1993 to 1997
You ever wonder why you're parents seem trapped in a certain decade of music? Perhaps they had just got really into music at the start of that decade, but then got too busy with life to stay really into it. Perhaps one day an Oldies station will be playing the music that came out when I was in Highschool, then I will smile as I turn up the radio and say to my kids, "I'll never forget when this came out." Perhaps there are a few songs you feel that way about. You hear them and suddenly you are transported in time. Everyone swears that music was the best during the years they were in Highschool. I don't know if anyone can truly make that claim, but I do submit the following list as evidence. True I know Areosmith came out long before 93, but that was when they came out with a lot of their big hits. The rest of the bands may have formed in a garage somewhere, but they hit it big in the years listed. I could not list every great song that came out between 93' and 97' but if you're curious you can find a rough timeline for some of the great tunes that came out...when I was in Highschool.Bands that became big between 1993 and 1997
(8th grade to 12th)
93 Areosmith Formed in the 70s,huge hit videos with Alicia
93 Nirvana Mainstream success
93 Weezer early days debuted the Blue Album in 94
93 Everclear Two mainstream releases
93 Smashing Pumpkins broke into mainstream with their 2nd album
93 Collective Soul First album Shine became #1
93 Dave Mathews Band releases its first album
93 Oasis is discovered by a recording label
93 Modest Mouse Formed, 96 debuted album
93 Jimmy Eat World Formed
93 Presidents of the U.S. Formed
93 Blink 182 Records first demo tape, 94 first album
93 Cranberries 1st breakthrough album If you like em
94 Beck makes a breakthrough to mainstream with Loser
94 The Offspring Hit mainstream with their album smash
94 Bush Sixteen Stone
94 Our Lady Peace If you like em
94 Stone Temple Pilots Purple
94 Green Day Debuts the Dookie album
94 Live has their breakthrough album
94 Snow Patrol Formed
95 Foo Fighters Formed
95 No Doubt gains mainstream success
95 Alanis Morissette mainstream w/ Jagged Little Pill
95-97 Goo Goo Dolls mainstream
96 Butthole Surfers breakthrough album
97 Coldplay Performing in small clubs
97 Death Cab for Cutie Formed
97 The White Stripes Formed
96-97 Sublime Huge success
Feel free to suggest other bands I may have left out. Or plead you're cause why I should have left out one on the list
posted by B-rad at
1:51 PM
6 Comments:
i believe you left out beck's mellow gold and the meat puppets (okay, i'm kidding about them. they suck).
i can't help but mention that some of the best 90s albums predate your selection, but i can't accept your list without adding pearl jam's ten album in '91 (p.s. you also left out vs. in '93) and alice in chains' dirt album in '92.
i still maintain the the 90s was actually the worst music decade to date. but boy did i love me some vanilla ice in 9th grade!
Good point there were alot of bands that may have formed before 93', but they came out with some of their best albums between 93 and 97.
R.E.M. sights their breatkthrough between 89 and 93
Then in 94:
Nine inch Nails came out with their most commercially successful album.
And Radiohead had its most commercially successful album in 97
Also who can forget Black Hole Sun that came out in those years! It was played all the time.
This is a ton of music for just 4 short years. I'd like to see another impressive list that only includes 4 short years. I bet it could be done somewhere in the 80s but thats up to Kelly
Alice in Chains also had a breakthrough success in 93 and 94
Oh, Bradley, you have wandered into one of my favorite topics!
Whitney Huston'd biggest hit ever was "I Will Always Love You" in 1993. The world became acquainted with Dr. Dre, Snoop Dog and Warren G in the early 90's- Ain't Nuthin But A G-thang came out in 1993.
Duran Duran came out of retirement with Ordinary World and the Breeders showed that girls could rock with Cannonball. The Counting Crows dominated the 90s beginning with August and Everything After, released in 1993.
311 also needs to be here I think. The Gin Blossoms found success with "Hey Jealousy" in 93, though the album was released in 92.
1994 introduced us to Sheryl Crow, Lisa Loeb, Hole, Bikini Kill and Veruca Salt. A rockin' year for the ladies. "mmm mmm mmm mmm" showed us the potential of Crash Test Dummies (even if mainstream success alluded them) and Me'shell N'degeocello broke onto the scene. James gave us Laid and Jeff Buckley gave us Hallelujah, two songs that have been consistently covered over the last decade. Dulcinea came out by Toad the Wet Sprocket (a collection of rarities and B-sides, In Light Syrup- which was suprisingly good- came out in 1995). The Beastie Boys also made something of a surprise comeback with Sabotage
Notorious BIG found critical success in 1995 with "Big Poppa" though he'd been knocking around the charts for at least a year before that. Dave Navarro joined the Red Hot Chili Peppers. Tim McGraw and John Michael Montgomery also broke in 95, two of the biggest country acts of the 90s, but that is a whole other list. My favorite album of 1995 was Good by Better Than Ezra.
Macarena was 1996, redefining the glory of the one hit wonder. Tupac went mainstream with California Love and The Fugees gave us "Ready or Not" and "Killing Me Softly." OutKast started making noise in 96 too. Matchbox 20 broke in 96 (Push was initially considered a one-hit wonder),though they would ultimately be known for their sophomore album which wasn't released until 2000.
That brings us to 1997, a good year for 90s music. "MmmBop" was everywhere, announcing that pop music, after a long exile, was back with a vengence. Spice Girls, Backstreet Boys, The Cardigans, and 98 Degrees dominated. But there was also some artists of more critical noteworthiness. Blur was creative, Prodigy made techno acceptable, Meridith Brooks and Fiona Apple pushed the envelope on what a woman was allowed to say on the radio, and Erykah Badu melted poetry and politics. Metallica gave us Reload, with the noteworthy "The Memory Remains." They made Marianne Faithful relevant again. And that's just cool.
I could go on and on, but I won't. I love making these lists. Now, to list them autobiographically... :)
Its always great to get the insights of an expert. I bow to the master woo of musical knowledge. I look forward to your autobiographical list, but until then... I think If I was on mythybusters, I could concusively say that a ton of great music came out when I was in Highschool 93-97
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