The 90’s changed music in a way that hadn’t been done since perhaps the late sixties. A revolution came about that transformed the industry forever. At the start of the decade we had pop and lots of it. Not all the pop pumping out was bad, but then in late 1991 a new sound echoed through the speakers and I, like most people of my generation, were gobsmacked.
It goes a little something like this…
This was different. Yes, we had rock. We had the 80’s hair metal bands who were still kicking around. We had Guns & Roses emerging, but Nirvana had a completely different edgy vibe. The age of grunge rock had descended upon us and alternative rock was introduced. I literally changed overnight. I went from being the teeny bopper teenager to embracing the grunge movement in every aspect. The music spoke to me on a deeper level and still does.
There were also a few other movements which became important and I will discuss them after listing my top bands and artists from the nineties.
Obviously, Nirvana is my top pick.Pearl Jam is the other Seattle grunge legendary group. ‘Black‘ was always my favorite song from them.
The Unplugged version was da’ bomb.Greenday’s Dookie CD was amaze balls.Live’s Throwing Copper is still one of my favorite albums of all time.REM was referred to as the house band for grunge bands and stormed onto the charts with a pretty major hit song. I am positive almost everyone knows the lyrics to ‘Losing my Religion‘.Loved, loved, and still love The Foo Fighters!Rage against the Machine. They were definitely on everyone’s rager list.The Beastie Boys took their hard rock rap to the next level in the 90’s.No Doubt rocked the airwaves with, ‘I’m just a girl’, and brought about a new badass feminine style to grunge.Speaking of badass girls…Alanis Morrissette‘s Jagged Little Pill was a revelation. She was young. She was angry and she killed it.I was not the biggest Red Hot Chili Peppers fan, but ‘Under the Bridge‘, was one of the most important songs of the 90’s. This song was written when Anthony Kiedis was lonely as he entered sobriety on his own apart from his band mates. He was hesitant to even show this poem he had written to them, but thank goodness he did because it is a stirring song.Guns & Roses were just on fire in the 90’s. They did peter out towards the end, but oh, how we ate their music, and their personal lives, up.Metallica the Black album. There are no words because it was a masterpiece.
Honorable Mentions
Barenaked Ladies. Blues Traveler
Smashing Pumpkins
Nine Inch Nails
Another revolution which occurred was the inclusion of rap music into mainstream radio. The 90’s broke down the walls of the underground rap movement and plunged it right out in the open. There was also the rise of the East Coast/ West Coast feud which divided many and sadly cost some of the greats in the industry their lives.
Starting with…
Tupac Shakur. His death, his murder, shocked us all.Retribution for Tupac? Some think so. The Notorious B.I.G. was larger than life and the world was robbed of yet another great artist.Oh, you know Snoop Dog is going on the list. What I love is how he has kept his coolness as he has gotten older and reinvented himself somewhat. I mean, him and Martha Stewart? Who was the genius who put them together in a commercial?Got to put Dr. Dre after Snoop! Look what he has done, not only for rap music, but Beats, anyone?!Wu Tang Clan!Talk about reinventing yourself…Ice Cube is a triple threat. Rapper, actor, businessman. Amazing.Okay, if you can’t rap along with Naughty by Nature‘s OPP, we can’t be friends.Coolio‘s song, ‘Gangsta’s Paradise‘, is one of the best IMO. It moves you and makes you think. Favorite rap song of the 90’s for me.
I have to put Will Smith on the list. Although, he was more ‘commercial’ rap, his music flew off the shelves, and dominated the airwaves. ‘Summertime‘, anyone?
L.L. Cool J...ahhh, how I loved Around the Way Girl.Well, you may not like country music, but it has to be recognized. The nineties brought us grunge and rap, but it also shifted country music into mainstream radio as well.
And all because of this man…
Garth Brooks put Country music on the map. His song, ‘Friends in Low Places‘, was popular across the board. My personal favorite was ‘The Thunder Rolls‘.
I think this is why I like all types of music because there were so many influences in the 90’s. I didn’t go into pop because I don’t think the pop songs were as important. The only one who I will give a shout out to is Janet Jackson.
Her self-titled album is one of the best!
And if you don’t agree, it’s Ms. Janet if you’re Nasty…
SeppinRek 
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