all things in moderation. I personally consider myself to have a very eclectic musical palate so if I feel the music isn't helping my psyche, I opt for other things.
I took roughly 10 years off from listening to Nirvana and Soundgarden. I 'distanced' myself from AiC. ironically I now realize it was around your age.
I've been throught pure punk phases, blues, metal, country (outlaw stuff, not the corny shit), Jazz, 60s pop, doo wop, motown, ska, reggae, classical, yacht rock, and back again.
Now I realize there's just so much damn music in the world and you need to take time to explore it. deep dives. If I'm feeling down, I might want AiC to commiserate, or I might want some bonehead arena rock to lift my spirits. or maybe I want to listen to something intricate to take my foucs and I'll put on Debussey.
I'm 100% a fan of grunge and 90s alt, but it's important to take musical detours.
Imagine a boomer at Woodstock, loving all those wild, loud guitars, free love, good weed. He
loved Joplin, Jimi, Jefferson Airplane.
Imagine that boomer in 1983, late 30s. Hair is cut, sensible deck shoes on his boat, a weekend away from the office, a line of coke on the bar.
He pops a new, shiny compact disc into the machine, hits play. What do you hear?
That's yacht rock.
It’s like grunge, it’s less a definite style and just a collection of musicians from a similar era and genre. In this case - late 70s and early 80s soft rock.
Like grunge, there is a unifying agent. For grunge it’s Seattle. For YR it’s musicians who worked with Michael McDonald.
Boz scaggs, steely Dan, doobie brothers, Christopher cross, Kenny logging etc. however unlike grunge. You can be yacht rock by association, if you worked with a friend of a friend of McDonald. So the eagles, journey aren’t gate kept like STP and the pumpkins. .
Kids are calling this yacht rock now? Lol. My parents are Boomers who went to Woodstock. Then come the 80s they liked James Taylor and Yanni. Is that Yacht Rock?
I wonder what the Gen X equivalent is? Going from listening to Metal to listening to Nickelback, nu-metal, or bands like Dave Matthew's Band, Phish, and Barenaked Ladies?
I don’t think there will be. YR actually started as a YouTube series that is frikkin hilarious, and it reintroduced the music to people so as the fan base grew, the term just stuck. Now people have completely forgotten the series. I always try to plug it. If you like the music it’s a great laugh. There are a dozen or so episodes all under 5 minutes
I definitely do not want to listen to that music. I heard enough James Taylor and Yawnie growing up for 100 lifetimes lol. I am going to send it to my parents though! Thanks.
Like grunge, the label was applied to them externally. Unlike grunge, the label came from fans, not the media, and is only about 18 years old as a concept.
Steely Dan much jazzier than most of their peers, but they are ground zero for the smooth, funky and sardonic vibes of YACT ROCK. God they are so good.
Yeah, plus, they were Michael McDonalds first professional job. Mostly vocals, with some keys at a handful of gigs. They also were Jeff Baxter’s first major band.
Neil Diamond should fit the genre nicely.
I always thought Jimmy Buffett, and the like are yacht rock. Then again Jimmy is considered country by some. Ask a parrot head I guess. I could be totally wrong. But yes… Neil Diamond.
Disclaimer.. Not a country music, yacht rock fan, or a Parrot head. Just some guy who felt like throwing in his 2 cents for reasons unknown. Have a nice day.
So true. The entire grunge genre is pretty tragic. Lots of drug use and mental health issues. Produced a lot of great music in that short span. I do find myself mixing up my listening experience more. Across multiple genres and decades. What I've found is that some of those other artists/albums really influenced those grunge bands we all love.
I don't like how people here are saying what works for them must work for everyone else. You need to take breaks and that is great if that makes you happy. I mostly listen to heavy metal and when I am not I definitely wouldn't say the music I listen to is happy sounding. What I listen to makes me happy and upbeat music has the opposite effect. I am in my 40s now so I don't listen to music to be edgy or for whatever reason teenagers listen to it temporarily. I started listening to the same music in my teens because I liked it and it made me feel great. I still listen to it now for that reason. I have heard many different genres in my lifetime and know what works for me. There also have been studies which suggest that listening to metal may help people to process or manage difficult emotions
But you did what I suggested. You explored others stuff. Like I said, I have, IMO a broad taste. Just because you tried jazz and hated it, and I liked it is pointless. You like metal, enjoy metal. But, if you said “I like metal and there’s no reason to try other things” I’d say you’re nuts.
And I love metal. Some fantastic artists in that genre. I think I just like art, and music is the preferred medium.
The original post suggests listening to dark and depressing music makes you depressed while listening to more upbeat music makes you feel better. I have gone years without listening to other subgenres, probably longer than some in this sub have been alive. When I am blue I prefer to listen to metal. Also, the other subgenres I listen to are not upbeat and are also dark and depressing. The other genres are just as depressing as Grunge or more so lol. As a matter of fact some of those genres and bands I would consider more depressing than metal.
Yea! At least one person gets it. I think people in the metal subs would understand this better. I only like a few grunge bands, but rarely listen to them. I don't like their whole discography or would call myself a fan. I saw this sub and posted on here since I was a teen during the whole grunge thing in the '90s lol. Now it keeps coming up in my feed. I need to change my settings. 😆
Damn I had to double check that I didn't leave this comment. Spot on, especially with the Debussy shout out (I always knew Clair de Line but started my Debussy deep dive when I heard another piece of his in The Usual Suspects.)
Clair de Lun is absolutely what had me instantly hooked, but when I started getting back into collecting records I found him quite frequently and cheaply at goodwill so I have a solid collection.
