4 Alternative Rock Songs From 1992 That Will Take You Back to High School

People often show a preference for the music of their youth. Perhaps the high school years, or the time shortly after. Before adulthood, responsibility, bills, and debt. Certain songs, bands, or albums scratch the itch of nostalgia. It brings you to that place where the mind tricks you into thinking things were better then. It’s why many think the music of their youth was the best.

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So today, we’ll travel back to 1992 and the year alternative rock became mainstream. Depending on your age, maybe these songs will take you back to high school. And if you hated high school, remember, it’s partly why you found escape in music in the first place.

“Would?” by Alice In Chains

Each time I hear “Would?” I think of Cameron Crowe’s 1992 film Singles. Crowe’s rom-com stars Bridget Fonda and Matt Dillon and features cameos by prominent grunge stars like Eddie Vedder and Chris Cornell. Jerry Cantrell wrote “Would?” as a tribute to the late Mother Love Bone Singer Andrew Wood, who died of a heroin overdose at 24. The song, like the film, personifies the early 90s, with visions of combat boots, shorts, flannel, and disheveled hair. An aesthetic to match the despair and cynicism of certain segments of Generation X.

“Drive” by R.E.M.

Though R.E.M. was pivotal to the rise of alternative rock, the Athens bands always looked and sounded very different from the musicians they inspired. In the black-and-white, slow-motion visual for “Drive”, Michael Stipe crowd-surfs as the audience jostles him over a sea of faces. But it’s not chaos. The faces show joy. On Automatic For The People, R.E.M. found power in quiet songs. It’s an album about loss, loss of loved ones, but also fading youth. “Drive” crawls toward its climax—like R.E.M., who endured for decades.

“These Are Days” by 10,000 Maniacs

The jangle pop and college rock of 10,000 Maniacs brings to mind R.E.M., and Natalie Merchant, similar to Stipe, became one of the most iconic voices of the early 90s. Unlike many songs from the era, Merchant offers a glimpse of hope in this nostalgic tune. In the chorus, she sings: “You’ll know it’s true / That you are blessed and lucky / It’s true, that you are touched by something / That will grow and bloom in you.” A refreshing alternative to the doom-and-gloom vibes dominating many rock songs then.

“100%” by Sonic Youth

For years, Sonic Youth rebelled against slick production and rock cliches with ear-bleeding noise and dissonance. Through the 1980s, the band’s music became more melodic with each release, and eventually, Sonic Youth signed with David Geffen’s DGC Records, a home they shared with Nirvana. As “Smells Like Teen Spirit” continued its pop insurgency, it seemed as though the world had finally caught up to a decade of Sonic Youth’s noisy experiments. “100%” opens Dirty, and back in the days of CDs, you could find a copy with a soily picture beneath the tray worthy of the album’s title.

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