1994. It was year that made musical history.
For one thing, the year marked the 25th anniversary of the original Woodstock festival. And to capitalize on the revival, Woodstock '94 was held in Saugerties, N.Y., in September. Though the rain brought the mud, and few veteran Woodstock bands graced the stage, the '94 festival featured many new and upcoming artists. Metallica, Cranberries, Live and Nine Inch Nails were represented along with Joe Cocker, Santana and Crosby, Stills & Nash, who performed on Max Yasgur's Bethel farm back in 1969.The year also marked the regrouping of major bands of the 1970s (the Eagles, Pink Floyd and Traffic); a semi-reformation of Led Zeppelin (Jimmy Page and Robert Plant's "No Quarter" project); and a couple of heavy-hitting comebacks (Meat Loaf and former Journeyman Steve Perry), not to mention a live album from the vaults by the Beatles.
Van Halen-outcast David Lee Roth tried to return to the limelight, but lost his momentum.
The New Kids on the Block returned as an acronym, NKOTB, without the impact they had a few years back, while the '80s band the Knack, along with its hit "My Sharona," emerged from obscurity thanks to a nice slacker flick, "Reality Bites."
The three biggest bands of the Seattle sound made more news.
This year's Soundgarden album, "Superunknown," solidified the band's name in the business. Pearl Jam punched it out with Ticketmaster over concert ticket prices and, after about a year's hiatus, released "Vitalogy" (at first only on vinyl).
Nirvana lost its driving force, singer-guitarist-songwriter Kurt Cobain, to suicide on April 8. Then, to the dismay of his widow, Courtney Love, the bass player for her band Hole, Kristen Pfaff, was found dead in a bathtub of a heroin overdose. Despite the tragedies, Love hung on to her sanity and Hole began touring with new bassist Melissa Auf der Maur.
Other leading female rock-and-pop stars took the spotlight.
Chrissy Hynde's Pretenders and Joan Jett released new albums. Madonna unnerved David Letterman (and the censors). Yoko Ono hugged Paul McCartney during the Beatles' induction into the Rock 'n' Roll Hall of Fame. And Lisa Germano finally clipped the John Mellencamp back-up-singer label, while Me'shell NdegeOcello picked up her bass to jam with the man.
L7, Babes in Toyland and Bikini Kill led the "riot grrrl" movement, and Liz Phair hit it big with "Supernova." Tori Amos kept her dreamy spontaneity awake, and the Indigo Girls brought back alternative folk.
1994 was also the year of tribute albums.
Kiss ("Kiss My . . ."), the Carpenters ("If I Were a Carpenter"), Lynyrd Skynyrd ("Skynyrd Frynds"), Black Sabbath ("Nativity in Black") and Tom Petty ("You Just Got Lucky") are among the most notable. Another is due out honoring of Elvis Presley ("It's Now or Never: A Tribute to Elvis," originally a pay-per-view TV special).
The blues and related genres reached another high point with Eric Clapton's "Back to the Cradle," the Black Crowes' "Amorica," Bonnie Raitt's "Longing in Their Hearts" and Jimi Hendrix's "Blues."
The Rolling Stones, the "world's greatest rock 'n' roll band," broke attendance records again with the "Voodoo Lounge" tour, surpassing Pink Floyd's numbers.
Piano man Billy Joel separated from model Christy Brinkley, won Billboard Magazine's Century Award and embarked on a tour with "Rocket Man" Elton John.
The industrial scene blossomed thanks to Nine Inch Nail's appearance at Woodstock '94 and Brandon Lee's last movie, "The Crow." Machines of Loving Grace, Rage Against the Machine and Prong brought the clangorous music to the forefront.
Hard-core bands like Rollins and Danzig also kept the darkness bright.
Rap held fast to the scene. Snoop Doggy Dogg won Billboard Music Award's Male Artist of the Year. His hit album "Doggystyle" has sold over 4 million copies . . . though he was recently charged with murder and awaits trial Jan. 13.
The groundbreaking rap group Public Enemy released a new album, "Muse Sick in Hour Mess Age," to mixed reviews. Sex-assault defendant and rapper Tupac Shakur was shot five times by a would-be robber and is slowly recovering.
Speaking of the Billboard awards, contemporary jazz artist Kenny G. was named overall artist of the year and Swedish act Ace of Base won top new artist and single of the year for "The Sign." And though Mariah Carey was named top female artist for her album "Music Box," it was the band Collective Soul that surprised many by snatching the best album rock track for the single "Shine."
Country artists such as Tim McGraw, John Michael Montgomery, Garth Brooks and Reba McEntire supported their multi-platinum albums "Not a Moment Too Soon," "Kickin' It Up," "In Pieces" and "Read My Mind." They packed arenas and stadiums like their heavy metal and rock counterparts did in the 1980s.
The alternative wave continues strong, with new bands like Offspring, Green Day, the Cranberries and Candlebox extending the track first cleared by R.E.M., Nirvana and Pearl Jam.
They are hot and their music may point to the future. After all, 1995 is around the corner and somewhere the next trend is in the making.