The genre Nancy Wilson said saved Heart’s career: “Uncool overnight”
It’s something that’s not spoken about nearly enough: what happens when you’re on top of the rock and roll world, but then your luck suddenly runs out? Heart can tell you a thing or two about that.
Indeed, the art of a comeback was something they thought they had conquered, after their initial breakout success in the late 1970s under the guise of heavy metal was followed by a stark commercial decline as the ‘80s dawned. But as that decade came to a close, things seemed to be on the up again.
With a sudden golden run of albums starting with their eponymous Heart in 1985, then Bad Animals in 1987 and Brigade in 1990, you would have thought that after all that time, their sights were finally, once again, secured. But not even platinum records and multiple major chart hits across the world could stop the wheels of the whims of the world from turning.
Because, of course, fortune had to ruin their chances. Seemingly without an obvious reason, as the early ‘90s continued, Heart severely fell out of favour and required a serious resuscitation effort if they had any hope of survival. They returned home to consider what the hell they were ever going to do next. But as it turned out, fate had a way of telling them they were exactly where they needed to be.
Think about it: Seattle in the ‘90s. There should be only one thing that comes to mind. The blistering, pounding, deep-seated edge of grunge, and it’s something Nancy Wilson will be grateful for until her dying day. “It saved us emotionally at the time,” she later said. “We came back out of the ’80s with our tails between our legs. We were one of those hair bands that were so uncool overnight.”
However, instead of trying to fit into a community, what the Heart sisters actually found was a group of people who were genuinely excited for their arrival. The major grunge bands we’re talking about here, like Alice in Chains, Nirvana, and The Smashing Pumpkins, were raised on the rock and roll elixir they presented.
Rather than washouts, they actually found themselves to be inspirations. There’s no telling the value and revitalisation that was provided to the band when they felt like they were on the down and out once and for all, because if nothing else, it proved that although times may change, there is still space for artists to grow with it.
The power of grunge also recharged them to give the business one final go. Sure, they may never have reached the same illustrious heights that they did in the ‘70s again, but their tenacity to continue on the road both gave them a status as a legendary act, while also proving that good things happen to those who wait.
Above all else, for a whole myriad of reasons, the story of Heart has never been plain sailing. Things haven’t been easy for them, but they haven’t given up. No, that didn’t always guarantee them the most number ones out of a group of rock bands in a room. But the ones with the most grit in their souls? Well, they certainly take that prize.
