Do you remember these music genres that died out?

Disco

The music landscape was changing in the early 1970s, with a club scene emerging across several American cities. By the mid to late ‘70s, we had the likes of Donna Summer, Gloria Gaynor, Chic, Diana Ross, and many others dominating the charts.

By the end of the decade though, the genre lost its popularity. One event in particular marked the decline of the disco era. On July 12 1979, a MLB promotion known as Disco Demolition Night ended in a riot. White Sox fans would get a discount if they brought a disco record. Many did, and a crate filled with disco records was blown up. It was an event followed by a field invasion.

Glam metal

This subgenre of metal featured catchy choruses, loud guitars, and over-the-top aesthetics. While it can be said that bands such as Mötley Crüe were pioneers of the genre, it was the second wave of bands, such as Poison, Cinderella, and Warrant, that really took glam metal to the mainstream.

The genre, also known as hair metal, dominated MTV until the ‘90s, when the whole music scene changed after a few bands from Seattle emerged. There are still glam metal bands out there, and some like the satirical Steel Panther enjoyed some success. But the resurgence wasn't enough to bring the genre back to its glory days.

Grunge

While hairspray sales were still going up in the late ‘80s, a bunch of kids were brewing an alternative rock subculture up in the Pacific Northwest. Bands such as Nirvana, Pearl Jam, Soundgarden, and Alice in Chains were about to change the musical landscape forever.

The death of Nirvana’s front man Kurt Cobain in 1994 marked the beginning of the end. Some bands still made it to the early 2000s, but the genre died out. The death of Alice in Chains’ Layne Staley in 2002 dictated the end of yet another iconic Seattle band. By the end of the decade, grunge was pretty much over.

Britpop

The genre, dominated by bands such as Oasis, Blur, Suede, and Pulp, may have had “pop” in the name, but they surely rocked. These bands had big guitar songs with catchy choruses, and even an iconic feud to keep fans happy (Oasis vs. Blur). But by the end of the decade, Britpop was dead.

Pop punk

Then, lots of new bands appeared on the scene, each one poppier than the other. Blink-182, Sum 41, and our favorite sk8er girl, Avril Lavigne, had energy and catchy melodies. But it turns out kids grew tired of happy upbeat punk rock, which dictated the end of the genre in the 2000s.

Gangsta rap

The aggressive sound and explicit lyrics of the genre reflected the violent reality these rappers were living in. Themes such as police brutality, racism, social oppression, and crime life were the first order of the day. But the genre died out in the late 2000s.

Nu metal

The late ‘90s witnessed yet another musical phenomenon. A new genre that mixed elements of metal, hip hop, alternative rock, and punk rock: nu metal had arrived.

Woodstock ’99 is often mentioned as a defining moment that dictated the beginning of the end for nu metal. The event was a huge disaster, and many nu metal bands played the show, so they got stuck with the bad reputation. The genre died down in the mid-2000s.

Third wave ska

Bands like Sublime, Less Than Jake, Reel Big Fish, Mighty Mighty Bosstones, and No Doubt (in their early years) dominated the genre and found commercial success in the 1990s. But the genre then died out in the early 2000s. Though some of these groups still managed to continue their successful careers.

New wave

Bands such as New Order, Duran Duran, Depeche Mode, Spandau Ballet, The Human League, and The Cars are some examples of the genre. New wave eventually mutated into other genres and eventually died out.

Post-punk

Bands such as Siouxsie and the Banshees, Joy Division, Talking Heads, Devo, and The Cure are some examples. Like new wave, the genre evolved into the larger umbrella of alternative rock.

Emo

Kids eventually overcame their angst and grew out of skinny jeans, black eyeliner, and black hair. The genre died out in the early 2010s.

Trip hop

During the late ‘80s and early ‘90s, a new genre emerged in Bristol, England. Trip hop was characterized by slow tempo and mixed elements of hip hop, breakbeat, and electronica, among others. Music artists such as Massive Attack, Tricky, and Portishead were among the biggest acts back then. The genre died out at the end of the ‘90s.

Grime

Grime emerged in London in the early 2000s. This genre of electronic urban music combined elements of UK garage, 2-step, dancehall, and hip hop. By the middle of the decade, artists such as Lethal Bizzle, Wiley, Kano, and Dizzee Rascal were dominating the scene. By the late aughts, however, grime started to decline in popularity.