Noone was more surprised than me when I realised Rick Astley turned out to be a wholesome down to earth dude. I hated that song with a passion, it dominated all the media for months. Mostly I hated the shared aesthetic, this non-descript unoffensive look and feel was so prevalent and so typical for that era. Like we all had to aspire to please an imaginary pearl wearing waspy mom. Grunge came to the surprise of no-one, really. After a decade of hairspray hair, tucked turtlenecks with chain over it, oh and those loafers. My god my entire school wore them.

No I am with OP on this one, sure I can cherry pick great music from that decade, Smiths, Kraftwerk, Cure, Prince, Slayer, Metallica, Anthrax, Testament, even the RHCP but they got no airplay. These were album artists.

There is one exception tho, the Bronski Beat, they had hit songs, synths, reverbs and all, seriously adressing a lived gay experience in that era, quite the achievement.

In my own mind, I am starting to sour on the 90s music. I am finding myself turned off by a drive to be 'edgy', alternative, interesting-as-an-aesthetic.