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....


....

....


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.

Stop the presses!! A new king will reign supreme!

I really should have done this before I published any of the Top 100 list, but I'm an idiot and I forgot. This may or may not come as a shock to anyone, but...

... I decided before I even picked the top 100 songs of the 90's that I would ban what would otherwise be a shoe-in for #1: "Smells Like Teen Spirit" by Nirvana. That's right, the most ubiquitous song of the 1990's wasn't eligible for this lousy blogger's list.

We all know it's a great song. I am not denying that. I know the impact it had on the music world and on popular culture. My intent here was not to be one of those hipsters that shits all over a beloved band simply because of its massive popularity. Nirvana is one of my favorite bands, but quite honestly 'Teen Spirit' is the obvious choice and has been the obvious choice for #1 song for quite some time now. So much has been written about it (and the band at large) that there's nothing left to say about it. I knew when I first tuned into VH1's special that it would be the #1 song, and it made the top 20 quite anticlimactic. I didn't want that for my list, so I purposely left it out.

So call it the "real" #1 if you want. I cannot dispute its greatness (6 million views on YouTube, are you kidding me?), but I thought that it was time for some other song to shine as the best song of the 90's.

Top 100 Songs of the 1990's: #40-21

A (few) day(s) late, a dollar short. Let’s jump into a top 40 list that doesn’t suck.

40. Beck – "Loser" (1994)
From Mellow Gold

If there’s one thing I like making, it’s broad, sweeping over-generalizations. Beck’s “Loser” is a perfect target for a classic…

It doesn’t really matter what popular music sounds like in a given generation; it’s probably a safe bet that the parents of said generation hate that music. Your grandparents hated the Beatles. Their parents probably hated Frank Sinatra. (I don’t care much for Sinatra either, but I have no taste or class, so whatever.) And, parents of my generation didn’t much care for alternative rock. “Loser” made it harder to justify its existence with the line “I’m a loser baby / So why don’t you kill me?”

Seriously, try and explain away a garbage line like that without saying a) he’s just being ironic/sarcastic or b) he doesn’t really mean it. Go ahead, I’ll wait.

Time’s up.

Got nothing? I thought so. Now, I realize it’s not a requisite for your parents to like your music. But if you’re justifying something as being “good” and not just mindless entertainment, shouldn’t you have some sort of substance? The song is catchy and the lyrics, though nonsensical, are actually ones that I sing along to every time it’s on. But that’s not really enough. No wonder Generation X (and whatever generation I am; I’m between X and Y) are looked down upon.

39. Marcy Playground – "Sex and Candy" (1997)
From Marcy Playground

I’m not a candy person – and some would say I’m not a sex person either – but this one-hit wonder from Marcy Playground indeed combines two of life’s greatest pleasures. Like the rest of the album, “Sex and Candy” is music with dopey lyrics – what the hell is disco lemonade, anyway? – and a chill-out acoustic vibe. This is another one of those songs that I loved the hell out of then, and still rock it on a jukebox occasionally.

38. Green Day – "Good Riddance (Time of Your Life)" (1997)
From Nimrod

On the VH1 special, Green Day front man Billie Joe Armstrong said that “Time of Your Life” was one of the most punk rock things the band could do. I suppose if doing the opposite of what everyone else is doing, he was right.

Obviously this song was everywhere – even the second-last episode of Seinfeld – when it came out, which kind of hurts its legacy a bit. Yeah, sure, it’s a charming change of pace for a band known for snotty punk-rock, but did radio really need another weepy, acoustic ballad?

37. Sublime – "What I Got (Reprise)" (1996)
From Sublime

I’ve grown to like Sublime over the years, but when they first were played on the radio I didn’t understand what all the fuss was about. True, Brad Nowell had a knack for writing the occasional pop gem, like “What I Got,” but in my opinion he also had a lot of clunkers.

