Top 100 songs of the 1990's: #20-1

It's the moment you've all been waiting for. Probably so you can bitch and moan about which songs were left out, not high enough, too high, etc. etc. Saturday night's alright for fighting... and the top 20. Here comes murderers row of the 90's.

20. Eminem feat. Dr. Dre - "Guilty Conscience" (1999)
From The Slim Shady LP


I don't know whether Eminem was so popular with white kids simply because he was white, or because he was rapping about things that most MC's wouldn't have even thought of. Of course, that didn't matter much because 'Slim Shady' quickly gained popularity throughout the hip hop community as a whole.

So why is it top 20 worthy? Because as a rap song it was so damn different than anything else at the time. "My Name Is" might have been the more popular track, but "Guilty Conscience" was far more clever with the interplay of good (Dr. Dre) vs. evil (Eminem).



19. Beastie Boys - "Sabotage" (1994)
From Ill Communication


The rap/rock song might have first appeared when Run DMC and Aerosmith joined forces for a remake of "Walk This Way," but I think the first truly great one was "Sabotage" by the Beastie Boys. The music was rockin', the video memorable; I thought the Beastie Boys were my new favorite band.

Of course, they're a rap group not a rock band, so ever since them I've been mostly disappointed in their work. This isn't to say they don't have any other good songs, but, eh, "Sabotage" trumps them all.




18. Smashing Pumpkins - "Disarm" (1993)
From Siamese Dream

When this record came out I wasn't quite into music, so I can't talk about my initial gut reaction to this song. But a few years later I got heavily into the Smashing Pumpkins and "Disarm" became one of my favorite songs. I think it's about growing up too fast. I always thought I skipped out on the best years of my life. Certainly, I did it to myself. But at the same time there was always a sense of smug satisfaction somewhere in the back of my mind that I didn't act too silly and stupid when I was a teenager and a college student.

I kind of regret it now; I'm sure I missed out on a lot of memories. But it was songs like "Disarm" that got me through those lonely times.




17. Alice in Chains - "Heaven Beside You" (1995)
From Alice in Chains

When some people think of Alice of Chains, they probably think of them as being heavy and somewhat depressing. This is mostly true, but if you're looking for something slightly different look no further than "Heaven Beside You." Personally, I think it's their most beautiful song and it's easily my favorite.

Unfortunately, the heroin got to Layne Staley and the band went on a more-or-less hiatus after the release of the album. They never got a chance to write a song as great as "Heaven Beside You."



16. Weezer - "Only In Dreams" (1994)
From Weezer

Remember when I said that "Motorcycle Drive-by" was my favorite non-single of the 90's? Well I had forgotten that I had this gem in the top 20. Instead of admitting a mistake, I think I'll just go with it and say that it edges out Third Eye Blind ever so slightly.

An epic Weezer song is quite the novelty coming from a band whose albums are mostly in the 30-minute-long range. But it's not the novelty that I like, it's the fact that the song is just so god damned beautiful. Add to that the lyrics which got me through a dry spell with the ladies in college and a buildup to a payoff that was awesome, and you've got the formula for a fucking awesome song.





15. Ben Folds Five - "Brick" (1997)
From Whatever and Ever Amen


There really isn't that much to say about this Ben Folds Five track other than to say it's so pretty and so poignant. Really not an easy thing to accomplish with a song about abortion. I got into Folds with this song and haven't stopped listening to the 21st Century Piano Man (I just made that up) since. "Brick" is a testament to the talent of Ben Folds and is just one of many facets to his brilliant songwriting.



14. Snoop Doggy Dogg - "Gin and Juice" (1993)
From Doggystyle


"There's so much drama in the LBC / It's kinda hard to be the Snoop D-O-double G" ... c'mon, I know you know all the words to this one. Snoop's smooth voice and laid-back style contribute heavily to the success of this song. I liked this song when it came out, even though I had no idea what "bubonic chronic" was (though I had an idea) and I've been a fan of the song since.

Something about it resonates with me even though the song is basically about a party and some bitches. As further proof, some bands have covered with various degrees of success. My personal favorite of those is the version by The Gourds. Back in the day of free Napster, it was misattributed to Phish, but that didn't matter. A jam-band version of a rap song. No way!



