4 Acoustic Songs From the 1990s That Actually Rock

Many rock songs are written on an acoustic guitar. When MTV Unplugged began airing acoustic versions of popular songs, it gave audiences a glimpse of what a hit might have sounded like in its earliest stage. It also proved that the power of a great song didn’t begin with large-scale productions and doesn’t always require a wall of volume. Not every track here is taken from the Unplugged series, but they all arrived during the height of the show’s popularity.

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So enjoy these four acoustic songs from the 1990s that indeed rock.

“Space Lord” by Monster Magnet

I’m not sure there’s ever been a time when I’ve heard this song, and things didn’t suddenly get loud. Everyone in the room stops what they are doing as someone cranks this deep acoustic groove from Monster Magnet. Yes, bruising electric guitars eventually kick in. But before then, the acoustic chords announce the arrival of: “Space Lord, mother, mother.” It remains Monster Magnet’s defining song, from their 1998 release Powertrip.

“About A Girl” by Nirvana

Nirvana’s MTV Unplugged In New York opens with “About A Girl”. You can hear echoes of Buddy Holly’s early rock and roll in Kurt Cobain’s songwriting. And for the Unplugged set, Cobain famously played a rare 1950s Martin acoustic guitar equipped with a pickup. (It reportedly sold at auction for $6 million in 2020.) With this particular guitar, you also notice the timelessness of his songwriting. “About A Girl” sounded immediately classic on Bleach, but the Unplugged version threads 40 years of rock history. Though Dave Grohl plays a softer version of its groove, it shows that one doesn’t need to be loud to rock.

“Daughter” by Pearl Jam

On Pearl Jam’s debut, Ten, guitarist Stone Gossard had already written many iconic guitar riffs. But his open-tuned chords in “Daughter” became just as iconic as the bluesy riffs of “Alive” or “Even Flow”. Eddie Vedder uses his band’s country rock groove to tell the story of an abused child with a learning disability. He may have bemoaned Pearl Jam’s rising popularity, but “Daughter” proved to be another blockbuster grunge hit.

“Loser” by Beck

The acoustic slide guitar riff in “Loser” connects Beck with his early days in New York’s anti-folk scene. When he returned to Los Angeles, he balanced performing small gigs and working low-paying jobs. He covered Son House, and often the audiences ignored him. So he began improvising absurd songs to see if anyone was paying attention. The coffeehouse crowds may have ignored Beck, but once “Loser” arrived in 1994, it became a Gen X anthem.

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