How I missed the 90s...

[daacosta]

Musically speaking that is... I was looking at what I have on my library and there's virtually nothing from that decade (high school for me was 80s...) because I worked, and worked and worked at a pulp and paper plant... Can somebody recommend me anything worth having from the 90s? I am not so much into alternative crap

[techieMoe]

Wow. My entire music library (with the exception of maybe 10 albums) is from the early to mid 90s.

If you don't like alternative rock you probably won't find much though. Then again, definitions of what constitutes "alternative rock" tend to vary from person to person and year to year. Here's my favorite groups from the early to mid 90s.

Tool
They Might Be Giants
Pearl Jam
Stone Temple Pilots
Red Hot Chili Peppers
Squirrel Nut Zippers
Smashing Pumpkins

I'm sure there's more, but those are just the ones that immediately popped into my head. It's also worth noting that although some of these bands still release albums, most in my opinion (with the exception of Tool) haven't been nearly as good since their mid-90s albums.

[budman7]

One of my favorite artists from the 90's is Kenny Wayne Shepherd
He sings the blues and he sounds a lot like Stevie Ray Vaughn.

With that said there are very few artists that started in the 90's that I care for.
Artists that started in the 70's or 80's and are still producing music today I will listen everything they produce.
AC/DC, Rush, Ted Nugent, Molly Hatchet to name a few.

[bigtomrodney]

I'm more of a 70s kinda guy but there was a lot I liked in the 90s. Mainly what was classed as 'Britpop'. I'll put my fvourite album(s) with them

• Blur - Parklife/The Great Escape/Blur
• Oasis Definitely Maybe/What's the Story Morning Glory
• Paul Weller Stanley Road/Heavy Soul
• Ocean Colour Scene - Mosely Shoals
• Manic Street Preachers - Everything Must Go(Who are making a comeback now)

Also if you are into it there was some great electronic(ish) music. I'm not talking about that 4/4 kick and high-hat nonsense. Music like

• Orbital - Insides
• Aphex Twin - Come To Daddy
• The Orb - (Pretty much anything)
• Massive Attack - Anything!: Protection, Mezzanine
• DJ Shadow - Endtroducing

Aphex Twin is very hard on the ears and head generally. It's very experimental stuff but I think if you can get through the initial shock it's very musically rewarding and you'll find the music stuck in your head. Definitely start on the Come to Daddy e.p. . The softest intro you can have is the last track called 'Iz-Us'. The title track sounds like something from your nightmares though.

[jonantice]

Music from the 90's was very forgetable. I can't think of any bands that formed in that period that are still making music. All the long-lasting acts are pre-90's. I blame it on how shallow the music industry has become. Sure there were good singles put out but very very few good albums. The only thing the 90's left me with was linux and the internet. The music sucked.

[smolloy]

I second all of the bands in BigTom's first grouping.

But I can't believe no one has mentioned Nirvana!?! Surely all it takes is a hint of the opening chords of "Smells Like Teen Spirit", or a glimpse of the video of the old man cleaning the stage while the cheerleaders dance, to give you flashbacks of the 90's!! It sure does for me

[fingal]

Being a Brit in the 90s was great! I would say it was the best decade I've experienced so far because it was a time of huge optimism, creativity and fun ... Of course all that came to an abrupt end, but suddenly popular music became more melodic and skillfully produced.

Sure, the record moguls are a load of money grubbin' heathens, and the bands haven't lasted very well, but maybe we haven't finished yet? I broke free from my old life to the tune of Oasis, Blur and Ocean Colour Scene ... Embrace were pretty good, and I also enjoyed Alanis Morrisette (though my friends hated her) ...

Natalie Imbrulia's albums showed a lot of creative energy, and I was still listening to classic rock (provided free of charge in my local pub). I like my rock pubs.

I was lucky enough to see Travis before anyone had heard of them ... But I'm not a huge fan of theirs. I quite liked Toploader before they fizzled.

These days new bands are getting wiser and managing themselves, using MySpace etc. to engage their fans. The Arctic Monkeys are a good example of this, but I don't like their vocals much.

Where I live in Birmingham there's a dearth of casual live music venues. Everything is stitched up by the money men, and Ronnie Scotts (a live Jazz venue) had to close. It's more lucrative to open strip clubs instead. I hope one day sense will prevail, but I suspect not.

The British Isles is one of the most musically creative places on the planet. Your average musically literate citizen knows a **huge** amount of stuff, and loves talking about it. We ain't finished yet!

[techieMoe]

Music from the 90's was very forgetable. I can't think of any bands that formed in that period that are still making music. All the long-lasting acts are pre-90's. I blame it on how shallow the music industry has become. Sure there were good singles put out but very very few good albums. The only thing the 90's left me with was linux and the internet. The music sucked.

Now, you can't blanket the entire decade in one generalization. I happened to like a great many bands in the 1990-1996 era, but after that point was when the boy bands and pop princesses started to show up. I say after 1996 is when the industry as a whole went downhill.

But just like anything else, musical taste is very subjective.

[bigtomrodney]

I happened to like a great many bands in the 1990-1996 era, but after that point was when the boy bands and pop princesses started to show up.

I think you summed it up there. All of the good 90s music was up until about '96. After that even the indie stuff seemed more corporate. Look at Oasis's 3rd album and onwards.

Another album I'd like to add : Beck - Mellow Gold. It's a rough Indie album that really shouldn't be classified. It's amazing how a detuned guitar and some lazy singing into a four track can become one of your favourite albums.

Classic songs like Beercan, Nitemare Hippy Girl and the now overplayed Loser.

[cheesecake42]

Blind Melon, Primus, The greatest band of all time, Ween. Ooh, the flaming lips too.

Smashing Pumpkins

have you heard anything from their new album? planning on seeing them on their current tour?