Certainly, 1991 was an exceptional year in rock. Just take a look at these three tracks below. Not only was grunge music in full form, but party rock from the previous decade was still in effect, and alternative rock was rounding into shape, too.
It was a good year to be a fan. And below, we wanted to dive into three songs from the year that still stick with us. Indeed, these are three rock songs from 1991 that sound more relevant now than when they were released.
Videos by American Songwriter
“Losing My Religion” by R.E.M. from ‘Out Of Time’ (1991)
Dissolution. It’s a common theme when human beings grow older. Many of the things we loved as children or as younger adults fell away. Sometimes that means our faith. While religion certainly has done a lot of good over the centuries, there are also reasons people put it away. And that’s what this song from R.E.M. is all about. Sometimes people have to let go of things that meant the world to them. It happened back then in the 1990s, and it happens now, too.
“Jeremy” by Pearl Jam from ‘Ten’ (1991)
Guns. Sadly, they are everywhere. Certainly, there is a role for them in the world. Hunting, target practice. But guns these days have infiltrated even the most sacred of places. But that’s not a new development, necessarily. Eddie Vedder and Pearl Jam were singing about the problem back in 1991 on “Jeremy”. Gun violence is awful and all too avoidable. Perhaps it’s a lesson we will learn in the next decade.
“Hunger Strike” by Temple Of The Dog from ‘Temple Of The Dog’ (1991)
Speaking of Eddie Vedder, he appeared on this song from the grunge supergroup Temple of the Dog in 1991. The group was created for a single album release. The collective was a tribute to the Pacific Northwest grunge singer Andrew Wood, who died just weeks before his band Mother Love Bone was set to release its debut album. On this song, Vedder and grunge hero Chris Cornell sing about hunger and stealing food. It’s a song that could sadly be the soundtrack for so many living outside on city streets today.
(Photo by Michel Linssen/Redferns)