It was an era where musical genres and defiance merged into the distinct sound of a decade, not simply a genre. In the 90’s, culture was defined by musicians who produced a long-lasting tidal wave of reform. Bands like Rage Against the Machine and TOOL shaped the politics and art of the day, while fashion saw an edgy vintage revival mixed with designer Mark Jacobs’s interpretation of grunge music. Lollapalooza made certain that American festival culture was here to stay.
The distinct sounds that emerged proved to be timeless, as currently heard in bands like the Fighters and Jeff Buckley, who continue to resonate. Below are ten artists who shifted the cultural landscape through music in the 90’s, which became one of the most transformative decades in American music history.
Alice in Chains
Alice in Chains was grunge before there even was grunge. They introduced and defined the Seattle music scene with driving heavy metal guitars led by Jerry Cantrell, overarching minor tones, and the dark heartbreaking vocals and lyrics of frontman Layne Staley. The band’s album, Facelift, arrived in 1990 to kick off the decade prior to Nirvana’s Nevermind defining grunge. Then came the second studio album, “Dirt,” in 1992 with the hit single “Would?” (written by Cantrell), which had already appeared on the soundtrack of, “Singles,” the ultimate grunge film starring Kyra Sedgewick. The Jar of Flies EP followed to debut at #1 in 1994 followed by a self-titled album in 1995, and 1996 MTV Unplugged appearance – solidifying the band’s impact on the decade.
Foo Fighters
After the devastating death of Nirvana’s Kurt Cobain in 1994, the band’s drummer, Dave Grohl went on to form the Foo Fighters where he placed himself as the lead singer, alongside guitarist Pat Smear, bassist Nate Mendel, and drummer William Goldsmith (later replaced by the late Taylor Hawkins). Although “Everlong” was a single on their second album, it established Grohl as a formidable frontman and songwriter to be reckoned with in 1997. The rock anthem is still considered by many fans and critics to be their greatest song with its emotional depth, unforgettable guitar riffs, and instrumental acumen. We all know the Foo Fighters went on to be one of the greatest international rock bands of all time.
Rage Against the Machine
This Los Angeles rock-rage band, with guitar legend and activist Tom Morello alongside frontman Zack de la Rocha, were the most revolutionary band of the 90’s. In 1991, they ventured beyond LA’s popular 80’s punk scene to mash heavy metal, punk, funk, rock, and rap with intelligent anti-capitalist messaging. Morello has a degree from Harvard, while de la Rocha’s great grandfather fought in the Mexican Revolution. The band’s explosive line-up with drummer Brad Wilk and bassist Tom Commerford, ignited a musical rebellion that began with the hit single, “Killing in the Name” (a direct response to police brutality against Rodney King), and their self-titled debut album from 1992. Later, the band was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Enough said.
Jeff Buckley
If you’ve seen the recent documentary, “It’s Never Over, Jeff Buckley,” you know what a profound effect the young folk-rock singer had on the 90’s and beyond. As the son of the 1960’s folk rock singer, Tim Buckley, Jeff tapped into something profound in the human condition through his gentle soul, tenor vocal range, and stark yet emotive delivery. His debut studio album, Grace, came out in 1994 and immediately became a signature work later lauded by greats like David Bowie, Bob Dylan and Thom Yorke. His untimely death in 1997, from an accidental drowning, made him even more of an icon. However, his voice lives on, most distinctly on the Leonard Cohen cover, “Hallelujah,” an ode to life and love.
In 1992, this Los Angeles alternative metal art band released their first effort, Opiate, followed by the hard-hitting yet emotionally devoid studio album, Undertow in 1993. When playing Lollapalooza, the band was quickly moved from the second stage to the main stage due to crowd control. Their blow-hard sound, commitment to visual arts onstage, and f-off attitude struck a nerve that resulted in five studio albums, four Grammy Awards, and an obsessive International fanbase of mostly young guys. They channeled a heavy metal sound built on anger and disgust as singer Maynard James Keenan proved he was anything but approachable. The name says it all.
Fiona Apple
This alternative singer-songwriter grew up between New York and Los Angeles writing songs and playing piano from an early age. She emerged onto the 90’s music scene in the middle of the decade with her debut album, Tidal (1996), with its jazz piano-tinged single “Criminal.” The album comprised of songs written during her early 90’s youth. It revealed influences of jazz, show tunes, and female singer-songwriters who came before her. The hit single garnered Apple the “Best Female Rock Performance” honor at the Grammy Awards that year. She also won the MTV Video Music Award for Best New Artist in 1997. Her acceptance speech stating that “the world is bullshit” and you should always “go with yourself,” solidifying her as an outspoken rebel voice.
Soul Asylum
Sweet, sweet Soul Asylum from Minneapolis, Minnesota, with poetic, multi-instrumentalist frontman and producer Dave Pirner, offered a relief from the heaviness of the decade with the band’s melodic 1993 hit single, “Runaway Train.” The song won them a Grammy for Best Rock Song, an MTV Unplugged performance (where Pirner met and dated 90’s iconic actress Wynona Ryder), plus landed them onstage at Bill Clinton’s Presidential Inauguration. The accompanying album, Grave Dancers Union, marked their influence as an alternative rock band in a decade of grunge and revolutionary metal. They went on to release 12 studio albums, win more awards, and they are still touring today.
CAKE
CAKE brought an unexpected sardonic quality to 90’s music culture with their infectious radio hit “The Distance.” The song became an unlikely sporting event anthem after hitting alternative radio in 1996 and being featured on the band’s second, platinum-selling album, Fashion Nugget. Originating from Sacramento (California’s capital), lead-singer John McCrea, charmed his way onto the scene with his deadpan vocal delivery (not unlike today’s The Dare) and ironic lyrics with pop culture references. They soon became the kings of geek rock with two more platinum selling albums and a version and video of Gloria Gaynor’s “I Will Survive” that turned the song from disco to alt rock.
Spin Doctors
Even today, it’s hard not to hear the song, “Two Princes” in supermarkets, casinos, and airports across America. Every decade has their jam band and in the 90’s it was the Spin Doctors. What made these four (self-described) “pseudo-hippie jam oriented blues rockers” from New York stand out is that they produced two pop rock hits from their 1991 debut album, Pocket Full of Kryptonite – something not expected from a jam band. The second hit was “Little Miss Can’t Be Wrong.” The 90’s was all about breaking down norms and that’s what the Spin Doctors did in their genre.
Wheatus
Although the iconic single, “Teenage Dirtbag,” by the New York emo band, Wheatus, was released in 2000, it perfectly chronicled an experience lead singer Brendan B Brown had while growing up in the 90’s. It’s poppy, progressive rock guitars, twisting deadpan melodies and extended vocals, display a no-care attitude representative of the era. After their debut album and hit, The New York indie band went on to produce six albums in their home studio. They were the epitome of uncool. Today, the hit single is bigger than ever thanks to a TikTok movement in 2022 inspired by the song. The hashtag #teenagedirtbag has now been viewed over 2 Billion times. True story.
Other notable artists of the decade include, Pearl Jam, Depeche Mode, Korn, Incubus, 311, Ozzy Osbourne and so many more.
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