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Time to dust off those old CDs! Join us as we count down the 90s rock songs that deserve way more love than they get. From alt-rock anthems to pop-punk classics, these tracks defined a generation but somehow slipped through the cracks of our collective memory. Ready for a nostalgic trip back to flannel shirts and angsty lyrics?
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00:00Welcome to WatchMojo and today we're counting down our picks for the top 50 rock songs from the 1990s that deserve to be listened to a whole lot more than they are.
00:18Number 50, Start Choppin' Dinosaur Jr.
00:21Dinosaur Jr. was at its weird and wonderful best with the release of 1991's Start Choppin'.
00:30The track was described as being as close to a radio hit as the band ever had, and it was, in many ways, helped by the accompanying music video.
00:46It is a zany piece of alternative rock genius that contains all of the oddball guitar work you'd expect from Jay Maskus.
00:53It went on to become a hit, reaching the top 20 in the UK and number 3 on the US alternative airplay charts.
01:09Though this track won't be the band's only appearance on our list, Start Choppin' is still played frequently to this day.
01:15In fact, it is one of the most performed songs in their entire repertoire.
01:19Number 49, Outta Sight, Outta Mind, Wilco.
01:36Powerpop never sounded quite as proud as it did when Jeff Tweedy and Wilco brought us Outta Sight, Outta Mind, a single from their second album, Being There.
01:45The whole thing is delivered with an infectious level of passion, and the band is in top instrumental form.
01:57It's a breezy number with some excellent guitar work that pops through in the mix during the chorus.
02:02This was by no means the band's biggest chart success.
02:10Not by a long stretch, actually, but it remains one of their most underrated releases.
02:22Number 48, Redundant, Green Day.
02:24Green Day well and truly brought punk music into a new era with 1994's Dookie.
02:29However, Billy Joe and company were not content to rest on their laurels.
02:39Their follow-up album Insomniac was darker, heavier, and altogether more abrasive.
02:44But for most fans, it was their pivot into a much wider array of sounds.
02:48Choreographed like a passion
02:52Green Day wasn't looking to make a cohesive album with Nimrod.
02:59Instead, fleshing out their sound with a number of genres.
03:02The single, Redundant, showcases the band writing the type of love-lorn ballad that would be a constant presence in the next two decades.
03:16For our money, they rarely sounded as sincere as they did here.
03:20Number 47, Sweetest Thing, U2.
03:29U2 frontman Bono made the mistake of forgetting his wife's birthday during the recording of the album Joshua Tree.
03:35Thankfully, this blunder resulted in him writing Sweetest Thing as an apology.
03:46Originally released as a B-side to Where the Streets Have No Name in 1987,
03:50the song was later re-recorded in 1998,
03:53becoming a huge chart success in several countries.
03:56It's a song about love, plain and simple,
04:04and it just so happens to be one of U2's catchiest songs of the 90s.
04:11The music video deserves a mention, too,
04:16for its depiction of Bono taking a carriage ride through the streets of Dublin
04:19on his way to apologize to his wife.
04:21The song is a perfectly succinct love letter in musical form.
04:24Number 46, New, No Doubt.
04:40There's nothing quite like seeing one of your favorite bands ending their hiatus in style.
04:45After four years without a studio album release,
04:48No Doubt returned with a bang in 1999.
04:50No Doubt showcased Gwen Stefani and the band in top form,
04:59capturing the sound that made them a hit earlier in the decade,
05:02while also updating it for the turn of the century.
05:04You're confirming me violently.
05:09It also came packed with one of the best musical videos of the year.
05:13Overall, No Doubt might take you a few listens to fully get it to stick in your ear,
05:18but when it does, it stands up to anything else they've done in their career.
05:28Number 45, I, The Smashing Pumpkins.
05:31The truly great bands are not afraid to try new things,
05:34even when their formula is working well.
05:36Despite being lauded as alternative rock heroes following the hugely successful
05:46Melancholy and the Infinite Sadness,
05:48Billy Corgan refused to stay still.
05:55Upon being asked to produce a song for the soundtrack to the David Lynch movie Lost Highway,
06:00Corgan had his first submission rejected.
06:02However, I, its follow-up, stuck the landing.
06:05It was so successful, in fact,
06:13that it had a part in convincing Corgan to stick with this electronica-influenced direction
06:17on their next album, Adore.
06:23Number 44, Down, 311.
06:31You won't hear a more apt snapshot of the 90s as a decade
06:34than the funky sounds of 311's Down.
06:37You can hear elements of hip-hop in here,
06:39new metal,
06:40the influence of groups like Red Hot Chili Peppers
06:42and the Beastie Boys,
06:43and for its three-minute run-time,
06:45it never stops being fun.
06:47It's a visceral track that never wanted to come packaged with a pretty bow on top.
06:56The song arrives with a bang and departs in the exact same fashion.
07:00Every lyric is delivered with attitude,
07:02and even though it was a big hit,
07:04it was far from their only success on the charts.
07:15Number 43, The Great Beyond, R.E.M.
07:18R.E.M. was a band that went through several different eras,
07:28mastering multiple genres with ease,
07:30and producing some of the finest music of the 1980s and 90s.
07:34One song that doesn't get spoken about enough
07:36is 1999's The Great Beyond.
07:44The track was released for the soundtrack of the movie
07:47Man on the Moon,
07:48an Andy Kaufman biopic that actually got its name
07:50from R.E.M.'s 1992 single of the same name.
07:54It has all the hallmarks of an R.E.M. classic,
07:56a powerful vocal delivery from Michael Stipe,
07:59and a measured but effective performance from the band.
