More Musing from Middle Class Suburbanites

My friends, the music gods did not look favorably on me when I was born. For the first 5 years of my life I was confined to a prison made almost entirely of "Sweet Home Alabama," "Uptown Girl" and "Le Freak." For this was the music on the radio stations my parents listened to.

I have counted among my favorite bands over the course of my life acts such as Van Halen, Days of The New, Phil Collins, Meatloaf, Ace of Base and Bush.

And if all that were not enough gentle reader I am - it almost pains me to admit this - not a real musician at all but a... a drummer!!! Ghastly as it sounds, I have no real musical ability! I'm not even a percussionist; I merely play a drum set.



Why do I admit all of this to you, now, sweet consumer of my darkest secrets? The answer is simple really. I have refused to let this horrid musical upbringing stain my life forever. I have pulled myself up by my bootstraps thrown off the yoke of my parents insidious classic rock and dance-pop and learned to be my own man!

And yet, a new evil lurks to dishearten me and ostensibly destroy my musical renaissance.

Perched on a throne made of the twisted remains of the Gin Blossoms and REM, sits this evil self-appointed Zeus of the musical universe who striketh down upon me with plasma-charged copies of London Calling and White Light, White Heat which explode on impact.

He scoffs at my nearly worn-through copy of Throwing Copper; He chortles heartily as I meekly explain how Pearl Jam really was far more experimental than anyone gives them credit for.

I beseech him: "Why, O god of the musical cosmos do you mock me?! Have I displeased you?! Is there no rest for those who enjoy a little Jane's Addiction every now and again?!

He merely throws his head back and laughs stoutly. For, he is Udbhav, Music Snob of the Punjabis.


Today, however, I have challenged his authority, for I refuse to stand by and have the good name of the 1990's besmirched any further! I say fie! For the 90's plainly outstrip the 70's by any measure and today I will prove it.

I will place a below a list of not necessarily the best, but the most complete list of the great music the 90's had to offer. There are sure to be some glaring omissions but to narrow down an entire decade to 20 songs is quite difficult, I encourage all to comment and to of course, ridicule and perhaps violently accost Dev when he puts his response of the 20 best 70's song up, soon to follow.



But enough of all that, here's the list, in no particular order.



Beck - Lord Only Knows

Weezer - Pink Triangle

The Breeders - Cannonball

Radiohead - Paranoid Android

Notorious B.I.G. - Juicy

Stone Temple Pilots - Interstate Love Song

Jeff Buckley - Hallelujah

The Fugees - Fu-gee-la

Public Enemy - Fight the Power

Dr. Dre - Let Me Ride

Beastie Boys - Sabotage

Nirvana - Come As You Are

Oasis - Morning Glory

Nas - It Ain't Hard to Tell

Tool - Stinkfist

The Spice Girls - Two Become One

TLC - Diggin On You

Arrested Develpment - Tennessee

Blind Melon - No Rain

Wilson Phillips - Hold On



Please feel free to comment. I feel so liberated after so long under the thumb of the evil musical dictator. Long live the 90's! Huzzah!