Kurt Cobain’s death in 1994 created a pop-culture vacuum. Soon, the vacuum was filled by blockbuster debuts by Weezer and Oasis. Both bands, along with Nirvana, had roots in punk rock. But the success of grunge and alternative music also gave rise to a new generation of, not punk-adjacent, but straight-up punk bands. So let’s look at the year punk broke (again) and revisit three classics from 1994 you may not have heard in a while, or, depending on your age, perhaps you’re hearing them for the first time.
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“Basket Case” by Green Day
When Green Day exploded in 1994 with the release of their third album, Dookie, there was a loud kerfuffle over whether the East Bay trio was too pop to be punk. A silly debate considering how early punk legends like the Ramones wouldn’t have existed without pop girl groups from the 1960s. Still, Green Day became, undeniably, one of the most successful punks on the planet. Frontman Billie Joe Armstrong wrote ironic tunes in an age when alternative rock bands were self-serious and bemoaning stardom. In “Basket Case”, Armstrong sums up his anxiety neatly: “Am I just paranoid, or am I just stoned?”
“Come Out And Play” by The Offspring
In 2017, The Offspring’s singer, Dexter Holland, earned a Ph.D. in molecular biology. That’s either not very punk or precisely the most punk thing I’ve ever heard. “Come Out And Play”, one of his band’s signature hits, describes violence spreading like a vogue fashion or a contagious disease. And its tensely exotic guitar riff was ubiquitous in the mid-90s as underground bands benefited from the popularity of alternative rock. This song and its scientist singer helped make punk pop in 1994.
“Infected” by Bad Religion
Grunge bands’ mix of classic rock and punk connected two large groups of listeners. It explains why the music appealed to so many, but also illuminates why many grunge stars were uncomfortable with fame. There was always a nagging ethos about “selling out”—a vestigial set of ideals carried over from the punk and hardcore scenes. “Infected” finds Bad Religion recording a grunge song through the lens of a punk band. Their 1994 release, Stranger Than Fiction, reached Gold status as they, along with other indie artists, had graduated to a major record label. Bands don’t talk much about selling out these days. Which is good. It’s like struggling musicians trying to drive their touring van down the street with the parking brake on.
Photo by Dick Loek/Toronto Star via Getty Images
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