1. Bush- Comedown
I definitely heard a lot of Bush growing up. Always thought they were fine. Never bought any of their albums, but wouldn't switch the station if they came on the radio. Anyhow, this was never one of my favorites of theirs, and I'm still feeling that way about it. Kind of a boring radio friendly track that for some weird reason is over 5 minutes long. Even the radio edit is over 4.
2. Third Eye Blind- Semi-Charmed Life
Never liked anything I've heard from this band in the past. Listening to this again didn't change my mind. I really don't know what to say, it just doesn't have anything in it that appeals to me. It doesn't even seem particularly catchy, I'm not sure what ever attracted people to this band.
3. The Wallflowers- 6th Avenue Heartache
Man, this song is a real dud. To be fair, this is another band that didn't make a single song I enjoyed, but good lord, this sucks.
4. Tool- The Grudge
Anyone that knows me knows I was pretty much obsessed with this band in high school and most of college. I don't regularly listen to Tool anymore, but going back them does usually trigger a decently happy spot in my brain. Listening to The Grudge now, I still dig it. Seems a little long for my deteriorating patience and takes a bit to get to the good stuff, but yeah, I still like it.
5. Meat Puppets- Backwater
I have heard this in the past, probably in passing on alt rock radio. I don't hate it, seems like a pretty standard rock song from it's time. Nothing special, but nothing offensively bad either.
6. A Perfect Circle- The Hollow
When these guys first started putting out music, I felt like they were Maynard James Keenan's lesser band. I don't think those thoughts were too unusual for people who were super into Tool, but it was the opinion of a person who wasn't listening to music for song writing and was more interested in musical skill. Anyhow, this song is fine. Not my favorite track by the band, but a good opener for their debut to give you an idea of what this band was about.
7. Everclear- Everything to Everyone
These guys knew how to write catchy alt rock songs. They aren't great, but they were hard to hate in their day because the songs were all ear worms. Still feel that way, I'm definitely not listening to this again on purpose, but it's not making me annoyed.
8. Better Than Ezra- Good
This is a song that I knew from hearing it on alt rock radio, but never knew who the artist was or what the song was called. The crazy thing is it got stuck in my head one day, way after this song was past being relevant, and I went through the trouble of googling what lyrics I could remember to find it, and I did! And you know what? I like this song. It's simple and there's nothing outstanding about it, but the melody sticks with me and for some reason I'm amused by the way he says "uh huh" like "aww haw".
9. Blues Traveler- Hook
This band was pretty huge in the 90s, so I've heard them quite a bit. Not a fan, but if I had to pick a song of theirs that I don't think is that bad, it's probably this one. If you wanna show somebody what 90s alt rock/pop sounded like, you could do worse than play them this.
10. Deftones- Passenger
I've always liked Deftones and I still like Deftones. This is a Deftones song that has Maynard James Keenan from Tool on it, and you know what? I don't like this song. I really love their White Pony album, but I always skip this one.
11. Chevelle- Send the Pain Below
Look, I'm gonna be real. The only reason I ever listened to this band to begin with is because their vocalist had a melodic take on heavy music, similar to Maynard James Keenan or Chino Moreno, and I was into that kind of thing at the time. Hearing this band now is painful. They are bad. Do not recommend.
12. Matchbox Twenty- 3AM
I never liked this band and still don't, but upon listening to them again, I do kind of see what the appeal was in this guys voice. I mean, he's still another guy trying to sound like Eddie Vedder, but he did okay at it. Too bad the music is bad.
13. Dinosaur Jr.- Feel the Pain
I didn't hear this song until way after it was relevant. I mean, this thing came out in 1994 and wasn't really even relevant then. Thing is, it should have been because this song kicks ass. I got into a few of their 2000s era albums and they're really good. So is this.
14. Collective Soul- The World I Know
This is a band that, while I was never a big fan, I somewhat enjoyed back in the day. A few of their songs caught my ear, anyway, not enough to buy an album. Anyway, I don't remember if this was one of the songs I liked or not, but I surely have nowhere in my music library for this now. No thank you.
