Listening music in the Nineties was less of an emotional response like it was in my teens and twenties. Now, my kids were becoming active, while I was working full-time and going to school in order to obtain my teaching license. As my children got older, I began to learn about the new music vicariously through my boys and my students. During the moments in my classes when I purposely “got off the subject” I would love to talk about how current music related to music from the Sixties, Seventies and Eighties. It was a fun exercise for my students and me.
Although I was no longer best friends with the current music, I still found music that I enjoyed. Of course, I loved the grunge era, since I had gotten to know those bands in the late-Eighties, such as Soundgarden and Nirvana. And, there were other artists that peaked in the Nineties who paid their dues in the Eighties, like Beastie Boys, Matthew Sweet, Phish, Jane’s Addiction and Red Hot Chili Peppers. Then, there were the established alternative stars who became mega-stars in the Nineties. Those artists were U2 and R.E.M.
Still, the Nineties produced its own batch of alternative stars. Two of my favorites share a point of origin: Chicago. It’s well-known that Smashing Pumpkins are from Chicago. The band’s leader, Billy Corgan, took his love of AOR like Cheap Trick, Rush and Styx, and created one of the more compelling sounds of alienation. The other band, Rage Against the Machine, had a guitar hero of its own who grew up in Chicago as well whose name is Tom Morello. Morello looked forward for his sound. Morello developed a guitar technique that made his guitar sound like a DJ scratching on a turntable. Those two Chicagoans became two of the biggest guitar heroes of the Nineties.
So, let’s jump into my countdown. Today, we are covering numbers 151 through 200. Let’s do it!
151. Jars of Clay – “Flood” (1995)
152. R.E.M. – “Man on the Moon” (1992)
153. Red Hot Chili Peppers – “Give It Away” (1991)
154. DNA featuring Suzanne Vega – “Tom’s Diner” (1990)
155. Alanis Morissette – “Ironic” (1995)
156. Ben Folds Five – “Brick” (1997)
157. Third Eye Blind – “Semi-Charmed Life” (1997)
158. David Bowie – “I’m Afraid of Americans” (1997)
159. INXS – “Suicide Blonde” (1990)
160. Lit – “My Own Worst Enemy” (1999)
161. Marilyn Manson – “Beautiful People” (1996)
162. Primitive Radio Gods – “Standing Outside a Broken Phone Booth with Money in My Hand” (1996)
163. Radiohead – “Karma Police” (1997)
164. Sleater-Kinney – “I Wanna Be Your Joey Ramone” (1996)
165. Smashing Pumpkins – “Down” (1992)
166. Soundgarden – “Rusty Cage” (1991)
167. Danzig – “Mother” (1993)
168. Neil Young – “Sleeps with Angels” (1994)
169. Pearl Jam – “Elderly Woman Behind the Counter in a Small Town” (1993)
170. Squirrel Nut Zippers – “Hell” (1997)
171. The Lemonheads – “Mrs. Robinson” (1992)
172. Elvis Costello – “The Other Side of Summer” (1991)
173. Alice in Chains – “Rooster” (1992)
174. Radiohead – “Paranoid Android” (1997)
175. Deee-Lite – “Groove Is in the Heart” (1990)
176. Nirvana – “Lithium” (1991)
177. R.E.M. – “Drive” (1992)
178. U2 – “Even Better Than the Real Thing” (1991)
179. Screaming Trees – “Nearly Lost You” (1992)
180. Green Day – “Welcome to Paradise” (1994)
181. Suede – “Animal Nitrate” (1991)
182. Londonbeat – “I’ve Been Thinking About You” (1990)
183. The Flaming Lips – “She Don’t Use Jelly” (1993)
184. Soundgarden – “Spoonman” (1994)
185. Pixies – “Alec Eiffel” (1991)
186. Sugar Ray – “Fly” (1997)
187. Tad – “Leafy Incline” (1993)
188. Collective Soul – “Shine” (1993)
189. No Doubt – “Just A Girl” (1995)
190. Rage Against the Machine – “Bulls on Parade” (1996)
191. The Prodigy – “Firestarter” (1997)
192. Tool – “Sober” (1993)
193. The Gits – “Absynthe” (1992)
194. Stone Temple Pilots – “Sour Girl” (1999)
195. Sting – “All This Time” (1991)
196. Marcy Playground – “Sex and Candy” (1997)
197. Sublime – “What I Got” (1996)
198. Portishead – “Sour Times” (1994)
199. R.E.M. – “Shiny Happy People” (1991)
200. My Bloody Valentine – “Only Shallow” (1991)
150 songs down, 150 to go. HERC, I hope I haven’t continued to rank your favorites low on my list. Oh well! You can’t please all of the people all of the time. See you all tomorrow!
If My Records Could Talk 