Top 20 90s Alternative Rock Bands
Criteria for determining these bands include popularity, critical acclaim, lasting appeal, creativity, importance/influence, proficiency during the decade, and lastly, my personal taste. I will stay away from the big four grunge bands (Nirvana, AIC, Soundgarden and Pearl Jam) as I want to stick with a strict definition of 'alternative rock.' Indie Rock and Lo-Fi bands like Neutral Milk Hotel or Built to Spill are also not included.
1) Smashing Pumpkins- Come on, who else would be number one? Stretching from Gish to Adore, this band produced a slew of masterpieces that influenced pretty much every band you see now, and undeniably were the poster boys for 90s alternative rock. The abomination that was Zeitgeist only makes me cling tighter to their incredible 90s output. They get the nod over the next band by a hair, mainly just because I like them more.
Best Album- Siamese Dream
Best Songs-
1) Bullet With Butterfly Wings
2) 1979
3) Cherub Rock
4) Mayonaise
2) Red Hot Chili Peppers- In terms of popularity they were (and probably still are, among 90s alt. rock bands) number one. Blood Sugar Sex Magik defined early 90s alternative while Californication dominated the late 90s scene. With each release they reinvented themselves and their creativity is unquestioned. My personal indifference towards BSSM as well as my obsession with the Pumpkins prevents them from being number one.
Best Album- Californication
Best Songs-
1) Otherside
2) Californication
3) Under the Bridge
4) My Friends
3) REM- It says a lot that these guys would also be top five on my 80s alternative rock list. Clearly proficiency was never a problem for this group of prolific musicians who released five albums during the decade. The dawn of the 90s marked the pinnacle of their slow climb towards widespread popularity. While they peaked at the beginning of the decade with Out of Time and Automatic for the People, their later work is solid as well.
Best Album- Automatic for the People
Best Songs-
1) Losing my Religion
2) Find the River
3) Drive
4) What’s the Frequency, Kenneth
4) Radiohead- Personally, I totally disagreed the direction that Radiohead went after the dawn of the new millennium. I’m very glad that Radiohead didn’t taint the 90s with one of their quirky, unappealing electronic albums. 90s Radiohead was smart while also being catchy (the latter cannot be said with much of their recent work). Each 90s release from Pablo Honey to The Bends and finally OK Computer was better than its predecessor. Their influence on today’s music and popularity is unparalleled. I miss the old Radiohead.
Best Album- OK Computer
Best Songs-
1) Karma Police (#1 on Greatest Songs of all time)
2) Paranoid Android
3) Lucky
4) My Iron Lung
5) Oasis- Americans may refer to them as Britpop, but in all essence they are British alternative rock. Nobody claims they like the Gallaghers, but few can say that they dislike their music. Morning Glory is one of the epic releases of alternative rock and their three other releases (counting The Masterplan) continued to show flashed of brilliance. Perhaps their creativity can be questioned (they often toed the line between plagiarizing the Beatles), but their importance cannot.
Best Album- (What’s the Story) Morning Glory
Best Songs-
1) Wonderwall
2) Don’t Look Back in Anger
3) Morning Glory
4) Champagne Supernova
6. Stone Temple Pilots- I like to think that STP made Core (which is a grunge record not an alt. rock one) to gain a mandate to create the type of music that they really wanted to make- alternative rock. Few can deny that their extremely influential album Purple and less notable albums like Tiny Music… and No. 4 fit snugly into the alternative rock category. Had Core been included within the criteria that I used for this list, STP would be number two or three. Sans Core, however, the next three albums are strong enough for a spot at number six.
Best Album- Purple
Best Songs-
1) Unglued
2) Interstate Love Song
3) Sour Girl
4) Big Empty
7) Toad the Wet Sprocket- I like to remind people in every list that includes this band (which is a lot) of how underrated these guys are. Especially in the context of alternative rock, these guys are just so perfectly representative of this genre. They had four strong albums and a distinct sound that led to a ton of great songs. You always see at least one TTWS song on every 90s era alternative list, but you never see them get their credit as a band. Hopefully I can start a trend.
Best Album- Dulcinea
Best Songs-
1) All I Want
2) Crazy Life
3) Woodburning
4) Hold Her Down
8) Weezer- They display a heavier sound than most bands on this list, however they are just as much an alt rock staple as any band on this list. Weezer was always about guitars first, and that is huge reason for their success. They mainly makes the list on the strength of their seminal Blue Album. It’s that good folks. They do suffer from a lack of consistency, as their next two releases had their moments, but were generally unsatisfying.