15. The Smashing Pumpkins- Disarm
The album this song is on, Siamese Dream, was the first album I ever owned. To this day, I still think every song on this album is at least good, and most of them are great. This ones good. I like it. Probably the most radio friendly song on the album, but a good single.
16. Deftones- Back to School (Mini Maggit)
Why are all the dumb Deftones songs showing up in this playlist? Anyway, this one was added to White Pony after the album already came out, and made a single for some reason. It's basically a more aggressive version of a song that's already on the album. It didn't need to be made, and was probably some record company trick to make more money or something. I mean, the track isn't awful, I just don't like that it needlessly exists.
17. Hootie and the Blowfish- Time
I was never a fan of the band in general. Not sure if I liked any of their songs or not, might have. Not this one, though. Major bore.
18. Hum- Stars
Okay, I have things to say about this one. Hum is pretty much in the same category as the band Failure, in that they were both heavy alt rock bands that were significantly better than nearly all of their peers, yet they were almost entirely overlooked. I can't defend myself here either, I didn't know Hum until I was much older. I don't get how this wasn't played everywhere when it came out. I hadn't hear it at all until I searched it out on purpose. This song is seriously so good. Listen to it. Listen to all of Hum's stuff. They came out with new stuff in 2020, for the first time since the 90s, and its great too.
19. Our Lady Peace- Superman's Dead
I always kinda liked this one, and I still do. The vocals are a little different than...well, any vocals really. At some point I did decide to check out the bands other output and was not impressed, but this single is decent enough.
20. Barenaked Ladies- Pinch Me
Let's be real, there's only one song anybody really remembers well from this band, and this isn't that song. I do remember it, but I see why it's not the one everyone remembers.
21. Collective Soul- Shine
Oh look, another bad Collective Soul song. Probably their most popular tune, but this one does nothing for me at all.
22. The Smashing Pumpkins- Cherub Rock
This is probably one of the best songs from the 90s, overall. Not everyone can really handle Billy Corgan's voice, but if you can, there's really nothing to not like about this track. It really does feel like a song that doesn't age too, I still really enjoy listening to it. Just great guitar melodies and vocal melodies.
23. The Presidents of the United States of America- Peaches
This is pretty much a meme song before that was really a thing. It's perfectly listenable, though. Nothing especially bad about it, it's just kind of silly.
24. Limp Bizkit- Faith
I could write a whole paragraph about how bad Fred Durst and this cover are, but I'll spare ya.
25. Veruca Salt- Seether
Heard this a few times on alt rock radio in the past. I think I dig this more now than I did back then. The fuzzy guitars are doing it for me.
26. The Flaming Lips- She Don't Use Jelly
Not sure where I had heard this before, but I have. Never really followed The Flaming Lips, even in my phase where I was listening to everything indie rock I could get my hands on. I like this song, though. It's lyrically dumb as hell, but it fits it's wacky kind of sound.
27. Deftones- Bored
Ah, here we go, a good Deftones song. Actually, the first track from their first album. I always felt like this particular track felt a little out of place on this album, because it actually sounds more like their later stuff than pretty much every other song on the record. Anyway, Bored is a cool song.
28. Tool- Eulogy
This particular era of Tool was their best in my opinion, and I still really like most of the songs from the Aenima album (I don't know how to type that AE thing). This is one of the better ones from that album, too. If you dig listening to good musicianship, you can't go wrong here. (youtube vid is from a live performance because apparently the album version is not on youtube)
29. Hootie and the Blowfish- I Go Blind
Ah, here it is! There is a song by this band I don't completely hate. I mean, it's not super great, but the vocal melody in this one is pretty catchy and enjoyable. It's fine. (weird, 2 in a row with only live versions)
30. The Lemonheads- Into Your Arms
Here's a fun one, because until right this moment, I've never heard this song. If I've ever heard any songs from this band, I'm not aware of it. Now that I've spent some time listening to it, my conclusion is there's probably a reason I didn't hear this. Not much to like here. Reminds me of REM's less interesting tracks.
31. Foo Fighters- This is a Call
There are exactly zero good Foo Fighters songs. Fight me.