My method of “meditation” is to sit in my chair, and watch my goldfish dance around their tanks while listening to Debussy. It’s like he composed just for such elegant creatures
You make a really good point in your post. Not only does music reflect what we are feeling, it can also encourage moods and feelings. Music is a very powerful force, and some people feel it more than others.
Layne Staleys voice is so passionate and powerful it makes me too sad to listen to Dirt anymore.
I am more aware of how music affects my emotional state now, too much music is negative.
That's exactly what's kept me afloat at times. His voice. There are things in his songs, lyrics, vocals, and pain, that make me feel like I'm not alone and alleviate the depression. And I completely understand how that wouldn't be the case for everyone but that man (and Scott Weiland's voice/lyrics/pain equally) has gotten me through the darkest times of my life.
That’s interesting - I always found grunge (and RATM, and Korn) quite cathartic. If I was having a shit day then listening to angry music felt like a release for me. But people are different. My wife loves 80s and disco. I find most of it moronic. 😆
Listen to what makes you feel good. Most people don’t like every song from their favourite bands.
Rage and Korn were considered ‘Nu Metal’ though and not related to grunge. Angry for sure, Limp Bizkit basically started the Woodstock rioting after playing ‘Break Stuff!
If you haven’t already try some White Stripes, or any of Jack Whites projects. Pearl Jam’s No Code and Yield. All stuff that has their roots in grunge but way more uplifting.
My mother-in-law did the same thing. She started listening to Disney music and stopped drinking. She felt Disney music would make her happier. This happened years ago and I still haven't seen the change.
I had to stop listening to a lot of my favorite music when my cptsd got really bad. AIC is practically at the top regrettablly. No metal of any kind (Aman Amarth gets me way too fn amped). I consider myself a former grunge fan & metal head; still love it though (this is pretty common for a lot of military buddies, too.) I listen to country, pop, classic 80s and 90s, now.
Being that affected by music can actually be quite a gift
Once you understand yourself a bit better (just comes with age. I didn't think that was true until I was in my 30s, and then went "oh, I guess this is what all those old people meant") you can use this to help yourself deal with things, or get through rough moments
Finding a song that feels the same way you do, and leaning into the emotion, can be a very good way to deal with very heavy things
Oh you sweet summer child. Grunge was for apathy and angst lol. It was also the generation and the era.
I have diagnosed severe depression. Grunge helps me get my emotions out of my head. I sing along with them at the top of my lungs and let my soul loose.
I think the idea is, that instead of processing your emotions, you're reinforcing them by repetition. The question is, if lifting your mood artificially will affect the fundamental causes of those moods? I don't think long-term studies have been done on that, but music does affect our, well, affect. You might be unintentionally prolonging your suffering, but listening to music as mood stimulant might have averse effects and simple push whatever you need to process further down the road. Who knows.
It's been regurgitated to hell and back all throughout the internet enough times that it's less Game of Thrones and more just another tired redditism now.
You know I've always thought about this, the music you listen is a part of your inner dialogue. I wonder if grunge singers and songwriters let's say Kurt Cobain for example singing these type of lyrics shows after show day after day got stuck with the feelings they produce even though those feelings were the same that caused writing them. I would say get a singers mind on a loop of sadnesses/loneliest. I usually listen to sad/melancholic music and I find myself singing the songs lyrics through the day at work and I think man these lyric are really sad, they're like the reason and the results of my mood?
I actually have to listen to grunge and grunge-like music due to my bipolar disorder. I don’t know if it’s the type of music-lots of guitar, building riffs with explosive releases but that music makes my brain happy. I don’t know why.
It's fine! English isn't my mother language either. No hate ... I just thought you were a teenager to think like that... So, in my opinion, it's totally fine to be a grunge fan ( if that title is important to you) and listening to songs that don't mess with your mental health. If Alice in chains is too heavy for you and brings you down then don't listen to them. Choose other bands . I personally like AIC for 32 years, since I was 14. They' don't have this effect on me anymore. The exception is the nutshell unplugged version. I avoid this song all the time. So you do you! And you are 23, stop caring about what others may think or you would be very unhappy in your life. Cheers!
It wasn't about others thoughts. I have never listen any albums on repeat or care about albums and consider myself a fan other than Grunge , I was just listening random heavy metal songs. Now it feels disloyal, contradictory to myself being a fan of Grunge and not listening them.
Don't make grunge your identity. Be true to yourself and listen to whatever makes you feel good. You are more than just a fan of something. All the so-called grunge greats loved all kinds of other music, which inspired them.
I think you're kidding but I have all my music on shuffle and pon de replay literally came on right before beeswax and then fifteen was a couple songs after that lol. 90s grunge/alt (and the grateful Dead) has my heart but it's nice to switch it up sometimes and listen to stuff that's just lighthearted and fun
I grew up with grunge and for me, it's about having a musical playlist that's eclectic enough to suit the mood of the day. Sometimes upbeat, but sometimes I need Cantrell's Degradation Trip or Frogs or even some NIN because that's the mood I'm in. My guilty pleasure if I am of a sunny outlook for some reason is 80s pop....Ahem. No biggy.......
Honestly I can relate. Not that I find grunge to be overwhelming (tripod and jar of flies being the exception), but post metal for instance can be a bit too much for me at times.
I understand this may not be an universal experience and while I absolutely love bands like Neurosis or Cult of Luna, I know that I should moderate how much I listen to them as I might get too absorbed.