Luckily for the band, “What I Got” makes up for all the other crap with what a lot of today’s music is lacking: soul. You could feel what he was talking about in some of his better songs. I picked the “reprise” version of the song because the original or whatever kind of sucks.

36. Nirvana – "Lithium" (1991)
From Nevermind

How in the hell do you pick a song from a band that had so many hits in a short period of time? Add to that the fact that none of those songs – with the obvious exception of ‘Teen Spirit’ – really stands head and shoulders above the rest. They’re just all that good.

“Lithium” gets the nod because I’ve always liked the bass line and when I first heard the song I think it was the first time I’d ever heard the word “horny” used in a rock song.

35. The Verve Pipe – "The Freshmen" (1996)
From Villians

I’m pretty sure I was a sophomore in high school the year this came out. “The Freshman” is one of those mellow sad-bastard type tunes, except that it wasn’t whiny like all the other ones. It’s almost kind of depressing, but even now I can’t help but sing along with it.

Unfortunately, the rest of the album was mediocre except for one other single, “Villains.” I thought the only released one album after their big hit, but according to Wikipedia they’ve been releasing records ever since.

34. Counting Crows – "Mr. Jones" (1993)
From August and Everything After

I hate to rely heavily on the VH1 special for my whatever-you-want-to-call-thems on these songs, but when people were suggesting that “Mr. Jones” was about Adam Duritz’s penis, I had to take note. The more that I think about it, it would have been a really clever idea to write a song about his dong. It would have been the best male genital-related song since Chuck Berry’s “My Ding-a-Ling.”

Except, of course, that it wasn’t. It was probably for the best, anyway. “Mr. Jones” is one of those songs that you can spin on a jukebox that no one really has a problem with.

33. Vanilla Ice – "Ice Ice Baby" (1990)
From To the Extreme

Do you realize it’s been nearly 20 years since Vanilla Ice (a.k.a. Rob Van Winkle) tore up the dance floor with this jam? The more I think about it, the more I can’t explain his success. I was about 9 at the time, what was everyone else’s excuse?

Regardless, this song is so ingrained in our popular culture that I don’t think I’m the only one who knows most of the words and can’t help himself by singing along when it comes on. I would talk about the whole controversy with the Queen sample being the whole song, but really, who gives a shit?

32. Alanis Morisette – "You Oughta Know" (1995)
From Jagged Little Pill

Uncle Joey? Seriously? I think my youth is forever scarred with the knowledge that this song is supposedly about Dave Coulier.

Angry chick rock was pretty popular in the mid-90’s, even with stupid guys like me. I don’t really have any sort of explanation, therefore I will not explain it.

31. Blink-182 – "Adam’s Song" (1999)
From Enema of the State

Blink-182 was probably my favorite pop-punk bands of the era, and it didn’t have so much to do with the music as it did with the humor used in the music. The first time I saw them in 2000, I believe, was awesome because they spent a good part of the show insulting each other on stage.

So of course I’m going to take a completely different route and come up with their saddest song for their entry onto this list. “Adam’s Song” had much the same effect as Green Day’s “Time of Your Life” except that this time around it didn’t seem like such a big deal. This song – about suicide – had an understated charm and showed the world that even a band that made its living on dick and fart jokes had a heart.

30. House of Pain – "Jump Around" (1992)
From House of Pain

“Word to your moms / I came to drop bombs / I got more rhymes / Than the Bible’s got psalms” is one of my favorite lines in the song. Why? I don’t know, it just is. I think this song is so popular because you don’t have to dance to it; you jump around like an idiot just as the title implies. I think that explains why it’s so popular in Madison…

29. Everclear – "Father of Mine" (1997)
From So Much for the Afterglow

I can’t ever claim that I had a hard life. My family was middle-class; I didn’t have the nicest things growing up, but my wardrobe wasn’t from Goodwill and the food I ate didn’t come from a soup kitchen. Perhaps more importantly, and unlike other people in my life, my parents were married and still are to this day. So maybe “Father of Mine” didn’t affect me on the same level as it might have for them. But the truth of the matter is that my father and I were quite distant at the time. I may have had a father, but it didn’t make listening to this song any less painful. It hit close to home for me (like I said, in a slightly different way) and I cried in my room when I first heard it.

