The Best Punk and Grunge Songs of the ’90s
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A list of the best punk and grunge songs of the ’90s, including hits from Nirvana, Green Day, and the Offspring.
Nirvana- Smells Like Teen Spirit
Nirvana’s “Smells Like Teen Spirit” was one of the most defining grunge songs of the ’90s. It catapulted the band to global fame and brought grunge music into the mainstream. The song is an anthem for Generation X, with its front-man Kurt Cobain becoming a spokesman for a disaffected and disenchanted youth. The song’s opening riff is one of the most iconic in rock history, and its bassline has been copied by countless bands since. The song is a perfect example of Nirvana’s unique mix of punk and grunge, and remains one of their best-loved songs to this day.
Pearl Jam- Alive
“Alive” is a song by the American rock band Pearl Jam. Alive was included on Pearl Jam’s debut album, Ten (1991). Though attributed to all members of Pearl Jam, it was primarily written by vocalist Eddie Vedder. The song peaked at number 16 on the Billboard Mainstream Rock Tracks chart.
Pearl Jam recorded “Alive” during its first studio session with producer Rick Parashar in 1991. The band approached Parashar with an idea of recording a live album, though Parashar was hesitant about the idea. Instead, the band decided to record individual songs in a live setting over the course of several days. The first day of recording featured the tracks “Alive”, “Once”, and “Footsteps”.
The song was inspired by a newspaper story Vedder read about a young man who had been tried for the murder of his father. The story left Vedder feeling confused and he felt anger towards people who judged the man without knowing his circumstances. Alive is one of four songs on Ten that deals with abuse; the others are “Why Go”, “Release”, and “Black”. Regarding the song’s theme, Vedder said:
The lyrics to “Alive” tell the semi-biographical story of rape and incest from the point of view of Notre Dame football player Jeremy Newberry. Newberry’s mother died when he was seven years old and his father soon began sexually abusing him. When Newberry was thirteen, his father committed suicide.
Soundgarden- Black Hole Sun
soundgarden’s black hole sun stands as one of the most iconic singles of the ’90s. The song, which is about the impending doom of society, was released in may 1994 as the lead single from the band’s fourth studio album, superunknown. black hole sun peaked at number six on the billboard hot 100 chart and won a grammy award for best hard rock performance in 1995.
Alice in Chains- Down in a Hole
Alice in Chains was one of the most successful grunge bands of the ’90s, and “Down in a Hole” is one of their most iconic songs. The song is about addiction and despair, and it perfectly captures the dark mood of the ’90s.
Stone Temple Pilots- Interstate Love Song
“Interstate Love Song” is a 1994 song by American rock band Stone Temple Pilots. It was released as the second single from their second album, Purple. The song peaked at number three on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, making it the band’s highest-charting single until their 2003 hit “Someday”.
Green Day- Basket Case
“Basket Case” is a song by the American punk rock band Green Day. It is the seventh track from their third studio album, Dookie and was released as the second single from the album in May 1994. The song spent five weeks at number one on the US Modern Rock Tracks chart and peaked at number two on the Billboard Hot 100, becoming their highest-charting single until 2010’s “Good Riddance (Time of Your Life)”.
The Offspring- Self Esteem
“Self Esteem” is a song by The Offspring. It was released in May 1994 as the second single from their album Smash. The song peaked at number 36 on the Billboard Hot 100 Airplay chart, number 14 on the Billboard Modern Rock Tracks chart, and number 7 on the UK Singles Chart. It is widely considered to be one of the band’s signature songs.
Blink 182- Dammit
Blink 182- Dammit released in 1997 is a punk rock song sung by Tom Delonge. The song is about a young man who is struggling to cope with the break-up of his first serious relationship.
Weezer- Say It Ain’t So
Weezer’s blue album introduced many Gen-Xers to alternative rock in the early ‘90s, and “Say It Ain’t So” was the most popular single from that breakthrough release. The track was written by frontman Rivers Cuomo about his battle with alcoholism, and the music video features him destroying a bottle of bourbon.
NOFX- Linoleum
“Linoleum” is a song by the Los Angeles punk rock band NOFX. It was released in 1994 as the lead single from their fifth studio album Punk in Drublic. The song is one of the band’s most popular, and has been called “an anthem for slackers everywhere”.
The song is about how people can change their lives for the better, even if they’re not particularly ambitious. The lyrics tell the story of a young man who chooses to drop out of school and become a janitor, because he doesn’t see any other options for himself. Despite his low-paying job and lack of prospects, he’s happy because he’s doing what he wants to do. He even has a girlfriend who loves him for who he is.
“Linoleum” was written by NOFX frontman Fat Mike and guitarist Eric Melvin. It was one of the first songs the band wrote together, and it took them only a few minutes to come up with the music and lyrics. The song was recorded in just two takes, with Fat Mike singing and playing bass, Melvin playing guitar, and drummer Erik Stewart keeping time.
The song became an instant punk classic, and it remains one of NOFX’s most popular songs. It has been covered by many other bands, including Green Day, Blink-182, Sum 41, and Weezer.
