History UnbuiltTrope / Music

** AvantGardeMetal (or its twin experimental metal and offshoot post-metal) originated as a slightly weirder form of ProgressiveMetal with ''loads'' of extreme metal, free jazz and AlternativeRock influences, sometimes with FolkMetal, {{Ambient}} or FunkMetal elements. Because earlier avant-garde[=/=]experimental[=/=]post-metal bands weren't "avant-garde" enough, they were rather considered as either ProgressiveMetal, exteme metal, AlternativeMetal or SludgeMetal, especially in this day and age. That's because the subgenre was just getting started and it wasn't as unconventional as it would later become and was more "gimmicky" than others, but was still closer to its sister genres like ThrashMetal, DoomMetal and SpeedMetal and extreme metal (which would later split up into harsher thrash, {{Grindcore}}[=/=]Powerviolence, {{Metalcore}}, BlackMetal and DeathMetal) and this were retroactively reconsidered as genres other than avant-garde or experimental.

* Music/TomLehrer's "Pollution" was arguably the first popularized song with a GreenAesop, before the rise of environmentalism in TheSixties. The serious trope is PlayedForLaughs, sung in creole-sounding English to a calypso tune, depicting the United States to be an exotic and dangerous place, similar to TheSavageSouth.

* The entire "heavy metal" style of rock music is an Unbuilt Trope for purely semantic reasons. Throughout TheSeventies and TheEighties, groups that we rightly think of as heavy metal today (Music/BlackSabbath, etc.) were disdained as "not music" or even outright ignored by the music media. (A notable exception was Music/JudasPriest, who – at least for a time – successfully bridged the divide between "serious" metal and pop-metal.) Until TheNineties, what heavy metal ''really'' meant to most people was the "wailing guitar" music of groups like Music/LedZeppelin, Music/{{ACDC}}, Music/VanHalen, or Music/BonJovi. Good luck finding any of those groups in the "metal" section of your record store today. Also, at the time, many groups (including Black Sabbath) didn't define the music they were making as "heavy metal", but "heavy rock", "hard rock", or other similar terms.

* Music/{{KISS}} have long been perceived as a silly subversion of the HeavyMetal genre, specifically in their performance of music that is [[ScaryMusicianHarmlessMusic usually nowhere near as grotesque as their appearance would suggest]]. In fact, along with Music/AliceCooper and Music/JudasPriest, they ''created'' the metal stereotypes, and thus were free to tweak them as much as they wished. In fact, early Kiss were unsure of what ''their own sound'' should be; ironically, their earliest albums hardly sound like they are by Kiss at all: their debut album from early 1974 sounds more like a Music/{{The Rolling Stones|Band}} record, particularly on the tracks “Firehouse” and “Cold Gin.” Their second album, ''Hotter Than Hell'', is radically experimental and innovative, with songs that [[UrExample seem to predict the future]], anticipating thrash and death metal (“Parasite”) and the “grunge” alternative style of [[TheNineties Nineties]] groups like Music/PearlJam (“Goin’ Blind”, “Got to Choose”). Not until their third album (''Dressed to Kill'') would Kiss really begin to promote their trademark high-energy “power-pop” style; and not until their fourth album (''Destroyer'') would they embrace it fully (and even that album had the soft ballad "Beth" on it).

* The earliest {{New Wave|Music}} bands of the late 1970s (Music/TheCars, Music/TalkingHeads) did not really sound like the [[TheEighties Eighties]] “synthpop” groups with which they have come to be associated, or sounded like them only occasionally. This was because their genre was just getting started; in fact, it could be said that [[ResetButton American pop music in general was getting started all over again, what with punk having reinvented the wheel]]. In the beginning, New Wave simply meant “hard rock done in a smooth style”, which did not necessarily indicate synthesizers. While most of the New Wave groups did eventually adopt the stereotypically ’80s “space-age” synthesizer flourishes they became known for, that was not quite the brand of music they created.

