# So, the best rock song of the 90's... **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [December 14, 2002, 1:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-the-best-rock-song-of-the-90s/142662 "2002-12-14T01:26:34Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 16\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![mouthbreather](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a698b9/32.png) [@mouthbreather](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mouthbreather)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2002, 5:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-the-best-rock-song-of-the-90s/142662/41 "2002-12-16T17:17:45Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Corbomite \* > \*\* > More early 1990’s stuff: > … > Beck, “Where it’s at” > \*\* _Odelay_ by Beck was released in mid-1996 My vote: i dunno that I could pick one, some 1990s rock songs that I like are: “Savory” by Jawbox “Returning the Screw” by Fugazi “Turn on the Water” by Afghan Whigs “Boilermaker” by The Jesus Lizard “Randy Described Eternity” by Built to Spill “Solaris” by Failure “Belted Sweater” by Don Caballero “Cowboy Dan” by Modest Mouse ---
**Author:** ![bluecanary](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bluecanary/32/3614_2.png) [@bluecanary](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bluecanary)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2002, 5:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-the-best-rock-song-of-the-90s/142662/42 "2002-12-16T17:54:04Z")
“Buddy Holly” by Weezer “Basket Case” by Green Day “Nancy Boy” by Placebo “The Way” by Fastball “Iris” by Goo Goo Dolls “Country House” or “Stereotypes” by Blur “Self Esteem” or “All I Want” by Offspring ---
**Author:** ![Kyomara](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/8edcca/32.png) [@Kyomara](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kyomara)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2002, 12:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-the-best-rock-song-of-the-90s/142662/43 "2002-12-17T00:31:42Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by gex gex \* > **In addition to the mumbled lyrics about mullatos and mosquitos, we have a ferocious unforgettable riff, a pummelling drum attack that instantly elevated Dave Grohl to legend status and one of the best choruses ever written. Not to mention the eerie two note guitar sequence echoing through the verses and Kurt Cobain’s brilliantly versatile voice swooping from apathetic drone to anthemic scream.** You’re right. Now I remember. I rescind my previous post. ---
**Author:** ![gex\_gex](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/94ad74/32.png) [@gex\_gex](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gex_gex)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2002, 1:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-the-best-rock-song-of-the-90s/142662/44 "2002-12-17T13:28:23Z")
**Kyomara** : Can I smell sarcasm… Don’t worry… I’m only engaging in irritating fanboy know-it-allism… oh. That’s the problem isn’t it? 😃 **Finglofin** : Sweetness was released in 2001, on the Bleed American album. Nothing like 90s. ---
**Author:** ![New\_Improved\_Scott](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/f17d59/32.png) [@New\_Improved\_Scott](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/New_Improved_Scott)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2002, 6:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-the-best-rock-song-of-the-90s/142662/45 "2002-12-17T18:06:07Z")
I don’t think you can argue with the success, attachment of the fans, or lasting power that “Smells Like Teen Spirit” has, and easily makes it the best rock song of the 90’s. No other song comes so easily to mind, in most peoples mind’s, even today, about rock in the 90’s. ---
**Author:** ![Rubicon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/58f4c7/32.png) [@Rubicon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rubicon)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2002, 10:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-the-best-rock-song-of-the-90s/142662/46 "2002-12-17T22:19:28Z")
Smells has to win. Hard not to get fired up listening to that one. A strong song that has not been mentioned: “Spoon Man” by Soundgarden. Rounding out my unsolicited top 5: “Alive”, “What I Got”, and “Tones of Home” by Blind Melon. –Betraying my age by biasing early nineties ---
**Author:** ![typhoon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ed8c4c/32.png) [@typhoon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/typhoon)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2002, 10:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-the-best-rock-song-of-the-90s/142662/47 "2002-12-17T22:52:07Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by meyer \* > \*\*Spoken like one who wasn’t there. \*\* [This](http://www.angelfire.com/mi4/steveandabe/nirvana.html) is how I remember it. Nirvana just made rock whiny and formulaic, which I could’ve done without. ---
**Author:** ![Kyomara](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/8edcca/32.png) [@Kyomara](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kyomara)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2002, 1:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-the-best-rock-song-of-the-90s/142662/48 "2002-12-18T01:13:23Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by gex gex \* > **Kyomara: Can I smell sarcasm… Don’t worry… I’m only engaging in irritating fanboy know-it-allism… oh. That’s the problem isn’t it? 