Originally Posted by Screen13

I usually give things in The US Four Years, or sometimes about Three if Pop Based. It's a bad attempt at an outline of a trend, or movement, but here it is...

This is mainly what I would call my High School Theory-or, is more "Alternative," Community College.

Year One - The rush of excitement that surrounds something that the Hip portion of the media catches and starts to Hot Trend it. This is usually the year that's called when things were for real during the movement's most popular time later on.

Year Two - The difficult Second Year, where all the major outlets get to find out just how this new trend works and see who is with the business. Many of the defining "First Hits" or at least best known songs are found here. The public takes notice.

Year Three - Here is where all of the major hits start to add up more and more. The public that usually waits for things to be big or when established stars pick up on some of the characteristics to look cool and not as out of date as their music still suggests. Either that or when bands who form the "acceptable" wave (In Punk's Case, Power Pop, the early form of New Wave in The States) start to get more notice. This is usually when all of the Avrils start to get their time in the spotlight.

Year Four - The feeling that a New Thing is now a part of history. About half of the older fans no longer look for new bands, unless they look for more Underground or more Serious scenes (This usually happens at College-Level, usually forming part of my Community College "Alternative Music Scene" theory), thinking their music has sold out and is now a part of the soundtrack of their lives...and this is where the search for a new thing (Usually a variation of what happened through the last four years in a new coat) happens. Many sad or interesting albums (or at least singles) by the once-new happen around this time.

Anyone surviving is either very lucky, has met up with the right Producers and Image-Makers..or have seriously considered music to be their calling and continue to gain respect with real music fans who just dig the sounds for what they are.

Time for revisionism of usually sneered at happenings...about 8 years to a decade, The "Oh yeah, I actually like that, I'll admit it" Time Smooths Most Things Theory.