MTV, Grunge, Hip-Hop, and the Changing Sound of the 1990s The 1990s were a decade when music seemed to change almost overnight. New sounds moved from local clubs and city neighborhoods to millions of radios, televisions, and CD players across the country. MTV had become one of the most powerful forces in youth culture, music videos could turn unknown performers into international stars, grunge challenged the polished sound of the 1980s, and hip-hop grew from a powerful urban