Okay, it's taken some time, partly because I couldn't limit it to 10 9not that anyone said we had to) and partly because I TRIED not to list more than one song by the same artist, and because I had to check dates as many of my selections are from the early nineties, and I thought some may even be late eighties, but I made sure they weren't.
Other than number 1 these aren't in a particular order:
1. One by U2. Possibly their best song, definitely their best of the 90's. Zooropa and Pop by far my least favorite of their albums, but Actung Baby, which kicked off the decade for them is masterful, I could have easily pulled 5 or 6 songs off of this CD.
2. What a Good Boy (Live) by Bare Naked Ladies. Love the song, love the singing on this version, love the band, one of the most unpretentious bands of the last 20 years. I saw them live about 10 years ago, arrived early and prior to the show starting, members of the band were out in the auditorium mingling with the crowd, who does that???
3. Tripping Billies by Dave Matthews Band. My wife can't stand Dave's vocal's so I don't get to listen to them as much as I'd like, and have never seen them live, a big regret, but when I do, if they don't play this one live, I'll be VERY disappointed, the musicianship in the band is amazing and this song really shows it off.
4. Hey Jealousy by The Gin Blossoms- Train before Train, I wore this album out in the early 90's
5. Because the Night (Live-Unplugged) by 10,000 Maniacs. Yes this is Patti Smith's signature song, and it was written by Springsteen years earlier, but I love Natalie Merchant's vocals and the arrangement done by the Maniacs on their Unplugged CD released in the 90's so I'm counting it. Merchant by the way would be on my list of top 10 female vocalists.
6. Walk on the Ocean by Toad the Wet Sprocket. I have a fondness for surreal and ethereal moods in music, and this one is both to me.
7 and 7a. ( Cause I couldn't keep both off the list) Better Man & Elderly Woman Behind the Counter by Pearl Jam. Ten was their Break through, but to me vs. was the album that solidified that Pearl Jam was much more than just the screaming guitar licks and punk posturing of a lot of grunge acts.
8. Wicked Game by Chris Isaak. Soaring vocals and the dream like quality, which I again love. Of course the video with Helena Christensen roaming topless over black sand beaches didn't hurt either.
9. True Companion by Marc Cohn, Another disc I wore out literally. (I played it so much it started skipping in my player and I had to replace it after about a year). This one holds special meaning between my wife and I, but I really thought Cohn was going to be a much bigger/popular/successful artist than it's turned out after this solid debut.
10. Rain King by Counting Crows, yes Adam Duritz can be a bit pretentious, and for awhile it seemed he wanted to be known as much for who he was dating as his song writing, but the energy on their debut album and this song in particular is outstanding.
11. November Rain by Guns and Roses, some say pretentious, I love the balls of this fully orchestrated rock epic. Unfortunately it was the beginning of the end, as Axel's vision got on everyone's nerve and the true band split under the weight of his demands, leaving us with Axel and a bunch of also-rans claiming to be GNR.
12. Future Love Paradise by Seal. Now known more for being the former Mr. Heidi Klum, in the early 90's the self titled album this song was from was every where on my college campus, my favorite track off an album I actually almost always listen to from beginning to end, it's that good. Wish more of today's music was, but it's all about the single now.
13. Fields of Gold by Sting. Even though it's not the setting of the song, I always associate it with tropical locations, probably because I listened to it a lot while vacationing on St Croix on spring breaks in the 90's Another surreal song for me.
14. Jumper by Third Eye Blind, Haunting song, one who's subject is an experience I've never had to go through personally, thankfully.
15. But Anyway by Blues Traveler, I DARE anyone to find a better harmonica player better than front man John Popper, this song never fails to put a smile on my face no matter what my mood.
16. Lightning Crashes by Live love the powerful imagery evoked in this song and the way it slowly builds.
There you go, my favorite songs of the 90's.
Wed Oct 29, 2014 7:37 pm