Remembering the popular music of the 1990s: dance music and the cultural meanings of decade-based nostalgia

Abstract

Remembering the popular music of the 1990s: dance music and the cultural meanings of decade-based nostalgia Arno van der Hoeven Following the popularisation of dance music in the 1990s, and the consolidation of disc jockeys (DJs) as global stars, this article examines the attachment of music audiences to this decade by examining the popular flashback dance parties held in the Netherlands. By drawing on theories of cultural heritage, memory and nostalgia, this article explores 1990s-themed parties as spaces where music audiences construct cultural identities and engage with their musical memories. Based on in-depth interviews with audience members, DJs and organisers of dance events, this study examines the meaning of cultural memories and the manner in which nostalgia arises in specific sociocultural settings. The findings indicate two ways in which cultural memories take shape. At early-parties, DJs and audiences return to the roots of specific genres and try to preserve these sounds. Decade-parties offer an experience of reminiscence by loosely signifying the decade and its diverse mix of music styles and fashions.

Narratives of popular music heritage and cultural identity: The affordances and constraints of popular music memories

“…Musical memories are always embedded (Van Dijck, 2006). They are invoked in specific social settings or through particular mediums, such as exhibitions, documentaries and nostalgic dance parties (Van der Hoeven, 2014). These are spaces where personal narratives and wider cultural stories come into dialogue with each other (Rowe et al, 2002).…”

“…Cultural and heritage industries cater for the interests of both younger and older audiences in music of the past with, for example, music exhibitions, nostalgic documentaries and magazines about ‘classic rock’ (Cohen, 2013; Van der Hoeven, 2014). Like other forms of cultural production, these memory practices can be analyzed through a focus on the tension between creativity and commerce and the widespread conviction that these two forces pull in opposite directions (Hesmondhalgh, 2013a).…”

Remembering the 1960s: popular music and memory in Europe

“…Remembering the 1960s: music and memory in Europe Cultural industries use a focus on decades -the 1960s in this case -as a way to segment popular music history in discrete and identifiable periods (Kotarba 2002, Van der Hoeven 2014. Through numerous books, documentaries, exhibitions and magazines, the 1960s have been heavily mythologized (Varon et al 2008).…”

The RFM Party 80 and Here and Now Tours: 1980s Pop Nostalgia in the French and British Press

“…While the study of nostalgia in general is now well established (as discussed in the Introduction to this volume), its relationship with popular music is also a developing area of academic enquiry. Existing studies have, for example, explored how nostalgia contributes towards the development and status of particular popular music forms and genres (Lebrun 2009 French chanson néo-réaliste), identity formation (Bennett 2001, 153;DeNora 2000, 63), the experiences of listeners and consumers (Holbrook and Schindler 2006) and cultural heritage debates (Brandellero et al 2014;van der Hoeven 2014). Furthermore, a 2014 edited collection of 13 essays on nostalgia published in Volume!…”