SAM Sounds of the 90’s
Inspired by the nostalgia surrounding music and audio, we put together a short series of articles exploring the sounds of different decades. Next up, the distinctly alternative 90’s.
If the sound of the 90’s could be summed up in a word, eclectic comes to mind. The era marked a major shift in musical tastes and consumption habits, as well as the way in which technology and brands used audio. Sound gained greater purpose in our daily lives beyond entertainment, helping to inform and connect us to the world.
Advances in computer processing power enabled 90’s technology to utilize sound in ways previously unheard. Developers of video games like Final Fantasy and Metal Gear Solid moved toward more elaborate music and sound design, making games more immersive. Startup sounds like the Apple chime and the ambient Windows 95 motif grew in popularity creating a more emotional experience with in-home tech. And mobile technology such as Motorola pagers (c’mon, you remember your beeper) and Nokia cellphones created an entirely new sonic vocabulary of alerts and notifications.
Brands, too, evolved in their use of sound to reach consumers and build recognition. Catchy jingles like “I’m a Toys ‘R Us kid” and “I want my baby back ribs” now shared the spotlight with another brand sound that was quickly gaining prominence – sonic logos, like the ones used by Intel, PlayStation, and Yahoo. These unique sonic signatures not only strengthened brand recall, but also influenced more deliberate use of audio across consumer touchpoints, creating the foundation for today’s sonic branding.
And let’s not forget about the music. Perhaps one of the most pivotal eras in popular music, the 90’s opened the floodgates for all sorts of genres. Listeners moved beyond the synthy pop-rock of the 80’s to edgier styles like Grunge, Hip-Hop, Alternative Rock, and EDM. The contrast between raw guitar-driven music and electronic production reflects just how broad our tastes had become. Much of this was due to changing consumption habits – CD’s ushered in the era of mass file sharing giving us access to more music than ever before and expanding our musical palettes. This gave way to Napster and the digital music revolution, and while we sacrificed audio quality for compressed mp3’s, we now had access to endless troves of ‘free’ music that would have cost thousands to collect previously. Ultimately, this came at a high cost to artists and labels, forcing industry regulations and changing the music industry forever, but not before our music libraries had ballooned to include an endless array of genres.
Step back in time and take a listen to some of SAM’s favorite sounds from the 90’s:
From grunge guitars to startup chimes, the eclectic sounds of the 90’s helped to shape the way we hear the world today. If this is music to your ears, check out The Sound of Nostalgia for a deeper dive into the science behind music, emotion, and memory.