* ''808s and Heartbreaks'' by Music/KanyeWest was hugely influential to music in TheNewTens, but someone listening to it today might be surprised at how it sounds. Firstly, the drowsy trap beats that practically define Alternative R&B are absolutely nowhere to be find, but you will find a lot of tribal-sounding drum machines and '80s-style synths (reviewers in its time even compared it to ''Music/{{Movement}}'' by Music/NewOrder and ''Pornography'' by Music/{{the Cure|Band}}). Much of it sounds more like late-2000s indie pop than anything in the R&B or Emo Rap genres.

* Music/{{KISS}} have long been perceived as a silly subversion of the HeavyMetal genre, specifically in their performance of music that is [[ScaryMusicianHarmlessMusic usually nowhere near as grotesque as their appearance would suggest]]. In fact, along with Music/AliceCooper, they ''created'' the metal stereotypes, and thus were free to tweak them as much as they wished. In fact, early Kiss were unsure of what ''their own sound'' should be; ironically, their earliest albums hardly sound like they are by Kiss at all: their debut album from early 1974 sounds more like a Music/{{The Rolling Stones|Band}} record, particularly on the tracks “Firehouse” and “Cold Gin.” Their second album, ''Hotter Than Hell'', is radically experimental and innovative, with songs that [[UrExample seem to predict the future]], anticipating thrash and death metal (“Parasite”) and the “grunge” alternative style of [[TheNineties Nineties]] groups like Music/PearlJam (“Goin’ Blind”, “Got to Choose”). Not until their third album (''Dressed to Kill'') would Kiss really begin to promote their trademark high-energy “power-pop” style; and not until their fourth album (''Destroyer'') would they embrace it fully (and even that album had the soft ballad "Beth" on it).

* Music/{{KISS}} have long been perceived as a silly subversion of the HeavyMetal genre, specifically in their performance of music that is [[ScaryMusicianHarmlessMusic usually nowhere near as grotesque as their appearance would suggest]]. In fact, along with Music/AliceCooper, they ''created'' the metal stereotypes, and thus were free to tweak them as much as they wished. In fact, early Kiss were unsure of what ''their own sound'' should be; ironically, their earliest albums hardly sound like they are by Kiss at all: their debut album from early 1974 sounds more like a Music/{{The Rolling Stones|Band}} record, particularly on the tracks “Firehouse” and “Cold Gin.” Their second album, ''Hotter Than Hell'', is radically experimental and innovative, with songs that [[ValuesResonance seem to predict the future]], anticipating thrash and death metal (“Parasite”) and the “grunge” alternative style of [[TheNineties Nineties]] groups like Music/PearlJam (“Goin’ Blind”, “Got to Choose”). Not until their third album (''Dressed to Kill'') would Kiss really begin to promote their trademark high-energy “power-pop” style; and not until their fourth album (''Destroyer'') would they embrace it fully (and even that album had the soft ballad "Beth" on it).

** Black Sabbath were subjected to a ''lot'' of MisaimedFandom and Misaimed {{Hatedom}} from supporters and detractors alike, who assumed that they were a "Satan-worshipping" band. In truth, Ozzy and the gang considered themselves a "hippie" band, and they experimented with other styles of music besides "death rock." They were also Christians (Tony Iommi is a Roman Catholic, Ozzy Osbourne is an Anglican), and their music contained many Christian themes. For example, the TitleTrack from their SelfTitledAlbum features an image of Satan inspired by a nightmare of Butler's, a depiction that is very clearly evil with Ozzy screaming out to God for help. The track "After Forever" from their third album also has a [[NotChristianRock very clear Christian message]]. Their inclusion and portrayal of the occult could be seen as a deconstruction of Satanic symbolism in later metal. Also, today, most people tend to think of metal as a genre focusing on aggression and speed. While this is true for the most part, this was not the kind of music Black Sabbath played, instead relying on slow tempos to create an atmosphere of fear, despair, and magic; it can be said that their music became less and less extreme with the years in that regard. The style their early albums spawned is known as DoomMetal today, which many people (falsely) assume is a reaction to [[ThrashMetal more]] [[DeathMetal aggressive]] forms of metal.