08:01I'm pushing an elephant up the stairs
08:05It's no surprise that the band kept this song
08:08as a staple of their live set
08:09right up until their eventual split in 2011.
08:12I'm looking for answers from the great beyond
08:17Number 42, Glory Box, Portishead
08:21Portishead is deservedly regarded
08:23as one of the most underrated bands of their era,
08:26trip-hop trailblazers whose three albums to date
08:28have been highly acclaimed.
08:30Out of their entire catalog, though,
08:39no single song has stood the test of time
08:41quite as much as Glory Box.
08:51Making use of a beautifully integrated Isaac Hayes sample,
08:54the band succeeded in bringing out
08:55the very best in their sound with this one.
08:57Everything from the guitar work
09:06to Beth Gibbons' pained vocals
09:07weaves together perfectly
09:08to produce easily the most immediate sounding track
09:11in Portishead's discography.
09:17Number 41, Lovesick, Bob Dylan
09:19In his youth, Bob Dylan could do a lot
09:22with just an acoustic guitar in his hands,
09:24but as he aged, his instrumentation
09:26certainly grew a lot more atmospheric.
09:36With producer Daniel Lanois behind him
09:39for his 1997 Time Out of Mind album,
09:41Dylan came through with one of the punchiest songs
09:44he ever wrote on Lovesick.
09:45Lyrically, the best way to describe this one
09:55is as a love song in a minor key.
09:58Dylan's definitely in love,
10:00but he's sick of it,
10:01utterly fed up.
10:02I'm sick of love
10:03It's an odd way to kick off an album,
10:11but looking back,
10:12this was easily one of his finest efforts
10:14of the decade in question.
10:15I can't believe anything to
10:17just leave with you
10:19Number 40, Got You Where I Want You,
10:23The Flies
10:23Music found new ways to utilize angst in the 1990s,
10:27with genres like grunge,
10:29pop-punk, and alt-rock
10:30allowing artists to find new ways
10:32to make disillusionment feel beautiful.
10:34What's the point of this?
10:38The Flies pretty much hit the nail on the head
10:41with the very frank and honest
10:42Got You Where I Want You.
10:44Hey, maybe just a smile.
10:51The track begins with some pretty raw
10:53and vulnerable moments,
10:54not taking long to sink its hooks in.
10:56Then, just as you get comfortable,
10:59the chorus hits.
11:00Ooh, got you where I want you
11:07And from the falsettos that kick it off
11:09to the refrain that features the song's title,
11:11it is a slice of 90s rock anthem gold.
11:15Number 39, Say It Ain't So, Weezer
11:18Weezer tapped into something truly special
11:20when they burst onto the scene
11:21with their self-titled debut in 1994.
11:23Somebody's hiding
11:26It's drowning my ice pack
11:30Pretty much every song on the record
11:32is considered among the band's very best,
11:34but there is certainly something special
11:35about Say It Ain't So.
11:37Flip on the telly
11:39Wrestle with dearly
11:41It's a song filled with angst and dread
11:44as Rivers Cuomo describes
11:46his possibly misplaced suspicions
11:48that his mother's new husband
11:49might have an alcohol use disorder.
11:57Cuomo revealed that he believed
11:59his parents' initial marriage broke apart
12:01due to his father's alcohol use disorder.
12:03And so, the song takes on new meaning
12:05with that context.
12:06To this day,
12:07it is considered one of Weezer's definitive tracks
12:10and maybe the one that features
12:11their best guitar work.
12:13My love is when I take over
12:17Number 38, Holland, 1945
12:21Neutral Milk Hotel
12:22If you haven't indulged your ears
12:25with a listen to Neutral Milk Hotel's
12:26seminal album in the aeroplane
12:28over the sea,
12:29don't just take our word for it.
12:30The album has become
12:38a critical darling
12:39more and more
12:40with each passing year.
12:41One of the finest examples
12:43of underground indie music
12:44ever recorded.
12:50The band's famously reclusive frontman
12:52Jeff Mangum
12:53has barely been seen in public
12:54in recent decades too.
12:56Something that only adds
12:57to their mythical status.
13:03Holland, 1945
13:05is easily the most
13:06radio-ready track on there.
13:08A folk-punk masterpiece
13:09with lyrics that concern
13:10Anne Frank and the end
13:11of World War II.
13:12It's pretty heavy stuff
13:14in more ways than one.
13:23Number 37, Coffee and TV
13:26Blur
13:26Blur guitarist
13:27Graham Coxon
13:28stepped in to finish
13:29the song Coffee and TV
13:30when Damon Albarn
13:31was struggling to do so.
13:39He ended up
13:40turning the track
13:40into a perfect conduit
13:42for his own experience
13:43with quitting drinking,
13:44eventually taking
13:45lead vocal duties as well.
13:53The song was released
13:54as the second single
13:55from their 1999 album
13:5613, becoming a top 15
13:59UK hit in the process.
14:01It's a truly excellent
14:02piece of pop rock
14:03songwriting too,
14:04with an instantly
14:04memorable chorus
14:05to top it all off.
14:14Oh, and we'd be remiss
14:15if we didn't mention
14:16its music video,
14:18which actually got the band
14:19some considerable airplay
14:20in the US.
14:21number 36, Dead Weight
14:29Beck
14:30Beck truly found
14:31a niche of his own
14:32in the 1990s,
14:33crafting an image
14:34as a slacker rock
14:35superstar with albums
14:36like Mellow Gold
14:37and Odellay.
14:43Whether Beck actually
14:44wanted to be regarded
14:45as the loser he sang
14:46about so memorably
14:47became irrelevant.
