Foreword

The 90s was a great decade for rock and roll. Sure, the Rolling Stones never made a comeback and Elvis remained dead, but the sheer number of great new rock acts was more than enough to keep fans happy and faithful to the genre. From Collective Soul to Oasis to Dave Matthews Band, here are the top 10 rock bands of the 90s.

10. Collective Soul

The 90s brought to the airwaves the most pop/rock band entry on this list: Collective Soul. Its current members are Ed Roland, Dean Roland, Joel Kosche, Will Turpin and Ryan Hoyle. The band isn’t as insanely popular as the Chili Peppers or as legendary as Metallica - big deal! Collective Soul caters to the mainstream audience with more streamlined music, a cleaner guitar sound and catchy tunes and lyrics. The band’s greatest hits collection, The 7even Year Itch, was a major success and helped propel the band’s status as one of the most formidable bands to emerge from the 90s rock scene.

9. Goo Goo Dolls

The Goo Goo Dolls are more than just a one-hit wonder. The band’s success on the City of Angel’s soundtrack with "Iris" brought the group to the international rock scene but it was John Rzeznik’s strong vocals and open-string guitar sound that helped the band become one of the most memorable rock acts of the 90s. Some of their hits, apart from the undying "Iris," include "Name" (their first big hit), "Dizzy," "Slide," "Black Balloon," "Broadway," "Here is Gone," "Big Machine" and "Sympathy." Their lyrics are often vague and poetic and have become the band’s trademark. Current members are John Rzeznik, Robby Takac and Mike Malinin.

8. Oasis

Oasis is a long-standing British rock band. The band was formed in 1991 and immediately gained worldwide fame after the release of their first album, Definitely Maybe, in 1994. Current members are Liam Gallagher, Noel Gallagher, Gem Archer, Andy Bell and Zak Starkey. The group led the Britpop scene during the 90s alongside Blur, a rival British rock band. but Oasis gained the upper hand eventually. Noel’s deep lyrics and Liam’s lingering vocals hooked the crowd and gave the group much-needed edge over Britain ’s expanding rock music scene.

7. Rage Against the Machine

This band’s name is a tribute—or a warning, whichever way you want to see it—to the kind of noise it makes. Rage Against the Machine is as noisy on-stage as it is regarding political issues and their fans loved them for that. Original members are Zack de la Rocha, Tom Morello, Brad Wilk and Tim Cummerford. During its nine-year presence on the rock music scene, RATM released four widely successful albums: the self-titled Rage Against the Machine, Evil Empire, The Battle of Los Angeles and Renegades. Whatever you do, just don’t talk politics in front of these guys. See, some rock stars can sing about things other than sex, drugs and alcohol.

6. The Smashing Pumpkins

When the Infinite Sadness sets in, the Siamese Dream begins. There goes the titles of two of the most successful albums released in the 90s. Both albums are from The Smashing Pumpkins. The band was one of the most popular and most successful rock acts of the era, going so far as to popularize the progressive and psychedelic rock genres among the mainstream crowd. Many of their albums became critical and commercial hits, thanks in large part to Corgan’s enigmatic songwriting skills and musical composition. Current members are Billy Corgan, Jimmy Chamberlin, Jeff Schroeder, Ginger Reyes and Lisa Harriton.

5. Matchbox 20

Who would’ve thought a band named after someone’s peculiar habit would become one of the biggest rock acts of the 90s? Rob Thomas’ dad, Bill, always kept a twenty dollar bill in a matchbox for safekeeping, an act Rob recalled many years later when his new band needed a name, so they became Matchbox 20. Around the release of their second album, the band was re-named "Matchbox Twenty." This amazing rock group with an enigmatic vocalist produced dozens of radio hits. The band’s current members are Rob Thomas, Paul Doucette, Brian Yale and Kyle Cook.

4. Coldplay

The English rock band Colplay, likes to play it cold and smooth. Their distinctive piano and synthesized guitar sound are trademarks of their music. Coupled with Chris Martin’s indistinct but melancholy lyrics, Coldplay carved a whole new niche for itself in the music scene alongside other great artists such as Radiohead and Jeff Buckley. This highly successful band has released three studio albums: Parachutes, A Rush of Blood to the Head, and X&Y. Its current members are Chris Martin, Will Champion, Guy Berryman and Johnny Buckland.

3. Limp Bizkit

Everybody knows Limp Bizkit. The name sounds weird, but Limp Bizkit is one of the biggest rock acts (if not THE biggest rock act) of the latter part of the 90s. The band is often credited for creating the nu metal genre, alongside Korn, the band’s original creators. Its current members are Fred Durst, Sam Rivers, John Otto and DJ Lethal. Limp Bizkit’s original lead guitarist, Wes Borland, left after recording and releasing three studio albums with the band. Limp Bizkit hired Mike Smith to write and record new material for their fourth album, Results May Vary. Smith was let go soon after its release.

2. Dave Matthews Band

They called themselves the "Dave Matthews Band," but it isn’t only about Dave Matthews, the band’s front man and guitarist. It’s about the band, five of them, and how in the 90s they created some of the most distinct and unique sounds in an industry laden with distorted guitars and eye makeup.. The band was hailed for its successful integration of rock, jam, fusion and jazz genres into its musical core. Its current members are Dave Matthews, Boyd Tinsley, Stefan Lessard, LeRoi Moore and Carter Beauford.

1. Nirvana

The single greatest rock act of the 90s is no other than Nirvana. This band had everything—industry respect, critical acclaim, pop radio appeal, a rock-solid fan base—and any living, breathing human being would agree. Nirvana’s first hit single, "Smells Like Teen Spirit," became the anthem of the so-called Generation X; almost a decade later, the song still receives considerable radio airplay. Nirvana’s members were Kurt Cobain, Krist Novoselic and Dave Grohl. Grohl went on to form his own band after the group disbanded following Cobain’s suicide.

Afterword

The 90s was a great decade for rock music. Let’s hope some of these bands continue creating great rock music for many more decades to come!

 

Since Nirvana was the single greatest rock act of the 90’s, It’s not a surprise for us that Nirvana made their spot to be on the Top Ten Most Amazing Rock Bands of All Time. Nirvana also owns the top spot on our Top 10 Grunge Bands lists.