Top 100 Greatest Alternative Rock Songs of the '90s
- Phil Deveraux
- Aug 17, 2023
- 8 min read
Updated: Jun 20
(Pictured - Pearl Jam)
Following alternative rock’s primary emergence in the late 1970s, the genre rarely crossed into mainstream rock on a large scale, but the 1990s were the major exception. For much of the decade, alternative rock was mainstream rock, driven by the rise of grunge, the continued growth of indie rock, and the explosion of Britpop. The decade also gave alternative rock perhaps its broadest definition, with styles ranging from shoegaze and jangle rock to post-punk, experimental rock, and new wave all finding a place under the same umbrella. That era began to fade following the death of Nirvana frontman Kurt Cobain, the decline of grunge, and the disappearance of Britpop by the end of the decade. In celebration of alternative music’s golden age, we ranked what we believe are the 100 greatest alternative rock songs of the 1990s. Because the genre was especially broad during this period, the list includes alternative rock, grunge, indie rock, Britpop, post-punk, new wave, jangle rock, experimental rock, and shoegaze, while generally excluding songs primarily classified as metal, pop, ska, pop-punk, punk rock, or hip-hop. Certain artists, including Green Day and Rage Against the Machine, remain eligible because of their significant place within 1990s alternative musicFor a deeper dive into alternative music, check out the Top 100 Alternative Artists of All Time or the Top 100 Greatest Alternative Albums of All Time.
1. Smells Like Teen Spirit - Nirvana
If there was a song that defined the '90s, it is undoubtedly Smells Like Teen Spirit. Singing about youth, angst and rebellion, Nirvana captured the spirit of an entire generation with this song. Being released off of their second studio album Nevermind, which we consider the 9th best rock album of all time, an explosion in the popularity of grunge music followed. Being described by frontman Kurt Cobain as "basically trying to rip off The Pixies," the song implemented distorted guitars, heavy bass playing and loud drums over aggressive lyrics. About as powerful of a rock song as there ever was, the song lives on in immense popularity being deeply respected and loved by fans and critics alike, long after Cobain's untimely death.
2. Losing My Religion - R.E.M.
By 1991, R.E.M. was pretty much at the top of the game for alternative rock. Having already been a well-established band for about ten years, they showed no sign of slowing down. Released from the band's seventh studio album Out of Time, Losing My Religion depicted the other, non-Nirvana side of alternative rock. Still holding onto their jangle-pop influence alongside subtle-folk influences, R.E.M. continued to be revered from college radio to mainstream radio. With a bright mandolin riff propelling the words of Michael Stipe, Losing My Religion remains not only R.E.M.'s most popular song, but a song that is instantly recognizable to just about anyone.
3. Wonderwall - Oasis
Released from the band's second album (What's the Story) Morning Glory, Wonderwall is the archetypal Britpop song. Written by Noel Gallagher about an imaginary friend, this beautiful song is set to a slow-paced, swaying, danceable beat with subtle jangle-pop guitar licks, quite prominent in much of Britpop. Although the song is not quite a ballad, it still finds itself stuffed with heartfelt, genuine emotion, being able to resonate with just about anyone. Wonderwall remains as impactful and as catchy as ever, cementing it as the premier Britpop anthem, and perhaps the only Britpop song that really made it to the states in a big way.
4. Everlong - Foo Fighters
As successful as Dave Grohl was as the drummer for Nirvana, it seems his true calling was always to be the frontman of his own band. Dave Grohl experienced a huge amount of well-deserved praise for his impact on rock in the '90s with Foo Fighters following the end of Nirvana. Of all of the noteworthy tracks released by the group, Everlong sits at the forefront with Grohl not only making his presence known with his singing and guitar playing, but also as the drummer on the track. The track stands as a perfect rock song filled with great musicianship, great lyrics alongside top-notch production. In a post-Nirvana world, Foo Fighters partly filled a void for a lot of heartbroken fans, becoming one of the few of those "post-grunge" rock bands to truly be celebrated—sorry Creed.