14:52He found a sound
14:54that millions of people
14:55could relate to,
14:56and he carried that run
14:57of form through the decade.
14:58One of his best moments
14:59came with the track
15:00Dead Weight,
15:01which was released
15:02as part of the soundtrack
15:03to 1997's
15:04A Life Less Ordinary.
15:12Beck played the majority
15:13of the instruments
15:14on the recording himself,
15:16further proving
15:16just how musically
15:17on point he was
15:18long after Loser
15:20initially hit the airwaves.
15:21Number 35, Body Rock
15:30Moby
15:30It stood as a major
15:32watershed moment
15:33for the electronica genre.
15:39His ingenious use
15:41of old soul samples
15:42gave the record
15:43a truly fresh sound
15:44that retains
15:45its quality to this day.
15:46However,
15:51for as much as
15:52some of the other singles
15:53released from the album
15:54lean into Moby's
15:55ambient and down-tempo
15:56tendencies,
15:57Body Rock certainly
15:58does not.
16:07The track announces
16:08its intentions
16:09in the opening bars,
16:10and as the title suggests,
16:12it is most certainly
16:13a rock song,
16:14albeit with an
16:14electronic overcoat.
16:16In fact,
16:17we'd go as far
16:17as to say
16:18that there are
16:18some genuine
16:19big beat vibes
16:20off of this one.
16:25Number 34,
16:26Follow You Down
16:27Gin Blossoms
16:28When the band
16:29Gin Blossoms
16:30is brought up nowadays,
16:31many immediately
16:32think of the tragic
16:33story of its songwriter
16:34Doug Hopkins.
16:40However,
16:41the group did manage
16:41to sustain their success
16:43after his tragic death
16:44at the age of 32.
16:45Follow You Down
16:46is a prime example
16:47of the band
16:48finding its footing
16:49with a new
16:49songwriting direction.
16:55It ended up
16:55becoming their best
16:56charting single,
16:57maintaining a spot
16:58on the U.S.
16:59Billboard Hot 100
17:00for a staggering
17:0046 weeks.
17:07It also reached
17:08number one in Canada.
17:09Gin Blossoms
17:10certainly could write
17:11breezy, easy
17:12listening music
17:12like few others.
17:18Number 33,
17:20All I Want
17:20Toad the Wet Sprocket
17:21Everything about
17:30Toad the Wet Sprocket's
17:31All I Want
17:31is going to bring you
17:32right back to the 1990s.
17:34And if you weren't
17:34alive during that time,
17:36the song is like
17:36a three-minute window
17:37into another era.
17:47Anthemic alt-rock
17:48truly had its best years
17:49during this decade.
17:50And All I Want
17:51combines powerful vocals,
17:53jangly guitar riffs,
17:54and instantly memorable lyrics
17:56to produce a radio hit
17:57with very little fat on it.
17:58All I want
18:00is to feel this way,
18:01It's a perfectly compact
18:07piece of 90s atmosphere,
18:08and the nostalgia
18:09is apparent
18:10as soon as
18:11those opening bars begin.
18:12I can feel it
18:14say
18:15Neil Young
18:20Neil Young was widely
18:21considered to have had
18:22a relatively tough time
18:23critically and commercially
18:25for most of the 1980s.
18:26Find this drifter
18:28on the road
18:30Why do I
18:32Thankfully,
18:33that all changed
18:34with 1989's
18:35Freedom album,
18:37starting a run of form
18:38that would carry Neil
18:39right back into the public eye.
18:40I can't see you
18:42on the hill
18:43Why do I
18:45During that period,
18:48one of his most
18:48underrated singles
18:49was F'n Up,
18:50a moody,
18:51grungy,
18:51and undeniably catchy
18:53number that sees Young
18:54reminding the world
18:55why they call him
18:55the godfather of grunge.
18:57Dogs that live
18:58and dogs that fight
19:00Why do I
19:02The title itself
19:04isn't merely
19:04for shock value either.
19:06The whole thing
19:06is a very cohesive piece
19:08of no-frills rock and roll
19:09released during
19:10a particularly uncertain
19:12period for the genre.
19:13Why do I
19:14keep F'n Up
19:16heart-wrenching pop rock
19:25rarely came as well-packaged
19:26as this classic single
19:28from Ben Folds 5.
19:296 a.m.
19:31Day after Christmas
19:33Brick is just about
19:34as tender and honest
19:35a single as you will
19:36ever hear in the genre,
19:38a truly harrowing display
19:39of lyricism
19:40that gets more poignant
19:41the more you read into it.
19:42Now that I've found someone
19:45I'm feeling more alone
19:48Of course,
19:49if it wasn't
19:50also melodically strong
19:51it would be
19:51all for nothing
19:52and the band
19:53certainly succeeds
19:54in that department.
19:55As weeks went by
19:57they showed
19:58that she was not fine
20:01It went on to be
20:02far and away
20:03their biggest single
20:04and for a certain generation
20:06it's a song
20:07that no doubt
20:08carries some real significance.
20:09She's a-brickin' out
20:11crowdin' slowly
20:14Number 30
20:16Pretend We're Dead
20:17L7
20:18It would perhaps be easy
20:19to label Los Angeles' L7
20:21as merely a product
20:22of the 90s
20:23since Pretend We're Dead
20:24was a hit for the group
20:25during this time.
