Artist List

Satellite radio is truly a blessing to my ears. Instead of traditional radio programming, which pretty much sucks as of late, the opportunity to listen to a station that’s exclusively devoted to a specific era or genre of music is more than refreshing.

The other night my little sister (a child of the 90’s) and I (an 80’s kid) were hanging out and listening to XM. An interesting conversation on 90’s music emerged as we listened to the selected playlist. Bands like Nirvana, Alice in Chains, Soundgarden and Pearl Jam seem to constantly receive recognition for their contributions to music, and rightfully so. They kicked ass! Yet, there were so many other artists during this great period that seem to slip through our memories and deserve a shot out for their music.

With that, my sister and I began to compile a list of some bands of the 90’s we shouldn’t forget. Here are some of our favorites:

Toadies

By far one of the best bands to hit the scene during 90’s. Their album, “Rubberneck,” was released on Interscope in 1994 and received gold (1995) and platinum (1996) status. The most popular single from the album was “Possum Kingdom,” which ranks up their on my current playlist shuffle even today. Great news for fans of this Texas band because on August 19th the Toadies will release a new album titled, “No Deliverance,” and a tour in support. Personally, I’m on the edge of my seat!!!

Candlebox

Who could ever forget this Seattle band? Candlebox never wanted to be considered grunge, but let’s face it, their style and success proved otherwise. Their self-titled LP went 4x platinum selling more than 4 million copies and included the songs “Far Behind” and “Change.” They released two follow up albums, “Lucy” (1995) and “Happy Pills” (1998). Then, they disappeared for a while. But, have no fear Candlebox fans, te band just released their first album in ten years titled “Into the Sun” and are currently touring.

Toad the Wet Sprocket

Hailing from Santa Barbara, this band was pursuing their music during the late 80’s, but finally reached commercial success with their third album, “Fear,” which went platinum and featured the track “Walk On The Ocean.” Their follow-up album, “Dulcinea,” also went platinum, and featured the hit songs, “Fall Down” and “Something’s Always Wrong.” So, Toad definitely makes the list of 90’s bands that deserve some recognition. They’ve played some reunion shows, released some compilation albums, formed new bands and did solo projects over the years since they disbanded in 1998.

Days of the New

With a song like “Touch, Peel and Stand,” a group like DOTN placed in our list of favorites. There’s a lot to say about Travis Meeks and his talent. After watching an episode of Intervention about him, I was reminded of how much I liked DOTN during the mid to late 90s.

Better Than Ezra

There was debate on whether Better Than Ezra has been forgotten or not because they’ve continued to tour like madmen and release records since their debut in 1993. But, considering they were one of the best live shows I saw during the 90s, I had to place them on this list.

Tonic

This Grammy nominated band gave us hits like “Open Up Your Eyes” and my personal favorite, “If You Could Only See.” Their career spanned from the 90’s to 2000’s and from what I read, they’re getting back together as well.

Spacehog

This band deserves some attention. In 1995, the English four-piece released their debut album, “Resident Alien.” The single, “In the Meantime” received radio airplay and so did the video for the song. How can you forget this band with their oversized glasses and big hair?

Break it down for me please.. which artists of this decade should we remember?

Comments (6)