Some would say these five “forgotten” 90s rock anthems are far from forgotten. Some would say they’ve faded into obscurity, as many great songs from that era have. Either way, we think these five tracks are worth revisiting if you need a healthy dose of 1990s alt-rock bangers. Let’s dive in, shall we?
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1. “Epic” by Faith No More
This 1990 track from alt-metal band Faith No More was a huge hit at the turn of the decade. “Epic” was a real hard-hitter when it was first released, complete with recognizable bass lines and lyrics that criticized consumerism and capitalism all at once. It peaked at no. 9 on the Hot 100 chart and even gained a bit of controversy over its music video.
2. “Flagpole Sitta” by Harvey Danger
Out of all the forgotten 90s rock anthems on this list, we can confidently say “Flagpole Sitta” by Harvey Danger has been more or less forgotten by mainstream listeners. In fact, we’d boldly say that Harvey Danger is one of the most underrated groups to come out of the 90s Seattle alt-rock scene. They deserve more love, dang it!
3. “Sabotage” by Beastie Boys
Beastie Boys are far from underrated. However, we think their 1994 hit “Sabotage” could stand to be revisited decades after it was released. The music video for this song was a huge hit on MTV at the time, and “Sabotage” was all over alt-rock radio for a hot minute. And it’s been featured in countless television shows and sports events, too. So… maybe it’s not really forgotten, is it?
4. “Song 2” by Blur
Alright, out of all the forgotten 90s rock anthems we’ve covered thus far, this one isn’t really forgotten. That iconic “woo-hoo!” is recognizable to even those who weren’t alive to hear it for the first time in 1997.
However, “Song 2” by Blur is such a good stadium anthem that we couldn’t leave it off this list. Interestingly enough, this track was originally made as a joke, and Blur didn’t think their label would go for it. We’re glad they did.
5. “Santa Monica” by Everclear
This 90s rock anthem is burned into the minds of diehard alt-rock fans and basically anyone who was around in 1995 to hear it played everywhere. However, younger listeners may not be familiar with that iconic jam “Santa Monica” or even the Portland alt-rock icons Everclear.
“Santa Monica” is a song about wanting to leave behind rough times in favor of a better place, and we think a lot of people could relate to that at the moment.
Photo by Ron Galella, Ltd./Ron Galella Collection via Getty Images
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