20:25What's up with
20:27what's goin' down
20:29In every city
20:31and every town
20:33Yet L7
20:34was actually formed
20:35back in the mid-80s
20:36and continued rocking
20:37long after fickle fans
20:39folded their flannel
20:40Pretend We're Dead
20:40remains a hard-rocking tune
20:42with a cool main hook
20:43Turn the tables
20:44with our unity
20:46They're neither moral
20:49nor maturity
20:50The vocals are monotonous
20:53and snotty
20:53in the best possible way
20:54while the fuzzed-out guitars
20:56embrace that 90s grunge
20:57aesthetic
20:58without forgetting
20:58L7's predominantly
21:00punk past
21:00Come on
21:01Come on
21:02Come on
21:02Come on
21:02Come on
21:03The song has lived on
21:04in other media
21:05most notably
21:06the Grand Theft Auto
21:07video game series
21:08Number 29
21:13Ready to Go
21:14Republica
21:15Maybe it was something
21:15in the water
21:16over in the United Kingdom
21:17or perhaps the 90s
21:19were just a welcoming
21:19decade for powerful
21:20female-fronted rock
21:22Whatever the case
21:29England's Republica
21:31struck gold
21:31at the poppier end
21:32of that alternative spectrum
21:33with 1996's
21:35Ready to Go
21:35The guitars here
21:43are processed to oblivion
21:44yet retain a certain
21:45edge to them
21:46while the electronic
21:47sounding drums
21:48lend the tune a vibe
21:49that wouldn't sound
21:50out of place
21:50in a dance club
21:51Meanwhile
21:56Saffron leads the charge
21:58with a lead vocal
21:59that's soaring
22:00and melodic
22:00shouting out
22:01that catchy
22:02AF chorus
22:03for all to hear
22:04Number 28
22:08Losing Your Mind
22:09Pride and Glory
22:10Former Ozzy Osbourne
22:12guitarist
22:12Zach Wilde
22:13wanted to try
22:13something different
22:14after departing
22:15the Ozzmans band
22:16Pride and Glory
22:20was that tentative
22:21first musical step
22:22before Wilde
22:22would lead a killer
22:23solo career
22:24and black label society
22:25Losing Your Mind
22:26is notably
22:27less modern sounding
22:28than BLS
22:29but no less heavy
22:30The vibe here
22:31is much more
22:32classic and southern
22:33rock influence
22:33than anything
22:34Wilde performed
22:34with Ozzy
22:35Yet the song
22:42never forgets
22:43to leave plenty
22:44of room for Wilde
22:45to display his
22:45fiery fretboard
22:46gymnastics
22:47Elsewhere
22:55the rhythm section
22:56of former
22:57White Lion members
22:58James Lomenzo
22:58and Greg D'Angelo
22:59holds down
23:00a solid
23:01and swampy
23:01groove
23:02throughout
23:02Losing Your Mind
23:03Now you're just
23:04losing your mind
23:07Number 27
23:10The Way
23:11Fastball
23:12This 90s single
23:13by the band
23:13Fastball
23:14lyrically adapts
23:15the 1997
23:15disappearance case
23:17of Leela
23:17and Raymond Howard
23:18They made up
23:19their minds
23:20and they started
23:22backing
23:23The couple
23:24both had ailments
23:25that investigators
23:26felt contributed
23:27to them
23:27becoming disoriented
23:28lost
23:29and eventually
23:30found deceased
23:31miles away
23:31from their destination
23:32The Way
23:33offers an alternative
23:34explanation of
23:35happiness and relief
23:36from their world's
23:37worries
23:37while the musical
23:38approach feels
23:38nostalgic for an
23:39older era
23:40The guitar work
23:47jangles along
23:48and the brief
23:48lead guitar breaks
23:49offer a satisfying
23:50musicality that was
23:51notably more involved
23:52than some of Fastball's
23:53contemporaries
23:54The Way
24:00is just a cool song
24:01with an interesting
24:02backstory
24:02and that is enough
24:03for us
24:04They wanted the highway
24:06to hand me there
24:08Today
24:09Today
24:10Today
24:11Number 26
24:19Sick of Myself
24:20Matthew Sweet
24:21This case of Matthew Sweet
24:22is another
24:23where an artist's
24:24peak creative period
24:25doesn't necessarily
24:26represent the span
24:27of a career
24:28Sweet cut his teeth
24:36back in the 80s
24:37prior to
24:37Sick of Myself
24:38rising up the billboard
24:39charts in 1995
24:40Yet his fifth album
24:42100% fun
24:43feels capital N
24:4590s from top to bottom
24:46This isn't necessarily
24:51a bad thing
24:52depending on your
24:53point of view
24:53since Sick of Myself
24:54is undeniably catchy
24:56Sweet's guitar playing
24:57fills a power pop void
24:59while also containing
25:00the soul of a singer
25:01songwriter
25:01Sick of Myself
25:06also boasts
25:07a cool guitar solo
25:08from Sweet
25:09that helped remind fans
25:10that not everything
25:11released during the 90s
25:12was grungy
25:13and depressing
25:14Number 25
25:22Love is on the way
25:23Saigon kick
25:24It's a common misconception
25:25that hair metal's
25:26dominance solely
25:27resided in the 1980s
25:28It was actually a wealth
25:37of popular acts
25:38from this era
25:38that achieved major
25:39chart success
25:40during the early 90s
25:41Saigon kick
25:42was unquestionably
25:43one of those groups
25:44healing broken hearts
25:45across the world
25:46with their defining
25:47power ballad
25:48Love is on the way
25:49The group actually
25:57earned critical acclaim
25:58for the variety
25:58of styles contained
25:59within their
26:00sophomore album
26:01The Lizard
26:01Yet this hard rocking affair
26:10is primarily