I thought Everclear was awesome on their album before this one; “Father of Mine” was a big reason why I fell in love with them all over again.

Special Note: I’m noticing more and more that the songs in this batch are in no-man’s land. Earlier songs may not be as good, but they were quirky in some way which gave me material. The top 20 songs are the best of the best, so to speak, so there should be something to say about them. But these songs, everybody knows them and the only things to say about most of them come from VH1 specials and Wikipedia. I don’t want to rehash old stuff (though I know I already have) so the most of the remaining songs in this group will have shorter descriptions. I would apologize for any inconvenience, but any comments so far have been about the placement of the song rather than what I’ve said about them. So whatever.

28. Soundgarden – "Black Hole Sun" (1994)
From Superunknown

I really wanted to like Soundgarden more, but I could never get into them beyond a few singles and some assorted covers. Make no mistake, they were a good, solid rock band. But they never really rose above that.

“Black Hole Sun” featured apocalyptic lyrics (the first of two on this list) and a video that was quite popular for its weirdness. Destructive kids likes me were most notably fond of the melted Barbie doll on the grill.

27. R.E.M. – "Losing My Religion" (1991)
From Out of Time

R.E.M. had its critical peak in the 80’s, but I think its commercial peak in the 90’s. “Losing My Religion” was largely responsible for that. Apparently no one really knows what the lyrics mean, and neither do I.

26. Alice in Chains – "Angry Chair" (1992
From Dirt

When I lived in an apartment in college, the ugly white typists’ chair I bought at a thrift store for a dollar served as my own personal “angry chair.” That’s where I wrote most of my best stuff. (The pieces that are on the sidebar of this blog, if you wanted to know.) So that’s what I think of when I hear this song, long nights spent writing about being bitter and pissed off.

I think what’s most striking to me about “Angry Chair” is the fact that, like a lot of Alice in Chains songs, the vocals are just so damn haunting.

25. Third Eye Blind – "Motorcycle Drive-by" (1997)
From Third Eye Blind

If this list were about non-singles of the 90’s, this song would probably be #1. I don’t know too many people who know this song, yet among Third Eye Blind fans I think it’s a favorite. The band obviously holds it in high regard as it is on their greatest hits album.

“Motorcycle Drive-by” has everything I could want in a song: a good quiet/loud dynamic, quality lyrics, and a killer chorus. I once sang this song on karaoke at a graduation party; I’m sure no one knew what the hell I was singing but it was awesome. I especially put a lot of feeling into my favorite line: “I’ve never been so alone / and I’ve never been so alive.”

24. Red Hot Chili Peppers – "Under the Bridge" (1991)

From Blood Sugar Sex Magik

Hey, look, a Red Hot Chili Peppers song with lyrics that make some sort of sense!

23. Green Day – "Longview" (1994)
From Dookie

The opening bass line to this song is one of the most memorable of the 90’s. “Long View” captures being bored quite well, thus there isn’t really anything more to say about it, is there? “When masturbation’s lost its fun, you’re fucking breaking” is a classic line.

22. Metallica – "King Nothing" (1996)
From Load

Hardcore metal fans hated on anything Metallica released starting with the Black Album. I think I’ll be saying more about this when – here’s a surprise – I write about “Enter Sandman” later in the list. In the meantime, the opening bass line is once again awesome, the riff is good, and even the lyrics aren’t trite as metal tends to be. “King Nothing” is probably my favorite track from the Load/Reload era.