Best Album- Blue Album (duh)
Best Songs-
1) Buddy Holly
2) Say it Ain’t so
3) The Good Life
4) Holiday
9) Counting Crows- Relying heavily on the distinct and soulful vocals of Adam Duritz (a Jewish guy with dreads?? So 90s) and melodic, catchy guitars, this band got a lot of bang from their three releases. August and Everything After is another one of those must-hear 90s alternative rock staples. Classics like “Mr Jones” to “A Long December” are all-time favorites for me and they speak volumes about the Crows’ versatility, pop sensibility, and nostalgic appeal.
Best Album- August and Everything After
Best Songs-
1) Mr. Jones
2) A Long December
3) All My Friends
4) Round Here
10) Collective Soul- Another band that deserves to be esteemed in the echelon of bands like Weezer and Counting Crows, but doesn’t get its due. Although they are quite different from Toad the Wet Sprocket, they suffer many of the same injustices. Each of their four releases is very good, however the lack of an epic album kept them languishing as a second tier 90s alternative rock band. Also, the strong religious undertone of many of their songs may have turned some people off.
Best Album- Dosage
Best Songs-
1) December
2) Run
3) Shine
4) Compliment
11) Third Eye Blind- I like this band so much that they’re not even a guilty pleasure anymore. Had they been able to squeeze one or two more albums into the 90s their placement would be significantly higher. Another record as strong as their eponymous debut would have made them a top five candidate. Third Eye Blind contained seven songs that I consider 90s alternative rock essentials, which is damn near OK Computer territory. Blue is somewhat underrated, but not on par with their debut. Also, they rock live.
Best Album- Third Eye Blind
Best Songs-
1) Semi Charmed Life
2) Never Let You Go
3) Jumper
4) Losing a Whole Year
12) Foo Fighters- It’s somewhat debatable whether these guys are alternative rock or not. Though today they probably fit into the mainstream rock category their 90s efforts as well as the amazing “Everlong” puts them squarely in the alt. rock camp. Each of the Foo’s three albums had about four or five quality songs, with “Everlong” representing the pinnacle. The reason I have them lower than many other lists is the lack of a great album; that and the fact that they were only around since ’95 and are slightly overrated (likely due to the Nirvana effect).
Best Album- The Colour and the Shape
Best Songs-
1) Everlong
2) Next Year
3) Learn to Fly
4) For all the Cows
13) Live- To me, Live will always be one of the classic 90s alt. rock bands. Although they finished the decade with several poor efforts, their Throwing Copper album alone would have gotten them the top 20 nod. Add to that, their underrated debut Mental Jewelery and you have the explanation for their appearance. Ed Kowalczyk’s emotive voice commands attention, and the lyrics are worth of that attention for the most part.
Best Album- Throwing Copper
Best Songs-
1) I Alone
2) All Over You
3) Selling the Drama
4) Pain Lies on the Riverside
14) Screaming Trees- They got mixed up with the grunge hoopla because they were a Seattle band. However, they were really a blues, psychedelic, and folk inspired alternative rock bands. Led by the smooth yet growling vocals of Mark Lanegan the band produced three albums in the 90s. Of which “Sweet Oblivion” and “Dust” are quite good. What gets them this high is their creativity and Mark Lanegan’s amazing vocals.
Best Album- TIE Sweet Oblivion and Dust
Best Songs-
1) Nearly Lost You
2) All I Know
3) Witness
4) Dollar Bill
15) Gin Blossoms- Another prototypical alternative band, they burst out of nowhere with four strong singles from 1992’s New Miserable Experience album. They were without a doubt one of the leaders of the 90s alternative moment, but internal problems limited them to two releases. Also, their somewhat formulaic music makes their sound tiring at times and led to criticism from people who questioned their limited versatility. Their propensity for adult contemporary sounding songs also hampers their standing in my book.
Best Album- New Miserable Experience
Best Songs-
1) Found Out About You
2) Until I Fall Away
3) ‘Til I Hear it from you
4) Allison Road
16) Beck- Beck definitely makes the list based on his creativity, productivity, and influence. I have to admit that I’m not a big Beck fan, although I cannot ignore the immense credentials that got him on this list. Beck had some of the most unique, idiosyncratic music of the decade, and was distinct enough to be called an alternative to alternative music. Additionally, Beck’s Mellow Gold and Odelay albums are two of the most critically acclaimed albums of the decade.