26:11remembered today
26:11for how
26:12Love is on the Way
26:13shines with an
26:14impeccably produced
26:15acoustic approach
26:16peppered with
26:16soaring vocal harmonies
26:18Number 24
26:25Santa Monica
26:26Everclear
26:27On the one hand
26:28we get it
26:29terrestrial rock radio
26:30fans are probably
26:31surprised to see
26:32this on our list
26:33I am still living
26:34with your ghost
26:36That's because
26:37Santa Monica
26:38by Everclear
26:38continues to be
26:39something of a mainstay
26:40for once cutting edge
26:4190s rock stations
26:42that now find themselves
26:43becoming heritage radio
26:45This isn't really
26:50a slight
26:50since the actual
26:51composition of
26:52Santa Monica
26:52is both economical
26:53and memorable
26:54Everclear knew
26:55they had a good riff
26:56and hammered it home
26:58with a chorus
26:58that was equally
26:59infectious and catchy
27:00Fans at the time
27:06also seemed to agree
27:07that Santa Monica
27:08helped Everclear's
27:09album Sparkle and Fade
27:10to achieve
27:11platinum status
27:12Number 23
27:15All She Wrote
27:17Firehouse
27:17The tragically
27:18unexpected death
27:19of Firehouse frontman
27:20CJ Snare
27:21in 2024
27:22helped remind
27:23older fans
27:24of just how good
27:24this North Carolina
27:25metal band
27:26was back in their day
27:27All She Wrote
27:31was one of many
27:32hits Firehouse
27:33attained during
27:33their career
27:34as a certified
27:34hair metal banger
27:35The song's
27:42unapologetically
27:42poppy arrangement
27:43feels more than
27:44a bit indebted
27:45to Round and Round
27:46by Rat
27:46but who cares
27:47the harmonized
27:48lead guitar breaks
27:49rip
27:49the chorus
27:50is to die for
27:51and Snare's
27:51melodic voice
27:52brings it all home
27:53Firehouse would
28:00venture down
28:01musical avenues
28:01that were both
28:02heavier and more
28:03subdued
28:03yet it was the
28:04success of
28:05All She Wrote
28:05that earned
28:06Firehouse
28:06the love
28:07of their fans
28:08Number 22
28:12Cigarettes and Alcohol
28:14Oasis
28:14The 2024 announcement
28:16of Oasis' reunion
28:18and forthcoming
28:18tour schedule
28:19sent a lot of
28:2090s rock fans
28:21into overdrive
28:22breaking out
28:22their CDs
28:23and cassettes
28:24Nostalgia is a
28:29seductive beast
28:30after all
28:31and we're betting
28:32that Cigarettes and Alcohol
28:33got added to a number
28:34of retro playlists
28:35this tune was taken
28:36from Oasis' debut album
28:38Definitely Maybe
28:38and presented a hard
28:40rocking edge
28:40that instantly had
28:41radio listeners
28:42sitting up to take notice
28:43soon Oasis would
28:49dominate charts
28:50both at home
28:51in the UK
28:51and on an international
28:53level
28:53but it was songs
28:54like Cigarettes and Alcohol
28:55that helped pave the way
28:57But all I need
28:59is cigarettes and alcohol
29:01Number 21
29:04I Stand Alone
29:05Jackal
29:06The lineup of
29:06Woodstock 94
29:07may have been dominated
29:09by the alternative rock
29:10and hip-hop of the day
29:11but fans of a certain age
29:12just might remember
29:13how a little band
29:14called Jackal
29:15arguably stole the show
29:16Included in their set
29:26was I Stand Alone
29:27a rip-roaring tune
29:28taken from Jackal's
29:29self-titled debut
29:30from 1992
29:31The group notably
29:32combined a glam metal style
29:33with tons of
29:34southern rock swagger
29:35I Stand Alone
29:44possesses an absolutely
29:45killer main riff
29:46alongside a preening
29:48and polished production style
29:49that successfully straddles
29:5080s excess
29:51and 90s attitude
29:52I Stand Alone
29:54Don't ask me
29:56why I feel
29:57This can also be seen
29:58within the accompanying video
29:59which shows Jackal
30:00performing the tune
30:01before a crowd
30:02protesting Kmart's
30:03banning of their album
30:04I Stand Alone
30:06to pass you
30:06Number 20
30:08My Sister
30:09Julianna Hatfield 3
30:11Julianna Hatfield
30:12was part of multiple
30:13notable alternative
30:14rock bands
30:15including Blake Babies
30:16and the Lemonheads
30:17However
30:18arguably her most
30:20recognized work
30:20was with her own band
30:21the Julianna Hatfield 3
30:23Lyrically
30:31Hatfield's most
30:32successful single
30:33is about loving
30:34one's female sibling
30:35even with her flaws
30:36However
30:37Hatfield isn't exactly
30:39singing from personal
30:40experience
30:40as she doesn't
30:41actually have
30:42any biological sisters
30:43I love my sister
30:45She's the best
30:49But that doesn't
30:50diminish how much
30:51raw emotion
30:52Hatfield and the rest
30:53of the band
30:53put into this song
30:54You might not
30:56want to sing it
30:56at your sister's wedding
30:57but you cannot deny
30:59the feelings
30:59it conjures
31:00Number 19
31:08Down
31:08Stone Temple Pilots
31:10Stone Temple Pilots
31:12are rightfully
31:12recognized as one of the
31:13best bands of their era
31:15But their late 90s work
31:17deserves as much appreciation
31:18as their early 90s material
31:20Case in point
31:21Down
31:22Released at the end of the decade
31:29this Grammy nominated single
31:30defied the notion
31:31that grunge
31:32was a flash in the pan sound
31:33Built on thundering
31:35riffs and beats