21. Tool - "Aenema" (1996)
From Aenima

At first, this was my favorite Tool song. That opening riff is memorable and the lyrics have to do with the apocalypse, at least as far as California is concerned. Now I still like the song – and far be it from me to mind California sinking into the ocean – but maybe I’ve mellowed a bit over time. I’m still pretty angry and I still don’t like people, but the lyrics don’t resonate with me as much as they once did. Well, “Fuck all these dysfunctional, insecure actresses” still holds true today.

That’s it for #40-21. Goddamn was it a struggle just to get through this batch. Hopefully the top 20 will be worlds easier and we can get through it together. Look for it by Saturday.

A Stunning Defeat

The Packers' 23-20 loss to the Giants in OT last night was disgusting. I sat in a shocked, stunned silence for awhile before playing "You Can't Always Get What You Want" by the Rolling Stones. What's worse, I couldn't stop thinking about it, causing me to have a hard time sleeping. What's weird is that when I woke up throughout the first thought that popped in my mind were of the football variety. Though I've been a Packer fan all my life, I'd never say I bleed Green and Gold; I feel the pain of a crushing loss (last night, the 4th-and-26 game) or the joy of a resounding win (Favre's Monday nighter after his dad died) but then I move on. It's still just a game to me, not my life. Something in my subconscious changed last night. It's kind of funny (and reassuring) that the things I had dreamed about were sort of comical.

Seriously, I dreamed I created an image of Eli Manning and Brett Favre as a combination LOLcat and "No, not yours!" (popular on Fark) image. I think I spend too much time on the internet.

The other thing was even dumber: I was writing a blog post about 5 things the Packers can do now that they're not in the playoffs anymore. The only two I remember are 1) Al Harris can redeem all the frequent flier miles he accrued by chasing Plaxico Burress all over Lambeau field last night. and 2) Brett Favre can finally fill out that application for the AARP.

Hey, no one ever said I was funny (or original.)

So, in my own long-winded way, the real point of telling you all this is that because of the game last night I didn't sleep well and felt like shit today, so I didn't feel like writing #40-21 on the list. You'll just have to wait until tomorrow.

Top 100 Songs of the 1990's: #60-41

Maybe one of these days I'll get the formatting right.

60. Radiohead – "Creep" (1993)
From Pablo Honey

A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away Radiohead was once just another British alt-rock band. “Creep” was easily their biggest hit – from their debut album, no less! – and still more than likely their most well-known song. As far as singles go, yeah, “Creep” is probably their catchiest and most accessible song. Then Thom Yorke started writing about computers and alienation and God-knows-what else, thus becoming critically acclaimed and leaving 90’s pop nuggets (and things like “basic song structure” and “human emotions”) like “Creep” in the sands of time.

59. Stone Temple Pilots – "Vasoline" (1994)
From Purple

David Spade once said on Saturday Night Live that he liked Stone Temple Pilots better… when they were named Pearl Jam. I can see it somewhat; Scott Weiland and Eddie Vetter sound fairly similar, and they’re both grunge-y acts from the west coast. But Pearl Jam always seemed more based in classic rock while STP seemed to have more of a modern edge.

Enough with the history lesson, though. “Vasoline” gets credit for being the loudest and the heaviest of STP’s singles. Normally this isn’t a recipe for success, but let’s be honest here: Stone Temple Pilots’ songs sound mostly the same. It’s solid -- if unspectacular – music, no doubt. Perhaps it’s a sign that I overrated them at #59, but at the same time their averageness is their strength; they know what they’re good at and they don’t mess with a formula that’s not broken.

58. Weezer – "Buddy Holly" (1994)
From Weezer

One wonders how many people were converted to the Church of Weezer based on this video alone. If you don’t remember (and haven’t clicked play yet) this Spike Jonze directed clip features the boys in Weezer recast as Richie Cunningham and the gang from Happy Days. It seemed like it was ahead of its time, uh, at the time, but I’m not one for video technology so I don’t really know.

