I grew up with my Dad playing John Denver songs on his guitar… My Dad was a classic rock and soft rock fan. I remember lying down in front of his monstrous stereo speakers listening to Boston’s More Than A Feeling. I was only about 14, but I felt the emotions in that song. They escorted me to another world, far beyond my years.
Around that same time, riddled with depression and anxiety, as I would remain from that age on, I felt a certain comfort in the MTV Unplugged era, seeing the greats - Nirvana, Alice in Chains, STP, The Cranberries, Soundgarden, Alanis, Sheryl, NIN, Green Day and oh so many more - pour their hearts out in the most raw and unadulterated way, about the exact same feelings I was living through. Through the music genre, those people touched my soul. They made me feel like I wasn’t alone. They may have saved my life, and I am eternally grateful.
I will never forget how comforting bright orange hair, or green hair, or a bald head that made a statement were. How oddly satisfying the weird googly-eyed Black Hole Sun people were. I could literally listen to the same Cranberries song on repeat for days. She was singing just for me. Her voice was my comfort during some of my darkest moments. I’ve lived through some pretty severe sh*t, and MTV helped me get through my childhood. I know I’m not the only one.