90s Songs Love Jul 07, 2007 11:48PM PST

Part 1: Songs I liked, mostly from one-hit wonders or bands I only remember 1 or 2 songs from Third Eye Blind~ Can I Graduate Never asked myself that question (I was always the quiet smart one in grade school, now the edgy jokester/nerd that can sit at the popular table if I feel like/smart one in high school) but love it nonetheless. Bush~ Machinehead Just can't get enough of that main riff. So very soulful and I definitely remember the "breath in breath out" intro from since when I was very little. Always loved that song. Hanson~ MMbop I don't know if I've ever told this story on 1up but in third grade I was still the shy kid and wore a Hanson t-shirt/bought their albums to fit in w/other kids. I admit I liked them but no where near as much as I put on. In the end, despite the popular kids used to have arguments over who dicovered the band first, I got the blame when one day I wore the t and the fad had passed. Two ironic things: the kid who actually started this fad in the school and I both saw them orignally (at different times/places) on a commercial saying "you don't want this shit, you want metal!" featuring Hanson as the shit part. We both love metal now. Secondly and much more funny when the fad was over, Backstreet Boys were taking over as fad #2 and I literally heard the words "Hanson are gay, we listen to the Backstreet Boys now". Thank God I got out of the phase before I needed that therapy session. Marcy Playground~ Sex and Candy So the verses wouldn't be interesting without the chorus... but the chorus is there so it's just a great sing-along song Eve 6~ Blender I just remember liking it. Really that's good enough for me. Splender~ Yeah, Whatever "We don't have to stay friends let's pretend to be enemies" meant a lot to me later on plus it has a good melody Days of the New~ Touch, Peel and Stand I used to think the vocals in the verses were too rednecky (though I still always liked the song) but the melodic perversion is just so up my alley. I love songs that have sick messages with loud vocals. Hearing "I've finally found the reason I don't need no excuse.. you are the one to abuse" sooths me somehow. God I'm sick. Lit~ My Own Worst Enemy If it wasn't downtuned I'd call pop-rock (and I'm sure others will give it that label despite the downtune) but damnit what a good, fun tune. No Doubt~ Don't Speak I liked "Don't Speak"? Yes I did. Don't judge. Part 2: Bands that got huge whose songs I loved in the 90s The Offspring~ Self Esteem Ah yes, in the same vein as "My Own Worst Enemy" a fun lil downtuned pop-punk song to sing along to. Had no idea who Offspring were but later found I loved their songs Green Day~ When I Come Around It's still my favorite song of all time. Probably because of his great timing (this song always came on when something good was happening) Billy Joe has done for me with three chords and a miniscule solo what no other song could ever do: directly port me to my childhood. Metallica~ Fuel, The Memory Remains, Whiskey in the Jarro (Thin Lizzy cover) Oddly enough I knew I loved Metallica's music long before I knew they were the one's making it. Now the Thin Lizzy thing is actually a cover of an Irish drinking song. I hate the Thin Lizzy version, never heard the original, and love the Metallica remake. And even though I admit Load/Reload weren't their best work, when they did the new style right it really worked for me (when they did it horribly wrong they invented the worst song of all time: "Low Man's Lyric", completely terrible). But the thing is I just heard the songs and liked them but when I heard the name Metallica I thought "I hate metal" and I did at that time, which brings me to Part 3: Bands I used to loathe but have grown on me. Patera~ Walk Ok I actually always liked "Cowboys from Hell" (song) but I still have issues with this song. Back in the 90s my older brother was way into the metal/goth/grunge thing and well he wasn't always nice to me and at that age I could not grasp why anyone anywhere would want screaming in their music. If "Cowboys from Hell" still shows all I love about metal from the exaggeratedly loud party worthy song to awesome riffage and a solo, "Walk" is still everything I despise about metal from bone-headed "I'm a big man.. a big man" lyrics to somewhat uneventful guitar work (ok I like the riff but there's just something missing). In retrospect I'm not sure if I ever had that much of a problem with the metal sound as what I thought it's message was. "Walk" had implied to me that metal was for bipolar morons and schoolyard bulies (difference? I'm not sure) so when Metallica's James Hetfield's brand of metal was a more effective and in a way positive anthem of "energy derives from both the plus and negative" I warmed up to it quite quickly. And of course when you only hear a metal band from afar, most of the good ones even sound like shit. A closer listen after Dimebag's death piqued my interest in his music came with a realization of what awesome use of guitars and effects I'd been missing Nirvana~ Dumb If there's one thing in common between Cobain and Pantera it's that they initially started a music revolution with very good outcome only to jumpstart shitstorms of watered-down copycats in the same genre (I'll leave you to decide what bands I'm referring to) Where I never understood Pantera's screams as a kid I never understood Cobain's muddy sounding depression either. Yet, like with Pantera I discovered a message I liked later on in life: where before I had thought Cobain was just some jackass musician bourne to offend my virgin ears, a special edition of guitar world had shown him in the light of a troubled youth adamantly opposed to sexism an homophobia (the former sometimes makes me wonder if he'd greet Courtney-bashers with disdain). And of course his nonsensical lyrics when stamped together often said everything that did make sense. Prime example being "I think I'm dumb or maybe just happy". Sure he's just restating ignorance is bliss with different words but the angst is just so more prominent in his version. Smashing Pumpins~ Zero And then Nirvana opened a gateway to this band and for the mostpart not too many other grunge bands. Smashing Pumpkins is equally if not more talented than Cobain. Alice in Chains~ Man in the Box Oh yeah Cobain opened the gateway here too. Hell I even like "Heaven Beside You" now. "Rooster"'s great with the music vid, it's gettin' there without. Part 4: I hated these songs... I still do Soundgarden~ Black Hole Sun Still a poster child for what I loathe about grunge, this song is a muddy mess of bored vocals and "meh" instrumentals. I don't know about the band itself (I like Cornell I really do) but this song has been bringing me down every airplay it gets for years Radiohead~ Creep I still do not get the appeal of this band. I though my opening up to more grungy 90s music would be the fix, but what is so impressive about this sound? Original sure, but in my eyes there's a reason no one did it before. It really does give me a downer every time. EDIT: How the hell could I forget (this belongs in Part 1) Beastie Boys~ Fight For Your Right I honestly thought it was a rock group. Still good music from the white clowns of the 90s rap scene