31:35that should appeal
31:36to most any metalhead
31:37Down is Stone Temple Pilots
31:39getting down and dirty
31:40with great results
31:41Scott Weiland's shift
31:49between a seductive whisper
31:50and a raging bellow
31:51lends plenty of atmosphere
31:52to a track
31:53already full of it
31:54And we cannot forget
31:56Dean DeLeo's
31:57scorching guitar solo either
31:58If you're looking
31:59for an incredible blast
32:01of pure 90s rock energy
32:02turn up
32:03Down
32:04Number 18
32:10Free to Decide
32:11The Cranberries
32:12Iconic tracks like
32:14Linger and Zombie
32:15made the Cranberries
32:16a beloved band
32:17And their accomplishments
32:18did not stop there
32:20Like many popular bands
32:27The Cranberries had to deal
32:28with their share of scrutiny
32:30and negative attention
32:30But they didn't take it
32:32lying down
32:33Free to Decide
32:33finds the band
32:34fighting back
32:35and fighting hard
32:36Dolores O'Riordan
32:45addresses her critics
32:46head on
32:47letting them know
32:48that she's gonna do
32:49what she wants to do
32:50not what anyone else
32:51thinks she should
32:52While she's not
32:53the first artist
32:54to address this topic
32:55few have done it
32:56with the same level
32:57of passion and beauty
32:58Anyone seeking
32:59to assert their independence
33:00and embrace personal freedom
33:02should listen to this song
33:03Number 17
33:11Feel the Pain
33:12Dinosaur Jr.
33:14Though the classic
33:14Dinosaur Jr. lineup
33:15reunited in the 2000s
33:17they went through
33:18some drama
33:18in the early years
33:19Without a Sound
33:25was the first
33:25Dinosaur Jr. album
33:26to only feature
33:27one original member
33:28singer and guitar wizard
33:30Jay Maskis
33:31On this song
33:32he showed how much
33:33he could do
33:34even without his
33:35old bandmates around
33:36Feel the Pain
33:37is short on specifics
33:38but heavy on resonance
33:40Maskis sings about
33:45absorbing others anguish
33:46and the resulting emptiness
33:47with undramatic frankness
33:49If that sounds like
33:50too much of a downer
33:51he also makes sure
33:52to bring in
33:53some marvelous guitar
33:54and drum work
33:55It might not get you
33:56out of a negative mood
33:57entirely
33:58but it will hopefully
33:59help you feel
34:00a little less alone
34:01Number 16
34:06Seether
34:07Veruca Salt
34:08Though grunge
34:09and bubblegum pop
34:10might seem like
34:11their genres
34:11inherently at odds
34:12with each other
34:13skilled artists
34:14know how to fuse
34:15them together
34:16Case in point
34:23Veruca Salt
34:23who showed that
34:24they could be catchy
34:25without being sanitized
34:26on this song
34:27Seether is truly
34:28a song for when
34:29you're seething
34:30Addressing the
34:31needlessly taboo
34:32topic of female anger
34:33Seether turns rage
34:35into a living being
34:36that cannot be
34:36vanquished or ignored
34:38anger is a natural emotion
34:46that should be dealt
34:47with in a constructive
34:48manner
34:48and this song
34:50is a prime example
34:51of those feelings
34:51being processed
34:52through pure creative
34:54energy
34:54While they might not be
35:05the most famous musicians
35:06out of Detroit
35:07these rockers still
35:08made an impression
35:09on the charts
35:09their biggest hit
35:16Plowed
35:16feels like it's
35:17driving itself
35:17into your mind
35:18from beginning
35:19to end
35:19once the momentum
35:21starts
35:21it doesn't let up
35:22with raspy frontman
35:24Vinny Dombrowski
35:24and the rest of the band
35:25giving it their all
35:26on verses
35:27and chorus alike
35:28Although the lyrics
35:33aren't exactly cheerful
35:34they aren't totally
35:36despondent either
35:36Loud is a song
35:38for taking what life
35:39throws at you
35:40and plowing on ahead
35:41Number 14
35:47Midlife Crisis
35:48Faith No More
35:49Faith No More
35:50got to the number one
35:51spot on the
35:52modern rock tracks chart
35:53with a song
35:53reportedly inspired
35:54by another chart topper
35:56Originally
36:01this song was known
36:02as Madonna
36:03and while it doesn't
36:04name check
36:05or even allude
36:06to the Queen of Pop
36:07it does show
36:08Faith No More's ability
36:09to take inspiration
36:09from various sources
36:10to create something
36:11truly unique
36:12With its blend
36:18of metal
36:18hip-hop
36:19and prog
36:20Midlife Crisis
36:21seems like it should
36:21be an unholy mess
36:23but there's a method
36:24behind this madness
36:25particularly in frontman
36:26Mike Patton's
36:27full-bodied vocal performance
36:28If only real
36:30Midlife Crisis
36:30could be as invigorating
36:31as this song
36:32Speaking of Midlife Crisis
36:41some might think
36:42a veteran artist
36:43delving into trendy
36:44sounds like industrial
36:45and drum and bass
36:45is a cry for help
36:46But David Bowie
36:52was not just any artist
36:53known for his
36:54chameleonic shifts
36:55between genres
36:56and personas
36:57Bowie proved
36:58he was as vital
36:59in the 90s
37:00as he was
37:00in the 70s and 80s
37:01with I'm Afraid of Americans
37:02A collaboration
37:03with longtime creative
37:05partner Brian Eno
37:06This song finds Bowie
37:07doing what he does best
37:08while also trying new things
37:10The result
