TOP 30 BANDS OF THE 90s

It's been way too long (2 1/2 years) since my last blog post, and I am feeling inspired, so here you go!

So there was a dark period for me from around 91-92 until 94-95 where my beloved Hair Metal had fallen out of favor, only to be replaced by bands that looked and sounded VERY different from what I was used to listening to. There were a couple non hair bands that had started to creep into my listening, but we'll get to them in a bit. Ironically enough, the very music that essentially helped kill the bands I grew up idolizing, ended up becoming some of my biggest influences. I listen to most of the bands on this list more than just about everything. My favorite channel on Sirius/XM is Lithium, even though I HATE the fucking name and what it represents.

Remember, this is MY blog, so there are going to be some things you may not agree with. For example, Nirvana. I fucking hate Nirvana with every fiber of my being. The only good thing Kurt Cobain ever did was hiring Dave Grohl. I could go on for an entire blog about my distaste for that talentless, dead junkie...but I won't.

I'm going to make a special distinction here regarding Jane's Addiction. They were kinda were the band that kick started the whole "Alternative" thing. They pretty much flamed out by 1991, so I really don't want to put them on this list. I did, however, feel they were very worthy of mentioning.

Also, U2, REM, and the Red Hot Chili Peppers were obviously HUGE in the 90s, but were really 80s bands. If not for that, I would most definitely put them on this list. I'm not saying the bands on this list are BETTER than the aforementioned three, because to be quite honest, almost nobody is better than U2, few are better than REM, and RHCP really stood alone as a genre blending, transcendent band.

30. No Doubt – Gwen Stefani was a bundle of bleached blonde abs and energy. Catchy ska/reggae/pop combo that was a perfect storm and was just what we all needed. I’m pretty sure Tragic Kingdom had to have been handed out at the mall.

29. Lenny Kravitz – This generation’s Hendrix. Not too many artists have that “cool” that Lenny has. From retro rock to R&B and everything in between, Lenny is simply badass.

28. Veruca Salt – Grrrl Rock! Love Nina Gordon’s sugary sweet voice over Louis Post’s mean ass guitar. “Volcano Girls” totally rocked my world!

27. Third Eye Blind – By all accounts Stephen Jenkins is kind of a dbag, but the fucker can write some catchy songs. “Never Let You Go” is one of the catchiest songs I have ever heard.

26. The Wallflowers – Jakob Dylan got his knack for songwriting from his Dad. I love listening to the albums, Michael Ward from little known band School of Fish played guitar in The Wallflowers. “6^th Avenue Heartache” was a defining song of the era to me, plus Counting Crows’ Adam Duritz sings on it. How could that be bad?

25. Matthew Sweet – Criminally underrated and impossibly gifted songwriter. Had he been born in the late 40s, he would have been there right along side The Beatles. His 1991 album, Girlfriend is a 90s pop masterpiece.

24. Bush –Brit band trying to sound American. Yeah, that’s never happened before (sarcasm). I really loved the first 2 albums, Sixteen Stone and Razorblade Suitcase, but they kinda went off the rails after that.

23. Soundgarden – Ok, a lot of you will say these guys should be a lot higher, but save it for your own blog! Loved Chris Cornell’s voice, but they really were just Black Sabbath for a new generation. Superunknown is their definitive album.

22. Alice In Chains – Lanye Staley and Jerry Cantrell had these really spooky, dark harmonies, and I loved how they would do a heavy album, acoustic EP, and so on. Layne is just another tragic story of rock n roll excess.

21. Counting Crows – One of the first non hair bands that I enjoyed. They don’t seem to ever stop releasing great albums. I love the layers of vocals and instruments on the albums. It surely doesn’t hurt that the songs are fucking brilliant!

20. Our Lady Peace – Canadian band who had a distinct sound, mostly due to vocalist Raine Maida and his nasally whine. They get kinda “out there” sometimes musically, but when they do straight forward rock, they deliver.

19. Soul Asylum – Song after song on Grave Dancer’s Union is great. I can throw this album, and 1995’s Let Your Dim Light Shine on to listen to pretty much anytime.