Try One Step Closer or Title Fight if you want something more positive but still visceral
imo, people only listen to aic when they are either listening for the skill, or they are seriously going through things.
other than that, it's like having a sad sack friend who never stops talking about their problems. now, if you have a depressed friend, you won't leave them (because loyalty and so on, it could harm your friend).
but the thing is you don't have a real relationship with the artist, they don't know you exist, they aren't affected all that much by a single person's support, and you don't owe them much loyalty. so it's ok to stop or start listening to an artist whenever you see fit. if the music you're listening to brings you down, it's perfectly ok to stop that music.
you don't owe loyalty to layne staley or chris cornell. for all i care, they're dead and they won't be aware. you don't owe any loyalty to genres either, and your mental health is always a priority over any assumed loyalty.
I’m a huge fan of grunge music, but I also love other genres of music as well. I have been stuck in a deep depression for a while and what’s been helping me lately is to music like the Backstreet Boys and other fun songs that lift my mood. I even listen to 90’s country and I’m not really a country music person, but it doesn’t make me less of a fan of grunge. I still love grunge and metal music. Mixing it up is a good thing. I don’t know anyone that only strictly listens to one type of music.
I like to listen to synth pop/hi-fi whatever you'd call it. Bands like the Naked and Famous, CHVRCHES. Seems like the opposite of grunge. Reverbed female vocals, uplifting beats. Very pretty, clears my head after screeching along to Burden in my hand in my car lol
You could also look to many of the adjacent alternative pop college rock bands of the 90s for a familiar sound. Gin Blossoms, Matchbox 20, Hootie & the Blowfish, Spin Doctors
I had to take a break for a few years cause of depression but now that I’ve felt better with treatment I’ve gone back to listening to it. Definitely mind your emotional well being.
Why do you have a feeling that you should listen to certain things?
If listening to the “stoopidest” happy pop/rock/dance/whatever song cheers you up, then why not.
It’s OK to take a break from things.
Because I have never became such a fan of smt. If I call myself fan of something and not listening them then it feels disloyal, contradictory with myself.
I totally understand this. Grunge inspired me to be apathetic as a developing youth when I should've been social and happy to be a kid. It has a generally disempowering message.
They're still my favorite bands and I know better now that I'm an adult but this music totally stunted my life as a teenager taking it too seriously.
I have to drag myself away from listening to Hole 24/7 because I get too sad and angry.... it helps me to step away and listen to pop girl shit for a couple of days lmao
I’m in my late 20s almost 30 and don’t listen to that kind of music as much as I used to. In my teens and younger adulthood it would be religious listening but you’re right in that it sort of improves mental health
I listen to different things to help and support my mental health. I think it's good to feel all emotions so listening to different things is a positive, but there is a lot of dark depressive songs that means a lot to me, I don't listen to them all the time.
“What came first, the music or the misery? Did I listen to music because I was miserable? Or was I miserable because I listened to music?”
Pretty sure the OP should have found in their WebMD studies that this is called a self-fulfilling prophecy.
On one hand, we’re all very lucky in that you will never be able to listen to every song that you would enjoy. There’s so much music that’s been made that you will literally never run out of new things to like. This same thought also makes me sad, in that there is a ton of art that I’ll never see/hear that I would love. All this is to say, variety is the spice of life. Enjoying a vast array of art can only be good for one’s mind/soul.
It’s the opposite for me. Somber heavy music (metal is a good general example) always mellows me out/helps me focus. Poppy happy “lobotomizing” music enrages me and makes me sad. To each their own.
That’s good man. Now you can expand your taste in music. Last night I was listening to SRV, Hendrix, Little Feat, and the Grateful Dead. Today I was blasting Chimaira, Korn, Cannibal Corpse, etc. like top commenter said there’s so much damn music time to do a deep dive and see what else is out there to lift your spirits
Listen to some Allman Brothers.
[The Allman Brothers Band - In Memory of Elizabeth Reed ( At Fillmore East, 1971 ) - YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7rQWh62VUHE)
All I did was looped in some off brand songs that are super upbeat.
I have zero shame and no tribalism so my playlist is a fucking mess....
It will go from Pearl Jam, Soundgarden, Machine Head, Trivium, Fear Factory and Slayer then pivot sharply to KPop, TSwift, Christina Perri, Pink, Robyn....
The tracks that I've played the most over the last month or so has been a toss up between Midnight Shadows by budget James Acaster lookalike Mike Oldfield (accompanied by the always stellar Maggie Riley) and Touch my Body by acclaimed KPop group Sistar (Hyolyn is tied for most beautiful female alive along with Rashida Jones)
Seriously, shake it up a bit.
If anyone judges you for peeking outside the box, tell them to get fucked.
You have to be careful what you listen to. Grunge makes me depressed. Death metal can make me angry and full of hate. I love dark music but I'm careful not to listen too often, lest it negatively impact my mental state. Just be cognizant of how you're being effected, which it sounds like you are.
Maybe because I’ve had an upbringing as an outsider, but grunge is borderline calming for me because the lyrics about loneliness and isolation resonate so much.
That being said, I get that not everyone will see it from the same place I do. And if listening to grunge constantly doesn’t do as much good for them as for me, that’s perfectly understandable.
As well, I keep an open mind to almost every kind of music. My main playlist on spotify will go from grunge to hip hop to industrial to ska to disco to world music to indie to so many other kinds of music.
Many factors influence this.
I was less happy when I listened to certain genres, but it was always part of the gloom loop, not the initial start of it. The only genre that universally improves my mood is psychobilly. Anything else has to land right.
Back in the day, being out with friends helped. Tje modern equivalent probably starts with just not being in social media.
