Welcome to the top of the heap for rock bands of the 90’s. These five groups defined the sound of the decade for me, from towering double albums to Irish dreamscapes and arena-sized choruses. If you missed the first half, Part 1 covers #6 through #10 and you can read it here.
#1 The Smashing Pumpkins
Nobody in the 90s aimed higher, and for a few years, nobody hit harder.
The Smashing Pumpkins were the most ambitious band of the decade, and the ambition was the point. Siamese Dream in 1993 layered guitars into walls of sound that were somehow both crushing and gorgeous, and songs like “Today” and “Cherub Rock” made heartache feel enormous. Billy Corgan wrote like someone who refused to believe a rock record had to stay small.
Then came Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness in 1995, a double album that had no business being a commercial smash and became one anyway. It swings from the thunder of “Bullet with Butterfly Wings” to the aching “1979” and the cinematic “Tonight, Tonight” without ever losing its grip. It is the sound of a band swinging for the fences and connecting.
#2 Pearl Jam
The band that never stopped sounding like it meant every word.
Ten in 1991 introduced the world to a band that played with an urgency most of their peers could only imitate. “Alive,” “Even Flow” and “Jeremy” became staples almost instantly, but what kept Pearl Jam compelling was how quickly they moved past that sound. Vs. (originally titled Five Against One” and Vitalogy got rawer, stranger and more restless, with the band pushing against its own success rather than cashing in on it.
That stubbornness is a big part of why they endure. Their 90s run is a masterclass in staying true to the music while the industry tried to turn them into something simpler. Eddie Vedder’s voice carried every song like it was the last one he would ever sing, and the rest of the band matched that intensity note for note.
#3 Foo Fighters
Big riffs, bigger choruses, and a band that sounds like they are having the time of their lives.
The Foo Fighters started the way few bands ever have, with one person in a studio playing nearly everything himself. Dave Grohl’s self-titled 1995 debut was raw, melodic and surprisingly personal, and songs like “This Is a Call,” “I’ll Stick Around” and “Big Me” made it clear this was no side project. It was a real band in the making, and by the time the lineup solidified, they were ready to go full throttle.
The Colour and the Shape in 1997 is where it all came together. “Monkey Wrench,” “My Hero” and “Everlong” are a run of songs that most bands would be lucky to write in a career, and “Everlong” in particular remains one of the great rock songs of the decade. There Is Nothing Left to Lose in 1999 followed with “Learn to Fly” and “Breakout,” keeping the hooks sharp and the energy high. Few bands in the 90s made loud guitar music feel this fun and this meaningful at once.
#4 The Cranberries
The Cranberries arrived from Limerick, Ireland with a sound that felt completely unlike anything else on rock radio. “Linger” and “Dreams” from their 1993 debut were soft, shimmering and instantly unforgettable, built around a voice that could slip from a whisper to a soaring cry without effort. They made vulnerability sound like strength.
Then “Zombie” in 1994 flipped the alt rock scene on it’s head entirely. Crunchy guitars, a furious vocal and a message about the human cost of violence made it one of the most powerful singles of the decade. That the same band could make both “Linger” and “Zombie” says everything about their range, and both still sound as striking as they did on first listen.
#5 Weezer
Geeky, catchy and secretly heartbreaking. The ultimate outsider anthem factory.
The Blue Album in 1994 is nearly a perfect pop-rock record. “Buddy Holly,” “Say It Ain’t So” and “Undone (The Sweater Song)” are packed with hooks, crunchy guitars and the kind of self-deprecating lyrics that made awkward kids everywhere feel seen. Rivers Cuomo wrote about insecurity with a sly sense of humor, and the band played it with total conviction.
Pinkerton followed in 1996 and was met with a cold reception, but time has been extremely kind to it. Raw, confessional and loaded with feedback, it is now regarded as a landmark of the decade and a favorite among devoted fans. Few bands have had a misunderstood masterpiece vindicated so completely.
Leave a Reply