The 90's music

That 90’s Music

Music is the life of the soul. So many forms but the same universal language. One of the greatest form has been the emergence of alternative rock music. Bands like Beck, Radiohead, Velvet Underground, The Strokes, Verve, Semisonic and many more have epitomized the alternative rock music. 90’s was the golden period for alternative rock. There were many people making some of the best music ever. There were some of the biggest music events held in this decade. It was the time of underground music movement. There were tons of bands playing there music in non commercial way and there were millions of fans following these bands and promoting this form of music.

The early days of alternate music can be traced down to 1980’s, the mainstream music in the 80’s was thrash and heavy metal, the bands which did not play the similar music or any other mainstream genre of music went on to define a new genre of alternative music. Bands dubbed "alternative" had no unified style, but were all seen as distinct from mainstream music. Alternative to the mainstream the new genre was pioneered by R.E.M., Hüsker Dü, Jane's Addiction, Sonic Youth and the Pixies, and in the UK The Cure, New Order the Jesus and Mary Chain and The Smiths.

Artists largely were confined to independent record labels, building an extensive underground music scene based around college radio, fanzines, touring, and word-of-mouth.

Success- The initial movement did not gain much of ground except being confined to regional or national level. By the early 90’s, grunge music had started to find its foothold among the mainstream music. With heavy and thrash metal becoming less popular bands such as Green River, Soundgarden, the Melvins and Skin Yard pioneered the genre of grunge, with Mudhoney becoming the most successful of them all by the end of 80’s.

Although Soundgarden was the first sign a deal and to produce an album with a record label, It is Nirvana which took the genre of “Grunge” to the next level. The song Smells like teen spirit became the anthem of the decade and Nirvana’s album “Nevermind” was selling 400,000 copies a week by the end of 1991. With the huge success of the big 4 “Soundgarden – Badmotorfinger, Alice in chains-Dirt , Pearl Jam – Ten, Nirvana-Nevermind” there were many alternative bands which gained commercial success.

However by the end of the decade the “Grunge” lost its mainstream flavour. With Curt Kobain committing suicide in 1994, Soundgarden splitting by 1997, Alice in Chains struggling with their drugs related issues and Pearl Jam problem of touring for concerts the grunge started to lose its sheen.

Below is a list of few masterpieces to remember an era of grunge and alternative music, a list to celebrate a movement of pure music without the touch of commercialization, a time when bands believed in making music rather than promoting haircuts and clothes, a time when the music was pure ecstasy and melody.

1. Torn - Natalie Imbruglia *****
2. Brighter Than Sunshine- Aqualung*****
3. Look what you have done - Jet*****
4. Raindrops are falling on my head- BJ Thomas *****
5. Loser- Beck *****
6. Kings of New Orleans - Better than Ezra *****
7. Kiss the rain- Billy Meyers*****
8. Glycerin- Bush****
9. Solitude- Edwin Mccain ***
10. Its now or never- El Vez
11. Fuel- Bittersweet***
12. A wink and a smile- Harry Connick Jr ****
13. Stars- Hum ****
14. Copasetic- Local H ****
15. Take a walk on the wild side - Lou Reed *****
16. Pure Morning - Placebo****
17. Black Betty - Ram Jam
18. Big Chair- Reacharound
19. I am man of constant sorrow- Soggy bottom boys*****
20. Misery- Soul Asylum
21. In the meantime- Spacehog
22. Plowed- Sponge***
23. Little black backpack- Stroke 9 *****
24. You- Switchfoot
25. Foxtrot Uniform Charlie Kilo - The Bloodhound Gang****
26. Cannonballs- The Breeders****
27. Heroin - Velvet Underground*****
28. Between love and hate - The Strokes*****
29. Is this it- The Strokes*****
30. Run Run Run - The Strokes*****
31. Someday- The Strokes*****
32. Take it or leave it - The Strokes*****
33. The break up song - The Strokes*****
34. Possum Kingdom- The Toddies****
35. Femme Fatale- Velvet Underground*****
36. Perfect Day - Velvet Underground*****
37. You wanted more - Tonic ****
38. If you could only see- Tonic ****
39. Side - Travis****
40. Why does it always rain on me - Travis *****
41. Teenage Dirtbag- Whetus****
42. You woman- White town***1/2
43. Mexican Radio - Wall of Vodoo ****
44. Sister Havana- Urge Overkill****
45. Sometime I don’t mind- Suicide Machine*****
46. A girl like you - The Smithereens****
47. Sour Girl - Stone Temple Pilots****
48. Got you where I want you- The Flies ****
49. Swing Swing- ALL American Reject ****
50. Flavor of the week - American Hi Fi *****
51. Little Bastards- Ass Ponys****
52. The Bad Touch - The Bloodhound Gang****
53. Aint My Job- The Bloodhound Gang***
54. Better Days- Citizen King****
55. Everything falls apart- Dog's Eye View****
56. Its Still Rock N Roll To Me - Billy Joel*****
57. Roll to me- Del Amitri*****
58. Peace Pipe- Cry of Love****