Best band of the 1990's

Cafe Society
21

I think I’d go with Urge Overkill. What little success they had was in the 90s. Massive Attack would have to be a candidate too.

22

Some possible choices:

  1. Pavement
  2. Pavement
  3. Pavement - hell yeah!
  4. Oh, God! PAVEMENT!!!
    Of course, that is strongly influenced by my personal opinion, but I think you could also make a very strong case for Pavement in terms of influence and achievement.
23

Another vote for Pearl Jam:

  1. Pearl Jam
  2. The Smashing Pumpkins
  3. Nirvana
  4. The Red Hot Chili Peppers
  5. Radiohead

(And hey, Beck is not a band.)

24

Not a Pearl Jam fan (although 10 and VS were awesome)

I’m going to have to go with

  1. U2
  2. Red Hot Chili Peppers
  3. Smashing Pumpkins
  4. Nirvana
  5. Radiohead
25
  1. Radiohead
  2. REM
  3. Cranberries
26
  1. Weezer
  2. Clutch
  3. Hatebreed
  4. Pearl Jam
  5. Pantera
27

I’d have to go with Green Day… (atleast up until Warning)

Nirvana was just complete musical genius… so they are about tied.

And as for lesser known bands, definitely Pearl Jam. Still today they sink away from the limelight just to play music.

28

Either the Rheostatics, The Tragically Hip, or Bif Naked. Maybe the Mighty Mighty Bosstones.

29

Fugazi.

Sure, they never made a true masterpiece, like ‘Loveless’ (best album of the 90’s) or ‘OK Computer,’ though I think a large portion of their fans would contend that they did, but would probably never agree upon which one. Consistency should weigh heavy if your trying to crown a band as ‘best of the decade’ and no other 90’s band was as consistently great as Fugazi. I would go as far as saying that they were one of the most influential underground voices in the 90’s, musically and ethically, inspiring for better or worse thousands of bands, even their elders in Sonic Youth (who Fugazi was inspired from first) took cues from them.

Unlike other excellent 90’s bands such as for example Jesus Lizard, Guided by Voices or Pavement, there is not a single weak album in their catalogue:

13 Songs (1990)
Repeater (1991)
Steady Diet of Nothing (1992)
In On The Killtaker (1993)
Red Medicine (1995)
End Hits (1997)

That’s a strong lineup. Easily besting Radiohead, who released three albums, one a certified classic, one that is simply good and one that in hindsight is just plain embarrassing. And 16 years after their debut Fugazi is still going strong, more creative than ever, as witnessed on The Argument (2001), which proves that they are truly the only relevant punk band left.

I doubt anybody will agree, but IMHO (off course) no other band defines the 90’s as perfectly as Fugazi.

30

Well I wouldn’t have a clue but you have made such a good argument I’ll spend my birthday gift voucher on them. Which two albums should I start with?

31
  1. Rage Against the Machine
  2. Tool
  3. Tricky
  4. Radiohead
  5. Nirvana
32

The OP is right and the rest of you are wrong! :wink: Her’s another vote for Uncle Tupelo… I was going to add that to the list based on the thread title before I read the OP.

33

Huh? Pearl Jam lesser known? What alternate universe do you live in? They were perhaps the biggest rock act of the 90s.

34

Sonic Death Monkey
Barry Jive and his Uptown Five

35

Yay! I love ‘no correct answer’ threads!

I’ve seen almost all of the bands mentioned here one time or another. And they all pale next to a band most of you have never heard of and even fewer have seen.

Cowboy Mouth.

To see them is to believe. Just once. If you see them once you’ll realize that popular doesn’t mean best. You’ll also believe that you have seen everything rock and roll music was ever meant to be. It’s over because Cowboy Mouth did it perfectly.

Really, they’re astonishing. You’ll sit there with your jaw dropping. Then you’ll realize that the rest of you is dancing and having a good time.

36

I third Tool.

I also will throw Soul Coughing out there as MY favorite band of the 90s.

Pearl Jam is (imho) the most influential.

37

My favorite is ‘Red Medicine,’ with ‘Repeater’ following close behind.

Repeater is more punk sounding (for lack of a better word), with heavy emphasis on the rhythm section, Gang of Four-like, but much more fluid.

Red Medicine is the album where Fugazi really let loose in the studio and started to experiment, but most importantly, it is a guitar record, with soaring interplay between Mackaye and Picciotto, sounding almost like duels, which has become the bands trademark. The lyrics are cryptic and at times even poetic, unlike the bluntness of Repeater, and earlier records.

I hope you like them.

38

I agree with most of what’s already been posted, including:

Radiohead
U2
REM
Pixies
Smashing Pumpkins
Nirvana
TMBG
Blur

Some that haven’t been mentioned yet (unless I missed them somehow):

My Bloody Valentine
Slowdive
Ride
Catherine Wheel
Verve
Lush
House of Love
Bob Mould/Sugar
Yo La Tengo
Sonic Youth
Nine Inch Nails

39

Ein minuten bitter! Loveless was damned good, but it was not the best album of the 90s. It’s position on my list of the top 20 of the 90s shuffles around every time I listen to it, but it never approaches OK Computer or The Soft Bulletin, or anything like that.

40

I’d have to go with Smashing Pumpkins.