3 Timeless Songs From 1993 That Still Sound Amazing Today

In 1993, grunge and alternative rock were firmly situated in the mainstream. Overseas, Britpop was ascending, but still a year away from full Gallagher brothers tabloid hysteria. Nirvana released their final studio album, In Utero. Pearl Jam returned with Vs., and The Breeders dropped “Cannonball”. Then there was Siamese Dream by The Smashing Pumpkins, while Pavement, Sonic Youth, and Dinosaur Jr. were all reaching new levels of popularity.

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But I want to highlight three timeless songs from 1993 that still sound great today. Each one existed on the margins of more popular music trends. The first song became an experimental dance hit. The second inspired a Britpop No.1, while the third marked the first chapter of a soon-to-be legend.

“Human Behavior” by Björk from ‘Debut’

Björk’s music always seemed like some unknowable, otherworldly future to me, so it’s no surprise how eternal it still feels. The Icelandic singer said “Human Behavior” was inspired by her childhood and how she felt more comfortable walking and singing outside. She viewed adults as “rather chaotic and nonsensical.” Anyone paying attention to our species would likely agree. Her debut solo single is written from the perspective of an animal observing humans. We humans, or evolved primates, are very much animals too, yet our big brains often leave us with “definitely, definitely, definitely no logic.”

“Fuzzy” by Grant Lee Buffalo from ‘Fuzzy’

The title track to Grant Lee Buffalo’s debut album inspired Noel Gallagher to write “Some Might Say”, Oasis’s first U.K. No.1. Gallagher’s tune transformed Grant Lee Buffalo’s melancholic alt-country into hopeful Britpop. “Fuzzy” didn’t resemble the music of its time. In some ways, it felt older, wiser. Before and after the 90s, but not at all concerned with the zeitgeist. The trio found an international audience, charting modestly in the U.K. They were invited to open for Pearl Jam, R.E.M., and others, and had a fan in, not only Gallagher, but also Michael Stipe.

“Slide Away” by The Verve from ‘A Storm In Heaven’

In 1993, Oasis was The Verve’s opening act. During this time, Richard Ashcroft and his band recorded psychedelic jams and space rock. They were four years away from writing Britpop’s last great anthem, “Bitter Sweet Symphony”. Ashcroft and guitarist Nick McCabe had a tumultuous relationship. It both fueled the music and ultimately destroyed the band. But McCabe’s guitars wrapped Ashcroft’s dreamy populism in a hazy wall of sound, feedback, and swirling chaos. At their height, few British rock groups could match the power of The Verve’s live shows during this period.

Photo by Andre Csillag