4 of the Most Anthemic Alternative Rock Songs of the 1990s

Alternative rock’s heyday was definitely in the 90s. That era has come and gone, sadly. But there are so many songs from that decade that are still quite loved today. And many of those alt-rock tracks have a very anthem-like vibe that makes them all the more easy to jam out to. Let’s take a look at just four of our favorite anthemic alternative rock songs from the 1990s! You might just remember a few of these.

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1. “Say It Ain’t So” by Weezer

Why not start off with a true classic? “Say It Ain’t So” by Weezer was released in 1994 and is probably their most well-known track to date. It’s not exactly surprising that the song was such a massive success and is still playlist fodder today. From that earworm chorus to that easily recognizable guitar intro, “Say It Ain’t So” is about as anthemic as it gets.

2. “Start Choppin’” by Dinosaur Jr.

Dinosaur Jr. could stand to get more love for all the influential work they put out in the 90s. There are quite a few songs from this noise rock outfit that could easily make it to our list of anthemic alternative rock tracks from the 1990s, but we decided to go with the 1993 song “Start Choppin’”.

From that jammy guitar to the great vocal work throughout this song, “Start Choppin’” is one of Dinosaur Jr.’s finer moments from the early 1990s.

3. “Nancy Boy” by Placebo

Placebo deserves more spots on lists like this one. They released a couple of top-notch albums in the late 1990s and lent a gender-bending, moody energy to alternative rock at the time. “Nancy Boy” from 1997 was the song that gave them their first solid dose of exposure, and we still love this track today.

4. “Celebrity Skin” by Hole

Hole may be best known for their grunge album Live Through This, but there’s a lot to love about the 1998 album Celebrity Skin. Specifically, the title track is one of the most anthemic alternative rock songs of the 1990s, and it’s still a bop today. 

Even with more refined production and a cohesive theme, this album and its title track still have that classic grunge vibe, along with some of Courtney Love’s best songwriting.

Photo by Niels van Iperen/Getty Images

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