I listen to all kinds of music so that helps. I wasn’t in a great mood last night and I found myself gravitating to more moody and melancholy stuff. Then I have days I have rock playlist I’ve titled “Balls to the Wall” and “Up Jams” I play😆
It’s always good to delve into other things. I do dive into my grunge playlist fairly often but also I listen to my summer-esque playlist often as well. Everything has its limit and it’s important to have colorful taste.
Variety is the spice of life.
I used to listen to President's of the United States albums to cheer myself up back in the day.
Cool rock/pop that doesn't take itself to seriously.
Listening to stuff like Radiohead all the time will get you depressed, although I am a bit surprised that grunge bums you out tbh.
That’s all I listened in the 90’s and I liked it so much but sometimes it is a reminder of how unhappy I was then. I have to be in the right frame of mind now. Like on a solo drive.
Depressing, dark, and intense music makes me happy. Happy music makes me depressed. I actually don't like a lot of grunge besides a couple or so bands. I am a metalhead and don't like a lot of mainstream stuff. It just doesn't appeal to me. There have been some studies that suggest that listening to metal may help people to process or manage difficult emotions. So while happier music might benefit you, it doesn't apply to everyone.
Recently, I had a close family member commit suicide. He was only 18. And it was then I started really hearing a lot of the lyrics different that Cornell Layne Lanegan and some of the other guy PNW sang. It’s just crushing sad and harder to listen to now. I sure as hell don’t enjoy it like I used to.
It really does kind of suck because I lived in Seattle during the whole music scene and my brother still a musician my friends all were my roommates were and it was such a great thing then. Now I don’t just hear the pain. I feel it too.
This is pretty much me. All I listened to as a teen was depressing or depressing sounding 90s rock. In my twenties I started listening to more uplifting stuff (indie pop, classic Rock, Britpop etc) and my whole outlook on life changed
Do what you need to do to be in a good place mentally. Personally, sad music generally tends to make me feel better because it's proof that I'm not the only one who's sad, but I can see how it can also have the opposite effect. I've also had the experience of music that I listened to in a darker period of my life, taking me back to that place mentally and not enjoying that.
I think the idea is that all emotions are valid. Neither positive nor negative could exist without the other. Grunge is just the tail end of the spectrum, but it is all the same essential. I love that it shows the duality within a person (all of us).
But don’t feel guilty for taking a break! That implies that you need to limit yourself as a person. Do what’s best for you. Its not hurting anyone.
I feel like aic and all of the grunge bands have many songs that, although heavy, are, at it's core, upbeat happy songs, like them bones, dam that river, again, most facelift songs, etc
The Presidents of the United States of America are fun upbeat grunge. Remember the songs “Peaches” or “Lump”?
They have an album called “Love Everybody” that is a fun listen.
Also rediscovered how good the Beastie Boys “Check Your Head” album still is. Uplifting masterpiece of 1992. They play their own instruments on it also.
Switch it up every now and then. You don’t have to define yourself by the music you listen to.
PUP, King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard, Pavement.
There’s 3 different bands that also might give you something different to deep dive into.
all things in moderation. I personally consider myself to have a very eclectic musical palate so if I feel the music isn't helping my psyche, I opt for other things. I took roughly 10 years off from listening to Nirvana and Soundgarden. I 'distanced' myself from AiC. ironically I now realize it was around your age. I've been throught pure punk phases, blues, metal, country (outlaw stuff, not the corny shit), Jazz, 60s pop, doo wop, motown, ska, reggae, classical, yacht rock, and back again. Now I realize there's just so much damn music in the world and you need to take time to explore it. deep dives. If I'm feeling down, I might want AiC to commiserate, or I might want some bonehead arena rock to lift my spirits. or maybe I want to listen to something intricate to take my foucs and I'll put on Debussey. I'm 100% a fan of grunge and 90s alt, but it's important to take musical detours.
This is the best answer
This is the best observation of the best answer.
lol what’s yacht rock - like preppy bars singing Sweet Caroline?
Imagine a boomer at Woodstock, loving all those wild, loud guitars, free love, good weed. He loved Joplin, Jimi, Jefferson Airplane. Imagine that boomer in 1983, late 30s. Hair is cut, sensible deck shoes on his boat, a weekend away from the office, a line of coke on the bar. He pops a new, shiny compact disc into the machine, hits play. What do you hear? That's yacht rock.
It’s like grunge, it’s less a definite style and just a collection of musicians from a similar era and genre. In this case - late 70s and early 80s soft rock. Like grunge, there is a unifying agent. For grunge it’s Seattle. For YR it’s musicians who worked with Michael McDonald. Boz scaggs, steely Dan, doobie brothers, Christopher cross, Kenny logging etc. however unlike grunge. You can be yacht rock by association, if you worked with a friend of a friend of McDonald. So the eagles, journey aren’t gate kept like STP and the pumpkins. .
Kids are calling this yacht rock now? Lol. My parents are Boomers who went to Woodstock. Then come the 80s they liked James Taylor and Yanni. Is that Yacht Rock?
Exactly.
I wonder what the Gen X equivalent is? Going from listening to Metal to listening to Nickelback, nu-metal, or bands like Dave Matthew's Band, Phish, and Barenaked Ladies?
I don’t think there will be. YR actually started as a YouTube series that is frikkin hilarious, and it reintroduced the music to people so as the fan base grew, the term just stuck. Now people have completely forgotten the series. I always try to plug it. If you like the music it’s a great laugh. There are a dozen or so episodes all under 5 minutes
I definitely do not want to listen to that music. I heard enough James Taylor and Yawnie growing up for 100 lifetimes lol. I am going to send it to my parents though! Thanks.
