound and fury, signifying nothing". Except for look at me, aren’t I smart and/or talented. Gratuitous displays of empty virtuosity, as I am wont to say. See, I’m smart too. ;-) "No matter how I struggle and strive, I’ll never get out of this world alive." I call Hank Williams the Hillbilly Genius, yet Buddy Rich, as big a Jazz snob as there has ever been, dismissed all Country & Western music as beneath him. F Buddy Rich, no matter how fast and even he could play a double-stroke roll. Big deal. He played in service to his ego, not a great song. Not that I’m against smart musicianship. Jim Keltner’s playing reveals a great degree of intelligence. But I love what George Harrison said to Jim, as Jim disclosed in an interview: "You don’t have to say everything you think." Leon Russell asked Elton John to dismiss Keltner during the recording sessions of the album they were making together. "He reacts to everything he hears" is how Leon characterized Jim’s playing. As many Jazz great have said, "The notes you don’t play are as important as those you do." That’s called musical wisdom, a quality I value above talent alone. Like Hank Williams, Levon Helm was a hillbilly. Yet he was as wise a musician as I have ever heard. And, like all my other favorite musicians, he played in service to the song, as noble a calling as I am aware of. | |||
Americans invented jazz, but clearly almost nobody here listens to it. I do, and for me (even having been a non jazz musician for a very long time) pretty much everything listed here seems kinda lame and simple compared to the brilliant jazz around these days. Suggestion: Listen to some of Wilco's Nels Cline's non Wilco stuff, especially what he's done with Julian Lage. | |||
@daledeee1 - Muse is a great band, but English.... |