Anyway, “Buddy Holly” was just one of eight (I don’t much care for “No One Else” and “Holiday”) insta-classics on the “Blue” album. As its name suggests, “Buddy Holly” is kind of a throwback to pop music of old. It’s short and urgent and you could dance to it if that’s how you roll. The keyboard flourishes do give it a new-wave feel (even more apparent on the demo version), but it actually adds from the song instead of making it sound like 80’s garbage.

57. Harvey Danger – "Flagpole Sitta" (1998)
From Where Have All The Merrymakers Gone?

“Flagpole Sitta” is my favorite one hit wonder of the 90’s, hands down. In fact, the song is so damn good that I have recently started actually listening to the rest of the album and found that it’s a pretty good record overall. The song has some great lines like “I’ve been around the world and found that only stupid people are breeding / The cretins cloning and feeding” and “I wanna rage against machines / I wanna pierce my tongue, it doesn’t hurt it feels fine.” “Flagpole Sitta” really did capture the attitude of some people in the 90’s and did it in a witty way.

56. Local H – "Bound for the Floor" (1996)
From As Good as Dead

Local H is another criminally underrated band that started in the 90’s. The power duo – yes, there are only two of them – from Zion, IL were compared to Nirvana when they first came out, but I think of Local H as more of a hard rock band whereas Nirvana are more alternative.

“Bound for the Floor” was a breakout hit for the band, and I think the only one that got any radio or MTV play. Much like Our Lady Peace, this is a shame because they have so much more to offer and haven’t yet released a clunker of an album. Plus, they do a kick ass cover of Britney Spears’ “Toxic.” What more do you want?

55. Stabbing Westward – "What Do I Have to Do?" (1996)
From Wither Blister Burn & Peel

Soon after Nine Inch Nails’ rise to stardom as one of the 90s’ biggest artists, there were imitators and challengers to the throne. (A liar’s chair, natch.) Along with Gravity Kills, Stabbing Westward was one of those bands. Though I can sort of see the similarities, Stabbing Westward struck me as more poppy – which is sort of absurd considering this is still hard rock we’re talking about – than NIN, and also where Trent Reznor’s lyrics dealt a lot with his inner pain, Christopher Hall’s, though also about personal pain, they also seemed to include other people.

Stabbing Westward was my second concert – I had seen half a Smashing Pumpkins show the year before – and it made perfect sense considering my state of mind at the time. “What Do I have to Do?” along with other songs were heavy yet accessible, and the lyrics spoke to me: “What do I have to do / To make you happy? / What do I have to do / To make you understand?” And then, of course, the rejection: “What do I have to do / to forget about you?”

54. Presidents of the United States of America – "Peaches" (1996)
From The Presidents of the United States of America

While everybody else was being serious and depressing in Seattle, PUSA was rockin’ out and being goofy. In fact, an ex-girlfriend and I had determined that the Presidents were too goofy to be on drugs. That’s actually a strong statement to make considering The Beatles were so tripped out on acid that they wrote “Yellow Submarine” and let Ringo sing it.

The thing I’ve always wondered about “Peaches” – and the theory that they’re too goofy for drugs answers it – is that is the song actually about fruit or is it about certain parts of the female anatomy? I may never know, but one thing is for certain: I’m still kicking myself over not seeing them on their reunion tour in 2005.

53. Cake – "I Will Survive" (1996)
From Fashion Nugget

A deadpan remake of a disco hit is the last thing you’d expect to be a hit, but somehow, someway, Cake managed to do it. I’m not even sure how you’d describe Cake as far as genre goes; the vocals are monotonous and droning, there’s a horn player and the guitars are kind of retro sounding. Perhaps someone more musically inclined than I can identify the sound. “I Will Survive” isn’t Cake’s only awesome cover song; they also do killer versions of “Sad Songs and Waltzes” (by Willie Nelson) and “Ruby, Don’t Take Your Love to Town” (by Kenny Rogers).

