3 Rock Songs From the 1990s That Still Sound Fresh, Despite Being 30 Years Old

Some alternative rock, funk rock, and grunge songs from the 1990s still manage to sound fresh and interesting despite being well over 30 years old. The following three songs certainly fit that bill, in my opinion.

“Been Caught Stealing” by Jane’s Addiction from ‘Ritual De Lo Habitual’ (1990)

Who didn’t get down with this song’s funk rock-leaning, unusual, percussion-driven sound? Jane’s Addiction really stood out from the rest of alt-rock’s offerings with “Been Caught Stealing” back in 1990.

“Been Caught Stealing” by Jane’s Addiction resonated with listeners in 1990, unsurprisingly. The song made it all the way to No. 1 on the Alternative Songs chart in the US. And Rolling Stone famously said that “Been Caught Stealing” had “the best use of dog barks since ‘Pet Sounds’.” Give the track a spin to hear what they mean.

“Epic” by Faith No More from ‘The Real Thing’ (1990)

If Faith No More was good at one thing, they were good at blending together various genres like they were meant to be together. “Epic” is their most famous song, and it’s an eclectic blend of heavy metal, hip-hop, alt-rock, and funk. And it still sounds killer after all these years.

“Epic” by Faith No More was a rap metal hit on the charts, peaking at No. 9 on the Billboard Hot 100 and No. 25 in the UK. Shockingly, it was the band’s only single to reach the Top 40 on the Hot 100.

“Alive” by Pearl Jam from ‘Ten’ (1991)

The entirety of Ten could have made it to this list. In my opinion, that very album is one of the finest debut records in alternative rock history. Still, I went with “Alive” because of some small details. This particular single had that big guitar sound that was common in the peak years of grunge, but it manages to forgo the prim and polished production that delegitimized a lot of grunge and alt-rock bands at the time. It’s authentically Pearl Jam at their very best.

This entry on our list of rock songs from the 1990s that still sound fresh turned a lot of young listeners into diehard Pearl Jam fans. “Alive” reached No. 16 on the Mainstream Rock chart and No. 18 on the Alternative Airplay chart in the US.

(Photo by Jeffrey Mayer/Getty Images)