The concept of artists having “eras” has existed for decades, originating with iconic stars like David Bowie, the Beatles, Madonna and more. Whether it be a change in genre, appearance or sound, eras mark a shift in an artist’s presentation. As musicians evolve, though, fan opinion varies, often resulting in instability regarding ratings and sales.
Madonna’s most famous — at least, most widely recognizable to Generation Z — period is her “Material Girl” era, during which she released her album Like a Virgin, which included the song “Material Girl.” While the music video for “Material Girl,” inspired by Marilyn Monroe’s Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, may feature sparkly diamonds and adoring men, the song is about a woman conning a greedy, patriarchal society. In her next era, Madonna continued to channel Marilyn Monroe and emphasize the theme of standing up to male authority, proving her capability of maintaining fame with the album True Blue.
Madonna’s fourth and fifth albums of the late ‘80s explored themes of sexuality, religion and destigmatization of the AIDS crisis — prompting backlash from the Pope and further establishing Madonna as a social justice advocate. Although Guinness World Records has named her the best selling female recording artist of all time, even the staunchest Madonna fans can acknowledge that her prime has passed. Album sales have taken a hit since the early 21st century, dropping from multi-millions to thousands.
Hanna Flynn (III) doesn’t like to categorize artists’ eras based on their popularity. An avid fan of the rock band The Smashing Pumpkins, Flynn doesn’t think that streams equate to success in the group’s various eras. Their classic and pop rock albums simply “appeal to… different audience[s],” she remarks. Flynn does admit, however, that the band’s latest album, in which they veered away from rock and into folk, “wasn’t very successful at all.”
While ‘80s artists Madonna and The Smashing Pumpkins have continued to follow their passions past commercial success, the ‘70s band Fleetwood Mac has not recorded new music in decades.
Fleetwood Mac began as a blues band in the ‘60s, an era cut short with the departure of guitarist Peter Green after only a few years. Their second, and arguably most creative, era was prompted by the addition of three new members who transitioned the group to experimental rock.
Fleetwood Mac’s third and final era began in 1975 with the addition of Stevie Nicks and Lindsay Buckingham. Seven studio albums including Rumors and self-titled Fleetwood Mac were released during this time when they reached their height. With Buckingham writing most of the music, the band’s sound became more reminiscent of soft rock, losing the less mainstream influence of blues and experimental rock in favor of a pop flavor. Much of their music was influenced by multiple complicated romances between the members — you might recognize the lyric “I’ll follow you down ‘til the sound of my voice will haunt you,” which was written by Nicks about Buckingham.
Eras due to personnel changes or desire for commercial success aren’t uncommon; The Ramones, a band popular in the ‘70s and ‘80s, cycled through different drummers and producers who altered the group’s overall sound. Additionally, strings and horns were incorporated in an effort to achieve mainstream success, which transformed their music. While they’re often credited with the popularization of punk rock, they were still unable to make a hit.
As a self-described “aficionado” of the Ramones, Boston Latin School AP Language and Composition teacher Mr. Robert Oakes attributes their lack of commercial success to them being “too weird-looking, too aggressive.” Along with being a music fanatic, Mr. Oakes has been playing and making music since high school. While he’s always been a fan of The Ramones and The Beatles, lately he’s grown to appreciate the “originals” and “masters,” such as John Lee Hooker and Robert Johnson. These blues artists drew inspiration from the aforementioned Beatles.
