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Nineties
Key Rock Songs
Alice In Chains -Would? (Columbia 1992)
Think back to the golden era of grunge and slacker anthem Would?
features heavily in the scene. Part of the Single soundtrack
and closing track off the smack-induced Dirt album, Would? Is
arguably Alice In Chains most celebrated and career defining
three minutes of music. Desperately bleak and lyrics verging
into hopelessness, tales of drug addiction once again rears it's
ugly head as "Know me broken by my master" are in contradiction
to the sheer excitement and buzz as if hearing the music for
the first time. |
Deftones - Be Quiet And Drive (Far Away)
(Warner Bros 1998)
The Sacramento crew have released a handful of classic singles
including My Own Summer (Shove It) and Change (In The House Of
Flies) - (what is it with all the bracket song titles?) but Be
Quiet And Drive (Far Away) would have to be the most jaw-dropping
Deftones single to date. The subtle opening of Chino's melodic
crooning and warm sound teases the listener until subjecting
the senses with it's soaring chorus and confident attitude. Chosen
as the opening song at a Deftones concert, the band are no fools
in unleashing Be Quiet And Drive (Far Away) to set the crowd
off early into the set |
Foo Fighters - Everlong (Roswell 1997)
Over time, Everlong has slowly become the strongest and most
loved Foo Fighters song helped by a tuneful chorus and fragile
low-key guitar picking. It went a long way to prove that, hey,
Dave Grohl was in fact a great songwriter and musician who could
hold his own away from the drum kit. Hidden away in the latter
half of the consistently strong The Colour And The Shape long-player,
Everlong enjoyed the limelight as a single, which certainly made
me sit up and notice. Also notable for the frank and truthful
lyrics "If everything could ever feel this good forever
/ If anything could ever be this good again" that made a
million hearts swoon. |
Green Day - Basket Case (Reprise 1994)
The catchiest, most infectious and memorable 90's punk-rock song
released as a single. One of the few songs I actually know the
words to without referring to the lyric sheet, Basket Case exploded
onto the charts taking the emerging US punk movement over-ground.
The importance of this record cannot be understated enough, the
rock scene was wallowing in a self-pity fuelled depression -
something needed to inject a sense of fun back into the music.
Basket Case then - it was short, it was fast, it had tales of
mental breakdowns; what more do you want? |
Hole - Violet (Geffen 1994)
OK, so Hole have been a bit sparse on the music scene and Celebrity
Skin wasn't the monster hit is threatened to be, but relive those
glory days when Violet was the best thing since sliced bread.
Shame Courtney Love hasn't marched the sheer brilliance of the
Live Through This period in her eventful career in the time after
this superior single. |
Marilyn Manson - Sweet Dreams (Interscope 1994)
Not the best Manson single by a looong way, however it was the
first sign that the shock-rocker were dirtying up the mainstream.
Most cover versions add no extra value to the original sound
replica duplications, this was different. The dark heart of the
Eurythmics' pop classic was duly recognised and taken to it's
logical extreme with Manson singing about abusing and being abused
in a gleeful manner. I cannot listen to the original version
the same way again after being exposed to this howling interpretation. |
Nirvana - Lithium (Geffen 1992)
The immediate and "it's so simple why didn't I think of
that" song structure, the third Nevermind single Lithium
witnessed Nirvana-mania at it's peak. The now-clichéd
quiet guitar strum merging into a dense wall noise sounded bloody
essential on release, the "I'm not gonna crack" hook
especially captivating. |
Nirvana - Smells Like Teen Spirit (Geffen 1991)
An obvious inclusion that has gatecrashed virtually every "greatest
songs ever" lists since the landmark track exploded into
popular culture. Those jangly chords, that rolling drum sound,
the opening croon of "Load up on drugs and kill your friends"
it's all coming back to me… What would rock have been like
if this song never existed, scary thought. |
Nine Inch Nails - Closer (Nothing 1994)
Again, an obvious choice but Closer took dirty, perverted and
downright nasty sex into the mainstream and for that must be
saluted. The moaning and sleazy bass line with a collage of modern
beats topped with that famous "I wanna f**k you like an
animal" line, a sure recipe for success. Along with a completely
instrumental second half of the song as if Trent Renzor decided
to let the music do the talking, Goths around the world had a
new icon to worship. That Trent then went in hiding for about
five years is another matter. |
Offspring, The - Self Esteem (Epitaph 1994)
Surely the strongest Offspring single, yes better than novelty
hits Pretty Fly and Come Out And Play. Admittedly sounding a
tad too close to Teen Spirit for comfort the "Na na nana
na na's" from Dexter Holland and the bouncy chords turned
the Offspring into serious contenders for biggest punk back on
the planet (thus taking the honour away from Green Day during
the late 90's). Amazingly unlike future singles, the Orange County
