In the 1990s, rock and roll music exploded. While in previous decades the world became acquainted with the genre before stadium rock, glam rock and other sub-genres came to the forefront, in the ’90s many different sub-genres branched out. Like the sound’s family tree went wild.
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There was grunge, alternative rock, pop punk and more—sounds that gave the world myriad hit songs and almost as many new rock stars. Now that we have some three decades of time between then and now, several of those songs have become all-time classics.
There are the tracks we know well (hello “Smells Like Teen Spirit”) and those that are a bit lesser known—though no less impactful. Here below, we wanted to dive into a trio of hidden gem classic rock songs from the decade.
[RELATED: 3 Female-Fronted Rock Bands from the 1990s Whose Music Has Stood the Test of Time]
“Suck You Dry” by Mudhoney from Piece of Cake (1992)
Grunge music as we know it wouldn’t exist without Mark Arm, the frontman for groups like Green River, which released its first EP in 1985 and was one of the first grunge bands, and later Mudhoney. The latter released its debut LP Superfuzz Bigmuff in 1988, and in 1992 released its fourth album Piece of Cake. That album featured the rambunctious, buzzy single “Suck You Dry” that showcased Arm’s scream and penchant for dark humor. On the song, he sings,
Pull yourself together
Take a stab at forever
Sit back and let yourself go
Put yourself together
Take a shot at forever
Relax, let the tears flow
No time like the present
To get ripped apart
Got this burning desire
Aiming straight for my heart
Suck dry
Suck you dry
Can’t breath until
I suck you dry
“Israel’s Son” by Silverchair from Frogstomp (1995)
A single released by the Australian rock group, this song, said frontman Daniel Johns, was about a human execution. Sadly, there was a court case in the mid-1990s that claimed “Israel’s Son” contributed to someone going mad and killing his parents. Gorey details aside, however, this song was everywhere on the radio in the 1990s, part-pop and part-sludgy grunge rock. It’s as catchy as it is aggressive. And on the song, Johns sings,
All the pain I feel
Couldn’t start to heal
Although I would like it to
I hate you and your apathy
You can leave, you can leave, I don’t want you here
I’m playing this pantomime
But I don’t see you showing any signs of fear
“Second Skin” by The Gits from Frenching the Bully (1992)
Violence is always sad and it should never be looked to as a solution. Another example of this is the story of The Gits, fronted by the rebellious, outlandish songwriter and performer Mia Zapata, a rising singer in the Pacific Northwest who was brutally killed one night coming home from work. Before her band could become the global sensation it was on track to be, her life was cut short. Thankfully, there are at least a few songs out in the world that allow fans to learn and recall Zapata’s talent. This is one of them. On “Second Skin,” Zapata sings about needing support. She offers,
I’ve thought about it a million times
It takes all my strength just to keep it calm
I have to tell myself, just let it breathe
Holding it inside will only help to do me in
Each time I close my eyes I see another chain
It’s one I can’t forget, something I can not break out of
I need a second skin, something to hold me up
Can’t seem to get out of this hole
I’ve dug myself right back in
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Photo by Niffer Calderwood courtesy Sub Pop
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