Popular music Part II I-late 80s to date


The 1990s begin early


Finally, in 1988, we get some real planetary activity. A Saturn Uranus conjunction in 1988, in Aquarius, coupled with a Pluto Jupiter opposition, followed by a conjunction between Saturn and Neptune in 1989 opposed by Jupiter and coupled with a sextile of Saturn to Pluto. The importance of the two conjunctions is enhanced by the fact that they were the prelude to the later conjunction of Uranus and Neptune. In reality, the 1990’s started here.

So as the 1980’s pop scene was really on its last legs by 1988/89, having become so bland as to be without direction, not surprisingly anything new was a relief and the sampling idea took off, albeit not with much insight with Jive Bunny having 3 number 1s in 1989. It was the crossover into the mainstream of DJ led music.

The other creeping theme that resulted from the upcoming conjunction was the birth of the boy band trend; again filling the need by 1988/89 for something new in the pop scene and another trend for the producers to cash in on. And once again the light stuff hit the mainstream in the US before the UK with New Kids on the Block.

1990-Relections on the score

So really starting in the last couple of years of the 1980s, the 1990s at last ushered in some real changes with the first outer planet aspect since the mid 60s; Neptune conjoining Uranus in 1993 and later Pluto sextiling Uranus in 1995.

Neptune and Uranus together are considered astrologically a rather esoteric combination; a chance to reach for the higher levels of consciousness. We saw what they did in the late 1960s while in sextile with the growth of psychedelic rock. Not really surprising then to find that their conjunction led to dance music and, specifically, trance music, coupled with the wide use of drugs, becoming one of the dominant styles of the early 1990s. Trance built on the earlier Uranian experimentation with techno, which had started with the conjunctions of 1968-71 and developed with the oppositions of 1977 and the aspects of the early 80s.

The 1992 charts had number 1s that encapsulate these themes, with the Shamen’s Ebeneezer Goode and Snap’s Rhythm is a dancer.

The importance and strength of the conjunction cannot be underestimated, and its effect was felt from 1989 through to 1997. But everything has its time and so it is not surprising that Wikipedia says “By the end of the 1990s, trance remained commercially huge, but had fractured into an extremely diverse genre. Some of the artists that had helped create the trance sound in the early and mid-1990s had, by the end of the decade, abandoned trance completely in favor of more underground….”

As mentioned the only other key theme of the conjunction was the taste for Boy Band pop, with the UK copying the US producing a prolific stream of bands, etc. The strength of the conjunction also tapped into the Neptune Jupiter aspects of the years, recreating some of the manias of the early 1970s, and although it may seem to be the antithesis of the trance scene, in fact it harnessed the same energy from the conjunction to whip up mass enthusiasm in a very similar way. Only the object of the addition was different.

By 1997, however, a new 12/13 year cycle was ending and begin with a Neptune/Jupiter conjunction. Once again this tapped into the fervour factor and allowed the music business to harness a new commercial pop market. In this case it was the birth of girl bands most notably the Spice Girls, who also tapped into the Pluto Saturn trine with the spirit of “girl power.” I would also include Britney in this category, depite her being a solo artist as she tapped in to the same cycle.

But the focus in the decade was not only on the Neptune Uranus conjunction. At least as interesting was the Pluto Uranus sextile in 1995. Neptune and Uranus together are all higher states and not very practical. With Pluto though, we get true creative direction, the developments that derive from the dance music of this time mixed with the heavier impact of Pluto are only now (2008 onwards) likely coming into their own

Furthermore rock still existed in the 1990s although it was rarely mainstream in the whole decade. New alternative rock bands in the mis 1990s around the time of the Pluto Uranus sextile were probably typified by Muse, formed in 1994, Evanescence and Linkin Park in the US in 1995 and 1996 respectively and Coldplay a little later in 1998 under a rather more depressing Neptune Saturn square.

