Yahoo Music: The 25 Best Alternative Rock Bands Of The 1

just another example of when journalists make a bogus list just to throw Tom Waits at the top to give them some sort of hip credibility.

I know i grew up in Canada, but i lived my entire teenage years in the 90s and never once heard anyone praise Tom Waits, Red House Painters, American Music Club or Mark Lanegan like they did Pearl Jam, NIN and the Pumpkins.

A true 90s best of list , you think, would include those artists more popular in the 90s not just ones who may be most relevant or influential to current times.

kinda like vansmack said.

but whatever, this author gets to feel super super cool cause he put Waits at the top of a list!

oh and the Lemonheads should be on there too.

By your logic, a true list for the 80's would contain Journey, REO Speedwagon, and Air Supply instead of The Smiths, the Pixies, and the Replacements.

Originally posted by very sonick:
just another example of when journalists make a bogus list just to throw Tom Waits at the top to give them some sort of hip credibility.

I know i grew up in Canada, but i lived my entire teenage years in the 90s and never once heard anyone praise Tom Waits, Red House Painters, American Music Club or Mark Lanegan like they did Pearl Jam, NIN and the Pumpkins.

A true 90s best of list , you think, would include those artists more popular in the 90s not just ones who may be most relevant or influential to current times.

kinda like vansmack said.

but whatever, this author gets to feel super super cool cause he put Waits at the top of a list!

oh and the Lemonheads should be on there too.

Oh and I liked Buffalo Tom, also The Cranberries.

Originally posted by saintangelsin:
PJ Harvey is on the list actually.

Good point, but I meant the other PJ - as in "Jeremy" ;)

Originally posted by Greer Zoller:
also The Cranberries.

First band I ever bought more then one album by. They were so awesome when I was 12.

I wasn't into them so I can't judge if they were the "best", but Stone Temple Pilots or Soundgarden could have been mentioned.

Originally posted by saintangelsin:
And by the way, I would totally include Toad the Wet Sprocket on my ultimate list somewhere. Them and the Gin Blossoms. I was listening to Toad a few days ago while on the road actually. You mention about Santa Barbara bands…did you ever like Dishwalla? (Fun fact, Dishwalla were my first show at the 930 club, which was about 10 years ago) [/QB]

dishwalla - nah - the counting blue cars was catchy enough, but never a fan of them. a friend of mine did date the lead singer of the band for quite awhile.

ugly kid joe came out of SB (specifically the slums of isla vista). a friend of mine lived in the apt below them and had to listen to them 'practice' 24/7. he described it as complete torture.

Originally posted by Charlie Nakatestes,Japanese Golfer:
By your logic, a true list for the 80's would contain Journey, REO Speedwagon, and Air Supply instead of The Smiths, the Pixies, and the Replacements.

no that would be by your misreading my post.

I have an opinion that "Alternative" and "indie" were different (and still are). Tom Waits and RHP were more indie than alternative, same goes with MBV.

I dont know that Journey was an 80s Alternative band, but if you think so…

What about the BEASTIE BOYS. They invented the 90's in 1989 w/ Paul's Boutique and then reinvented the decade with Check Your Head in 1992. . . .

In the late 80's and early 90's I remember some really smart 'alternative' kids - the one's who ended up at places like Wesleyan and Brown and listened to the likes of XTC, Elvis Costello, Billy Bragg, Lou Reed, Camper Van Beethoven . . . had Tom Waits' Raindogs and Swordfishtrombones . . . but Tom Waits impact on the 90's was minimal . . . and he was never really considered 'alternative' . . . basically that pick was like calling Leonard Cohen the top alternative 'band' of the 90's. Leonard Cohen rules, but that doesn't make sense.

With nods to PJ Harvey, Elliott Smith and the Red House Painters, I'd have to say I'd buy the author a drink any day. Nice list, despite some omissions.

you crack me up. It wasn't a list of Guilty Pleasures of the 1990s.