32. 2Pac- Hail Mary
I didn't start listening to hip hop until the 2000s, and even then I was listening to more indie stuff like MF DOOM, Aesop Rock, Anticon stuff, etc. So I pretty much completely missed out on 2Pac. After hearing it, the rhymes are fine, the beat is meh. I feel like this just isn't for me.
33. Everclear- Father of Mine
Yeah this one is way worse than the other one. Not as catchy either.
34. The Smashing Pumpkins - Today
Not as good as Cherub Rock, better than Disarm, good song. Said all I really need to say about songs from this album really.
35. The Beta Band- Dry the Rain
Don't know the band, don't know the song. Nothing special here, but it's got a nice groove. Vocals aren't doing much for me, but I like the music.
36. Tool- Jimmy
Probably my least favorite Aenima track. It meanders a bit too much, I think. I get bored with it.
37. Hootie and the Blowfish- Only Wanna be with You
Probably their biggest hit, if I remember right. Do not like this song, at all It's just really simple, in every way.
38. Pearl Jam- Daugther
Pearl Jam's singles from the 90s were pretty much all really good songs. Thing is, I came to appreciate Pearl Jam much later, not so much in their day. I knew the songs, but they got a lot of air play and they probably just kind of blended in to the background. A lot of what make their songs good are subtle things and lyrical nuances, so this isn't really surprising. Anyhow, Daughter is a good song, I like it.
39. Weezer- Beverly Hills
I was never really into this band growing up. Over the years, I've found a few of their songs I like quite a bit. Not this song, though. This song blows.
40. Rage Against the Machine- People of the Sun
I liked this band well enough growing up, but I like them MUCH more now. More specifically, when I realized that the real gem in this band is actually Zach de la Rocha, I found a very different appreciation for the band. We need that dude back, now. Anyway, this is a really good song.
41. Sponge- Plowed
Pretty sure I heard this one on alt rock radio. I kinda dig the vocals in this. Very lo-fi for a song written in the way that is. I kinda like it, I think? Might have to listen to this one a bit more.
42. Vertical Horizon- Everything You Want
Geez, this one sounds like it was manufactured by studio execs or something. Really bad song.
43. Third Eye Blind- How It's Going to Be
Pretty sure I went on my rant about this band already. Don't like this song anymore than the other one that appeared on this playlist.
44. Semisonic- Closing Time
Heard this one quite a bit in the late 90s. Very poppy little alt rock track. It's fine. Fun to listen to if you remember it for a blast from the past, but it's not gonna impress any new listeners.
45. Bush- Swallowed
I never liked Bush enough to own one of their records, which is why this particular track is throwing me off my game a bit, because I don't think this was a single? I'm certain I would have heard all the singles, and I don't know this song. Also, it's actually not awful. Better than quite a few of the singles they did put out.
46. Citizen King- Better Days (And the Bottom Drops Out)
Heard this one a lot on alt rock radio. I'm pretty sure I turned the radio off and did something else when this song came on. There are several artists that do this kind of thing a lot better than this group/person. See: Beck
47. Silverchair- Tomorrow
This song probably shouldn't hold up, but it still kinda does? I mean, it's a pretty simple heavy alt rock track, but it's pretty well written! Anyway, some Silverchair songs are pretty ok and this is one of those.
48. O.A.R.- That Was a Crazy Game of Poker
I've never heard of this band or this song. Now that I've heard it, I'm not sure why this in my playlist of past stuff. It not only doesn't sound like something from the 90s/early 2000s, it doesn't sound like something I'd be interested in either. Bad song, do not like.
49. Rage Against the Machine- Bulls on Parade
Not sure I've ever spoke to someone who heard Bulls on Parade and didn't think it was great.
50. Nine Inch Nails- We're In This Together
Another band that anyone that knows me knows I'm a long time fan of, and still feel that way. I always thought it was weird that this was the first single from The Fragile, because it wasn't one of my favorites from album. I mean, it's not bad, it's just that there's a double album worth of songs to choose for a single and about 3/4s of them were better than this song.