Finally, decades after its creation during the Pluto Saturn square of the mid 1970s, the Pluto Uranus sextile of 1995 followed by the Pluto Saturn trine and a Uranus Saturn sextile of 1997 allowed hip hop to become mainstream, at least in the US. It was becoming an integral part of popular music, and many American pop songs had a major hip hop component. To such an extent that even the harder elements of gangsta rap with its controversial lyrics and themes was becoming an accepted part of the mainstream. One of the features of the trines of the period was the growth of featuring, with many collaborations between artists of different genres, allowing the blending of styles which as we have seen is often the key to broader commercialisation. As a result by 2000 over two decades after its formation rap was a mainstream popular music form, although it took until the Saturn opposition to Pluto to perfect the effect in the Uk.


2000s- Take a bow

Despite the success of hip hop in the US in the late 1990s, it was not until 1999/2000 that Eminem brought the rap genre to the UK mainstream.

In terms of astrology the 2000s have more in common with the 1970’s than any other decade. With no outer planet aspects until post 2010, it does not have the impetus of the 1960s and 1990s, but a multitude of Saturn aspects means there is more opportunity for cross-over than in the 1980’s, and as we have mentioned cross over is good for integrating more interesting elements from the fringes in to mainstream pop.

Remember the Pluto Saturn Jupiter conjunction of 1982 and its mega commercialisation effect? Well, part of that the cycle ended in 2000 as Saturn and Jupiter formed a new conjunction and the commercialisation of that era took a further hit in 2001 when Pluto opposed Saturn. It might have meant overt terrorism for the USA but for the music industry it meant commercial terrorism in the form of file-sharing.

Unfortunately that in itself has not done much for creativity as the music industry has focussed on other ways of commercialising the product, original creativity in rock has arguably taken a back seat. However, as we have seen from the development of hip-hop, the partial demise in the mainstream of traditional rock music has not left a gap. It has been replaced by the broadened appeal of modern R&B which no doubt purists would consider the sell out of that genre instead.

The year 2000 in the UK charts was characterised by the vast quantity of short lived number 1 records. Astrologically the Jupiter Saturn conjunction came with a package of 5 other planets in Taurus in May and a square to Uranus. It also introduced us to the talent show pop star – a reaction to the file-sharing as record companies looked for new markets, Unfortunately such commercial activity is the downside of Jupiter Saturn and Uranus – the upside will have been creativity which will be going on at some level somewhere even if not in the mainstream.

We have already mentioned Eminem, who caught the shake-up vibe of the year, there was still quite a smattering of dance music too with Fragma, Sonique and Groovejet. While the latter partly represents the end of the 1990’s era, the focus had moved to female DJ/vocal on these, a development that reflects the merging of dance from the early 90s with the emphasis on female artists of the latter years.

The potential darkness of 2001’s Saturn Pluto opposition actually seemed not to reach the charts in style terms that year. However that summer was characterised by Shaggy’s Angel, Robbie Williams’ Eternity and a cover of Eternal Flame- clearly the theme of death and rebirth was going on but not as a new genre. Indeed it is in its own way scary to note that in the week following September 11th the Uk number one was Bob the Builder!

In the background, however, the other change that was happening was a move towards global music. A low key theme in the 1990’s, the conjunction of 2000 allowed it to supplant the more bland pop offerings as the new decade progressed. In 2001,Shakira broke through onto the English-speaking world with her latest album. World music was already an expanding background theme but not mainstream. It is likely that the period 2009-2012 will see a greater move in this direction.

2002-2003 astrologically was dominated by a Neptune /Saturn and then a Uranus/Saturn trine backed up by oppositions of Jupiter to first Neptune and then Uranus. With trines gradual assimilation of change is the name of the game. Remember that these trines arose from the cycle that began with the conjunctions in 1989- 1993. Wikipedia states “In October 2003 for the first time since the dawn of rock'n'roll 50 years ago, none of the artists in the official Billboard American Top 10 was white. The ascendancy of rap and contemporary R&B as the music of choice for young Americans, black and white, was total and irrefutable (most notably Alicia Keyes, 50 Cent and OutKast)”. Whether that statement was applicable to the UK in the same year is debateable too but even in the UK the dominant hits of the year were the US Black eyed Peas “Where is the love’ and Beyonce’s “Crazy in Love”.

