4 Alternative Rock Songs From the 1990s That I Can’t Stop Listening To

There was no shortage of great alternative rock songs in the 1990s. If you liked guitars and indie music, this was the decade for you. Even when the scene became bloated with Eddie Vedder copycats, a seemingly endless stream of unique guitar bands continued to arrive in record shops. I’ll begin this list of alternative rock songs that I can’t stop listening to with Pearl Jam, perhaps showing why so many wanted to copy Vedder in the first place.

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“Animal” by Pearl Jam from ‘Vs.’ (1993)

Pearl Jam’s debut Ten helped shift pop culture in the direction of Seattle, but it also revealed classic rock’s impact on grunge. When Pearl Jam returned with Vs., Eddie Vedder had dialed up the angst on yet another great riff by Stone Gossard. When Pearl Jam performed “Animal” at the MTV Video Music Awards, Vedder, barking into the microphone, seemed as though he’d rather be anywhere but the MTV Video Music Awards. But he endured the hype, and Pearl Jam became one of the few Seattle bands to survive the time.

“Sugar Kane” by Sonic Youth from ‘Dirty’ (1992)

Thurston Moore remains one of the most transformative and inventive guitarists. His use of altered tunings and noise inspired Pavement’s Stephen Malkmus, Radiohead’s Jonny Greenwood, and many others. With Sonic Youth, Moore harnessed the experimentalism of New York’s no wave scene, gave it a melodic and song-oriented twist, and widened the audience for noise rock. Few bands were as daring as Sonic Youth, who always felt to me like The Velvet Underground’s natural descendants.

“Feel The Pain” by Dinosaur Jr. from ‘Without A Sound’ (1994)

Without A Sound was the first Dinosaur Jr. album without its drummer, Murph. Lou Barlow had been out of the band since 1989, leaving only J Mascis as Dinosaur Jr.’s original member on its most successful record. “Feel The Pain” features Mascis on vocals, drums, and guitar, and probably introduced Dinosaur Jr. to casual fans. It may not live up to the trio’s output when it was intact in the 1980s, but it’s still one of Mascis’s best riffs. The original lineup returned in 2007 with Beyond, picking right up where they left off on Bug.

“In The Garage” by Weezer from ‘Weezer’ (1994)

However much fans are divided over Weezer’s post-Pinkerton career, few, even non-Weezer fans, would deny The Blue Album. “In The Garage” wasn’t a single but shows just how stacked Weezer’s debut was. It features one of Rivers Cuomo’s finest guitar solos, which also reveals his heavy metal roots. Cuomo finds peace making music in the garage with KISS posters on the wall, a Dungeon Master’s Guide, and his guitar. If you’ve ever played in a garage band with your friends, you’ll know the kind of internal peace so much external racket can bring.

Photo by Cara Totman