4 Overplayed Alternative Rock Songs From 1993 You Still Want To Hear

I’m curious if such a person exists who never gets sick of hearing the same song over and over again. A ride-or-die dude with supernatural patience for overplayed tracks. I can tell you I’m not that guy, and often, I need a buffer or memory cushion to recover from DJs’ tendency to repeat. However, 1993 happened a long time ago, and these overplayed alternative rock songs may be ones you still want to hear.

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“Soul To Squeeze” by Red Hot Chili Peppers

The sessions for Blood Sugar Sex Magik were so fruitful that one of the band’s best-known songs didn’t make the cut. Yet “Soul To Squeeze” did land on a continuous radio playlist loop in the 90s, like something permanent to a conveyor belt. Meanwhile, singer Anthony Kiedis recorded a wordless bridge, a rhythmic deluge of syllables, perhaps as a lyrical placeholder or alternative rock’s version of jazz scatting. Nonetheless, the track went from B-side to Greatest Hits album within a decade.

“Los Angeles” by Frank Black

Frank Black began his post-Pixies solo career by inverting his nom de plume, Black Francis. On his debut single, Black writes abstractly about the many-layered versions of Los Angeles. Inspired by Bruce Chatwin’s 1977 travel book In Patagonia, Black said, “He went to these lonely places and mysterious valleys, and throughout the area, he came across villages that were called Los Angeles. That stuck with me.” It remains Black’s signature solo song, and I’ve yet to tire of it.

“Black Gold” by Soul Asylum

Six albums into Soul Asylum’s career, the Minneapolis band finally broke through with Grave Dancers Union in 1992. They released “Black Gold” as a single the following year, and along with “Runaway Train” and “Somebody To Shove”, Soul Asylum was as ubiquitous on the radio as any band at the time. By 1994, frontman Dave Pirner appeared in Reality Bites and became something like an avatar for 90s alternative rock. His tunes, like his voice, were always refreshing to hear.

“Creep” by Radiohead

You understand why Thom Yorke ran as far away from “Creep” as he could on The Bends. The song was so overplayed that it threatened to deposit Radiohead straight into the one-hit-wonder bin. And since 1993, modern rock radio has remained blissfully ignorant of the run of masterpieces Radiohead has released, happy to leave “Creep” on permanent rotation.

For years, it was rare to witness Yorke’s outsider anthem in a Radiohead set. But it’s returned, and joy is often visible in Yorke’s face when he sings it. Surviving both the anxiety of his younger self, the song’s author, as well as the shadow of a blockbuster first single.

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