# Great band, No hits of the 90s **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [October 6, 2001, 10:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-band-no-hits-of-the-90s/85838 "2001-10-06T22:33:18Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Badtz\_Maru](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e36b37/32.png) [@Badtz\_Maru](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Badtz_Maru)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2001, 8:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-band-no-hits-of-the-90s/85838/21 "2001-10-08T08:09:39Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by blur \* > \*\* > I don’t remember them getting played on MTV, and there were no stations in my area, except for collage radio that played them. Our local radio sucked then. \*\* I remember the video for ‘Seasons’ distinctly, it was filmed in Egypt, footage of the band playing in the desert, men in turbans riding by on horses, kinda neat video. The video for ‘War Ensemble’ was mostly concert footage if I recall correctly, though I think it was intercut with stock footage of war. There was also a video for ‘Raining Blood’ that got played sometimes on Headbanger’s Ball, it was just concert footage though. ---
**Author:** ![blur](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/dbc845/32.png) [@blur](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blur)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2001, 9:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-band-no-hits-of-the-90s/85838/22 "2001-10-08T09:28:20Z")
Thats right, I do remember the ‘Seasons’ video now. Its been so freaking long since I’d seen it, I forgot. The War Ensamble one sounds familiar, but I just can’t get a mental picture of it. I have an early live video of them, but it was pre Rain in Blood. Mostly stuff off of Hell Awaits. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Red\_Menace](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/82dd89/32.png) [@The\_Red\_Menace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Red_Menace)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2001, 1:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-band-no-hits-of-the-90s/85838/23 "2001-10-08T13:38:50Z")
Speaking of Slayer, their song “Raining Blood” was recently covered by an artist that I think also fits the description of the OP: **Tori Amos** She’s received some casual airplay here and there, but nothing that’s ever constituted a hit, as far as I’m aware. Nevertheless she has an extremely strong and enthusiastic fan base. About Tool, they’ve had a few hits: “Sober” and “Prison Sex” off of **Undertow** used to both receive a good deal of airplay, and then my local radio station has played “Stinkfist” and “Aenima” from **Aenima** religiously over the previous 5 years before **Lateralus** , with “Schism” came out. ---
**Author:** ![frock75](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ad7895/32.png) [@frock75](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/frock75)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2001, 1:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-band-no-hits-of-the-90s/85838/24 "2001-10-08T13:41:50Z")
I’ve heard Tool “Sober”, Phish “Down With Disease” and Placebo “Pure Morning” on the radio. Tool also has a song on the radio now that I really don’t like, “Schism” I think. As for the OP, how about Sonic Youth? I don’t recall them having a radio hit, but in the early 90s they were a hot ticket. ---
**Author:** ![Jonathan\_Chance](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jonathan_chance/32/701_2.png) [@Jonathan\_Chance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jonathan_Chance)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2001, 2:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-band-no-hits-of-the-90s/85838/25 "2001-10-08T14:06:59Z")
Well, for me there’s always Cowboy Mouth, Mary Prankster and Emmet Swimming. Always sell out the places they play (at least around here) but can’t break through to radio properly. ---
**Author:** ![Shagnasty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9dc877/32.png) [@Shagnasty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shagnasty)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2001, 2:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-band-no-hits-of-the-90s/85838/26 "2001-10-08T14:57:01Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Jonathan Chance \* > \*\*Well, for me there’s always Cowboy Mouth, Mary Prankster and Emmet Swimming. Always sell out the places they play (at least around here) but can’t break through to radio properly. \*\* Cowboy Mouth was the one I thought of also. Their concert at the New Orleans Jazz Fest last year must have had at least 150,000 people trying to claw their way to the stage. ---
**Author:** ![reveille](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/8c91f0/32.png) [@reveille](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/reveille)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2001, 7:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-band-no-hits-of-the-90s/85838/27 "2001-10-08T19:32:03Z")
the only phish song i find worth it to listen to is the cover of “gin & juice” by snoop doggy dogg…now that’ll make some rap fans go “what the FUCK!?” tool is a great band, but it’s ridiculous to try and argue that they haven’t had a hit in the 90’s…i mean, “Lateralus” debuted at No. 1! another non-hit good band = bad religion ---
