Dave Grohl Says Marilyn Manson Replaced Grunge
It's hard for a particular style of music to stay on top forever, with even the most dominant of genres typically giving way to something new. Foo Fighters frontman Dave Grohl saw it first hand, watching Nirvana lead the "grunge" movement of the early '90s, only to watch it start to fade out by the end of the decade, giving way to a new breed of rock star that captured the public's imagination.
Speaking to Los Angeles' Alt 98.7, Grohl spoke on the evolution of music during his lifetime as a musician, while citing Marilyn Manson as the rock star who emerged, essentially replacing grunge at the top of the rock food chain.
“In the 80’s you had all these rock bands that got huge. There was so much glamour, all the dudes had crazy hair, limos, they were shooting their videos at Crazy Girls, riding Harleys … it kind of went its course or whatever," explained Grohl.“Then there were a lot of bands that loved playing rock music, but didn’t have anything to do with that. It was more about we’re just dirty kids who play in garages and write these songs. That was sort of born out of the punk rock thing. Then all of a sudden that becomes huge, and that becomes huge for a while, and after that you are sort of like damn man, I sort of want a rock star.”
He continued, "Then Marilyn Manson gets big, and you’re like oh cool, now you’ve got something that is really fantastic to look at, it’s really moving, and really powerful. The imagery and the music too, you are like, wow that’s cool man!"
The singer says he then saw a shift, with other genres incorporating a bit of the glam style. "The hip hop scene sort of took over all of the glamour that the rock and roll thing sort of had in the 80’s. It’s kind of cyclical in this weird way, eventually you’ll get to a place where you’ll have a hip hop artist who doesn’t go that route, or a rock band that does go the glam route," said the vocalist. "Things kind of roll in this cycle."
Grohl launched the Foo Fighters in Nirvana's aftermath, but still in what would be considered the grunge era. He saw the rise of Manson, shifting the scene, with nu metal and pop-punk also taking their seat at the rock table toward the turn of the century. Through it all, Grohl's band has continued to thrive as a heavier rock band.
The frontman has stated that the Foos intend on taking a break after finishing the handful of dates left on their schedule. However, they will eventually regroup for a new album.
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