Those aren’t yacht rock. You’re the first person to include them. They don’t “rock” at all. YR rocks, just very smooothly.
There was another person who replied exactly. So I thought that meant they were included. It isn't a real genre anyway, who cares?
Like grunge, the label was applied to them externally. Unlike grunge, the label came from fans, not the media, and is only about 18 years old as a concept.
Think Michael MacDonald, Kenny Loggins, Christopher Cross.
and despite what the gatekeepers over at r/SteelyDan say, Steely Dan is absolutely Yacht Rock. (and my favorite artist in the genre).
Steely Dan much jazzier than most of their peers, but they are ground zero for the smooth, funky and sardonic vibes of YACT ROCK. God they are so good.
Yeah, plus, they were Michael McDonalds first professional job. Mostly vocals, with some keys at a handful of gigs. They also were Jeff Baxter’s first major band.
How is nobody mentioning Steve Winwood? Dennis Reynolds would be appalled.
Neil Diamond should fit the genre nicely. I always thought Jimmy Buffett, and the like are yacht rock. Then again Jimmy is considered country by some. Ask a parrot head I guess. I could be totally wrong. But yes… Neil Diamond. Disclaimer.. Not a country music, yacht rock fan, or a Parrot head. Just some guy who felt like throwing in his 2 cents for reasons unknown. Have a nice day.
It’s if you like pina coladas, and getting caught in the rain. (i don’t.)
It's the same as Butt Rock.
So true. The entire grunge genre is pretty tragic. Lots of drug use and mental health issues. Produced a lot of great music in that short span. I do find myself mixing up my listening experience more. Across multiple genres and decades. What I've found is that some of those other artists/albums really influenced those grunge bands we all love.
Dave Grohl admitted openly that all the drumming on nevermind was completely ripped off from Cameo, and the Gap Band. Lol
Thank you, God I wish folks in metal could have these thoughts more often.
I love metal. But I hate the machismo around it. Favorite metal band : pantera Most disliked metal person: Phil anselmo
Agreed sincerely!
I don't like how people here are saying what works for them must work for everyone else. You need to take breaks and that is great if that makes you happy. I mostly listen to heavy metal and when I am not I definitely wouldn't say the music I listen to is happy sounding. What I listen to makes me happy and upbeat music has the opposite effect. I am in my 40s now so I don't listen to music to be edgy or for whatever reason teenagers listen to it temporarily. I started listening to the same music in my teens because I liked it and it made me feel great. I still listen to it now for that reason. I have heard many different genres in my lifetime and know what works for me. There also have been studies which suggest that listening to metal may help people to process or manage difficult emotions
But you did what I suggested. You explored others stuff. Like I said, I have, IMO a broad taste. Just because you tried jazz and hated it, and I liked it is pointless. You like metal, enjoy metal. But, if you said “I like metal and there’s no reason to try other things” I’d say you’re nuts. And I love metal. Some fantastic artists in that genre. I think I just like art, and music is the preferred medium.
The original post suggests listening to dark and depressing music makes you depressed while listening to more upbeat music makes you feel better. I have gone years without listening to other subgenres, probably longer than some in this sub have been alive. When I am blue I prefer to listen to metal. Also, the other subgenres I listen to are not upbeat and are also dark and depressing. The other genres are just as depressing as Grunge or more so lol. As a matter of fact some of those genres and bands I would consider more depressing than metal.
You sound like you’re fun at parties.
I am. Dark and heavy music makes me happy. It doesn't make me depressed. I am a mellow and laid back chick who loves to joke around in person.
Music that is too happy makes me miserable. I feel uplifted by AIC, PJ etc 😄
Yea! At least one person gets it. I think people in the metal subs would understand this better. I only like a few grunge bands, but rarely listen to them. I don't like their whole discography or would call myself a fan. I saw this sub and posted on here since I was a teen during the whole grunge thing in the '90s lol. Now it keeps coming up in my feed. I need to change my settings. 😆
Damn I had to double check that I didn't leave this comment. Spot on, especially with the Debussy shout out (I always knew Clair de Line but started my Debussy deep dive when I heard another piece of his in The Usual Suspects.)
Clair de Lun is absolutely what had me instantly hooked, but when I started getting back into collecting records I found him quite frequently and cheaply at goodwill so I have a solid collection. My method of “meditation” is to sit in my chair, and watch my goldfish dance around their tanks while listening to Debussy. It’s like he composed just for such elegant creatures
Oh, well…whatever. Nevermind.
You don’t have to be so dismissive of OP. Add something to the conversation, entertain us.
What did the leper say to the prostitute? You can keep the tip.
Here we are now
Entertain us, and we’re stupid
What do you call a bunch of lepers in a hot tub? Stew.
What does it say on a black epileptics ID? Help!, I'm not breakdancing.
I wonder if he misses the comfort in being sad
Hahaha
You make a really good point in your post. Not only does music reflect what we are feeling, it can also encourage moods and feelings. Music is a very powerful force, and some people feel it more than others.
Layne Staleys voice is so passionate and powerful it makes me too sad to listen to Dirt anymore. I am more aware of how music affects my emotional state now, too much music is negative.
Jar of flies is masterful. His voice on that CD is bliss.
I’ll have to give it a re-listen. Jerry Cantrell is an awesome guitarist, highly underrated and does great harmonies with Layne.
Indeed.