18. Sarah McLachlan – Oh, Sarah. The voice of an angel. Fell head over heels for her music when I first saw her on Leno in ’93. Very unique and gifted songwriter. When I need to relax and nothing else works, Sarah almost always does the trick.

17. Jellyfish – I wish that I would have heard these guys MUCH sooner. A band that was both ahead and behind the times. They only release 2 albums. If you are a fan of Queen, The Beatles, and The Beach Boys, check them out. You will not be disappointed.

16. Sheryl Crow – To me, Sheryl both continues and breaks tradition of great American singer songwriters. This is the order, Dylan, Springsteen, Petty, Mellencamp, Crow. The one female artist I would actually like to sit and jam with and write a song with.

15. Smashing Pumpkins – Billy’s voice gets on my nerves a lot more these days, but the head Pumpkin was a prolific, eclectic songwriter. They were constantly evolving with each album. Mellon Collie & The Infinite Sadness is still my favorite double album of all time.

14. The Nixons – One of my biggest influences, and part of the reason I am the songwriter I am. Zac Maloy is not only a great songwriter, he’s also a helluva nice guy! Go buy their albums, dammit!

13. Tonic – Emerson Hart has one of the most beautiful male voices I’ve ever heard. I love the way the guitars intertwine and how they can throw a heavy riff into the middle of a sweet pop song that would make Jerry Cantrell jump up and down.

12. Matchbox Twenty – Big influence on my songwriting. Rob Thomas just writes catchy pop songs, plain and simple. Not much more to say than they are just great!

11. Stone Temple Pilots – My love of STP has grown over the years. Wasn’t a big fan until I heard “Interstate Love Song”. From 70s retro rock to pop to heavier tunes, STP had it all.

10. Live – Throwing Copper was one of the biggest albums of the 90s. Live always had a bit a mystic quality, to me. They got a little weird on some of the later albums, but there were always some great songs in them.

09. Hootie & The Blowfish – The band that showed me I didn’t have to be angry, and that I could write acoustic guitar based pop songs. It’s still irritating to me how Cracked Rearview was one of the best selling albums of all time, yet everybody hates them. People are just fucking stupid, I suppose.

08. Oasis – The brothers Gallagher. When Liam wasn’t being a twat and getting into dustups with Noel and quitting, they were one of the biggest bands in the world. Noel can write a fookin’ song, d’you know what I mean?

07. Goo Goo Dolls – Jonny Rzeznik took his guitar, fucked up the tunings, and created a sound that hasn’t really been duplicated. He wrote some great songs that had a profound influence on me starting with “Name” from 1995’s A Boy Named Goo. The Buffalo band really hit their stride 3 years later with Gutterflower.

06. Gin Blossoms – Equal parts Big Star and Cheap Trick, these Arizona guys haven’t left my most played playlist in over 20 years. They broke up for 10 years and returned with 2 sadly unheard albums in 2006 and 2010. I’m still eagerly awaiting their next.

05. Green Day – The band that brought “punk” back to the masses. Like Social Distortion before them, they got older, and went from angry, snotty punk band to kickass rock n roll band. The scary thing, is Billy Joe Armstrong and company don’t seem to be slowing down any.

04. Pearl Jam – Arguably the biggest band in the world for a long time, but their issues with fame and Ticketmaster kept them from being even bigger. They are the Rolling Stones and Led Zeppelin of our generation. I appreciate them much more now than I did back in the late 90s/early 00s.

03. Foo Fighters – Dave Grohl is possibly the coolest dude in rock n roll. They release great album after great album. So many great songs, it’s almost disgusting. Thanks Kurt for doing us all a favor…

02. Toad The Wet Sprocket – Underrated band who nobody seems to remember until they hear them. They too, broke up for a while and came back with an amazing album in 2013 with New Constellation. They, along with the next band, are what I aspire to be as a songwriter. I’ve always felt like if you don’t “get” Toad, it’s probably because it is too smart for you.

01. Collective Soul – Killer riffs…check. Great songs and albums…check. Great live shows…check. I don’t particularly think Ed Roland and the boys are the best musicians in the world, but it is seriously hard to top what they do…which is release great albums year after year.

So that’s it! Remember, my blog, my rules! If you don’t like it, start your own blog!