3 Mind-Bending Classic Rock Collaborations From the 1990s

It seems that with every decade, rock music changes. Just think about the differences in the genre when you compare the 1950s with the 1970s. Or the 1980s with the 1960s. But in the 1990s, the style shifted yet again. And the new sounds were aided by a few incredible collaborations.

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That’s just what we wanted to dive into. We wanted to explore three occasions from back in the day when forces in rock got together to change the game. Indeed, these are three mind-bending classic rock collaborations from the 1990s.

“Hunger Strike” by Temple Of The Dog from ‘Temple Of The Dog’ (1991)

1991 was a giant year for grunge music and the Pacific Northwest. Within those 12 months, Pearl Jam released their debut LP, Ten, and Nirvana released their sophomore LP, Nevermind. But in addition to that, Temple Of The Dog released their self-titled album at the same time. The band and album were created in tribute to the fallen local grunge hero Andrew Wood, who died of an overdose. Temple Of The Dog included among its ranks grunge giants like Chris Cornell, Eddie Vedder, and Mike McCready. The project was a grunge supergroup before anyone really knew what that meant.

“River Of Deceit” by Mad Season from ‘Above’ (1995)

Speaking of grunge supergroups, music fans assuredly knew the term by 1995. So much had happened in rock music, and grunge specifically, in those few short years between 1991 and 1995. One of the highlights was the band Mad Season getting together to record an LP. The group featured McCready, vocalists Layne Staley and Mark Lanegan, and drummer Barrett Martin, among others. The band’s hit single in the mid-1990s was “River Of Deceit”, which features Staley’s truly incomparable, mournful singing.

“Smooth” by Santana from ‘Supernatural’ (1999)

In 1999, Santana had a great idea. The iconic Bay Area guitarist, who first made a name for himself at the original Woodstock, decided to release a record with a number of incredible features. From Dave Matthews to Lauryn Hill, the record featured giant names of the era. But the biggest song from the LP was “Smooth”, featuring rocker Rob Thomas. The song has so much energy it could power a small town (or a city block party).

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