3 Rock Hits From the 90s That Stretched the Word “Alternative”

When alternative music exploded in the 90s, and you had a ticket to Lollapalooza, you’d see Jane’s Addiction, Siouxsie And The Banshees, Nine Inch Nails, and Butthole Surfers all on the same bill. And the lineup seemed to get better each year.

Videos by American Songwriter

However, once alternative rock became mainstream, it felt like the jocks started to form their own bands. Major record labels described these bands as “alternative”, but they were anything but. Now, I’m not claiming every band here was started by Johnny Football Hero from Nada Surf’s “Popular”, but you get the point.

The best of rock and roll has a certain kind of danger to it. Like when Red Hot Chili Peppers walk onstage wearing only tube socks. But post-grunge was really post-alternative. The unconventional and unorthodox became … nice. These are nice bands. (Safe enough for parents.) Nothing wrong with them, but “alternative” they are not.

So let’s see how far we can stretch the word “alternative” with these three rock hits from the 90s.

“Push” by Matchbox Twenty

In 1996, Matchbox Twenty released its debut album Yourself Or Someone Like You. Back then, Rob Thomas and his band used the numeral (20) instead of the more grown-up Twenty. It began a run of hit songs from Thomas lasting many years. You might describe Matchbox Twenty as alternative soft rock, but in a post-grunge era, these songs resembled the kind of nice tunes one might hear coming out of a college dorm room by some goody two-shoes with an acoustic guitar and a knack for radio hooks. But you have to hand it to Thomas, this guy was sneezing hit singles back then.

“Semi-Charmed Life” by Third Eye Blind

Stephan Jenkins wrote an upbeat sing-along tune about a crystal meth addiction. In the alternative era, if, say, Nine Inch Nails were taking one down the downward spiral, the music would reflect the nihilism. But here, Jenkins and Third Eye Blind crafted a summer festival anthem, and it wouldn’t be their only smash hit. Jenkins’s dark tale certainly fits with the alternative scene, but if you weren’t paying attention to the lyrics, you might think this was aimed at the jam-band crowd.

“Shimmer” by Fuel

Many post-grunge bands had song titles like “Shimmer”, which could have been generated by a Pearl Jam track name generator. But when post-alternative bands expressed angst, the anguish had lost its edge as the 90s wore on. The corners had been rounded for adult alternative audiences for whom Jane’s Addiction or Nirvana were too much. I mean, you can’t exactly play “Pigs In Zen” or “R*pe Me” at the dentist’s office. Still, these bands found an audience, and they had big hits. There just wasn’t anything alternative about them.

Photo by Atlantic Records