**Author:** ![mouthbreather](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a698b9/32.png) [@mouthbreather](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mouthbreather)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2001, 7:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-band-no-hits-of-the-90s/85838/28 "2001-10-08T19:51:52Z")
Phish doesn’t cover that Snoop _Gin&Juice_ song – you’re thinking of a band called “The Gourds”. And Phish would be good if they cut their song length by 90%. Yes, they are very talented, but they are so noodle-y that it makes my head hurt and they bore me. As usual, just MHO. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Red\_Menace](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/82dd89/32.png) [@The\_Red\_Menace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Red_Menace)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2001, 8:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-band-no-hits-of-the-90s/85838/29 "2001-10-08T20:16:54Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by mouthbreather \* > And Phish would be good if they cut their song length by 90%. Yes, they are very talented, but they are so noodle-y that it makes my head hurt and they bore me. As usual, just MHO. \*\* Well just going to show you how diverse people are in their tastes, it’s their jams that drew me to Phish. Then again there’s a lot of jazz music I listen to (which is practically the epitomy of noodly) plus I’m a musician, so I like to listen on a “musician’s level” as well. ---
**Author:** ![mouthbreather](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a698b9/32.png) [@mouthbreather](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mouthbreather)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2001, 8:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-band-no-hits-of-the-90s/85838/30 "2001-10-08T20:23:16Z")
I have what I consider to be a healthy appreciation for jazz. I like Mingus, Some Miles, Coltrane, Eric Dolphy, Thelonius Monk, Pat Martino, and many others. So it isn’t as if Phish is “going over my head” musically. Just don’t like it. But that’s OK – you know what they say about opinions. ---
**Author:** ![DaveX](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/96bed5/32.png) [@DaveX](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DaveX)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2001, 8:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-band-no-hits-of-the-90s/85838/31 "2001-10-08T20:53:10Z")
For me, The Posies were the best that never got any airplay. I would’ve said Jimmy Eat World until a couple of months ago… their new single “Bleed American” seems to be getting a lot of airplay. And dada was fantastic, but they did have a hit with their first single “Dizz-knee-land”. Probably the worst song they ever recorded… just a rip-off of the Cure’s “Just Like Heaven”, but the rest of their material is grade A! ---
**Author:** ![tulley](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/d07c76/32.png) [@tulley](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tulley)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2001, 9:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-band-no-hits-of-the-90s/85838/32 "2001-10-08T21:00:34Z")
Personally I don’t see how **Pavement** didn’t wind up a radio staple. They had a minor hit with “Cut Your Hair” but they have several excellent albums, tons of radio-friendly songs, and were (IMHO) one of the best bands of the 90s. Malkmus’s solo album rules too. Has anyone heard the other guys’ solo album? I’ll also second **NOFX**. Most consistent/creative punk band of all time, although their lack of radio support was more or less deliberate. ---
**Author:** ![Hodge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Hodge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hodge)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2001, 3:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-band-no-hits-of-the-90s/85838/33 "2001-10-09T03:11:05Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Cy Coe \* > **EELS…they got some airplay back in the mid 90s for “Novocain for the Soul” but thats about it.** Another vote for the **Eels**. The above tune was from their debut album but they didn’t really hit their stride until their sophomore effort, **Electro-Shock Blues**. This is a minor masterpiece of dark, clangy pop/rock. Although I was disappointed by **Daisies of the Galaxy** I still look forward to their new release, **Souljacker** Also, check out **Beta Band**. Their **3 EPs** is an excellent mish-mash of spacey psychadelic/country/techno/funk/pop/folk. I definitely hear some Syd Barrett influence there. I hear they recently toured with **Radiohead**. Hopefully, this will give them some much deserved exposure to a wider audience. Hodge ---
**Author:** ![Joe\_Cool](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ecb155/32.png) [@Joe\_Cool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joe_Cool)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2001, 3:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-band-no-hits-of-the-90s/85838/34 "2001-10-09T03:20:33Z")
They’ve had a number of songs on movie soundtracks, and they get played at every industrial club I’ve ever been in, but I’ve never heard them on the radio. And the show I went to was jam packed. ---
