My friend Paul Hurdlow, a fellow music fan, challenged me to name the best pop song of the 1990s. Well, that's a challenge for me as: 1. Not a huge fan of pop music, 2. Really, the 90s? Was this really a great decade for music? the era of Vanilla Ice and MC Hammer? and 3. I'm lazy and haven't written in awhile. Well, then I got into it and was actually quite surprised. I'm sure anyone could do a list of sorts but it's fun to play in the familiar world and I hope others might chime in with some that I missed. It's Saturday, it's sunny in London and I'm a bit hungover. So as I sit on my ledge overlooking the lovely park below, here's my best attempt at finding and locating the top 20 songs of the 90s (with honourable mentions as well). And then of course because I'm from Houston, I had to remake the list - chopped and screwed for ya'll.
TOP 20 POP ROCK OF THE 90s
20. Kid Rock - Bawitdaba. The ultimate hip hop/metal mash up. Still love the beginning.
19. Cake - The Distance. It's a fun song and not as annoying as other songs. Not much else to say.
18. Garbage - Queer. Garbage is just cool and I really like the vibe of this song. Could have picked any of 3 from this album, but this one's my favorite.
17. New Radicals - You Get What You Give. I really dig this song, the silly lyrics and the even goofier video. One hit wonder for certain.
16. Oasis - Wonderwall. A classic alt rock song that everyone will know forever.
15. Rage Against the Machine - Killing in the Name. I just couldn't leave off one of the most significant bands of the era. This is probably their best song. Protest music at its best.
14. U2 - One. Such a classic song with an amazing message. Overplayed, but it was a song that just struck me the second I heard it. Beautiful
13. Nirvana - The Man Who Sold the World. This is arguably the greatest cover I've ever heard in my life. I'm not sure it qualifies as a pop song. But I just couldn't bring myself to put Smells Like blah blah in here.
12. Butthole Surfers - Pepper. The Surfers were such a cool band. Were they better than U2? No. Not a chance. But I love this song. It's funny and weird and just what creative music is about.
11. Cranberries - Linger. Not even close to my favourite of their songs but it is beautiful. Her voice is just so perfect.
10. 2 Pac and Dr. Dre - California Love. I can't get away from this song. The 90s was all about cool laid back rap and nothing beats this collaboration. I could listen for hours.
9. Blind Melon - No Rain. I just love this song and its story of a mentally ill person being misunderstood. Very powerful really.
8. Portishead - Glory Box. There is literally nothing that I don't like about Portishead. I saw them in Austin years back. Unreal.
7. Beck - Loser. I chose Loser over the other Beck tracks. Yes, it's overplayed. But this was the coolest thing in the planet when it came out. Sometimes too much airplay keeps us from realising how great something really is.
6. Flaming Lips - She Don't Use Jelly. I know. It's not really a hit. But it was! Such a weird freaking song. More later.
5. Verve - Bittersweet Symphony. The opening of this is just so, so great. Great music written about great music. His voice is spectacular here.
4. Elliot Smith - Independence Day. Well I could pick many Elliott Smith songs, but this really was his only hit in the US. And it was so good that while its' probably his 10th best song, it's my fourth favourite pop song of the era.
3. Depeche Mode - Enjoy the Silence. There's just something about DM from this period. So freaking elegant and otherworldly. It's become familiar to us, but really such a beautiful song. I never knew they could be this great when I met them back in 1992 with my friend Todd Eckert. Just seemed like young dudes having a good time and partying a lot.
2. Jeff Buckley - Last Goodbye. It's just his searing voice and even greater on this track than almost all others. I know that's blasphemy to those who prefer the better known "Hallelujah", but take another listen to this gorgeous song. I love the introduction. So powerful. He had such talent.
1. Ben Folds Five - Brick. Honestly I'm not a Ben Folds Five fan at all. I find him too geeky for my taste. Kind of like Weezer. But god is this a well written song that holds up the test of time. For me, it gets better and better. Just so well done.
Link: Ben Folds - Brick
Honorable Mentions:
House of Pain - Jump Around
Back Street Boys - Everybody
Mazzy Star - Fade into You
Breeders - Cannonball
DJ Jazzy Jeff and the Fresh Prince - Summertime
Radiohead - Creep
Beastie Boys - Sure Shot
New Order - Regret
NOT SO POP BEST OF THE 90s
Chopped and Screwed now. I'm done with the Paul Hurdlow challenge and on to the Paul Wall Challenge. It feels great taking off the fucking slime of radio pop shyte for a second and get to what interests me - hidden tracks and gems. My top 20:
20. Paul Weller - Sunflower. For my UK friends, ignore the fact for a second that Weller is a UK pop sensation. Because most Americans do not know him at all. They don't know the Jam, Style Counsel or Paul's solo work at all for the most part. For my American friends, let me assure all of you that it is impossible not to love the album Wild Wood and its lead in track is just so strong.