37:14is something
37:15that feels both
37:16timeless
37:16and forward-thinking
37:17much like all
37:18of his best work
37:19Bowie might have been
37:20afraid of Americans
37:21but we're afraid
37:22of a world
37:22without this song
37:23Number 12
37:29Supernova
37:30Liz Phair
37:31There's no champagne
37:33in the Supernova
37:34but it's still
37:35plenty special
37:36On this irresistible cut
37:44from her second album
37:45Liz Phair sings
37:46about falling in love
37:47but this isn't just
37:48any love song
37:49Supernova has Phair
37:51talking about the object
37:52of her affection
37:52with unabashed enthusiasm
37:54Though there's talk
38:02of things like
38:03physical attributes
38:04and bedroom skills
38:05the song manages
38:06to avoid vulgarity
38:07Instead
38:07it manages to be
38:09both effortlessly cool
38:10while also heartwarming
38:11in its enthusiasm
38:12and energy
38:13If you've ever been
38:14madly in love
38:15you probably know
38:16exactly what Phair
38:17is talking about here
38:18Number 11
38:26Pardon Me
38:27Incubus
38:28Though Incubus
38:29had been around
38:30for much of the 90s
38:31it was the end
38:32of the decade
38:32when things really
38:33started to pick up
38:34for them
38:34Their first charting
38:42single Pardon Me
38:42was written
38:43at a particularly
38:44tumultuous time
38:45for Brandon Boyd
38:46and learning
38:46about the disturbing
38:47concept of spontaneous
38:48human combustion
38:49helped him to bring
38:50this song to life
38:51Pardon Me
38:52while I burst
38:54into pain
38:57Its title might sound
38:59polite and unassuming
38:59but Pardon Me
39:00is anything but
39:02Instead
39:02it is a striking study
39:04of early 20s
39:05alienation and confusion
39:06that's moody
39:07unhinged
39:08and brilliant
39:08in equal measure
39:09And even if
39:11you've made it
39:11through a tough
39:12period of your life
39:13it should still
39:14strike a chord
39:14When people think
39:28of the Goo Goo Dolls
39:29their minds
39:29inevitably drift
39:30to Iris
39:31the band's
39:31record-breaking
39:32power ballad
39:33from 1999
39:34However
39:34that was far
39:35from their
39:35only 90s era hit
39:37as proven
39:38by the brilliance
39:39that is Black Balloon
39:40The song
39:45which tells the story
39:46of a desperate man's
39:47attempts to get
39:47his lover off heroin
39:48peaked at number 16
39:50on the Billboard
39:50Hot 100 charts
39:51but never quite
39:52matched the hype
39:53of Iris
39:54And that's not
39:55exactly a surprise
39:56as Black Balloon
39:57is modest
39:57in its approach
39:58telling a very
39:59different kind
40:00story
40:00Number 9
40:07Uninvited
40:08Alanis Morissette
40:09Released in 1998
40:15Uninvited sold
40:16more than 7 million
40:17copies
40:18peaked at number 1
40:19on the Billboard
40:20Top 40
40:21and earned Morissette
40:22three Grammy nominations
40:23She won two of them
40:25as well as picking up
40:26a Golden Globe nomination
40:27for best original song
40:28You're probably wondering
40:35how anyone could forget
40:36how awesome
40:37this alt-rock classic is
40:38and to answer that
40:39we have three words
40:41Jagged Little Pill
40:42The Canadian singer's
40:43breakthrough album
40:44produced a slew
40:45of iconic tracks
40:46and more often than not
40:47they're the ones
40:48that make it onto
40:49the web's best songs
40:50of the 90s lists
40:50but we've never forgotten
40:52this subtle and mysterious tune
40:54and continue to play it
40:55whenever we can
40:56I don't think you
41:00unworthy
41:01Number 8
41:02Popular
41:03Not A Surf
41:04Three important rules
41:05for breaking up
41:06Don't put off breaking up
41:08when you know you're on school
41:09Popular was extremely popular
41:11when it first hit the airwaves
41:12back in 1996
41:13The track not only served
41:15as the obligatory party anthem
41:16for teenagers everywhere
41:17but also helped to drive
41:19Not A Surf's debut album
41:20to number 63
41:21on the billboard charts
41:22While the band has gone on
41:29to release nine additional albums
41:30none of their songs
41:32was able to capture
41:32the hearts of music lovers
41:34quite like popular
41:35Peaking early
41:36has been the curse
41:36of many bands
41:37throughout the years
41:38and Not A Surf
41:39appears to have suffered
41:40a similar fate
41:40As such
41:41we doubt many of you
41:42had this track in mind
41:43when our video began
41:44Number 7
41:50My Own Worst Enemy
41:51Lit
41:52Featuring a driving guitar riff
41:58that would blow people's hair back
42:00in any decade
42:01My Own Worst Enemy
42:02is as awesome today
42:03as it was
42:04when it was released in 1999
42:05How people forget about this track
42:08is a bit of a mystery
42:09as it's pretty much
42:10got it all
42:11relatable lyrics
42:12a memorable hook
42:13and a pop punk sound
42:14that while dated
42:15has never lost its flavor
42:17Nevertheless
42:21it's a throwback
42:22that often seems
42:23to be overlooked
42:24My Own Worst Enemy
42:25remains one of the band's
42:26most successful tracks
42:27and for good reason
42:29Number 6
42:33Take a Picture
42:33Filter
42:34The second single
42:40released off of
42:41their sophomore album
42:42Title of Record
42:42Take a Picture
42:43dominated the airwaves