* Music/{{KISS}} have long been perceived as a silly subversion of the HeavyMetal genre, specifically in their performance of music that is [[ScaryMusicianHarmlessMusic usually nowhere near as grotesque as their appearance would suggest]]. In fact, along with Music/AliceCooper, they ''created'' the metal stereotypes, and thus were free to tweak them as much as they wished. In fact, early Kiss were unsure of what ''their own sound'' should be; ironically, their earliest albums hardly sound like they are by Kiss at all: their debut album from early 1974 sounds more like a Music/TheRollingStones record, particularly on the tracks “Firehouse” and “Cold Gin.” Their second album, ''Hotter Than Hell'', is radically experimental and innovative, with songs that [[ValuesResonance seem to predict the future]], anticipating thrash and death metal (“Parasite”) and the “grunge” alternative style of [[TheNineties Nineties]] groups like Music/PearlJam (“Goin’ Blind”, “Got to Choose”). Not until their third album (''Dressed to Kill'') would Kiss really begin to promote their trademark high-energy “power-pop” style; and not until their fourth album (''Destroyer'') would they embrace it fully (and even that album had the soft ballad "Beth" on it).

** The fact that a lot of the original punk rock sound harkens back to eras earlier than the 1970s (from Phil Spector's "wall of sound" to '50s rockabilly) is because punk rock sought to rebel against the rock music conventions of the time. This was the era of big arena rock bands and prog rock bands that had overly elaborate orchestration (though punk rock pioneer [[Music/SexPistols Johnny Rotte]]n was a big fan of some prog rock bands). Additionally, the most notable proto-punk band, Music/TheStooges, played fast little rock & roll numbers with great enthusiasm and was an antidote to the hippie rock that was in the mainstream in the very early 1970s (another such band was Music/TheVelvetUnderground, who was the original "indie" rock band).

* The GirlGroup in the late 90s and early 2000s was known for having three-five ridiculously sexy girls on {{Fanservice}} duty singing songs about love and sex. Many of them followed the Music/SpiceGirls formula or were assembled to cash in on their popularity. The Spice Girls, however, weren't supermodel gorgeous or overtly sexy - only Geri was the real MsFanservice of the group - and their appeal was that they were just like normal British girls who got together and sang. While they had songs about sex, their message was about female friendships and the importance of girl power. What's more is that the girls helped write most of their own songs and had their own distinct identity (everyone knows who Posh Spice or Scary Spice was, but who except diehard fans would know the individual members of All Saints or Music/AtomicKitten?) - in some ways making them seem like a {{Reconstruction}} of manufactured {{Girl Group}}s.
* ''808s and Heartbreaks'' by Music/KanyeWest was hugely influential to music in TheNewTens, but someone listening to it today might be surprised at how it sounds. Firstly, the drowsy trap beats that practically define Alternative R&B are absolutely nowhere to be find, but you will find a lot of tribal-sounding drum machines and 80s-style synths. Much of it sounds more like late-2000s indie pop than anything in the R&B or Emo Rap genres.

* Tom Lehrer's "Pollution" was arguably the first popularized song with a GreenAesop, before the rise of environmentalism in TheSixties. The serious trope is PlayedForLaughs, sung in creole-sounding English to a calypso tune, depicting the United States to be an exotic and dangerous place, similar to TheSavageSouth.

* ''808s and Heartbreaks'' by Music/KanyeWest was hugely influential to music in the NewTens, but someone listening to it today might be surprised at how it sounds. Firstly, the drowsy trap beats that practically define Alternative R&B are absolutely nowhere to be find, but you will find a lot of tribal-sounding drum machines and 80s-style synths. Much of it sounds more like late-2000s indie pop than anything in the R&B or Emo Rap genres.

* Music/808sAndHeartbreaks by Music/KanyeWest was hugely influential to music in the NewTens, but someone listening to it today might be surprised at how it sounds. Firstly, the drowsy trap beats that practically define Alternative R&B are absolutely nowhere to be find, but you will find a lot of tribal-sounding drum machines and 80s-style synths. Much of it sounds more like indie pop than anything in the R&B or Emo Rap genres.