punk rockers could only scrape the UK Top 40 with the catchy
(aren't all Offspring songs catchy?) Self Esteem - criminal. |
Pearl Jam - Alive (Epic 1991)
The granddaddy of all Pearl Jam songs, Alive had everything needed
to rock the joint. The "I'm still alive" hook, a single
string riff, the on-top-of-their-game performances from the axe-welding
Stone Gossard and Mike McCready and of course that dual guitar
closing interplay. There are probably better Pearl Jam songs,
but in Alive, the Seattle band has a bona-fide alternative classic
rock anthem. I still hear radio stations regularly playing this
rock staple 10 years later and it still sounds as fresh. |
Pitchshifter - Genius (Geffen 1998)
This list had been focusing too heavily on American artists so
to redress the balance the UK's Pitchshifter blend a brutal collision
of technology and metal bringing the future noise now, and Genius
is the shining light. Vocalist JS Clayden's sneering theme of
a dysfunctional generation, the message of "If dysfunction
is a function then I must be some kind of geniussss" is
clearly driven home. |
Pixies, The - Velouria (4AD 1990)
Oh yes, one of the finest three or so minutes of insanely catchy
Pixies magic, probably the most accessible Pixies recording just
made for radio, except radio doesn't play this song all that
much even back in 1990. |
Rage Against The Machine - Killing In
The Name Of (Epic 1993)
The song most likely to be played by disgruntled teenagers to
upset their long-suffering parents, that is before Limp Bizkit
stole the crown. The hip-hop inspired guitar playing by Tom Morello
on Killing In The Name Of complimented Zack De La Rocha's fierce
political spleen taking the rap-rock genre into mass acceptance
and spawned a whole host of inferior imitators. Obviously if
it wasn't for the legendary catchphrase "F*k you I won't
do what you tell me" then the track won't have been as significant.
The entire passage of music beforehand builds up, toying with
the listener before the first whispered and then screamed rant
is repeatedly rammed down your throat, leaving you begging for
more. |
Red Hot Chili Peppers - Under The Bridge
(Warners 1991)
Unfortunately mauled to a slow death by pop sirens All Saints
as an easy-listening number, the original stands up as the most
delicate and important recording in the RHCP back catalogue.
In years to come after the band's inevitable demise, everyone
will still be talking about Under The Bridge in the same regard
as it has now, simply because it's a strong song….even if
memories are still polluted by the demolition given by the All
Saints. |
Smashing Pumpkins - Disarm (Hut 1993)
The sweeping and frankly gorgeous single from the breakthrough
Siamese Dream has it all - acoustic guitars, orchestral arrangements,
chilling lyrics of "the killer in me is the killer in you"
and chiming bells. That the Pumpkins have never quite topped
Disarm says it all. |
Smashing Pumpkins - Tonight Tonight (Hut 1995)
You could choose any Pumpkins song for inclusion but the grandiose
of Tonight Tonight meant Billy Corgan was rapidly developing
into a fine song writer, reliving the pomp and excessiveness
of 70's rock era. As with previous smash Disarm the strings are
brought into the foreground and all members of fire especially
the drumming talents of Jimmy Chamberlin. Now the rotting carcass
of Grunge could be vanquished and lush, expansive rock arrangements
triumphed on Tonight Tonight further explored on the Mellon Collie
double album. |
Soundgarden - Black Hole Sun (A&M 1994)
The song that made people sit up and notice, Black Hole Sun reeks
of quality in a psychedelic and trippy manner. Along with a strange
yet compelling promo video, Soundgarden sounded assured and relaxed
without relying on bludgeoning the listener with gigantic riffs.
The leap from the early raw days of Ultramega OK to modern day
classic Superunknown was in some ways expected as in Chris Cornell
the band possessed one of rock's finest vocalists and Black Hole
Sun was the showpiece for his talents. And the next person to
describe this track as Beatles-eque…. |
Tool - Stinkfist (Volcano 1996)
Admittedly not the most immediate or obvious tracks to have on
"Best Of" list but Stinkfist is the kind of song that
creeps up behind you before slitting your throat and taking your
soul on a joyride. The opening track off the dark horse that
is the Aenima album, the repetitive and dense guitar riff and
deliberate tinny vocals resulted in a strangely unique yet exciting
alt-rock masterpiece, thrilling at every twist and turn. Unbelievably,
Stinkfist was never released as a single - clearly a band who
doesn't compromise their artistically ability for the sake of
a few extra album sales. Contains one of the finest guitar riffs
of the last five years. |
Weezer - Buddy Holly (Geffen 1995)
Entering the public imagination of many via the spoof Happy Days-inspired
video, Buddy Holly quickly became one of the defining rock songs
of the mid-90's when all around were forgettable, dirge-like
ident-kit bands clogging the airwaves. Thank god for Weezer who
came along with their brand of college power-pop yearning us
all to look like Buddy Holly and be like Mary Tiller Moore. |
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