# Top 200 90s Alternative Rock Songs **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [May 2, 2009, 2:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-200-90s-alternative-rock-songs/495052 "2009-05-02T02:27:09Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 15\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![dujo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e56c9b/32.png) [@dujo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dujo)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2009, 10:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-200-90s-alternative-rock-songs/495052/41 "2009-05-04T22:01:58Z")
> [@Captain\_Lance\_Murdoch](#): > > In the case of this list, “alternative” means “bands with heavy radio support.” This list includes a lot of faux-alt stuff like Third Eye Blind. See anything by The Magnetic Fields on there? And no P.J. Harvey? > > There is very little variety on this list. It’s mostly male, mostly hard rock and at first glance it looks to be entirely white. I’m not going to go over it carefully to be sure. Yeah but that’s pretty close to what I consider “alternative” to mean. It was mostly a marketing/programming term. In the beginning it was maybe the labels and MTV opening up to more variety but pretty quickly it became Nirvana\>Bush\>Silverchair\>Stone Temple Pilots\>Creed\>Nickleback or just the predominant style of commercial hard rock. I didn’t listen to the radio or watch MTV back then but by 1988, in my world, Sonic Youth, the Butthole Surfers and the Red Hot Chili Peppers were already completely ubiquitous. The “alternative” phenomenon was just a braindead music industry adapting several years late to what young people were really listening to. This was a positive development because it put Bryan Adams and most of the ex-Eagles out of business but the majority of good music stayed under the radar. I would probably put “100,000 Fireflies” on my list of the best singles of the 90’s but it would be insulting to call The Magnetic Fields “alternative”. ---
**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:** [May 4, 2009, 10:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-200-90s-alternative-rock-songs/495052/42 "2009-05-04T22:57:24Z")
> [@Justin\_Bailey](#): > > How many black rock acts are there though? I can think of Lenny Kravitz, Living Colour, Splender, a few members of the Dave Mathews Band and a member of Sugar Ray. I’m sure there’s more, but > > Did alternative even have any meaning _in_ the 90s? Looking a post above yours, why is Third Eye Blind “faux-alternative”, but PJ Harvey is “alternative”? What’s the difference, the amount of airplay one received over the other? The fact that one was mainstream while the other was mostly confined to college radio. > > To quote another rock artist, “It’s still rock and roll to me”. In the 80s, there was a definite “alternative” scene (though we mostly called it “college rock” at the time). Bands that were an actual alternative to the crap being played on the radio and MTV (and yes, for the most part, they were cult bands who didn’t sell many records). There was a whole underground network of clubs and zines and independent labels, and many bands slept on audience members’ floors and toured in crappy hoopdie vans. In that context, “alternative” had meaning. When the 90s bands who rehashed the 80s bands’ sounds and watered them down got airplay, it was still branded “alternative” though it was in reality mainstream (and hence _not_ an alternative to anything). ---
**Author:** ![Terminus\_Est](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terminus_est/32/3087_2.png) [@Terminus\_Est](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Terminus_Est)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2009, 11:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-200-90s-alternative-rock-songs/495052/43 "2009-05-04T23:04:22Z")
> [@JKilez](#): > > This is the first thing that jumped out at me. Alice in Chains? Really??? Is the Rock Czar an AiC roadie or something? They are not a bad band, but they hardly deserve to dominate the list as they do. Look at his list of [Top 50 Bands of All Time](http://www.therockczar.com/by-genre/top-50-bands-of-all-time.html). The Beatles come in at #10. The Rolling Stones, The Who and Led Zeppelin aren’t on the list at all. No prize for guessing his #1 band. ---
**Author:** ![Justin\_Bailey](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/justin_bailey/32/8792_2.png) [@Justin\_Bailey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Justin_Bailey)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2009, 11:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-200-90s-alternative-rock-songs/495052/44 "2009-05-04T23:11:08Z")
> [@woodstockbirdybird](#): > > In the 80s, there was a definite “alternative” scene (though we mostly called it “college rock” at the time). Bands that were an actual alternative to the crap being played on the radio and MTV (and yes, for the most part, they were cult bands who didn’t sell many records). There was a whole underground network of clubs and zines and independent labels, and many bands slept on audience members’ floors and toured in crappy hoopdie vans. In that context, “alternative” had meaning. When the 90s bands who rehashed the 80s bands’ sounds and watered them down got airplay, it was still branded “alternative” though it was in reality mainstream (and hence _not_ an alternative to anything). But even that is fairly useless as a definition. Sleeping on the floors of fan’s houses doesn’t connect all of those bands in one defining scene any more than skinny jeans and eyeliner qualify a band for the emo scene. And I am aware that “scene” and “emo” are supposed to be different. My pasty white buttocks they are! ---
**Author:** ![interface2x](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/c0e974/32.png) [@interface2x](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/interface2x)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2009, 11:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-200-90s-alternative-rock-songs/495052/45 "2009-05-04T23:26:46Z")
Direct quote from the The 30 Most Influential Rock Songs of the 90s: _Trent Reznor deserves a spot for basically creating the industrial genre._ Come to your own conclusions. ---