42:45soon after its release
42:45in the fall of 1999
42:47The dreamy lyrics
42:48were inspired by
42:49lead singer
42:49Richard Patrick's
42:50own experiences
42:51of not being able
42:52to remember
42:52his drunken escapades
42:54and asking his girlfriend
42:55at the time
42:56to quote
42:56Take My Picture
42:57Cause I Won't Remember
42:58We're gonna go ahead
43:04and attribute the fact
43:04that people forget
43:05all about this song
43:06to Filter's lack
43:07of a follow-up hit
43:08in the ensuing years
43:09With that being said
43:10Take a Picture
43:10is still a blast
43:11to listen to
43:12thanks to its ubiquitous
43:13sound and catchy chorus
43:14Number 5
43:20Inside Out
43:21Eve 6
43:21I would swallow my pride
43:23I would drop on the rinds
43:25But the lack thereof
43:26would leave me empty inside
43:27Winning Grammys
43:28and breaking records
43:29is all well and good
43:30but what's most important
43:32is having good lyrics
43:33and a catchy melody
43:34Thankfully for Eve 6
43:35their 1998 alt-rock song
43:38Inside Out
43:38had both in spades
43:40I would swallow my pride
43:41I would drop on the rinds
43:43But the lack thereof
43:44would leave me empty inside
43:45Like come on
43:46how can you not
43:47absolutely love a line
43:48like
43:49wanna put my tender heart
43:50in a blender
43:50watch it spin around
43:51to a beautiful oblivion
43:52The heartfelt delivery
43:54of Max Collins' eclectic lyrics
43:56combined with the track's
43:57driving rhythm
43:57made Inside Out
43:59one of the 90s
43:59most addictive songs
44:01Number 4
44:05What It's Like
44:06Everlast
44:07Six years after dropping
44:13one of the most iconic
44:14party tracks of all time
44:16with Jump Around
44:17House of Pain
44:18co-founder Everlast
44:19decided to branch out
44:20on his own
44:20As a solo artist
44:21he took his sound
44:22in an entirely new direction
44:24and the result
44:25was songs like
44:26What It's Like
44:27A fusion of rock
44:31blues
44:32and hip-hop
44:33The song introduces
44:34listeners to three
44:35different characters
44:36all of whom are
44:37suffering in one way
44:38or another
44:38This melancholy track
44:40surprised the music world
44:41by being one of the
44:42most successful
44:42crossover songs
44:43of the year
44:44Number 3
44:48Sex and Candy
44:49Marcy Playground
44:51The second single
44:56off their eponymous
44:571997 debut album
44:59Sex and Candy
45:00proved to be
45:00the band's
45:00only major hit
45:02but what a hit it was
45:03The atmospheric track
45:04about
45:05well
45:05we don't really know
45:06what it's about
45:06propelled the band
45:07to the top
45:08of the modern
45:08rock tracks chart
45:09a spot they held
45:11for a then-record
45:1215 weeks
45:13I smell sexy
45:14candy
45:16here
45:17The song
45:18features a slow
45:19backbeat
45:19and some seriously
45:20cryptic lyrics
45:21but that just makes
45:22the case for
45:23Sex and Candy's
45:23effortless coolness
45:24even stronger
45:25you may still hear
45:27it on the radio
45:27from time to time
45:28a testament
45:29to its staying power
45:30Number 2
45:34Only Happy When It Rains
45:36Garbage
45:36If you lived
45:41through the 90s
45:41then you will
45:42definitely remember
45:43this iconic
45:44alt-rock track
45:45Only Happy When It Rains
45:46was a hit with fans
45:47and critics alike
45:48with one going so far
45:50as to quip
45:50quote
45:51If you're not playing this
45:52you don't have a pulse
45:53The highlight of the track
45:59is unquestionably
46:00Shirley Manson's
46:01vocal performance
46:02which seemingly affirms
46:03the grunge music scene
46:04of the era
46:04but once you dig
46:06a little deeper
46:07you'll find a song
46:08that is mocking grunge
46:09alt-rock
46:10and even garbage themselves
46:11The song was a sign
46:13of things to come
46:13for a band
46:14that would ultimately
46:15be nominated
46:15for 7 Grammys
46:17Before we continue
46:23be sure to subscribe
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46:24and ring the bell
46:25to get notified
46:26about our latest videos
46:27You have the option
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46:34and switch on notifications
46:35Number 1
46:38Jumper
46:39Third Eye Blind
46:40Coming in at
46:45Number 1
46:46is a song
46:46whose brilliance
46:47should never be forgotten
46:48Jumper has a message
46:49that's as relevant today
46:51as it was in 1998
46:52It's dark
46:54uplifting
46:54sentimental
46:55and catchy
46:56all at the same time
46:57A song that's equally
46:59at home
46:59being played loudly
47:00in the car
47:00or on an acoustic guitar
47:02around a campfire
47:03The song remains
47:09one of Third Eye Blind's
47:10most successful
47:11having peaked at
47:12Number 5
47:12on the Billboard Hot 100
47:13It's the earnest lyrics
47:15and smile-inducing melody
47:16that make Jumper
47:17a 90s classic
47:18not awards
47:19or commercial recognition
47:20What awesome 90s song
47:29do you think
47:29should have made the cut?
47:30Let us know
47:31in the comments below
47:31We'll be right back to you
47:35We'll be right back to you
47:35We'll be right back to you
47:38We'll be right back to you
47:39We'll be right back to you
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