With every new decade comes a new wave of music and an introduction to music's latest evolutionary changes. As the 1980s came to a close, rock music in particular faced a massive switch. While the decade was decorated with the glitter of glam metal and arena rock, the 1990s favored a more raw, authentic, and stripped-down aesthetic to rock 'n' roll.
Favoring poetic lyricism and gritty musicianship, '90s rock introduced new subgenres to the scene, such as nu-metal, riot grrrl, and grunge.
Groups like Soundgarden and Pearl Jam revolutionized "The Seattle Sound," and the decade also found more women dominating the rock scene through empowering and aggressive artistry. Similar to the decades before it, the '90s carries countless standout songs that define not just the era, but our own lives as we know them.
1990s songs that should help make up the soundtrack to your life
These are '90s rock songs that, through their unforgettable sounds and powerful messages, help to make up the soundtrack to our lives.
"Bruise Violet" - Babes in Toyland
One of the defining tracks from one of the most underrated metal acts to come out of the '90s, Babes in Toyland were known for their brutal display of feminine rage. Released as the second single off their 1992 album Fontanelle, "Bruise Violet" opens with pounding drums and electric guitars, which are soon accompanied by gritty bass and the screams of lead vocalist Kat Bjelland.
A visceral anthem, "Bruise Violet" conveys themes of betrayal and anger toward somebody who is trying to steal from your artistic visions.
For years, "Bruise Violet" was thought to be written about Hole frontwoman Courtney Love, who had a falling out with Bjelland. However, the Babes in Toyland singer later said the song was not written about Love, but rather a muse that both songwriters have written about before. Regardless of who the track was initially intended for, the song is known for its unbridled fury and understandable aggression.
"Even Flow" - Pearl Jam
Through its iconic opening riff and Eddie Vedder's unmistakable singer-songwriter prowess, "Even Flow" holds a legacy as one of the most definitive tracks of '90s rock. After the fall of the glam metal that held total control throughout the '80s, the following decade saw the rock music landscape embody a more down-to-earth identity that the media soon referred to as "grunge."
Alongside Soundgarden, Alice In Chains, and Nirvana, Pearl Jam becomes one of the subgenre's most pivotal groups.
Featured on Pearl Jam's debut album Ten (1991), "Even Flow" is known for its funk-infused composition, combining grit with imitable swagger. However, this upbeat, anthemic sound contrasts with the song's deep subject matter.
Vedder wrote the song about a homeless man suffering from mental health struggles, using "Even Flow" to bring attention to the negative stigma that is often placed upon unhoused individuals. The song set the tone for not just the decade's rock identity, but for Pearl Jam's signature poetic lyricism.
"Plump" - Hole
On Hole's sophomore album Live Through This, the band took on a softer, more structured approach compared to the rougher compositions found on their 1991 debut LP Pretty on the Inside. Released in 1994, Live Through This remains one of '90s rock's most renowned albums. With tracks like "Doll Parts" and "Jennifer's Body," Hole was largely fueled by Love's darkly poetic songwriting and scathing vocals.
In the track "Plump," there's no denying the cathartic buildup that comes with the song's punchy yet melodic guitar riff. The lyrics seem to be a conversation between a mother and her newborn child, exploring the complexity and grotesque side of motherhood through harsh visuals and biting lyrical content.
The track remains one of the band's biggest highlight tracks, displaying Hole's sharp embodiment of dark femininity.
"Nothing Else Matters" - Metallica
Always known for living life on their own terms, Metallica waited until 1991 to finally release what may be considered a love song. Opening with soft yet haunting acoustic guitars, the composition is soon rounded out by the rest of the band and lead vocalist James Hetfield's unforgettable vocal grit.
Written about Hetfield's then-girlfriend, the song was almost not included on the band's groundbreaking self-titled album, more colloquially known as "The Black Album."
While the song takes on more personal and heartfelt subject matter, its unprecedented composition and confrontational, adamant delivery still remains, just as it does with all of Metallica's discography.
Similar to songs like "One" or "Fade To Black," "Nothing Else Matters" starts off subtle but soon builds into something soaring and scathing, until listeners don't even know how the musical journey brought them there in the first place.
"Killing In The Name" - Rage Against the Machine
A masterfully skilled hardcore anthem, Rage Against the Machine's defining track "Killing in the Name" remains powerful and timeless through its protest against oppressive forces and police brutality. The song was revolutionary not just for its ferocious lyrics and unrelenting rage, but also through its instrumentation which combined hardcore punk, nu-metal, and funk.
At the time of its release, "Killing in the Name" was controversial due to its explicit lyrics, political nature, and strong implications of ties between police forces and white supremacist groups.
The song cemented Rage Against the Machine's legacy for political activism and opposition toward authoritarian groups, as well as their place as one of rock music's most politically vocal and rebellious outfits.
"4th Of July" - Soundgarden
At Soundgarden's gig at Los Angeles' Wiltern Theater on February 17, 2013 (the concert that would soon be made into a 2019 concert film and live album titled Live From The Artists Den ), Cornell said that their song "4th Of July" is, "Not actually about America's Independence Day, it's about being really, really, really f*cked up on acid somewhere in the vicinity of America's Independence Day."
Inititally featured on their widely successful 1994 album Superunknown, "4th Of July" is an underrated track from Soundgarden's discography. Opening with monotonous, droning guitars, Cornell build's the song with his hauntingly smokey vocals that always maintained a balance of controlled yet unpredictable.
The lyrics, although slightly humorous in context, are otherworldly, bringing to mind stark visuals as themes of control and power are explored.
"Dam That River" - Alice In Chains
Opening with a punchy, crunchy, and adrenaline-induced opeing riff, Alice in Chains' "Dam That River" is just as hard-hitting as the story behind the song. After members Jerry Cantrell and Sean Kinney got into a fight (and Kinney allegedly breaking a coffee table over Cantrell's head), Cantrell wrote "Dam That River" once the two had made up.
This aggression and confrontation are clearly expressed in the song, and the track overall resembles the process of dealing with the heavy emotions that arrive after a fight with another person, physical or otherwise. Featured on Alice In Chain's 1992 album Dirt, "Dam That River" is one of the many songs that defined the album as one of the best to come out of the decade.
"Hunger Strike" - Temple Of The Dog
A beautiful rock anthem, "Hunger Strike" was the melodic, standout single featured on Temple Of The Dog's sole 1991 album. The band was formed as a tribute to the late Mother Love Bone singer Andrew Wood, who was a pivotal figure in the then-rising grunge movement and a close friend of Cornell, who wrote "Hunger Strike" and founded Temple Of The Dog.
The band was also made up of members of Pearl Jam, Mother Love Bone, and Green River, and "Hunger Strike" is a melodic ballad sung by both Cornell and Vedder.
Although Temple Of The Dog was a short-lived project, it was a means for fellow friends and band members to grieve the loss of Wood, creating a sonically beautiful and heartfelt body of work that set the precedent for what these musicians would go on to achieve with their namesake groups.
"Hunger Strike" is perhaps one of the most meaningful songs from both Cornell and Vedder and now holds a legacy as a legendary pairing between two of '90s rock's most groundbreaking figures.