When you rank music you can do the best you can to rely on the Billboard Charts or Grammy nominations, but there are so many different genres of music that things get confusing. What it all comes down to is that music is art and art is judged, felt, and in this case, ranked differently by just about everybody.
I tell you this because a few weeks back some friends and I got to talking about the top 10 bands of the 1990s. The debate lasted for the better part of an hour and even got a little heated when opinions differed significantly. We were able to agree on four or five no brainers in no particular order (ranking them would have led to chaos), but couldn’t come to a consensus about the rest because people were suggesting bands that wouldn’t even make my top 50 (Cake).
Now that they aren’t here to argue with me I’ll present my top 10 for you.
10.) Foo Fighters
The Foo Fighters are one of those bands that have spanned a few decades, so they are tough to place, but they make my cut mainly because of their 1997 album The Colour and the Shape. That album featured three classic Foo Fighter songs in “Monkey Wrench”, “My Hero”, and “Everlong”. I think I’ve mentioned this before, but when I was in 7th grade my older brother Jimmy (in 9th grade at the time) played “My Hero” and “Everlong” every morning before we walked down to the bus stop.
Band origin- Seattle, WA (1994)
Genre- post grunge, pop rock
Influential 90s album- The Colour and the Shape (1997)
Top 90s songs- “My Hero”, “Monkey Wrench”, “Everlong”
9.) No Doubt
If you hear a No Doubt song and don’t think of the 90s then something is wrong with you. Their sound screams 90s. Plus, Gwen Stefani was a legitimate sex symbol at the height of their fame.
Band origin- Anaheim, CA (1986)
Genre- new wave, fusion rock
Influential 90s album- Tragic Kingdom (1995)
Top 90s songs- “Spiderwebs”, “Don’t Speak”, “I’m Just A Girl”
8.) Collective Soul
Probably the biggest wild card in my top 10, but I think they are a worthy band. I know of and really like five of their songs from the decade, which is a lot.
Band origin- Stockbridge, GA (1992)
Genre- post grunge, alternative rock
Influential 90s albums- Collective Soul (1995), Dosage (1999)
Top 90s songs- “Shine”, “Heavy”, “Run”, December”, “The World I Know”
7.) Rage Against the Machine
Rage not only had a unique sound (thanks largely in part to the voice of Zack de la Rocha), but they were also incredibly popular while still seeming authentic. They were anti-establishment, cared about the music, and wouldn’t cave to a sponsor or record label and yet they had a huge following and won multiple Grammys.
Band origin- Los Angeles, CA (1991)
Genre- rap/alternative metal
Influential 90s album- Battle for Los Angeles (1999)
Top 90s songs- “Bulls on Parade”, “Killing in the Name”, “Guerilla Radio”, “Calm Like a Bomb”
6.) Smashing Pumpkins
If I put together a list of the Top 100 songs from the 90s (future blog post?) “1979” would definitely be in the top 5. Music and memory are tied together in such a way that certain songs remind me of specific times and experiences from my life. When I hear “1979” I go back to Mrs. Zacharek’s 4th grade class at St. Matthew’s grammar school.
Band origin- Chicago, IL (1988)
Genre- alternative rock
Influential 90s album- Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness (1995)
Top 90s songs- “1979”, “Tonight, Tonight”, “Today”, “Disarm”, “Bullet with Butterfly Wings”
5.) Dave Matthews Band
They are still incredibly popular to this day, but the majority of their success came in the mid to late 90s. In fact, I would argue that most of the Dave Mathews songs that you know were on their first three albums. When you get high/hammered at their concerts you hope that they play “Ants Marching”, “Crash Into Me”, and “Two Step”.
Band origin- Charlottesville, VA
Genre- blue grass rock
Influential 90s albums- Under the Table and Dreaming (1994), Crash (1996)
Top 90s songs- “Ants Marching”, “Satellite”, “Crash Into Me”, “Two Step”, “Warehouse”
4.) Green Day
Green Day came to prominence in the 90s. They were instrumental in reviving the punk rock movement that bands like The Ramones started in the 70s. The Dookie (1994) album is one of my favorites of all time. In fact, it made my list of the Top 10 albums back in 2009. They also get major bonus points for having a song (Good Riddance) featured in the series finale of the best 90s television show (Seinfeld).
Band origin- East Bay, CA (1987)
Genre- punk rock
Influential 90s album- Dookie (1994)
Top 90s songs- “Brain Stew”, “Good Riddance”, “Basket Case”, “When I Come Around”
3.) Nirvana
Nirvana is probably the band from the 90s that immediately comes to mind when you do this exercise. They are rightfully credited for taking the grunge movement mainstream, but I think their success is elevated because of the death of Kurt Cobain. This isn’t to say that they weren’t great. They were. Their video for “Smells Like Teen Spirit” is the second most famous of all time (behind only Michael Jackson’s “Thriller”). All I’m saying is that they are idolized because Kurt Cobain died at or near the peak of their fame. Because of this (un)fortunate timing we always think of him, and Nirvana, as being great. We never got to see the down side of his career and there definitely would have been a downside because no one stays a top the mountain forever.
Band origin- Aberdeen, WA (1987)
Genre- grunge
Influential 90s album- Nevermind (1991)
Top 90s songs- “Smells Like Teen Spirit”, “Come As You Are”, “Lithium”
2.) Pearl Jam
They were probably never the best band at any given time in the 90s, but they were always in the conversation. They came off the heels of Nirvana and because of this no one could ever conceivably think of them as being better than their predecessors. I would argue that their longevity and total body of work make them arguably more influential than their Washington counterparts. I also think that they’re one of those bands that have a lot more hits than people realize. A similar thing happened to me when I bought a Def Leppard CD. At the time I thought I only knew two of their songs, but it turned out that I knew 7 or 8.
Band origin- Seattle, WA (1990)
Genre- alternative, grunge rock
Influential 90s album- Ten (1991)
Top 90s songs- “Jeremy”, “Better Man”, “Elderly Woman Behind the Counter in a Small Town”, “Yellow Ledbetter”, “Alive”
1.) Red Hot Chili Peppers
They released four albums in the 80s, but their real breakthrough success came after they signed with Warner Bros. Records in 1990. The Rock and Roll Hall of Famers achieved pop success, but are also admired by the hardcore rockers of the world. They don’t have a mainstream sound, but they have a mainstream following even to this day. They deserve a lot of credit for bookending the decade with their best work- Blood Sugar Sex Magik (1991) and Californication (1999). I also think it’s cool that the most famous band member (Flea) is their bassist and arguably their second most famous member (Dave Navarro- he’s more famous for what he’s done outside of RHCP, but it still counts) left after only a 3 year stint in the mid 90s. It should also be noted that “Under the Bridge” served as a pump up song for me when I was 17. It’s slow, but something about it got me in the mood to hit people in football.
Band origin- Los Angeles, CA (1983)
Genre- alternative, funk rock
Influential 90s albums- Blood Sugar Sex Magik (1991), Californication (1999)
Top 90s songs- “Under the Bridge”, “Suck My Kiss”, “Give it Away”, “Scar Tissue”, “Californication”
Other bands receiving votes (alphabetical)- Alice in Chains, Barenaked Ladies, Bush, The Goo Goo Dolls, Hootie and the Blowfish, Korn, Matchbox Twenty, Nine Inch Nails, Oasis, The Offspring, Radiohead, R.E.M., Soundgarden, Stone Temple Pilots, Sublime, Third Eye Blind
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