19. The The - Dogs of Lust. I realised I had met a kindred spirit when this song came over my friend Mitch Agan's iTunes mix while playing pool and slamming margaritas back in Texas.
18. Pixies - Is She Weird? This song is just cool punk rock stuff from the coolest band of the late 80s. It's not particularly better than their other work. But I hated the thought of not having the Pixies on my list. Why? Because they inspired much of alt music in the 90s. Truly a band ahead of their time.
17. Massive Attack - Dissolved Girl. This song is beautiful, scary and quasi danceable all at the same time. It hooked me right into the Massives. Brilliant band, amazing album. So many great tracks to chose from on Mezzanine.
16. Jonathan Richman - I Was Dancing at a Lesbian Bar. Jonathan Richman is such an eccentric freak. His lyrics are just so, so cool.
15. Tricky - Hell is Round the Corner. So I gave you a Massive Attack and now raise you a Tricky. Freaking one of the coolest songs I've ever heard.
14. Jesus and Mary Chain - Far Gone and Out. Everyone knows the band, but only us nerds know this song. To me it's their best and far removed from the earlier better known work.
13. Sonic Youth - Dirty Boots. Sonic Youth was my favourite band of the late 80s/early 90s. I'm sure they would still be my favourite band today - if they could have frozen in time. Much better live, and even better live and in the 90s. So get your time machine out if you ever want to experience the greatness of Sonic Youth.
12. Dinosaur Jr - Feel the Pain. Love the lyrics. A classic indie song that never goes away. Dinosaur Jr. and Sonic Youth were all part of the same cadre of bands - pre-Nirvana. As you can tell by my lists I have somewhat of a limited tolerance for Nirvana. To me, post-punk was cool, Seattle sound was a bit less cool in many respects.
11. Paul Westerberg - Good Day. Just had to get him on the list. This song reveals the greatness of Paul, his plain spoken way - the genuine nature of an imperfect man with amazing perspective. If I had a personal theme song, this might be it. This one admittedly is not going to be everyone's cup of tea. The Replacements were the band that nobody wanted you to go see. The best band that never really fully made it. And Paul's solo career kind of slotted in the same way. But in the end, a good day is any day that you're alive.
10. R.E.M. - New Test Leper. Following the theme of non-hits from big time bands, REM did some amazing work on New Adventures in Lo-Fi. To me it was some of their most interesting songwriting. And I like that the recordings aren't too stylised. To me this is REM stripped down and its brilliant.
9. Pavement - Spit on a Stranger. The band Pavement was such an influence on current indie rock that they are almost unavoidable. Most people will not like the vocals. But I would suggest you give this more than one listen. Acquired taste for sure, but just really cool. And on the album Terror Twilight, really well produced.
8. Pavement - Shady Lane. Pavement double down for me. The lyrics here are fantastic. "Oysters and dry Lancers". Many of these references will shoot by the kids. But they are really funny and cool. This song is a perfect sketch of modern American suburban-mania.
7. Bjork - Human Behavior. Bjork is just so lovely and her voice is stunning here. Hard to pick a favourite Bjork song really, but I've always liked this one for whatever reason.
6. Depeche Mode - Home. This is by far my favourite DM song. Fans will recognise it instantly especially if they have seen DM live. Such a great message. Martin returning home from alcoholism essentially. It's beautiful to see his joy in singing this live. It's not a hit because it doesn't really fit into the normal formatting of most radio stations. But one of their best.
5. Ben Folds Five - She Don't Use Jelly (cover from Lounge-a-Palooza). I know I said I don't like Ben Folds that much but this redo of the very cool She Don't Use Jelly is worth a listen. Very fun and not on everyone's automatic list.
4. Elliott Smith - Bottle Up and Explode! Such a cool and exciting song from Elliott Smith. Maybe one of his biggest departures from his normal self.
3. Flaming Lips - Feeling Yourself Disintegrate. I'm not sure anyone in the world but me would put this at the top of their list. But I've always loved this song.
2. Elliott Smith - Angeles. Elliott Smith is obviously one of my favourites from the decade and this is my personal favourite of his songs. There's a really cool video of him performing this song on youtube.
1. Mercury Rev - The Funny Bird. This song is colossal - on so many levels. Be patient with it. I first became fascinated with this song listening with a my friend Mark Harris at his beach house in South Padre. The guitar is just so freaking haunting. The song really explodes and the end like very little I've heard before or since. On the same album, check out as well the brilliant "Goddess on a Highway".
Link: Mercury Rev - Funny Bird
Honorable Mention: Paul Wall - Sittin Sideways. Lol.