**Author:** ![frock75](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ad7895/32.png) [@frock75](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/frock75)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2001, 3:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-band-no-hits-of-the-90s/85838/35 "2001-10-09T03:53:58Z")
Bad Religion had two radio songs “Twentieth Century Digital Boy” and “American Jesus” Dada is one great fucking band!!! It’s a shame that they will be forever known for that stupid Dizz-Knee Land song. Puzzle is an album on constant rotation in my car. Favorite song off of the album…“Here Today, Gone Tommorrow” ---
**Author:** ![The\_Red\_Menace](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/82dd89/32.png) [@The\_Red\_Menace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Red_Menace)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2001, 4:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-band-no-hits-of-the-90s/85838/36 "2001-10-09T04:06:38Z")
[QUOTE] \*Originally posted by Hodge \* \*\* > [@](#): > > _Originally posted by Cy Coe \* > Also, check out **Beta Band**. Their **3 EPs** is an excellent mish-mash of spacey psychadelic/country/techno/funk/pop/folk. I definitely hear some Syd Barrett influence there. I hear they recently toured with **Radiohead**. Hopefully, this will give them some much deserved exposure to a wider audience._\* I saw the Beta Band open for Radiohead in Chicago. I was not impressed at all, although I’m willing to concede that the problem was that the Beta Band might not be much of a live band. Still, I thought they in no way lived up to the hype my friends had given them. ---
**Author:** ![woodstockbirdybird](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/woodstockbirdybird/32/7905_2.png) [@woodstockbirdybird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/woodstockbirdybird)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2001, 5:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-band-no-hits-of-the-90s/85838/37 "2001-10-09T05:10:29Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Crusoe \* > \*\* > > Me, I’d go with Gene (even if a bit Smiths-lite), The Wedding Present and The Bluetones. \*\* Ooh, good ones! I was a big **Wedding Present** fan. David Gedge’s new band, **Cinerama** , is another one I’d add to the list. They sound nothing like the WP, but great all the same. More: **Belle & Sebastian** (also somewhat Smiths-like) **The Divine Comedy** (not big in the U.S., at least) **The Hives** **Julian Cope** and **The Feelies** (although both started their careers before the 90s, they both released albums in that decade) **The Beautiful South** (again, no hits in the U.S.) **The Aislers Set** **Stereolab** (though fairly well-known) **Built To Spill** **Oranger** **Sebadoh** **Superchunk** and my perennial favorite, **Bob Mould/Sugar** (there wouldn’t _be_ a **Pixies** without him) ---
**Author:** ![reveille](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/8c91f0/32.png) [@reveille](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/reveille)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2001, 1:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-band-no-hits-of-the-90s/85838/38 "2001-10-09T13:31:14Z")
i never heard 21st century digital boy on the radio…i’ve only heard american jesus once, i don’t know what radio stations you’re listening to… has anyone ever heard “please play this song on the radio” by NOFX? that’s a classic right there… ---
**Author:** ![frock75](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ad7895/32.png) [@frock75](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/frock75)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2001, 7:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-band-no-hits-of-the-90s/85838/39 "2001-10-09T19:52:43Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by reveille \* > \*\*i never heard 21st century digital boy on the radio…i’ve only heard american jesus once, i don’t know what radio stations you’re listening to… > > has anyone ever heard “please play this song on the radio” by NOFX? that’s a classic right there… \*\* Just because you haven’t heard it on the radio, does that mean it isn’t so? I’ll repeat again, I’ve heard both “American Jesus” and “Twentieth Century Digital Boy” on the radio. ---
**Author:** ![DynoSaur](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DynoSaur](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DynoSaur)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2001, 10:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-band-no-hits-of-the-90s/85838/40 "2001-10-09T22:42:04Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Joe\_Cool \* > \*\*They’ve had a number of songs on movie soundtracks, and they get played at every industrial club I’ve ever been in, but I’ve never heard them on the radio. > > And the show I went to was jam packed. \*\* Well, way back when I was in high school, they used to play “Juke Joint Jezebel” on Q101 in Chicago. Whether this was an isolated radio station or not, I don’t know. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-band-no-hits-of-the-90s/85838.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-band-no-hits-of-the-90s/85838.md?page=3)