13. Third Eye Blind - "Semi-charmed Life" (1997)
From Third Eye Blind

This song was so damn popular and acceptable that it was played at my sophomore homecoming dance. I know, because I was actually there (the only one I would attend) and I was taken aback that they would play something so awesome. Not bad for a song about drugs and blow jobs. That juxtaposition of poppy, upbeat music and darker themes is a tenet of Third Eye Blind's music, and probably a big reason why I loved their debut album so much.





12. Everclear - "Santa Monica" (1995)
From Sparkle and Fade

Sometimes all you need for a killer song is a few good chords and an awesome chorus. "Santa Monica" was proof of this. "We can live beside the ocean / Leave the fire behind / Swim out past the breakers / And watch the world die," seemed like such a good idea at the time, and "I just wanna find some place to be alone" defines me on any given day. I just love this song and never seem to get sick of it.





11. Verve - "Bittersweet Symphony" (1997)
From Urban Hymns

Standing outside the cusp of the Top 10, we have Verve, a britpop band that was probably bigger in the UK than it ever was here with the exception of this single. It's an awesome song, making me go so far as to purchase the import single of it. I could go so far as to say the music itself is genuinely uplifting.

Part of the reason it's so memorable is that basically the whole song is based off a sample of a Rolling Stones song. This caused some controversy over royalties, all of which went to the Stones, who in turn lent the song to a Nike commerical. Apparently, The Verve never made a penny off the song according to Wikipedia. None of the other singles ever got as big as "Bittersweet Symphony," but with such a great song, who needs more than one?


10. Nine Inch Nails - "Closer" (1994)
From The Downward Spiral

I never thought something that sounded so disturbing could be so sexy. That relenting uhn-tiss uhn-tiss beat ingrained itself in my head, but of course singing "I wanna fuck you like an animal" is kind of frowned upon in public. As with a lot of people I'm sure, "Closer" got me hooked on NIN. The video, as you might already know, is plenty messed up. In fact, it's so messed up, the unedited version isn't even allowed on YouTube.



9. Foo Fighters - "Everlong" (1997)
From The Colour and the Shape

I'm not sure I can put my finger on exactly why this song is so great. It just is. Whenever I hear the song, i get this feeling of exhiliration. "If everything could ever feel this real forever /
If anything could ever be this good again" reminds me of loves both past and current. "Everlong" is just one of those songs, that for me, is simply unforgettable.






8. Oasis - "Wonderwall" (1995)
From What's The Story, Morning Glory?

Okay, so it turns out that Oasis never got bigger than the Beatles, not even in their own country. They sure gave it a hell of a try with "Wonderwall," even going so far as to name it after an instrumental album by George Harrison.

An odd memory pops up when I think about Oasis, and it is that my freshman year in high school, my English teacher wanted us to fill out a survey, and one of the questions was "what are your favorite bands?" I put down Oasis (along with the Smashing Pumpkins) probably because of their heavy Beatles influence. "Wonderwall" is the pinnacle of a modest catalog of just straight-up good pop songs. It's one thing to make a sprawling epic of a song -- and Oasis tried that as well -- but creating a 4-minute gem is something to really be proud of.




7. Tool - "Stinkfist" (1996)
From Aenema

I remember not liking this song at all when it came out. In fact, I didn't even like Tool in 1996. However, time went on and I became a Tool fan (not just a tool) and the rest is history. I think "Stinkfist" is the best of the 90's singles because, even though Tool is mainly known as an arty metal band, they managed to combine some of that with a big chunk of rock into a (relatively) compact 5 minute track.

It may be their catchiest as well, as was evidenced this past summer when they played Summerfest, as 20,000 or so headbanged and chanted in perfect sync to the line "I'll...keep...digging / Until... I... feel... SOMETHING!"

You can probably tell by the title, but if not, the song is about sticking various appendages into different body cavities. This led to MTV showing the title of the song as "Track #1," which was pretty lame.



6. Nirvana - "Heart Shaped Box" (1993)
From In Utero

Once again writing about a Nirvana is so damn hard because so much has already been said. I think In Utero was more like what Kurt Cobain wanted Nirvana to sound like: raw and passionate. "Heart Shaped Box" was both, and I'll let the fact that it was about the Yoko Ono of the 90's -- Courtney Love -- slide.