52. Korn – "Blind" (1994)
From Korn

“Blind” was the first track on Korn’s first album. When I first heard it, it hit me like a punch to the face. I was a Korn fan from then on, but unfortunately they got lamer and lamer until I didn’t care anymore. If Korn’s remembered for anything other than making a few good singles (“No Place to Hide,” “ADIDAS,” “Got the Life”) it’s for being partially responsible for the glut of shitty rap-metal acts in the late nineties, such as Limp Bizkit and Coal Chamber, and eventually nu-metal like Linkin Park and P.O.D. Thanks a lot, Korn!

51. The Bloodhound Gang – "Fire Water Burn" (1996)
From One Fierce Beer Coaster

“Fire Water Burn” wasn’t even the Bloodhound Gang’s biggest hit; that honor would go to “The Bad Touch.” Though both are clever, a big edge goes to “Fire Water Burn.” Where else are you going to hear a reference to a Pixies song, (“If man is five and the devil is six, then that must make me seven / This honkey’s gone to heaven.”), Webster, Han Solo, and Adolf Hitler? Only in a BHG song, that’s where.

50. Eels – "Novocaine for the Soul" (1996)
From Beautiful Freak

I once heard that the long pause near the beginning of the song wasn’t inserted for dramatic effect, but because Mark Oliver Everett, lead singer of Eels, didn’t like whatever music was in that space. I’m not sure I believe that entirely, but that silence as a hook is one of the quirks that makes listening to “Novocaine for the Soul,” and other Eels songs so enjoyable.

Everett has been called a poor man’s Beck, and though it’s not apparent in this song, it becomes more obvious as you listen to entire albums. He really has a knack for taking disparate genres and making good pop songs out of them, but if you want a more straightforward approach “Novocaine” is a good start.

49. Metallica – "Turn the Page" (1998)
From Garage Inc.

I tried to stay away from having too many cover songs on this list. There were plenty of them in the 90’s and there always will be, and a lot of those songs are damn fun to listen to. However – and you may disagree with me here – part of the reason those songs are so fun is because the original artists gave the covering band such good source material to work with.

Metallica were blessed with Bob Seger’s stellar song about being on the road. Though they certainly infused it with their own sound, they didn’t stray too far from the spirit of the original. If anything, they did bring to light a different aspect of being out on tour for so long: Seger’s version was more about being exausted; Metallica’s was more about the frustration of it all. Their both good songs in their own right, and “Turn the Page” was clearly one of the best cover songs of the 90’s. Video is probably NSFW.

48. White Zombie – "Thunderkiss ‘65" (1992)
From La Sexorcisto, Devil Music Vol. 1

Somewhere in the middle is a good place for White/Rob Zombie. White Zombie was certainly a force to be reckoned with in the 90’s with Rob’s special fusion of alt-metal and horror flicks. It’s really hard to pick just one single; they all deal with pretty much the same topic: horror movie kitsch. “Thunderkiss ‘65” happens to be about a car, much like solo hit “Dragula,” I guess. The other problem with picking a Zombie song is that none of the lyrics really say anything. They’re just sort of there to go along with the punishing music. It doesn’t matter though, as Zombie is good, harmless fun that you can mosh to.

47. Pantera – "Walk" (1992)
From Vulgar Display of Power

I’m sure there are people out there who think Pantera were more metal than Metallica, and maybe by certain definitions they are. Who cares? They managed to write a few good songs over the course of their career, even though just about every one had that same annoying, screechy guitar solo from Dimebag Darrell. Whatever, here’s a conversation between Beavis and Butt-head that sums up Pantera’s music. (I'll put it here later....)

