10 Best Alternative Rock Songs of the ’90s, Ranked Across Grunge, Britpop and Beyond

A decade of musical change

Grunge, college rock and alternative rock flourished in the 1990s, alongside britpop and shoegaze influences. The decade’s music moved away from the polished hair and glam rock of the 1980s toward rawer expression and rebellion.

Artists took on subjects including identity, social issues, mental health and alienation. The weakening of genre boundaries also made room for experimentation that influenced later decades.

Californication’s darker turn

The Red Hot Chili Peppers formed in Los Angeles in 1982 and found major success during the 1990s. Their seventh album, Californication, became their most successful record, and its title track was among the band’s most popular releases.

The song traded the band’s faster, bass-driven approach for a slower, more contemplative sound, with sparse guitar riffs. Its lyrics warn about consumerism, materialism and corruption in Hollywood. The video softened the mood with an open-world game featuring the band members.

Sublime’s posthumous breakthrough

Sublime’s self-titled album came out two months after singer Bradley Nowell died. It featured “Santeria” and “What I Got,” both major hits that brought the band into the spotlight after its career had effectively ended for the time being. “What I Got” blends musical styles and interpolations: its chorus comes from Half Pint’s “Loving,” while its melody draws directly from The Beatles’ “Lady Madonna.” The video uses home footage from the Nowell family and is dedicated to the late singer.

Family, loss and reflection

The Cranberries formed in Limerick, Ireland, in 1989 and became one of the decade’s most popular alternative bands. “Ode To My Family,” the second single from their highest-selling album, No Need To Argue, was written by singer Dolores O’Riordan and guitarist Noel Hagan.

O’Riordan’s lyrics look back on childhood and question adults’ ambivalence. Her clear, yearning vocals shape the gentle ballad’s intimate mood. Radiohead’s The Bends marked a point when the band’s talent and personality began to emerge more clearly. Its tenth track, “Black Star,” portrays a relationship’s collapse and the pain of losing someone still loved; Thom Yorke delivers the lyrics with delicate intensity.