**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:** [May 5, 2009, 12:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-200-90s-alternative-rock-songs/495052/46 "2009-05-05T00:11:13Z")
> [@Justin\_Bailey](#): > > But even that is fairly useless as a definition. Sleeping on the floors of fan’s houses doesn’t connect all of those bands in one defining scene any more than skinny jeans and eyeliner qualify a band for the emo scene. > > And I am aware that “scene” and “emo” are supposed to be different. My pasty white buttocks they are! Sure, but most of the bands in the underground scene in the 80s, though often wildly different in style, ended up playing shows (and sleeping on floors) together, since the clubs that supported such music were nowhere near as numerous as they are today. Anybody who went to those shows would probably have described it as a “scene” even if the music wasn’t all of a piece. ETA: I guess what I’m getting at is that it was a culture (subculture, really, I guess, though I hate that term) as much as a single unifying musical style - and, for better or worse, there were no real subcultures in the 90s: everything got swallowed up by the mass culture at a frightening rate after the 80s. ---
**Author:** ![Quintas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/48db29/32.png) [@Quintas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quintas)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2009, 12:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-200-90s-alternative-rock-songs/495052/47 "2009-05-05T00:15:33Z")
> [@Commander\_Keen](#): > > As much as “Only Shallow” deserves to be ranked above every single song on that list, I don’t know that it had much of a radio presence. Which bands/songs were you thinking of? no ,not a lot of radio presence, but the list is ‘alternative 90s bands’. unless his list means ‘alternative bands that got radio play’. Anyway, i was thinking LUSH,RIDE, My Bloody Valentine etc.. ---
**Author:** ![jasonh300](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/46a35a/32.png) [@jasonh300](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jasonh300)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2009, 12:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-200-90s-alternative-rock-songs/495052/48 "2009-05-05T00:47:27Z")
> [@dujo](#): > > Also no Pixies The Pixies were pretty much done by the 90s, although Frank Black made the list with “Headache”…a good song, but I’d rather see “Calistan” or even “Los Angeles” in there. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2009, 12:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-200-90s-alternative-rock-songs/495052/49 "2009-05-05T00:58:46Z")
> [@Commander\_Keen](#): > > I’d say the opposite–“1979” is the Pumpkins’ best song, and “Bullet” is their second-worst (“Disarm” being the worst) Yeah, I was really surprised to see “Today” down in the 80s. It’s not necessarily my favorite Pumpkins song, but that opening riff is stellar–one of the quintessential intros of 90s alternative music. On that basis alone, I would probably rank it in my Top 10 or 20 of 90s alternative rock songs. I would put 1979 very close behind. “Bullet With Butterfly Wings” would not make my Top 200. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2009, 1:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-200-90s-alternative-rock-songs/495052/50 "2009-05-05T01:05:58Z")
> [@Jonathan\_Chance](#): > > No ‘Cannonball’ by The Breeders (Kim Deal would eat this guy’s heart) Oh, now there’s a glaring omission. Great song. ---
**Author:** ![mshar253](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/6de8d8/32.png) [@mshar253](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mshar253)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2009, 1:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-200-90s-alternative-rock-songs/495052/51 "2009-05-05T01:56:37Z")
In his list of top bands of all time, The Killers are #13. I’ll repeat that: The Killers are the 13th greatest band of all time. What a douche. ---
**Author:** ![msmith537](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d9b06d/32.png) [@msmith537](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/msmith537)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2009, 3:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-200-90s-alternative-rock-songs/495052/52 "2009-05-05T03:39:29Z")
I’m sure I’ll disagree with most of the lists, but I suppose they are useful to see if there are any missing songs from my iPod. > [@Justin\_Bailey](#): > > How many black rock acts are there though? I can think of Lenny Kravitz, Living Colour, Splender, a few members of the Dave Mathews Band and a member of Sugar Ray. I’m sure there’s more, but Ben Harper, Blessed Union of Souls, Hootie and the Blowfish > [@woodstockbirdybird](#): > > That list is proof that “alternative” ceased to have any meaning in the 90s. Just as “indie” has lost all meaning in the 2000s. ---
**Author:** ![troub](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/troub/32/14802_2.png) [@troub](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/troub)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2009, 11:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-200-90s-alternative-rock-songs/495052/53 "2009-05-05T11:53:50Z")
> [@mshar253](#): > > In his list of top bands of all time, The Killers are #13. I’ll repeat that: The Killers are the 13th greatest band of all time. > > What a douche. And Interpol #2. I like listening to Interpol, but they do _not_ display enough talent or variety to come anywhere near a top _500_ bands of all time, let alone top 50. ---
**Author:** ![msmith537](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d9b06d/32.png) [@msmith537](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/msmith537)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2009, 12:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-200-90s-alternative-rock-songs/495052/54 "2009-05-05T12:10:50Z")
The dude has a “Top 10 Better Than Ezra Songs” list. Who can name more than 2 or 3 Better Than Ezra songs? ---
**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:** [May 5, 2009, 3:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-200-90s-alternative-rock-songs/495052/55 "2009-05-05T15:57:50Z")
> [@msmith537](#): > > Just as “indie” has lost all meaning in the 2000s. Fo’ sho’. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-200-90s-alternative-rock-songs/495052.md?page=2)