46. “Weird Al” Yankovic – "Smells Like Nirvana" (1992)
From Off the Deep End

“Smells Like Nirvana” marked the beginning of the notion that a band had “made it” once you were parodied by “Weird Al” Yankovic. The song is notable because it parodies the artist that is being parodied, such as the incomprehensibility of Nirvana’s lyrics. My favorite part is one that I think should be incorporated into live shows, which is, of course, the kazoo solo. Seriously, they should handout kazoos before every show and I bet you most of the crowd would stand and blow on their kazoos when that part of the song came up.

As for the video, it was one of many that parodied the actual video, even going so far as to use the same janitor that was used in the original. For those that have seen him live, you’ll note that Yankovic cuts his wig on stage just like he does in the video. Such perfectionism for a parody of an artist that was notoriously sloppy.

45. Godsmack – "Whatever" (1998)
From Godsmack

This song is so high on this list because I loved the hell out of it when it came out. The guitars growled, the bass rumbled, Sully Erna (what an unfortunate name for a rock star, no?) spat “You better fucking go away!” over and over and it was my anthem for a while. Hell, it still might be because I just don’t like people.

But all good things must come to an end. The debut album had some other good tunes on it, but soon after Godsmack regressed into being one of the more boring hard rock bands of this decade. Oh well.

44. Smash Mouth – "Walking on the Sun" (1997)
From Fush Yu Mang

“Walking on the Sun” was the epitome of a crossover hit. It started in earnest on alt-rock radio, but then quickly made it to Top 40 stations and eventually to stations targeted at middle age women. Then they’re singles got lamer and lamer until eventually it’s tame enough to be featured in a Disney movie.

All of that notwithstanding, the fuzzy guitars and surf-rock overtones of “Walking on the Sun” were undeniably catchy. Smash Mouth truly were a party band, and I hope that any self-respecting DJ (who will be playing rock music) would have this song on his or her playlist.

43. Pearl Jam – "Corduroy" (1994)
From Vitalogy

Pearl Jam had a shit-ton of hits in the 90’s, but I think “Corduroy” flew under most peoples’ radars. I think the song is about not wanting to change, but more importantly not letting other people change you. It may be kind of subtle with a line like “You can buy, but can’t put on my clothes,” but I think the implication is there. Great guitar lines, good song. That’s all.

42. Tool – "Sober" (1993)
From Undertow

One might find it blasphemous that Tool, one of the greatest bands of the 90’s, has a song that didn’t even crack the top 40. Well, here’s the thing: Tool wasn’t always so awesome. They didn’t suck either, this is true, but it took them a while to rise to the upper echelon of rock music.

Undertow, the album “Sober” is from, sounds like it was produced in a sewer. This might be on purpose, I don’t know. I’ll never forget seeing Tool live for the first time at the U.S. Cellular Arena, the band kicking into “Sober,” and a bunch of shirtless meatheads rushing to the front of the stage and starting a mosh pit. “Why can’t we not be sober?” indeed.

41. Marilyn Manson – "The Beautiful People" (1996)
From Antichrist Superstar

Okay, show of hands: Who listened to Marilyn Manson not just because you liked the music somewhat, but because it probably scared the shit out of your parents? Anyone? I did. It makes me a poser, I’m sure, but I don’t care. I did like the music, however, and at that point in time I thought Mr. Manson was deep and intellectual as well. He may still be now, at least when he’s talking as a human being and not as his stage persona.

“The Beautiful People” was the lead single from Manson’s breakout album Antichrist Superstar. The guitar riff is insanely catchy and the lyrics are predictably dark. It’s basically “Goth Rock Songs” 101, but it is of no matter. “The Beautiful People” was the first in a string of good singles from the band, unfortunately over time the shock value has gone away and all that’s left is the music, which has kind of turned into a joke.

More than 2,500 words this time, and more were spent talking about histories of the bands instead of the songs themselves. Think that’s a good idea? #40-21 should be up either Saturday or Monday, but not on Sunday because I will be watching the Packers tear apart the Giants in the NFC championship game.

Just checked the formatting. Nope. Blogger can suck it once more.