😃** Amazing as it may seem, I was being serious. I’m going to sound like a broken record here (I say the same thing in every damn thread where Nirvana is mentioned), but despite how good Nirvana were, the wilingness of so many of their fans to whisper the word “genius” when they come up has always pissed me off, and that colors my attitude whenever I discuss them. But your description (fanboy description though it might be :D) reminded me of why the song was such a big deal when it came out, and how, for better or worse, it made the classic indy rock loud-soft dynamic (which I think Nirvana learned from the Pixies) a staple in much of the pop music that followed it. But I still say that this was a bad thing, made even worse by the fact that it didn’t have to be. ---
**Author:** ![Bullwinkle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/8491ac/32.png) [@Bullwinkle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bullwinkle)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2002, 5:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-the-best-rock-song-of-the-90s/142662/49 "2002-12-18T05:51:05Z")
How about “Brain Stew” by Green Day? Nothing particularly groundbreaking about it, but it’s a solid tune and it’s a good example of that whole 90’s vibe. ---
**Author:** ![pkbites](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pkbites/32/204_2.png) [@pkbites](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pkbites)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2002, 5:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-the-best-rock-song-of-the-90s/142662/50 "2002-12-18T05:56:05Z")
ANYTHING by Collective Soul. Those guys are great! By “ANYTHING” I mean any song they did. Not a song titled “ANYTHING”. I don’t think they had a song named “ANYTHING”, but if they do, It’s probably great! ---
**Author:** ![alex\_arg](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ebca7d/32.png) [@alex\_arg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/alex_arg)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2002, 6:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-the-best-rock-song-of-the-90s/142662/51 "2002-12-18T06:22:13Z")
What? No one has mentioned this? Well, maybe its the country gap, but **Creep** by _Radiohead_ is pretty much an anthem here. I don’t belong here… ---
**Author:** ![gex\_gex](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/94ad74/32.png) [@gex\_gex](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gex_gex)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2002, 1:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-the-best-rock-song-of-the-90s/142662/52 "2002-12-18T13:56:11Z")
> [@](#): > > _originally posted by kyomara_ > But your description (fanboy description though it might be :D) reminded me of why the song was such a big deal when it came out, and how, for better or worse, it made the classic indy rock loud-soft dynamic (which I think Nirvana learned from the Pixies) a staple in much of the pop music that followed it. Well… thanks 🙂 Though, I do understand what you’re saying re the loud-soft thing. It can get awfully tiresome. But… the Pixies were great. ---
**Author:** ![Lizard](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/dfb087/32.png) [@Lizard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lizard)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2002, 2:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-the-best-rock-song-of-the-90s/142662/53 "2002-12-18T14:11:34Z")
I agree _Smells Like Teen Spirit_ deserves some mention on this list, but. . . . . but I’m going with Pearl Jam’s **Jeremy**. The song portrays (and its video depicted) a child acting out his loneliness and rage on his classmates with a gun. Within the next few years, identical events happened in reality all over the country. For political timelininess about a serious subject, and for actually being a rocking good tune on par with _Teen Spirit_, this song takes the title of “Best.” ---
**Author:** ![ravage2](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/d07c76/32.png) [@ravage2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ravage2)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2002, 4:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-the-best-rock-song-of-the-90s/142662/54 "2002-12-18T16:11:51Z")
> [@](#): > > _Originally posted by Lizard \* > \*\* > … but I’m going with Pearl Jam’s **Jeremy**. The song portrays (and its video depicted) a child acting out his loneliness and rage on his classmates with a gun._\* I thought Pearl Jam didn’t make videos, didn’t they? Anyway, I think a good song is Lightning Crashes by Live. Not necessarily the best but at least in the top 10. And Semi-charmed Life by Third Eye Blind. ---
**Author:** ![krazy\_kat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/b2d939/32.png) [@krazy\_kat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/krazy_kat)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2002, 8:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-the-best-rock-song-of-the-90s/142662/55 "2002-12-22T08:41:42Z")
a few alternatives: ready to go: republica casino queen: wilco What’s the Story (morning Glory): Oasis Wilco : A Shot in the Arm Massive Attack : Teardrop ---
**Author:** ![Nightime](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/e9c0ed/32.png) [@Nightime](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nightime)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2002, 8:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-the-best-rock-song-of-the-90s/142662/56 "2002-12-22T08:58:15Z")
Lizard: > [@](#): > > but I’m going with Pearl Jam’s Jeremy. The song portrays (and its video depicted) a child acting out his loneliness and rage on his classmates with a gun. Within the next few years, identical events happened in reality all over the country. Jeremy was about a boy who shot himself in front of his class. He didn’t shoot the class, although the video sort of makes it look like that. I would probably go with Nirvana as the best rock band of the 90’s. But I would choose _Even in his Youth_, _Milk It_, or _Aneurysm_ over _Teen Spirit_. Or maybe Slint’s _Nosferatu Man_ is the best. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-the-best-rock-song-of-the-90s/142662.md?page=2)