# Alternative music in the US circa 1994 **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [June 28, 2002, 11:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alternative-music-in-the-us-circa-1994/116359 "2002-06-28T11:06:13Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Anomalocaris](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b77776/32.png) [@Anomalocaris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anomalocaris)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2002, 4:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alternative-music-in-the-us-circa-1994/116359/21 "2002-06-29T04:48:15Z")
My Name is Mud - Primus “Monkey’s Gone to Heaven” was from the late '80s. ---
**Author:** ![Airman\_Doors\_USAF](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e36b37/32.png) [@Airman\_Doors\_USAF](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Airman_Doors_USAF)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2002, 4:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alternative-music-in-the-us-circa-1994/116359/22 "2002-06-29T16:56:52Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by dantheman \* > **Anything from Stone Temple Pilots - what were those first couple of CDs…** Core-1992 Purple-1994 Tiny Music: Songs From the Vatican Gift Shop-1996 No. 4-1999 Core had “Creep”, “Sex Type Thing”, “Wicked Garden”, and “Plush”, which is the quintessential STP song. ---
**Author:** ![elfkin477](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a9a28c/32.png) [@elfkin477](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elfkin477)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2002, 10:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alternative-music-in-the-us-circa-1994/116359/23 "2002-06-29T22:14:24Z")
Candlebox- \*\* Cover Me\*\* and **Far Behind** Collective Soul- \*\* Shine\*\* and \*\* December\*\* Aerosmith- \*\* Living on the Edge\*\*, \*\* Crying\*\* and **Crazy** Porno for Pyros-\*\* Pets\*\* Blues Traveler- \*\* Run-around\*\* Better Than Ezra- **Good** (but only if 4/95 meets the cut off) Gin Blossoms- \*\* Found Out About You\*\*, \*\* Until I Fall Away\*\* (I \* think\* they were the last singles off this late 92’ cd) Sheryl Crow- **All I Wanna Do** and \*\* Strong Enough\*\* REM- **Bang and Blame** and \*\* What’s The Frequency, Kenneth?\*\* Counting Crows- \*\* Round here\*\* and \*\* Mr. Jones\*\* Ugly Kid Joe- \*\* Neighbor\*\* and \*\* Cats In The Cradle \*\* Gillette- **Mr. Personality** and \*\* Short, Short Man\*\* I have, though looking up the years to these songs, found that a lot of the best music in 1995 didn’t come out until 1/2 to 3/4ths of the way through the year… and for some unexpicable reason \*\* Pump up the jam\*\* is stuck in my head even though it’s not what you’re looking for. Perhaps it reminds me of high school too, for some reason:eek: ---
**Author:** ![capacitor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e47774/32.png) [@capacitor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/capacitor)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2002, 11:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alternative-music-in-the-us-circa-1994/116359/24 "2002-06-29T23:12:20Z")
TLC went to war against the R. Kelly-type “soul” music that unfortunately filled the airwaves at the time. _CrazySexyCool_ and _Fanmail_ are as alternative as _Mellow Gold_ and _Nevermind_. We want “No Scrubs” here. ---
**Author:** ![Morgainelf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/71e660/32.png) [@Morgainelf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morgainelf)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2002, 1:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alternative-music-in-the-us-circa-1994/116359/25 "2002-07-01T13:17:23Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Motorgirl \* > \*\* > > I lived a couple blocks away from Lansdowne, in the Fenway. > > Loved being able to walk home from Axis. > Loved staring at weirdos at the Deli Haus. > Loved Cornwall’s before it moved across the street (haven’t checked out the new digs yet). > Haven’t been to Axis (or any other Lansdowne club) in years. Now I feel so old! \*\* We went to Axis after my wedding a couple of years ago. It was all '80s on the second floor on Saturday night, and the DJs were the only people in there older than us. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Spoonbender](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a8b319/32.png) [@Spoonbender](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoonbender)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2002, 2:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alternative-music-in-the-us-circa-1994/116359/26 "2002-07-01T14:03:05Z")
more **Green Day** - _Basket Case_, _When I Come Around_ ---
**Author:** ![Cliffy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/59ef9b/32.png) [@Cliffy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cliffy)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2002, 8:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alternative-music-in-the-us-circa-1994/116359/27 "2002-07-01T20:14:17Z")
Man, music really was a whole lot cooler 5 - 10 years ago, wasn’t it? –Cliffy ---