Best Album- Odelay
Best Songs-
1) Devil’s Haircut
2) Loser
3) The New Pollution
4) Sexx Laws
17) The Cranberries- Another one of those bands that will always come up in your head when you think about 90s alternative rock. The Cranberries rode Dolores O’Riordan’s unique and unrivaled vocals along with beautiful hits like “Linger” and “Zombie” to prominence in the 90s. The Cranberries mixed in a healthy dose of Irish influences and politics into their unique alternative rock recipe. They also released four successful albums and numerous catchy singles during the decade.
Best Album- No Need to Argue
Best Songs-
1) Zombie
2) Linger
3) When You’re Gone
4) Salvation
18) U2- Having them this low may lead to some death threats sent to my house, but I just think they are overrated. Calm down everyone, this is just my opinion! Unfortunately I have to pay them their due, because they score highly on every other criterion that I use to compile this list. Another reason why they are so low is that I really think the 80s was when they released their best work. Still, Achtung Baby is quite a good album, and they did have a couple of good singles.
Best Album- Achtung Baby
Best Songs-
1) Mysterious Ways
2) One
3) Acrobat
4) Lemon
19) Alanis Morissette- Eh, so I had to put another chick in there. NOT. I was totally enamored with Alanis’s Jagged Little Pill when it came out, and more than ten years later it’s still up there on my favorite albums list. “You Ought to Know,” “Ironic,” “Hand in my Pocket” are just iconic 90s songs and remind me of happy times. She does lose points for 1998’s Supposed Former Infatuation Junkie which was almost a total disappointment. Overall though, you cannot ignore Alanis’s contribution to 90s alternative rock.
Best Album- Jagged Little Pill
Best Song-
1) You Ought to Know
2) Ironic
3) Hand in my Pocket
4) You Learn
20) Tonic- I wanted to finish off the list with one of those classic 90s alternative bands that most people don’t know about. People only remember them when they hear “If You Could Only See” or, to a lesser extent, “Open Up Your Eyes” on the radio. Then I get to hear my friends ask me “who the hell is the one hit wonder band that sings this?” At those times, I swallow my pride and answer them, fervently adding that they are not a one hit wonder, and in fact had a bunch of good songs (to no avail).
Best Album- Lemon Parade
Best Songs-
1) Casual Affair
2) If You Could Only See
3) Open Up Your Eyes
4) You Wanted More
Comments
Great list, thanks for the effort.
TRC
Never really did well in reading classes, huh?
Did you not read the VERY TOP OF THE LIST where I said that Indie Rock bands are not included in this list?
TRC
Based on the other bands on this list, what would make you think that either of these bands would be on here. Come on man.
TRC
IMO.Rage Against The Machine,Catheri ne Wheel,and Teenage Fanclub should be on this list.Especially when you have :
7) Toad the Wet Sprocket
15) Gin Blossoms
19) Alanis Morissette
20) Tonic
Taking their place.
While some lump in RATM into 90s alternative, they're really not. They are a Hard Rock band.
The other 2 bands enjoyed most of their popularity in the UK and barely scrapped the bottom of US charts. I'm not necessarily saying that they're not better than some of the bands on here. However, you have to remember that popularity is one of the most important factors I took into account when making this list.
TRC
Thanks Jenn. Ya, I was '86 so I remember most of this stuff. SO much better than the crap on the radio these days. We need another music revolution...
TRC
TRC
REMs best album: Murmur or Reckoning. They are the only ones I would even list as best of the 90's.
Try Pavement, Built to Spill, Archers of Loaf, Dinosaur Jr, The Pixies, etc.
Hell, I'm not even a Nirvana fan, but they were VERY influential in the 90's. And yet, you listed the Foo Fighters instead. Ridiculous.
You seem like a smart guy with good music taste. How do you not read the very top of a list? It even says bands like BUILT TO SPILL don't qualify. Come on man...
TRC
Still, some of the bands I disagree with, and I guess that's partly because of the "Alternative" tag. I think '90's Alternative was really a mishmash of similar genres, some of which were quite popular. As such, I believe the genre includes Grunge and this list should as well.
Anyway, once I read the top, the list began to make more sense. This post doesn't really cater to my taste, but there are other things on the site that I did enjoy!
I'm totally confused. You seem to be vouching for Smashing Pumpkins but then saying that you disagree with a list that has them at #1. Am I missing something??
TRC