(image credit: getty images)
Rock music in the 90s changed massively. There was no one way to strap on a guitar and shred. Bands like Nirvana and Greenday proudly wore their punk credentials on their sleeves. While the Red Hot Chili Peppers and Radiohead looked back in order to move music forward. Today we’re looking at the most formative rock groups of the 90s. From ska-punk powerhouses to sneering Britpop stalwharts, this is the music that changed the world.
Nirvana
Can you imagine the 90s without Nirvana? No band defined the last decade of the 20th century like this punk rock influenced trio from Seattle. Whether they wanted to or not, Nirvana brought grunge into the mainstream with Nevermind and changed rock music forever. The unfortunate death of frontman Kurt Cobain in 1994 brought an end to Nirvana’s meteoric rise, but we’ll always have their music to comfort us when we need it the most.
Pearl Jam
Pearl Jam became the voice of a generation with their debut album Ten. Their blend of hard rock and introspective lyrics immediately struck a chord with audiences looking for an authentic sound. Throughout the 90s Pearl Jam remained faithful hitmakers who put their money where their mouth is while taking on Ticketmaster. Still rocking today, Pearl Jam keeps the dream of the 90s alive.
Radiohead
Starting with The Bends and exploding with OK Computer, Radiohead transcended alternative rock to become pioneers of experimental soundscapes that modern rock bands are still catching up to today. The band may have ditched their brit-rock sound for the bleeps and bloops of the computer, but we’re still rocking out to their classic tracks from the the 90s.
Smashing Pumpkins
With albums like Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness, The Smashing Pumpkins created sweeping, cinematic rock that captured the angst and ambition of the 90s. BIlly Corgan and company are still releasing albums to this day, but nothing beats their glory era from 1991 to 1998 that saw the band release a string of incredible albums that combined the crushing brutality of Led Zeppelin with the lush atmospheres of the Cocteau Twins. To this day we can still throw on “Mayonaise” and air guitar until the sun comes up.
R.E.M.
Though they started in the 80s, R.E.M. is a defining band of the 90s. With Out of Time and Automatic for the People, R.E. cemented their status as one of the most influential alternative bands of the decade. With Michael Stipe’s tremulous vocals and the 12-string jangle of Peter Buck, alt rock has never escaped the shadow of this seminal southern band.
(image credit: getty images)
Gwen Stefani and No Doubt brought ska-punk to the masses with Tragic Kingdom, combining punk energy with pop sensibility to become one of the most beloved bands of the 90s. With singles like “I’m Just A Girl,” “Spiderwebs,” and the inescapable “Don’t Speak,” this band ruled the airwaves in the late 90s. There have been female fronted bands for decades. But No Doubt changed something in the culture. Suddenly, teenage girls had their own band and their own front-person to model themselves after. Even if you’re not a fan of No Doubt’s brand of ska pop-punk, you have to admit that nothing has been the same since they hit the airwaves.
(image credit: Green Day)
With Dookie, Green Day reignited punk rock for a new generation. The early ‘90s had bands like Jawbreaker and NOFX, but Green Day connected with young audiences who were suffering from the grunge hangover of their older siblings. Thanks to their catchy, rebellious songs they remain icons to this day.
Oasis
Britpop exploded in the 90s, and Oasis led the charge. With undeniable swagger and anthemic hits like “Supersonic” and “Wonderwall” you couldn’t escape Oasis. The band fell prey to in-fighting and bloated albums at the end of the decade, but they remain a cultural monolith. Now that the Gallagher brothers have put their personal business aside and patched things up, fans can see them play again and that’s truly exciting.
Red Hot Chili Peppers
The infectious funk-punk sound of the Red Hot Chili Peppers absolutely owned the 90s. It’s not just that they had hits with “Give It Away” and “Scar Tissue,” they brought (and still bring) an energy to the airwaves that’s impossible to replicate. Thanks Flea’s wobbly slap bass and the erratic, poetic nonsense of Anthony Keidis the Red Hots (or would Chili Peps) the world (and pop music) has never been the same.
Metallica
Yes, Metallica were a major heavy metal band in the 1980s. But their sudden jump to the Biggest Rock Band in the World thanks to their self-titled 1991 album can’t be ignored. In the 90s the band turned away from their trash roots to follow a more straightforward hard-rock sound. This decision made some of their longtime fans frustrated, but tracks like “Enter Sandman” and “Nothing Else Matters” turned the band into megastars. Suddenly, the band was accessible to everyone on the planet in a way that they weren’t with the brutal attack of Master of Puppets.