Originally posted by saintangelsin:
And by the way, I would totally include Toad the Wet Sprocket on my ultimate list somewhere. Them and the Gin Blossoms. I was listening to Toad a few days ago while on the road actually. You mention about Santa Barbara bands…did you ever like Dishwalla? (Fun fact, Dishwalla were my first show at the 930 club, which was about 10 years ago)

gbv beat nirvana. successful list

Originally posted by Greer Zoller:

Originally posted by saintangelsin:
PJ Harvey is on the list actually.

Good point, but I meant the other PJ - as in "Jeremy" ;)

opps. I suck when it comes to abbreviations.

Originally posted by Greer Zoller:
I wasn't into them so I can't judge if they were the "best", but Stone Temple Pilots or Soundgarden could have been mentioned.

I'm an STP fan, but I wouldn't include them on here. However, I do think Soundgarden is pretty damn appropriate. Hell, I would even dare to suggest Mother Love Bone.

Originally posted by xneverwherex:

Originally posted by saintangelsin:
And by the way, I would totally include Toad the Wet Sprocket on my ultimate list somewhere. Them and the Gin Blossoms. I was listening to Toad a few days ago while on the road actually. You mention about Santa Barbara bands…did you ever like Dishwalla? (Fun fact, Dishwalla were my first show at the 930 club, which was about 10 years ago)

dishwalla - nah - the counting blue cars was catchy enough, but never a fan of them. a friend of mine did date the lead singer of the band for quite awhile.

ugly kid joe came out of SB (specifically the slums of isla vista). a friend of mine lived in the apt below them and had to listen to them 'practice' 24/7. he described it as complete torture. [/QB]

I'm kind of jealous of your friend haha. Granted, the lead singer of Dishwalla was such a middle school crush for me.

I didn't know that Ugly Kid Joe was from SB, and I feel sorry for your friend. I too would've hated that. Then again, I hated that band so much.

Originally posted by wanderlust j. marshmallow:
you crack me up. It wasn't a list of Guilty Pleasures of the 1990s.

Thanks. That's what I'm here to do. But when I meant my "ultimate list" i mean like out of 100 bands or something of the 90s. The Gin Blossoms and Toad the Wet Sprocket would easily make it easily somewhere on my list. (Mostly like between 60 and 80) and I can proudly say that Hootie and the Blowfish would never make it on any of my lists not even guilty pleasures.

I can't believe we didn't bitch about this one…Fugazi aren't on the list. They're probably THE most influental alternative indie whatever you want to call it band of the 1990s.

Also, I can't believe Sleater-Kinney didn't make this list.

Originally posted by miss pretentious:
in the intro the author said he omitted the british acts because he felt like they deserved a list all their own… but whatever.

He said:

I also short-changed the British big time. (Belle & Sebastian are Scottish.)

Someone needs a refresher course on "British" vs. "English" vs. "Scottish"…

Does the Fall really belong in this list? Weren't they more significant/influential in the 1980s than in the 1990s?

Originally posted by Christine Moritz:
He said:

I also short-changed the British big time. (Belle & Sebastian are Scottish.)

Someone needs a refresher course on "British" vs. "English" vs. "Scottish"…

I should add/clarify… he did shortchange the British big-time. But his parenthetical remark re. Belle and Sebastian makes me think that he thinks "British" = "English."

Originally posted by saintangelsin:
I can't believe we didn't bitch about this one…Fugazi aren't on the list. They're probably THE most influental alternative indie whatever you want to call it band of the 1990s.

that's a good point. two best alternative bands of the 90's were Fugazi and Guided By Voices. Next question.

Just came across this:

"Experimental Americana pioneer Howe Gelb to release new Giant Sand album, proVISIONS, September 2

This incarnation of Giant Sand is comprised of Gelb, Danish musicians Thoger T. Lund (bass), Peter Dombernowsky (drums) and Anders Pedersen (slide guitar). It features talented friends/collaborators such as Neko Case, M. Ward, Isobell Campbell, Henriette Sennenvaldt, Lucie Idlout and Lonna Kelley."