5. Even Flow - Pearl Jam
Released as the second track off of Pearl Jam's masterful debut album Ten, Even Flow has its legacy deeply entrenched in the world of early '90s grunge. Released in 1991, the perfect time, its captivating melody, emotive lyrics, and raw energy made this one of the most memorable songs of the decade. The track's grunge-infused sound, coupled with Eddie Vedder's distinct vocal style, captured the essence of the early '90s grunge scene on a level that few did.
6. Friday I'm in Love - The Cure
Released as the second single from the ninth studio album by The Cure, Friday I'm in Love takes listeners back to the early days of The Cure in the late '70s with its guitar-forward, jangly sound. Initially written to be played considerably slower and in a different key, the final result the group went with was the upbeat, danceable track which has resonated so well with listeners. In an early '90s post-Smiths world, an upbeat, jangly song like this was quite desirable of course to longtime Cure fans, but especially to indie and alternative fans. The legacy of The Cure is a massive one and of all of the group's stand-out tracks, this might just be them at their best.
Not Creep? Not Karma Police? No, and here's why. Not only was OK Computer the best album of the '90s other than perhaps Nevermind, but Paranoid Android was also one of the most musically interesting, yet equally infectious rock songs of the entire era. With Thom Yorke’s vocals setting an eerie scene, the song’s recurring guitar-and-bass breakdown stands as one of the coolest musical passages of the decade. For alternative rock fans—especially musicians—Paranoid Android is one of those songs you hold in a special place and simply marvel at for its composition. Fear not, Radiohead fans: this will not be their last appearance on the list.
8. Bullet With Butterfly Wings - Smashing Pumpkins
The world is a vampire.... perhaps among the most iconic opening lines of all time comes from a Smashing Pumpkins song off of their critically lauded album, Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness. Billy Corgan's iconic, recognizable voice paired with Jimmy Chamberlain's drumming resulted in a duet of sorts between the musicians in the verses. The Pumpkins' masterful dynamic control between quiet and immensely loud shows itself phenomenally on this track making it one of many factors it was such an era-defining song. Almost like a nod to Pixies, the band who teed up this specific type of '90s sound oh so well...
9. Zombie - The Cranberries
This powerful song sings about The Troubles in Northern Ireland in the early '90s. Although the song generally gets bunched in with the grunge sound, it's perhaps a bit closer to the pre-grunge sound of Pixies, Dinosaur Jr. or Sonic Youth. "This wasn't grunge, but the timing was good," remarked writer and singer of The Cranberries, Dolores O'Riordan. Regardless, the song captured a feeling of uncertainty and fear that many people, not only in Northern Ireland felt, but all over the world. Dramatic dynamic contrast, powerful guitar playing and impassioned lyrics made this song stand the test of time.
10. Under the Bridge - Red Hot Chili Peppers
The most popular track off of what most people would say was the best Chili Peppers album, Blood Sugar Sex Magik, Under the Bridge has it all. Starting with a beautiful, very exposed guitar riff, Anthony Kiedis comes in shortly after with relatable, and melancholic lyrics. Perhaps one of the most praiseworthy feats of this iconic song is that essentially the entire song is a gradual buildup to a huge choral, sing-along-style outro. A perfectly crafted song, with all sides exposed just to see that not even the slightest thing is even a tad out of place.
