4 Alternative Rock Songs From the 90s That Should Have Been Hits

Once alternative rock became mainstream, record labels signed anyone with a guitar and a band photo shot with a fisheye lens. But in their defense, they got it right over and over again. There were so many alternative rock hits in the 1990s that others received less attention under the giant shadows of culture-shifting tracks by Nirvana, Oasis, Red Hot Chili Peppers, and many others.

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Perhaps in another era, these tracks would have been massive hits. But in another era, the labels might not have signed them in the first place.

“Sonnet” by The Verve

If you were asked to name The Verve’s only No. 1 U.K. single, you’re first answer is probably “Bitter Sweet Symphony”. But Richard Ashcroft’s national anthem only reached No. 2. “The Drugs Don’t Work” topped the singles chart in 1997. But Urban Hymns is loaded with timeless songs, and there are several I could have picked for this list. “Sonnet” deserves recognition for its Shakespearean swagger, Nick McCabe’s hazy Northern Soul guitars, and Ashcroft’s grandiose balladry. The Verve’s reluctance to release another single from Urban Hymns kept “Sonnet” from reaching higher in the charts.

“Minnesoter” by The Dandy Warhols

Before The Dandy Warhols turned a Keith Richards-inspired riff into its signature song, the Portland psych-rockers were most known in indie circles for “Not If You Were The Last Junkie On Earth”. However, The Dandy Warhols Come Down is full of bangers like “Boys Better” and “Cool As Kim Deal”. Yet it’s the spaced-out country jam “Minnesoter” that should have been a hit. This is the kind of track you end up with if Neil Young had been trapped inside The Odditorium for days at one of The Dandys’ epic dinner parties with David Bowie and Evan Dando.

“Divine Hammer” by The Breeders

Speaking of Kim Deal, The Breeders’ “Cannonball” helped define 90s alternative rock as much as “Smells Like Teen Spirit”. I mention Nirvana because Deal’s first band was the reason Kurt Cobain wrote his grunge anthem. But Deal wasn’t content being the Pixies’ bass player, and Last Splash shows just how underutilized she was in her former group. “Divine Hammer” had modest success at alternative radio. But for lesser bands, it might have been a defining song.

“Am I Wrong” by Love Spit Love

You may not know this band, but you know its members. Founded by The Psychedelic Furs Richard and Tim Butler, Love Spit Love also featured future Guns N’ Roses alumni guitarist Richard Fortus and drummer Frank Ferrer. “Am I Wrong” blends the dream pop of the Furs’ “Heaven” with the kind of Brat Pack coming-of-age vibe that made “Pretty In Pink” a cultural touchstone in the 1980s. Fortus has the rare distinction of morphing between alternative and hard rock with the chops to stand on stage next to Slash. While the other Richard remains an iconic voice from Britain’s early post-punk scene.

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