1990s

Nirvana smashed through in 1991 and suddenly the underground was mainstream. Grunge made flannel cool, angst authentic, and Seattle the center of the universe. But hip-hop was having its golden age too — Tupac, Biggie, Wu-Tang, Nas — lyrics as literature, beats as revolution. Pop didn't die; it just got glossier with Britney, Backstreet, and TRL countdowns. R&B reached new sophistication with Lauryn Hill, TLC, and D'Angelo. Electronic music pulsed through raves and eventually radio. The decade was fractured in the best way: there was no monoculture, just a hundred scenes colliding, each convinced they were the real thing. They were all right.