Billy Corgan of the Smashing Pumpkins has weighed in on rock icons of the 90s and the “resentful” way they were treated by music executives at the time. Grunge stars like Kurt Cobain, Eddie Vedder, and many others who were making names for themselves. According to Corgan, these now-iconic figures couldn’t be controlled by the industry, and were therefore treated differently.
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Speaking with Alison Hagendorf recently, Corgan highlighted the “watershed moment” of his generation taking control of rock music in the 90s.
“It really was a watershed moment where [you had] bands like the Smashing Pumpkins, Pearl Jam, Nine Inch Nails, [Red Hot Chili] Peppers — and everybody was getting on the radio, and we were in the top 40,” he said. “I mean, imagine alternative music in the top 40. Now, it’s almost unthinkable. Well, it was just as unthinkable then, in 1989 or whatever.”
Prior to the grunge movement of the 90s, there seemed to be a certain amount of control that the industry had over musicians. That is also reflected today, with the vice grip the music industry has on genres like pop and country. However, at the time, rock stars—especially those in alternative and grunge—were breaking the mold. Corgan stated that the industry was panicking because it couldn’t “control” these artists.
Billy Corgan On 90s Rock Icons and Lack of Control in the Music Industry At the Time
While Billy Corgan stated that an “outlying system,” in this case the grunge genre, would make the industry money, he also maintained that the lack of control made executives angry. “When you present an outlying system to a business that is all wrapped up, they’ll make the money off of you. But deep down, they’re resentful, because they can’t control you, right?” he said.
Citing members of Alice in Chains and Pearl Jam, he continued, “They couldn’t control Kurt [Cobain], they couldn’t control Eddie [Vedder], they couldn’t control Layne [Staley] and Jerry [Cantrell]; they just couldn’t control us. And, deep down, they kind of hated that. So, you don’t realize that at the time, [but] there’s a ticking clock for them, looking to replace you.”
While the alternative personalities may bring in the big bucks, there’s a contradiction in that those same personalities make the industry upset at its lack of control. “If you look at the artists that we’re talking about… Billie Joe [Armstrong], Kurt, Trent [Reznor], Courtney [Love], everybody is totally different, and we all represented something of the music business that, deep down, they didn’t really want,” Corgan added.
“Look at the entire history of rock and roll in the music business,” he said. “They really don’t want outlying personalities.”
Featured Image by Francesco Prandoni/Getty Images
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