The best of rock in the 90s
The decade of 90’s was certainly an important one for rock music. Bands like Nirvana, Pearl Jam and REM had their moment of greatest fame and alternative rock became more and more popular, but at the same time bands already very famous in previous years, such as Queen, Pink Floyd and Metallica, they gave us truly unforgettable songs and made 90’s best for music.
A rock band for every year from 1990 to 1999
1990 – Red Hot Chili Pepper
Active already in the eighties, they consecrated themselves on the world rock scene, between the end of that decade and the beginning of the 90s sound.
1991 – Pearl Jam
They burst into the already saturated Seattle music scene with the album “Ten” which allowed the rise of the grunge movement and alternative rock during the early nineties.
In February 2013 the album surpassed 10 million copies sold in the United States of America and was certified diamond disc.
1992 – Alice in Chains
Another group from the Seattle grunge scene formed in 1987. However, Alice in Chains ‘ music is inspired more by heavy metal than punk rock or psychedelic rock, what unites them to the grunge movement are the origins (Seattle) and the themes introspective and often delicate of their lyrics.
1993 – Nirvana
“The youth discomfort has paid off enough, now I’m old and bored”. The phenomenal opening of “Serve the servants” sums up the parable of grunge and its prophet Kurt Cobain. “In utero” is an inspired, intelligent, sincere album, able to photograph the collective alienation and emotions of American youth in the wasteland of the early 90s.
With this album Nirvana try to get away from the commercial success of “Nevermind” giving full vent to their noise vein.
1994 – Soundgarden
Superunknown is the fourth studio album of the band American Soundgarden, released in 1994. The disc marked a sharp change in the band’s sound, especially compared to the heavy and heavy sounds of previous albums.
In addition to a lightening in the production, more elaborate arrangements, pop contaminations, psychedelic elements and influences from oriental countries stand out. The songs that took the album to the top of the Billboard 200 charts were Black Hole Sun, Spoonman and Fell on Black Days, of which the singles will be extracted.
1995 – Radiohead
The album “The bends” definitely marks the artistic turning point of Radiohead and in particular of its leader, Thom Yorke. Preceded by a single like Just , an impetuous song with harsh sounds, the band’s second work impresses with its sound and compositional turn. The sound is personal and the tracks have a unified plot.
Memorable songs are Fake Plastic Trees, the title track The Bends and Street Spirit (Fade Out), accompanied by a video that fully captures the atmosphere of the song. The Bends is a pillar of the nineties, a milestone of English rock-pop, which strongly influenced the sound of those years. The disc is dedicated to the memory of Bill Hicks, American comedian and thinker.
1996 – Rage Against the Machine
Born in Los Angeles in 1991 by Tom Morello and Zack de la Rocha, they are famous for having successfully mixed genres such as hip hop, hard rock, heavy metal, funk and alternative rock, giving life to the genres of rap metal and rapcore, of which are the major exponents and also one of the groups that have influenced new metal.
They stood out for their left-leaning political commitment and battles in favor of ethnic minorities, against capitalism and globalization, all themes that De la Rocha highlights in the lyrics of his songs. To date, they have sold nearly 20 million copies worldwide.
1997 – Jeff Buckley
1997 is the year of the tragic and mysterious death of one of the greatest singers of contemporary music, capable with only one album released in life (“Grace“) to upset the music of his times and influence generations of artists. Tim Buckley’s son of art, he stands out not only for his crystalline voice, but also for his marked and original compositional ability of the arrangements.
The same year of his death will be published “sketches for my sweetheart the drunk” posthumous and unfortunately incomplete masterpiece.
1998 – Muse
They made their debut this year with the eponymous EP, immediately establishing themselves in the British scenario thanks to their energetic and biting alternative rock, with strong Grunge and noise. Their development will proceed towards an increasingly eclectic musical style, gathering influences from multiple genres such as electronic, progressive rock, often marked by a symphonic and orchestral vein.
Most of the lyrics of their songs, mainly composed by front man Matthew Bellamy, deal with themes concerning apocalypse, UFO, war, universe, politics and religion.
1999 – Verdena
A piece of Italy at the end of the decade, which sees the debut of the group that will be labeled as “the Italian Nirvana”. Verdena, in fact, stand out within the Italian music scene for their musical style inspired by grunge and American alternative rock, with a strong psychedelic vein and some elements coming from psychedelic rock and noise.
A unique feature of the group are the lyrics, often the subject of criticism for the lack of content, written exclusively according to the melody and the music, so that the words give only “color to the record”, without therefore telling stories or transmitting any precise meaning, generating a kind of dreamlike atmosphere. The composition of the lyrics takes place first by singing in a fake English on the musical basis of the piece, and then replacing the English terms with Italian words that sound good.