There's so much great music out there, it's possible to "forget" about a band. When I worked at an Alternative Rock station in the 90s, I heard these bands every day. But as they faded out or disbanded, you heard them less and kinda forgot about them. Then the moment comes when one of their songs pops up in a movie or on social media and all the memories and feels come rushing back. Here are 5 bands that were at the top of my playlists in the 90s, and that I definitely need to revisit! In no particular order:
1) Garbage
The guys wanted her and the girls wanted to be her. Shirley Manson was sultry and bad ass, and the perfect female to lead the band, Garbage. The band consisted of Manson, uber-producer Butch Vig (see Nirvana's Nevermind), Duke Erikson & Steve Marker, and with hits like "Stupid Girl", I'm Only Happy When It Rains", "Queer", and "I Think I'm Paranoid", Garbage had a strong foothold at the top of the 90s charts. My fave song was from the Romeo + Juliet Soundtrack.
2) The Refreshments
The Refreshments were an alternative rock band from Tempe, Arizona. They made their television debut in 1996 on Conan playing their smash hit, Banditos. That song is so fun to sing along to! You also might recognize them as the band who wrote and played the theme song to King of the Hill. Although The Refreshments officially disbanded around '98, some original members still play together today as Roger Clyne & The Peacemakers, and they always make sure to include Refreshments tunes in their live shows!
3) Marvelous 3
Founding members Butch Walker, Jayce Fincher & Mitch "Slug" McLee had been beating around in Atlanta rock bands since their hair band days in Southgang. In 1997, they signed with Elektra Records and thought they were on their way, playing huge festivals and gathering steam on radio with their debut single "Freak Of The Week". But just as they were starting to hit, their biggest booster at the label left, and the others "didn't get it". Just as quickly as the band rose, it disappeared. The members have gone on to solo projects and other bands, and lead singer Butch Walker has become a mega-producer, pumping out hit songs with Greenday, Weezer, Panic! At The Disco, and Taylor Swift, to name a few. Remember this song?
4) Our Lady Peace
One of Canada's top selling bands of all time, Our Lady Peace made their US debut in 1995 and quickly rose to the top of alternative radio's airplay charts. Singer Raine Maida's unique vocal style made the band stand out with songs like "Naveed", "Clumsy", "Starseed", and its biggest hit, "Superman's Dead". The band has changed lineups a bit over the years, but was still releasing music as recently as 2018. This is the song that grabbed my attention and still rocks my socks off. Turn it up!
5) Creed
I know, I know! People love to hate Creed! But putting aside burnout on the radio and Scott Stapp's arrogant antics, the band had some terrific songs! Creed formed in Tallahassee, Florida in 1994, and released its huge debut album My Own Prison in '97. For about 5 years, you could not turn on rock radio without hearing a Creed song: "My Own Prison", "What's This Life For", "Higher" & "My Sacrifice" are just a few of Creed's huge hits. The band officially disbanded around 2004 due to issues with Stapp's drug & alcohol addiction. Guitarist Mark Tremonti & drummer Mark Phillips went on to form the band Alter Bridge, with singer Myles Kennedy, while Stapp tried his hand at a solo career. The band has since had various reunion shows, while its members continue their other projects. Put all your biases aside and check out this song from Creed...it still rocks!
Thank you for indulging my trip down 90s Rock Memory Lane!! Got a band you want to add to the list? Hit me up on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter!
Do You Remember These 90s Bands?