**Author:** ![msmith537](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d9b06d/32.png) [@msmith537](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/msmith537)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2002, 2:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alternative-music-in-the-us-circa-1994/116359/28 "2002-07-02T02:17:38Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Cliffy \* > Man, music really was a whole lot cooler 5 - 10 years ago, wasn’t it? > \*\* Brotha, you aint kiddin. It used to be gangsta rap, grunge, and alternative. Now all we have is a steady diet of Britney and N\*Sync clones. I almost shudder to go back to my fraternity house in fear of finding them dancing around to the BackStreet Boys and O Town like a bunch of flame-o’s. Standard issue in every frat-house between 1991 and 1996 311 - Down Alice in Chains - Take your pick Black Crows - Remedy Blues Traveler - Run-around Bob Marley - The entire ‘Legend’ CD Bush - Machinehead Dave Mathews Band - Ants Marching Everclear - Santa Monica Janes Addiction - Caught Stealing, Jane Says Live - I Alone NIN - Head Like A Hole, …Animal Pear Jam - The entire 10 CD Rage Against the Machine - Bulls on Parade Rusted Root - Send me on my Way U2 - Actung Baby And if yo BITCH ASS wanna kick it GANGSTA STYLE!! Snoop Dogg - Doggy Style Dr Dre - The Chronic Naughty By Nature - OPP Onyx - Slam! Cyprus Hill - Insane in the Brain House of Pain - Jump Around ---
**Author:** ![Boo\_Boo\_Foo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e274bd/32.png) [@Boo\_Boo\_Foo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boo_Boo_Foo)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2002, 1:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alternative-music-in-the-us-circa-1994/116359/29 "2002-07-02T13:08:35Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Cliffy \* > \*\*Man, music really was a whole lot cooler 5 - 10 years ago, wasn’t it? > > –Cliffy \*\* Indeed my friend… And you know the saddest thing? Now that “Clear Channel Communications” owns upwards of 60% of the entire rock radio music stations in the U.S. you have this crazy situation where centralised programming edicts and demographic “safe bet” research is now stifling any remaining chances for ‘edgy’ or ‘risky’ music ever making it into the mainstream. Further, the institutionalised ‘payola’ being paid by Record Labels to “Independant Music Promoters” and then onto Clear Channel now adds up to over $300 Million U.S. per year apparently and as such, this monopoly is only exacerbating the desperate desire by all parties to play it safe. And why am I really despairing about this? As an Australian over 8,000 miles away? Why am I entitled to feel pissed off about this? (Thanks for asking!) Well, it’s because, by and large, what becomes a hit in the United States pretty well becomes a hit throughout the rest of the English speaking world, and my lovely American cousins, that really is something you should be a little bit sad about I think. You see… for the first time ever, the United States is no longer exporting the world’s best music - even though it’s probably still being made there. ---
**Author:** ![msmith537](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d9b06d/32.png) [@msmith537](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/msmith537)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2002, 4:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alternative-music-in-the-us-circa-1994/116359/30 "2002-07-02T16:08:39Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Boo Boo Foo \* > And you know the saddest thing? Now that “Clear Channel Communications” owns upwards of 60% of the entire rock radio music stations in the U.S. you have this crazy situation where centralised programming edicts and demographic “safe bet” research is now stifling any remaining chances for ‘edgy’ or ‘risky’ music ever making it into the mainstream. \*\* Nah. Top 40 stations have always dominated the airways. Doesn’t matter who ownes them. A radio station is there to make money. To do that, you need a wider audience than a couple of disenfranchised youths or be subsidized by a college or something. The music industry goes in phases. 60s hippy music sucked; 70s classic rock was ok. 80s pop, new wave and glam-metal sucked, 90s grunge and hip-hop were cool, 2000 boy bands and pop-divas suck again. Or the exact opposite, depending on your tastes. ---
**Author:** ![dantheman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dantheman/32/9421_2.png) [@dantheman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dantheman)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2002, 4:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alternative-music-in-the-us-circa-1994/116359/31 "2002-07-02T16:19:58Z")
It’s certainly true that top 40s stations have always dominated the airwaves, but I read a recent article (I really can’t remember where, though) that discussed the empire of Clear Channel in particular. The jist of the article was that because one company owned so much, each of the stations it owned was a little less individualistic than it had been before it was bought by CC (and that might be saying something, since most top 40s are not necessarily personality-driven). If you think back to the 80s, there were many top stations with a Morning Zoo-type morning show, a guy doing wacky and goofy things for ratings (and $). I think the point of the article was that CC was letting that slide in favor of a more uniform look and feel. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alternative-music-in-the-us-circa-1994/116359.md?page=1)