4 Songs From 1990 That Forever Changed Rock History

Each new decade feels like a turning point in music history. Though it doesn’t happen as cleanly as we remember it, 1990 did feel like a monumental year for rock music. New bands emerged from underground scenes, combining classic and experimental sounds that transformed popular culture. These four songs were crucial to the transformation.

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“Man In The Box” by Alice In Chains

The year before grunge broke in 1991, Alice In Chains released its debut album, Facelift. Though the Seattle band had much in common with hard rock and heavy metal, its defining song, “Man In The Box”, sounded unlike anything out at the time. The grainy video showcased how a new crop of bands was revolting against the glitz and excess of the 1980s. This music didn’t offer an escape from your problems. It put the angst front and center.

“Hard To Handle” by The Black Crowes

The Black Crowes arrived from Atlanta in 1990 with a new kind of Southern rock. The Robinson brothers fought as brothers in rock bands always do, but they offered something unique at a time when alternative rock was sweeping hair metal into the dustbin. With a near-perfect cover of Otis Redding’s classic, on a near-perfect debut album, The Black Crowes looked and sounded timeless. Shake Your Money Maker inspired a generation of bands extracting American roots music from The Rolling Stones and other British invaders from the 60s.

“Been Caught Stealing” by Jane’s Addiction

Jane’s Addiction became one of the first alternative rock bands in the 90s to reach mainstream success. While Poison and Mötley Crüe dominated the Sunset Strip scene in Los Angeles, Jane’s Addiction existed in the underground. Then they emerged and introduced L.A.’s subculture to wider audiences. “Been Caught Stealing” was an MTV staple, and Perry Farrell ushered in the age of Lollapalooza with a video of cartoonish burglars robbing a grocery store. Soon, suburban kids would learn about the Jim Rose Circus sideshow.

“Epic” by Faith No More

The Real Thing, Faith No More’s first album with singer Mike Patton, was released in 1989. But “Epic” became a hit in 1990. And the band’s alt-metal and rap mix unleashed a wave of heavy bands such as Slipknot, Limp Bizkit, and Korn. But Faith No More also helped pave the way for alternative rock and grunge. Nirvana bassist Krist Novoselic said Faith No More and Jane’s Addiction gave his own band a path out of the underground scene. Additionally, Patton went on to become one of the most iconic frontmen in rock history.

Photo by Kevin Estrada