12. Killing in the Name - Rage Against the Machine
13. Black Hole Sun - Soundgarden
14. Come as You Are - Nirvana
15. Iris - Goo Goo Dolls
16. Say It Ain't So - Weezer
17. Man in the Box - Alice in Chains
18. Run-Around - Blues Traveler
19. Mr. Jones - Counting Crows
20. Interstate Love Song - Stone Temple Pilots
21. Lover, You Should've Come Over - Jeff Buckley
22. Closer - Nine Inch Nails
23. 1979 - Smashing Pumpkins
24. Semi-Charmed Life - Third Eye Blind
25. Cut Your Hair - Pavement
26. Champagne Supernova - Oasis
27. Hunger Strike - Temple of the Dog
29. Enjoy the Silence - Depeche Mode
30. The Distance - Cake
32. Drive - Incubus
33. Creep - Radiohead
34. Loser - Beck
35. Song 2 - Blur
36. Shine - Collective Soul
37. Spoonman - Soundgarden
38. Two Princes - Spin Doctors
39. Cannonball - The Breeders
40. Jeremy - Pearl Jam
41. Feel the Pain - Dinosaur Jr.
42. Hey Jealousy - Gin Blossoms
43. Glycerine - Bush
44. Man on the Moon - R.E.M.
45. Just a Girl - No Doubt
46. Scar Tissue - Red Hot Chili Peppers
47. Bulls on Parade - Rage Against the Machine
48. 3AM - Matchbox Twenty
49. One Headlight - The Wallflowers
51. Bitter Sweet Symphony - The Verve
52. Pepper - Butthole Surfers
53. Plush - Stone Temple Pilots
54. Parklife - Blur
55. Love Spreads - The Stone Roses
56. Been Caught Stealing - Jane's Addiction
57. Dreams - The Cranberries
58. Low - Cracker
59. Get Me Away from Here, I'm Dying - Belle & Sebastian
60. You Get What You Give - New Radicals
61. Heart-Shaped Box - Nirvana
62. Sugar Kane - Sonic Youth
63. Shiny Happy People - R.E.M.
64. Buddy Holly - Weezer
65. Movin' on Up - Primal Scream
66. Runaway Train - Soul Asylum
67. Only Shallow - My Bloody Valentine
68. She Don't Use Jelly - The Flaming Lips
69. My Hero - Foo Fighters
70. Celebrity Skin - Hole
71. Common People - Pulp
72. Autumn Sweater - Yo La Tengo
74. All I Want - Toad the Wet Sprocket
75. Today - Smashing Pumpkins
77. Alive - Pearl Jam
78. Tomorrow - Silverchair
79. Just - Radiohead
80. Beautiful Girl - INXS
81. Sex & Candy - Marcy Playground
82. Santa Monica - Everclear
83. What's the Frequency, Kenneth? - R.E.M.
84. Supersonic - Oasis
85. California Stars - Wilco & Billy Bragg
86. You Oughta Know - Alanis Morissette
87. Would? - Alice in Chains
88. Alright - Supergrass
89. Nightswimming - R.E.M.
90. Brick - Ben Folds Five
91. Heart Cooks Brain - Modest Mouse
92. Flagpole Sitta - Harvey Danger
93. Closing Time - Semisonic
95. Suicide Blonde - INXS
96. Lithium - Nirvana
97. The Boy with the Arab Strap - Belle & Sebastian
98. A Long December - Counting Crows
99. Kool Thing - Sonic Youth
100. Not If You Were the Last Junkie on Earth - The Dandy Warhols
Just Outside the Top 100
101. Girls & Boys - Blur
102. Wonderful - Everclear
103. Rid of Me - PJ Harvey
104. Blueprint - Fugazi
105. Linger - The Cranberries
106. Hurt - Nine Inch Nails
108. Heaven or Las Vegas - Cocteau Twins
109. She - Green Day
110. All Over You - Live
111. Fake Plastic Trees - Radiohead
112. Story of My Life - Social Distortion
113. Sparky's Dream - Teenage Fanclub
114. Good - Better Than Ezra
115. Take a Picture - Filter
116. Cherub Rock - Smashing Pumpkins
117. Vasoline - Stone Temple Pilots
118. Lump - The Presidents of the United States of America
119. Connection - Elastica
120. The Old Apartment - Barenaked Ladies
121. Slide Away - Oasis
122. Shimmer - Fuel
123. Brimful of Asha - Cornershop
124. Suck My Kiss - Red Hot Chili Peppers
125. Gel - Collective Soul
For an expanded look at alternative rock from all decades, including many of the songs and artists on this list be sure to check out the accompanying playlist! For a deeper dive into alternative music, check out the Top 100 Alternative Artists of All Time, Top 100 Greatest Alternative Albums of All Time, or Top 100 Greatest Alternative Rock Albums of the '90s.