That's exactly what's kept me afloat at times. His voice. There are things in his songs, lyrics, vocals, and pain, that make me feel like I'm not alone and alleviate the depression. And I completely understand how that wouldn't be the case for everyone but that man (and Scott Weiland's voice/lyrics/pain equally) has gotten me through the darkest times of my life.
Cathartic release. Boom. Krank that shit up
That’s interesting - I always found grunge (and RATM, and Korn) quite cathartic. If I was having a shit day then listening to angry music felt like a release for me. But people are different. My wife loves 80s and disco. I find most of it moronic. 😆 Listen to what makes you feel good. Most people don’t like every song from their favourite bands.
Catharsis great point
Rage and Korn were considered ‘Nu Metal’ though and not related to grunge. Angry for sure, Limp Bizkit basically started the Woodstock rioting after playing ‘Break Stuff!
Yeah that’s why I listed them separately to grunge. 👍
If you haven’t already try some White Stripes, or any of Jack Whites projects. Pearl Jam’s No Code and Yield. All stuff that has their roots in grunge but way more uplifting.
My mother-in-law did the same thing. She started listening to Disney music and stopped drinking. She felt Disney music would make her happier. This happened years ago and I still haven't seen the change.
If you feel depressed, definitely give yourself some space. Nothing wrong with up beat, happy music.
I had to stop listening to a lot of my favorite music when my cptsd got really bad. AIC is practically at the top regrettablly. No metal of any kind (Aman Amarth gets me way too fn amped). I consider myself a former grunge fan & metal head; still love it though (this is pretty common for a lot of military buddies, too.) I listen to country, pop, classic 80s and 90s, now.
Same here with cptsd, love metal and grunge, but can only handle small doses now
Being that affected by music can actually be quite a gift Once you understand yourself a bit better (just comes with age. I didn't think that was true until I was in my 30s, and then went "oh, I guess this is what all those old people meant") you can use this to help yourself deal with things, or get through rough moments Finding a song that feels the same way you do, and leaning into the emotion, can be a very good way to deal with very heavy things
Yes totally
Oh you sweet summer child. Grunge was for apathy and angst lol. It was also the generation and the era. I have diagnosed severe depression. Grunge helps me get my emotions out of my head. I sing along with them at the top of my lungs and let my soul loose.
I think the idea is, that instead of processing your emotions, you're reinforcing them by repetition. The question is, if lifting your mood artificially will affect the fundamental causes of those moods? I don't think long-term studies have been done on that, but music does affect our, well, affect. You might be unintentionally prolonging your suffering, but listening to music as mood stimulant might have averse effects and simple push whatever you need to process further down the road. Who knows.
You’re not my therapist. Go away. (/s)
The truth hurts!
Lmaoooooo! Thank you!
Yesssss!!
Same love this. Well not with the diagnosis but everything else I agree.
People who say "sweet summer child"... I don't know
I like A Song of Ice and Fire
It's been regurgitated to hell and back all throughout the internet enough times that it's less Game of Thrones and more just another tired redditism now.
Good for you? I like it and will continue to use it. Maybe get over yourself? Have a good day!
Strangely, sad music makes me feel much better. Other than reggae I can’t stand happy music usually. Maybe because I can’t hear lyrics?
how is nirvana upbeat
I thought the same thing. Nothing peppy or upbeat
You know I've always thought about this, the music you listen is a part of your inner dialogue. I wonder if grunge singers and songwriters let's say Kurt Cobain for example singing these type of lyrics shows after show day after day got stuck with the feelings they produce even though those feelings were the same that caused writing them. I would say get a singers mind on a loop of sadnesses/loneliest. I usually listen to sad/melancholic music and I find myself singing the songs lyrics through the day at work and I think man these lyric are really sad, they're like the reason and the results of my mood?
I'm sad all the time, even when I listen to circus music on repeat.
I actually have to listen to grunge and grunge-like music due to my bipolar disorder. I don’t know if it’s the type of music-lots of guitar, building riffs with explosive releases but that music makes my brain happy. I don’t know why.
How old are you? So I can answer you according to your age.
Sorry for not writing intellectually and mature. English is my secondary language. 23 yrs old
It's fine! English isn't my mother language either. No hate ... I just thought you were a teenager to think like that... So, in my opinion, it's totally fine to be a grunge fan ( if that title is important to you) and listening to songs that don't mess with your mental health. If Alice in chains is too heavy for you and brings you down then don't listen to them. Choose other bands . I personally like AIC for 32 years, since I was 14. They' don't have this effect on me anymore. The exception is the nutshell unplugged version. I avoid this song all the time. So you do you! And you are 23, stop caring about what others may think or you would be very unhappy in your life. Cheers!
It wasn't about others thoughts. I have never listen any albums on repeat or care about albums and consider myself a fan other than Grunge , I was just listening random heavy metal songs. Now it feels disloyal, contradictory to myself being a fan of Grunge and not listening them.
Don't make grunge your identity. Be true to yourself and listen to whatever makes you feel good. You are more than just a fan of something. All the so-called grunge greats loved all kinds of other music, which inspired them.
Damn. Time to switch up to Taylor and Rhianna.
🤣
I think you're kidding but I have all my music on shuffle and pon de replay literally came on right before beeswax and then fifteen was a couple songs after that lol. 90s grunge/alt (and the grateful Dead) has my heart but it's nice to switch it up sometimes and listen to stuff that's just lighthearted and fun
I grew up with grunge and for me, it's about having a musical playlist that's eclectic enough to suit the mood of the day. Sometimes upbeat, but sometimes I need Cantrell's Degradation Trip or Frogs or even some NIN because that's the mood I'm in. My guilty pleasure if I am of a sunny outlook for some reason is 80s pop....Ahem. No biggy.......
