4 Rock Albums From the ’90s You Forgot About That Still Hit

The ’90s was overflowing with rock music. Beginning with the grunge movement in the early part of the decade, big buzzing guitar sounds ruled the airwaves. Nirvana and Pearl Jam led to Radiohead and more. There were others, too, like Guns N’ Roses, Hole, Oasis, Sleater-Kinney and Metallica. It was a golden age!

But sometimes things do fall through the cracks of history. With so much abundance and still so much to listen to today, a lot of great albums have been at least somewhat lost to history. Here below, we wanted to remedy that. We wanted to explore a quartet of rock albums from the decade that you may have let slip your mind. Yet they’re albums that still slap!

Live, Throwing Copper (1994)

Released in 1994 by the Pennsylvania-born rock band Live, this 14-track album had hits. Can we interest you in a few song titles like “I, Alone,” “Lightning Crashes,” and “All Over You”? Of course we can!

In the mid-1990s, Live was all over the radio for their rough-yet-also-melancholy sound. Lead vocalist Ed Kowalczyk had us in the palm of his hands. He had emotion, poetry, and heart-on-his-sleeve pain.

Garbage, Garbage (1995)

The Madison, Wisconsin-born group released its self-titled debut studio album smack dab in the middle of the decade in 1995. And with it came the snarling, smirking lead single, “Only Happen When It Rains” and sarcastic ear-worm, “Stupid Girl.”

Featuring lead vocalist Shirley Manson, the band ruled the emo rock vibes in the 1990s and their debut was full of raw attitude. For that, they should be remembered more frequently than they are today.

Silverchair, Frogstomp (1995)

The Australia-born band Silverchair featured members in their teens when they burst onto the scene in the mid-1990s. But their 1995 debut LP, Frogstomp, did not show any lack of maturity.

Lead vocalist Daniel Johns had a sound. It was like Kurt Cobain’s voice had been dipped in olive oil. It was mesmerizing for music fans at the time and that combined with their heavy songs created a lane for the group. Check out tracks like “Tomorrow,” “Pure Massacre” and “Israel’s Son” from their debut LP.

Fishbone, The Reality of My Surroundings (1991)

The Los Angeles-born band Fishbone has long been an inspiration to many, from No Doubt to Red Hot Chili Peppers. But somehow Fishbone never quite got its proper due. Yet, their 1991 LP, The Reality of My Surroundings, helped them break out of southern California and earn national recognition, including a performance on Saturday Night Live.

Combining rock with funk and experimentation, the band is legendary even today. And well worth diving back into their catalog.