3 Songs From the 1990s That Deserve Way More Attention in the Modern Age

The hit songs defining the 1990s arrived during the music industry’s peak commercial years. Before streaming, before the iPod, and before YouTube. During the height of physical albums, “Smells Like Teen Spirit”, “Black Hole Sun”, “You Oughta Know”, and “Under The Bridge”, among many others, were unavoidable and sold millions of copies. Even deep cuts by Nirvana, Soundgarden, Alanis Morissette, and Red Hot Chili Peppers overshadowed worthwhile songs that weren’t in constant rotation on MTV, the radio, or the grocery store.

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So, here we’ll look at three songs from the 1990s that deserve more attention.

“Talk Tonight” by Oasis

Oasis diehards know this song well. But for those who only recognize the stadium anthems, Noel Gallagher’s B-side reached Smiths-level B-side status in the U.K. “Talk Tonight” backed “Some Might Say”, which itself was inspired by Grant Lee Buffalo’s “Fuzzy”. I point this out to draw a line between the folk rock of “Fuzzy” and Gallagher’s acoustic tune. “Talk Tonight” is important because it also documents just how close Oasis came to breaking up during their 1994 U.S. tour. If they had, perhaps “Wonderwall” would never have been released. Oasis might have ended up like the Sex Pistols. Releasing one stellar debut before self-destructing.

“Windfall” by Son Volt

Since Uncle Tupelo broke up, Jeff Tweedy and Jay Farrar have traveled two very different paths. Tweedy, now 58, seems everywhere all at once—from Wilco to a masterpiece triple solo album, to talkin’ gear, creativity, and a multitude of topics on his Substack, Starship Casual. But if you compare the first Wilco album, A.M., with Son Volt’s debut, Trace, it’s not a trajectory one might have predicted as Farrar’s new band outsold Tweedy’s. However, for the past 30 years, Wilco has steadily become one of the most acclaimed American rock bands. Still, Son Volt’s debut remains an alt-rock classic as Farrar had perfected the subgenre he helped popularize.

“We Are The Normal” by The Goo Goo Dolls

On The Goo Goo Dolls’ 1993 album, Superstar Car Wash, the band co-wrote “We Are The Normal” with their hero, Paul Westerberg of The Replacements. It features the acoustic punk that the Goos inherited from Westerberg and later turned into blockbuster hits like “Name”, “Black Balloon”, and “Iris”. John Rzeznik and Robby Takac’s punk roots are still audible here, though this felt like a threshold track. A song aiming to be an anthem. Think “Bastards Of Young” for the normies.

Photo by Claire Marie Vogel