Rock 'N' Roll Ramblings: MY Top 10 Favorite Bands of the 1990s

This was a list that I posted on my Facebook many years ago for my Friends with plans to update and put on my Blog. I figure now that such great bands should be rediscovered by today's young generation. They are not in any particular order by the way.

10. The Bare Naked Ladies 

How could you not like their album Gordon? Their one of those fun bands to listen to that make you feel good with such great songs as "Brian Wilson", "Be My Yoko Ono", & "If I Had a Million Dollars". Their Debut Album quickly became #1 in their homecounrty of Canada, but sadly found little success in the U.S.A.

9. Live. 

In the Summer of 1995 I moved to a new town & one of the 1st persons I met was a guy named Joe who introduced me to Live’s album Throwing Copper, & I Love Every Song.

8. The Tea Party

When I 1st heard "Save Me" from their 1993 album Splendor Soils thought it was The Doors, Hell! The Lead Singer Jeff Martin even looked like Jim Morrison! Plus They Were Canadians! Which was Cool!
They were nominated for Best Hard Rock Album & Best New Group that year at the Juno Awards (the Canadian version of the Grammys).

7. Soundgarden

In 1994 I pick up Superunknown cause I was searching for something "Dark & Depressing", I found it in this album. Songs like "Blackhole Sun" & "Spoonman" became regular songs I recorded on mix-tapes for years.

6. Alice In Chains

They were one of the 1st of the "New Bands" that were coming out at the time in 1990 when my older brother pick up their debut album "Facelift". They were marketed as a new Heavy Metal band, but sounded different from the others. Little did I know that it was the start of the "Seattle Sound" & the New Grudge movement. It was the 1st Grunge album to make platinum, then double platinum and appear in the Top 50 in Billboard 200.

I totally "marked out" when I heard for the 1st time ECW pro wrestler Tommy Dreamer used "Man In The Box" as his entrance music.

5. Red Hot Chili Peppers
Although the Alternative Rock band had already release a few previous albums, it wasn't until their 1991 release of Blood Sugar Magik that they reached mainstream success, peaking at #3 on the Billboard 200 when I & everybody else took notice.

Douglas & Lancaster in Tough Guys

Previously I just remember them as the band that made a cameo in the 1986 movie Tough Guys starring Burt Lancaster, Kirk Douglas, & Dana Carvey.
Most fans consider this their best album ever with great songs like "Under the Bridge", "Give it Away", "Suck My Kill", "Breaking the Girl", & "If You Have to Ask".

4. Pearl Jam
The band had a dark beginning as it was formed as when Mother Love Bone frontman Andrew Wood died from a heroine overdose in 1990. 2 of the surviving members Jeff Ament (bassist) & Stone Gossard (guitarist) joined up with vocalist Eddie Vedder & drummer Dave Krusen to create Pearl Jam.
Their debut album Ten helped popularize Alternative / Grunge Rock into the mainstream, peaking at #2 on the Billboard 200.

Songs like "Jeremy" brought forth the realities of school bullying & teen suicide back into discussion. The music video predated the events of the Columbine Massacre in 1999, almost as an eerie warning of things to come. 

3. The Smashing Pumpkins

It was their 2nd album release "Siamese Dream" that rocketed the Alternative Rock band to mainstream success with such songs as "Cherab Rock", "Today", "Disarm", & "Rocket", making it one of the best albums of the 1990s. Even Rolling Stone magazine listed it as 360 on it's 500 Greatest Albums of All Time in 2003.

The Smashing Pumpkins would continue to headline such festivals as Lollapalooza for many years & be on the playlist of every Gothkid out there. I was happy that they reunited in 2005.

2. Green Day

 Their 1994 album "Dookie" reintroduced me to Punk Music that was FUN, in the tradition of such bands like the Ramones, with their short, poppy sounding songs that you could just sing along with like "When I Come Around", "Longview", "Welcome to Paradise", & "Basket Case".

Billie Joe Armstrong in 1994

Anyone remember their appearance at Woodstock '94 with their infamous mudfight with the crowds. Every Teenager is naturally Basket Case Right? Well now they have a big hit on Broadway play. Who would've thunk'it back in 1994?

1. Nirvana

They where "the Shot Heard Around the World" with the unexpected success of their single "Smells Like Teen Spirit" from their 2nd Album release "Nevermind", the Band found themselves headlining what the Media dub "the Grunge Movement". Frontman Kurt Cobain was now called "the spokesman for a generation" & Nirvana "the flagship band" of Generation X as they not only influenced music but fashion as well, with every High School adopting the whole "Grunge Look" from Seattle.
No Band meant more to me in my youth than Nirvana, I was devastated when I heard about Cobain's death in 1994. I found it hard to listen to Nirvana for many years afterwards until the release of their compilation album in 2002 with the single "You Know You're Right", which reminded me of my love for the music of "My Generation".

~ Raja Devilman74