Kind of like Alice in Chains, Nirvana came to and end far too quickly, and shortly after the band took a big step forward musically. Heroin's a hell of a drug, I guess.




4. Guns N' Roses - "November Rain" (1991)
From Use Your Illusion I

This song was nowhere on the VH1 list, and it was a curious omission at the time. I thought about it some more and I think I figured it out: "November Rain" sounds nothing like anything made in the 90's, and not in an original sort of way. It was so epic and so grandiose it sounds like something that belongs back with the hair metal that GNR so memorably left in the dust with their debut, "Appetite for Destruction."

But for all it's excess, it's still a great song. (I see I'm writing that a lot. Oh well.) The video was every bit as epic as the song itself, which I think is part of the reason "November Rain" is so memorable. I dunno about you, but when I hear someone mention the song, I can still see Slash soloing outside of that little church.

Axl Rose may contend that Chinese Democracy will come out some time in our lifetimes -- and it may -- but I seriously doubt anything on it will reach the levels of "November Rain."



3. Sir Mix-a-Lot - "Baby Got Back" (1992)
From Mack Daddy

"Oh my God, Becky look at her butt..." Just like "Gin and Juice" I could go on from start to finish with this classic.

"Baby Got Back" is so fun and so ridiculous that it's unforgettable. I have to stop and listen whenever it's on. When I go out and sing karaoke, there's always a little voice in my head that tells me to go ahead and try it, though I haven't yet. I've never been able to get enough of this song.

There's really not much more to say about "Baby Got Back," which is kind of sad for a song ranked so highly. Oh well, watch the video below and jam to it and you'll forget all about my shitty writing skills.

(And for more Mix goodness, try "Baby Got Back's" "sequel," "Put 'Em on the Glass")




2. Metallica - "Enter Sandman" (1991)
From Metallica

"Enter Sandman" exploded onto the airwaves in 1991 and the band never looked back. This, of course, pissed off the hardcore metal heads by taking something that was theirs and theirs alone and bringing it to the masses.

Popular opinion of Metallica has never been the same since.

There's one thing and one thing only I want to say about these metal fans: Their opinion should be completely disregarded. Not because it's wrong, however. Metallica did change their sound -- their reasons for doing so are irrelevant -- to something a bit more modern. Still their own sound, yes, but not the thrash metal of old.

They should be ignored because, like any other niche genre they are very defensive of it and anything that's different is feared. They are afraid of their precious little genre becoming popular with everyone. Metal fans are the republicans of the music world. Close-minded, ingorant, and self-righteous. Fuck them.

Now, back to "Sandman." Personally I don't mind the Black Album or anything released after it. Though it was ironic they sued Napster for doing exactly what their fans did when they were still thrashing in the Bay Area, I was willing to let that go because the music is what was important, and that music showed potential and growth. If I have any gripes with it, it's that all their releases ever since have been too damned long and could use some editing. "Master of Puppets" was great not because epics like "Disposable Heroes," but because it was over in 48 minutes and left you wanting more. Perhaps on their new album they'll remember that, but I doubt it. God damn CD's with your 80 minute run times!





You might wanna sit down for this, 'cause you might not like my #1 choice...

...wait, you already are sitting down....


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1. Smashing Pumpkins - "1979" (1995)
From Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness

The 1990's was the decade I grew up in. I had my first kiss, went to my first dance, went to my first concert, had my first lay, wrote my first poem (though that would change to strictly stories in the next decade), and had all sorts of other experiences that shaped my life. So it's no wonder that I picked a song that I think captured what adolescence felt like for me.

The music of the 90's provided a soundtrack for me that lives on today, and "1979" might just be the lead track. (This is with years of hindsight, mind you.) It has the ups and downs - the desolation and carelessness of youth. I can put it on to chill out, or put it on when I want to feel good because, at 26, it reminds me of all those things I went through. I mean, c'mon, if I'm writing what is essentially (an all-to-early, admittedly) a nostalgic list, why the hell not crown a song that makes me feel that way?

And the video? Don't even get me started on how brilliant it is. That's all that needs to be said.





That's it. It's done. Go home. Well, no, be sure to leave your complaints and disagreements in the comments section. I'll be sure to address them in the next post, along with some other odds and ends about the list. I'll cut you off on one complaint though, I know I forgot about Nada Surf's "Popular." Sue me.