If you’re on Instagram, and you’re a fan of Seattle’s music history (and if you’re reading this, why wouldn’t you be) you have to check out The Rocket 1990s (@therocket90s). The Rocket 1990s is an Instagram account that contains photographs of old issues of The Rocket music zine that ran from 1979–2000 in Seattle. It focused on Pacific Northwest bands and music, and was often on the cutting edge of these bands emerging.
The holder of the account has managed to acquire issues dating from the late 1980s to the 1990s and publishes photos of them daily, so you can read these long out-of-print articles. It’s fun to go back and see reviews for “new” albums or see which bands played which venues back in the day. The magazine often listed their own top 20 lists of music of the Pacific Northwest.
As an artifact, it’s a glimpse into the minds of music fans and writers of the 1990s. The reviews that are posted hearken back to a time when pop-punk and alternative were still popular during the hazy post-grunge era of the mid-‘90s. Its pictures are filled with interesting interviews with past bands, and promotions for upcoming albums.
It’s ironic in this digital age that music zines like The Rocket aren’t better archived, but it’s thanks to themed Instagram accounts like this that we are able to continue to read them. While being able to see a bands discography, or find old concert videos are easier than ever, it’s still great to be able to go back and see what the artists were saying at the time.
You can follow The Rocket 90s on Instagram (@therocket90s). You can also watch a presentation from former Rocket staffer Cortney Harding on the paper’s history here as part of the Experience Music Project’s Pop Conference in 2007.
The Seattle Sound 