Yes, you heard me. They dabbled in a bunch of different genres - everything from punk to alternative rock to acoustic balladry to pop - and always pulled it off like virtuosos. And yet when people discuss the major American rock bands of the 80s, they always bring up those chumps from R.E.M. or Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers. If you've never heard the Mats before, consider this thread a primer for their beautiful, one-of-a-kind sound.
The punk:
The alternative rock:
The acoustic ballads:
<object style="height: 390px; width: 640px"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/...eature=player_detailpage"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowScriptAccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/f8J9WssSj7Q?version=3&feature=player_detailpage" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" allowScriptAccess="always" width="640" height="360"></object>
<object style="height: 390px; width: 640px"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/...eature=player_detailpage"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowScriptAccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/RJcCzWcgPsY?version=3&feature=player_detailpage" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" allowScriptAccess="always" width="640" height="360"></object>
<object style="height: 390px; width: 640px"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/...eature=player_detailpage"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowScriptAccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/86cMWuc0pZw?version=3&feature=player_detailpage" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" allowScriptAccess="always" width="640" height="360"></object>[/spoiler]
The pop:
The punk:
The alternative rock:
The acoustic ballads:
<object style="height: 390px; width: 640px"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/...eature=player_detailpage"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowScriptAccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/f8J9WssSj7Q?version=3&feature=player_detailpage" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" allowScriptAccess="always" width="640" height="360"></object>
<object style="height: 390px; width: 640px"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/...eature=player_detailpage"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowScriptAccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/RJcCzWcgPsY?version=3&feature=player_detailpage" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" allowScriptAccess="always" width="640" height="360"></object>
<object style="height: 390px; width: 640px"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/...eature=player_detailpage"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowScriptAccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/86cMWuc0pZw?version=3&feature=player_detailpage" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" allowScriptAccess="always" width="640" height="360"></object>[/spoiler]
The pop:
