An article revisits Grace Slick's blunt dismissal of Jefferson Starship's 1980s output, contrasting it with her pioneering status in 1960s counterculture rock as the driving force of Jefferson Airplane. It traces how the band evolved from psychedelic pioneers behind hits like "White Rabbit" and "Somebody to Love" into Jefferson Starship in 1972, and eventually splintered further after guitarist Paul Kantner departed in 1984, leaving Slick and Mickey Thomas to continue under a new name amid legal wrangling over the "Jefferson" branding.

In a 2007 interview with antiMusic, Slick said she didn't care for the 1980s version of Starship, criticising its reliance on outside songwriters and calling it "just dumb", despite acknowledging the band scored several number one hits, including "We Built This City" and "Nothing's Gonna Stop Us Now". She said she valued interesting, band-written music over chart success, and kept a watchful eye on royalties whenever Kantner or Thomas toured under the Starship name. Slick made one final appearance with a reformed Jefferson Airplane on their self-titled 1989 album before retiring from music to focus on her artwork, leaving Thomas to continue with Starship alone.