The next shift was 2006-7 with a Pluto and Saturn trine, and a Saturn and Neptune opposition , and a Pluto Jupiter conjunction.

The somewhat contrary effect of the aspects was the come-back phase. Pioneered by Take That in 2006, it also seems to have been a product of the Saturn opposition to Neptune and the Jupiter aspects bringing about an element of nostalgia. The Saturn Neptune configuration might have created the longing for the past but success or not of the reforming bands is determined in the longer term by their new material, and the ability to harness the trines and sextiles to blend more recent styles to update their styles.

The other effect of the 2006-7 conjunctions gave rise to such creative hits as Gnarls Barkley’s Crazy, and the to Scissor Sisters. These represent yet more blending of themes and utilization of the sampling that was born out of the hip hop and dance genres, to create whole new sub-genres. Although frankly it is harder to match the astrology with the styles at such close quarters, it will be much easier to see a genre in retrospective.

One other less obvious trend was the increase in assimilation of global influences. Whilst in the power ballads in the 1980s movie becamehits, in the 2006 film Inside Man took the reworked Bollywood Chiyya Chiyya for its theme. It wasn’t a single but it more than worked, another sign that music for the next decades is likely to go global in style.


We are now in late 2008 and the statement regarding R&Bin the US can most definitely be extended to the UK. We are also approaching the first of five opposition contacts between Uranus and Saturn – the old and the new. As I wrote the first draft of this (on Saturday 19th) I noted that the top Hit40uk top 10 hits this week is dominated by mocking irony. (It is the common theme which links the music and videos of Pussycat Dolls’ When I grow up, Kaiser Chiefs’ Never miss a beat, Pink’s So what, Rhianna’s Disturbia, Katy Perry’s I kissed a girl, Sugar Babes’ Girls and Ne-Yo’s Miss Independent). That is the pleasant effect of having the Uranus- Saturn opposition supported by Jupiter, and has been responsible for some delightful humour about the credit crunch and the global meltdown scenario too.

However I expect the mood to darken further, and the humour to take second place as, over the coming few years, the Jupiter trine disappears and the cardinal cross comes more into focus.

A return to some very dissonant sounds can be expected by 2010. The styles born out of the Uranus/Pluto conjunction of 1965 will meet their biggest resistance yet. Expect the final death of residual old rock groups, and any artists who have not learnt to integrate traditional rock with the wider elements. On the other hand the aspects are likely to lead to a much heavier style in the mainstream again. Furthermore we can expect more global influences, especially in the underlying beat especially by 2010 when Uranus and Jupiter are in conjunction in early Aries, but opposite Saturn. Technology is also likely to create further changes in this period probably related to the restructuring of some of the big music companies.

However, before that, in 2009 we will also encounter the Jupiter/Neptune conjunction together with Chiron. Since this relates to healing and consciousness, music is likely to take on a transcendent feel for a year or so.

Where music goes next can perhaps be identified by looking to a statement by Muse "I've been listening to quite a lot of music from the south of Italy on this album", Bellamy admits. "I've been living in Italy for a while, and I discovered this music from Naples, which sounds like a mix of music from Africa, Croatia, Turkey and Italy. It kind of gives it a mystical sound, so I think that's one thing that influenced the album. I like being influenced by things that have a mixed style ”. Mystical and boundary crossing- certainly Neptune/Jupiter and Chiron fits that as well as the global influences.

Though, at the extreme there is a possibility that someone might go for re-creating space music and the sound of particles colliding as a side effect of interest in the Large Hadron Collider!!

In the longer term, there are likely to be major changes in 2020 when Pluto Jupiter and aturn conjoin as in 1982, and a reduction in commercial popular music as a whole post 2032 as Pluto and Neptune finally separate from their sextile.

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