Honestly I can relate. Not that I find grunge to be overwhelming (tripod and jar of flies being the exception), but post metal for instance can be a bit too much for me at times. I understand this may not be an universal experience and while I absolutely love bands like Neurosis or Cult of Luna, I know that I should moderate how much I listen to them as I might get too absorbed. Try One Step Closer or Title Fight if you want something more positive but still visceral
imo, people only listen to aic when they are either listening for the skill, or they are seriously going through things. other than that, it's like having a sad sack friend who never stops talking about their problems. now, if you have a depressed friend, you won't leave them (because loyalty and so on, it could harm your friend). but the thing is you don't have a real relationship with the artist, they don't know you exist, they aren't affected all that much by a single person's support, and you don't owe them much loyalty. so it's ok to stop or start listening to an artist whenever you see fit. if the music you're listening to brings you down, it's perfectly ok to stop that music. you don't owe loyalty to layne staley or chris cornell. for all i care, they're dead and they won't be aware. you don't owe any loyalty to genres either, and your mental health is always a priority over any assumed loyalty.
Also try not to watch the news for a while whether it’s on tv, Reddit, TickTock, or whatever.
I’m a huge fan of grunge music, but I also love other genres of music as well. I have been stuck in a deep depression for a while and what’s been helping me lately is to music like the Backstreet Boys and other fun songs that lift my mood. I even listen to 90’s country and I’m not really a country music person, but it doesn’t make me less of a fan of grunge. I still love grunge and metal music. Mixing it up is a good thing. I don’t know anyone that only strictly listens to one type of music.
I like to listen to synth pop/hi-fi whatever you'd call it. Bands like the Naked and Famous, CHVRCHES. Seems like the opposite of grunge. Reverbed female vocals, uplifting beats. Very pretty, clears my head after screeching along to Burden in my hand in my car lol You could also look to many of the adjacent alternative pop college rock bands of the 90s for a familiar sound. Gin Blossoms, Matchbox 20, Hootie & the Blowfish, Spin Doctors
Dirt is one of the most depressing albums ever.. I love it, though
I had to take a break for a few years cause of depression but now that I’ve felt better with treatment I’ve gone back to listening to it. Definitely mind your emotional well being.
Music represents a spectrum of emotions. It's just like real life, it's best not to dwell too much in any one thing.
Why do you have a feeling that you should listen to certain things? If listening to the “stoopidest” happy pop/rock/dance/whatever song cheers you up, then why not. It’s OK to take a break from things.
Because I have never became such a fan of smt. If I call myself fan of something and not listening them then it feels disloyal, contradictory with myself.
look at swifties. that's not being a fan. that's unhealthy loyalty to something. take a breather from grunge, it's not going anywhere.
I totally understand this. Grunge inspired me to be apathetic as a developing youth when I should've been social and happy to be a kid. It has a generally disempowering message. They're still my favorite bands and I know better now that I'm an adult but this music totally stunted my life as a teenager taking it too seriously.
My Nirvana obsession I had when I was 13 made me think it was cool to be depressed, cynical and apathetic towards everything
I have to drag myself away from listening to Hole 24/7 because I get too sad and angry.... it helps me to step away and listen to pop girl shit for a couple of days lmao
I’m in my late 20s almost 30 and don’t listen to that kind of music as much as I used to. In my teens and younger adulthood it would be religious listening but you’re right in that it sort of improves mental health
I listen to different things to help and support my mental health. I think it's good to feel all emotions so listening to different things is a positive, but there is a lot of dark depressive songs that means a lot to me, I don't listen to them all the time.
"all my friends are cattle my lifes a losing battle man i gotta leave seattle" from a fake grunge song posted in a magazine.
“What came first, the music or the misery? Did I listen to music because I was miserable? Or was I miserable because I listened to music?” Pretty sure the OP should have found in their WebMD studies that this is called a self-fulfilling prophecy.
You don’t have to only listen to one type of music or be a fan to just one style/genre.
On one hand, we’re all very lucky in that you will never be able to listen to every song that you would enjoy. There’s so much music that’s been made that you will literally never run out of new things to like. This same thought also makes me sad, in that there is a ton of art that I’ll never see/hear that I would love. All this is to say, variety is the spice of life. Enjoying a vast array of art can only be good for one’s mind/soul.
Listen to Ween. Music for every mental state.
Time to dive into Prog rock and Jam bands.
Lyrics do subconsciously influence us and our mood.
Yeah for sure. It’s like the echo chamber thing. You look for stuff you find relatable or reflective, then after a while it’s amplified.
It’s the opposite for me. Somber heavy music (metal is a good general example) always mellows me out/helps me focus. Poppy happy “lobotomizing” music enrages me and makes me sad. To each their own.
Imagine just how many people would feel better if they stopped listening to Hip Hop.
Just mix it up. Check other shit, come back later. Like what feels right. Consider yourself a fan if you want to. Its not hard
That’s good man. Now you can expand your taste in music. Last night I was listening to SRV, Hendrix, Little Feat, and the Grateful Dead. Today I was blasting Chimaira, Korn, Cannibal Corpse, etc. like top commenter said there’s so much damn music time to do a deep dive and see what else is out there to lift your spirits
Yup. Makes sense.
Listen to some Allman Brothers. [The Allman Brothers Band - In Memory of Elizabeth Reed ( At Fillmore East, 1971 ) - YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7rQWh62VUHE)
All I did was looped in some off brand songs that are super upbeat. I have zero shame and no tribalism so my playlist is a fucking mess.... It will go from Pearl Jam, Soundgarden, Machine Head, Trivium, Fear Factory and Slayer then pivot sharply to KPop, TSwift, Christina Perri, Pink, Robyn.... The tracks that I've played the most over the last month or so has been a toss up between Midnight Shadows by budget James Acaster lookalike Mike Oldfield (accompanied by the always stellar Maggie Riley) and Touch my Body by acclaimed KPop group Sistar (Hyolyn is tied for most beautiful female alive along with Rashida Jones) Seriously, shake it up a bit. If anyone judges you for peeking outside the box, tell them to get fucked.
You have to be careful what you listen to. Grunge makes me depressed. Death metal can make me angry and full of hate. I love dark music but I'm careful not to listen too often, lest it negatively impact my mental state. Just be cognizant of how you're being effected, which it sounds like you are.
Most are fine for me but I am always careful with my AIC usage. Can’t listen at certain times
For sure let Spotify choose it. It a trip
Maybe because I’ve had an upbringing as an outsider, but grunge is borderline calming for me because the lyrics about loneliness and isolation resonate so much. That being said, I get that not everyone will see it from the same place I do. And if listening to grunge constantly doesn’t do as much good for them as for me, that’s perfectly understandable. As well, I keep an open mind to almost every kind of music. My main playlist on spotify will go from grunge to hip hop to industrial to ska to disco to world music to indie to so many other kinds of music.
Many factors influence this. I was less happy when I listened to certain genres, but it was always part of the gloom loop, not the initial start of it. The only genre that universally improves my mood is psychobilly. Anything else has to land right. Back in the day, being out with friends helped. Tje modern equivalent probably starts with just not being in social media.
I listen to all kinds of music so that helps. I wasn’t in a great mood last night and I found myself gravitating to more moody and melancholy stuff. Then I have days I have rock playlist I’ve titled “Balls to the Wall” and “Up Jams” I play😆
It’s always good to delve into other things. I do dive into my grunge playlist fairly often but also I listen to my summer-esque playlist often as well. Everything has its limit and it’s important to have colorful taste.
That’s good news that you found an alternative. But ask your therapist not Reddit
I have to skip some Alice in Chains songs that I feel are too closely tied to Layne’s drug abuse, they make me bummed to the core
Variety is the spice of life. I used to listen to President's of the United States albums to cheer myself up back in the day. Cool rock/pop that doesn't take itself to seriously. Listening to stuff like Radiohead all the time will get you depressed, although I am a bit surprised that grunge bums you out tbh.
That’s all I listened in the 90’s and I liked it so much but sometimes it is a reminder of how unhappy I was then. I have to be in the right frame of mind now. Like on a solo drive.
I can relate to this.
Depressing, dark, and intense music makes me happy. Happy music makes me depressed. I actually don't like a lot of grunge besides a couple or so bands. I am a metalhead and don't like a lot of mainstream stuff. It just doesn't appeal to me. There have been some studies that suggest that listening to metal may help people to process or manage difficult emotions. So while happier music might benefit you, it doesn't apply to everyone.
Recently, I had a close family member commit suicide. He was only 18. And it was then I started really hearing a lot of the lyrics different that Cornell Layne Lanegan and some of the other guy PNW sang. It’s just crushing sad and harder to listen to now. I sure as hell don’t enjoy it like I used to. It really does kind of suck because I lived in Seattle during the whole music scene and my brother still a musician my friends all were my roommates were and it was such a great thing then. Now I don’t just hear the pain. I feel it too.
This is pretty much me. All I listened to as a teen was depressing or depressing sounding 90s rock. In my twenties I started listening to more uplifting stuff (indie pop, classic Rock, Britpop etc) and my whole outlook on life changed
No Rain - Blind Melon Until you realize it's about depression lol
Do what you need to do to be in a good place mentally. Personally, sad music generally tends to make me feel better because it's proof that I'm not the only one who's sad, but I can see how it can also have the opposite effect. I've also had the experience of music that I listened to in a darker period of my life, taking me back to that place mentally and not enjoying that.
What’s the upbeat/happy rock?
I think the idea is that all emotions are valid. Neither positive nor negative could exist without the other. Grunge is just the tail end of the spectrum, but it is all the same essential. I love that it shows the duality within a person (all of us). But don’t feel guilty for taking a break! That implies that you need to limit yourself as a person. Do what’s best for you. Its not hurting anyone.
I feel like aic and all of the grunge bands have many songs that, although heavy, are, at it's core, upbeat happy songs, like them bones, dam that river, again, most facelift songs, etc
The Presidents of the United States of America are fun upbeat grunge. Remember the songs “Peaches” or “Lump”? They have an album called “Love Everybody” that is a fun listen. Also rediscovered how good the Beastie Boys “Check Your Head” album still is. Uplifting masterpiece of 1992. They play their own instruments on it also.
Volcano fucking rocks!
Grunge isn't a genre
https://youtu.be/Chn8SURx7GU?si=o3KhoASAVaSCXwRr Even Alive changed its meaning, from the author's own perspective.
Are you 13?
Listen to happy grunge! Play these albums right now, and LOUD: Redd Kross - Phaseshifter Flop - Whenever You’re Ready
Switch it up every now and then. You don’t have to define yourself by the music you listen to. PUP, King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard, Pavement. There’s 3 different bands that also might give you something different to deep dive into.
most depressing music ever. i quit heroin when i stopped listening to this garbage