[Western Music] Start with this one! Classic and popular songs of alternative rock

Wonderwall (Remastered)Oasis

Oasis – Wonderwall (Official Video)

A song by Oasis, a British rock band that openly cites influences from classic British rock like the Beatles and The Who.

While it may seem like a simple track centered on acoustic guitar, it features an unconventional structure truly worthy of being called alternative rock, making effective use of Mellotron—an instrument that plays sampled sounds—to produce cello-like tones.

BackwaterMeat Puppets

Meat Puppets – Backwater (Official Music Video)

With a sound that evokes the dry desert air, Meat Puppets redefine the image of grunge.

Formed in Arizona, they fused punk with country and psychedelia, reportedly influencing many bands including Nirvana.

This track may revolve around the anxiety felt in a stagnant, marshy situation and the suffocating sense of being unable to break free.

Even so, Curt Kirkwood’s languid vocals and the band’s powerful performance deftly convey a complex state of mind.

Released as a single from the acclaimed 1994 album Too High to Die, it reached No.

2 on the U.

S.

rock charts.

When you’re in the mood for a drier strain of rock that stands apart from orthodox grunge, give it a listen.

Chloe Dancer / Crown of ThornsMother Love Bone

Mother Love Bone – Chloe Dancer / Crown of Thorns

Mother Love Bone, the American rock band that later became the foundation for Pearl Jam.

This is an epic track of nearly eight minutes included on their EP “Shine,” released in March 1989.

Said to be based on vocalist Andrew Wood’s real experiences, its lyrics—filled with urgent feelings of love and dependence—have gripped many listeners.

Opening with a beautiful piano line and building toward an explosive outpouring of emotion, the dramatic progression is breathtaking.

Blending grunge’s melancholy with glam rock’s flamboyance, the song was introduced to the world as part of the 1992 film Singles.

On a melancholic night, it might be nice to surrender yourself to this dreamlike sonic world.

Nearly Lost YouScreaming Trees

Screaming Trees – Nearly Lost You

Screaming Trees, an American band that forged their own path with a psychedelic sense of drift and a hard-edged sound.

Their signature song portrays a precarious, near-collapse state of mind—like a hallucination born of an LSD experience, or like speaking to your own reflection in the mirror.

Mark Lanegan’s uniquely deep, husky voice becomes a desperate cry—“I almost lost myself”—that powerfully shakes the listener to the core.

Released in August 1992 and featured on the album Sweet Oblivion as well as the soundtrack to the film Singles, the track greatly raised the band’s profile.

For those struggling in inescapable inner conflict, it may whisper, “You’re not alone.”

TomorrowSilverchair

Silverchair – Tomorrow (US Version) (Official Video)

Silverchair, the Australian band that burst onto the ’90s grunge scene like a comet.

Their debut, created when the members were just 15, is an anthem that defines a generation! The work depicts a thirst of the heart that contradicts a privileged environment, and a restless urgency born from not being able to see tomorrow.

Their screams, riding on a raw, distorted guitar sound, shake the listener’s soul to its core.

Released in September 1994 and introduced on a TV program after winning a band competition, this track paved the way for the success of the landmark album Frogstomp.

It’s a song only teenagers that age could have made—one that, when you’re overflowing with aimless emotions and impulses, seems to validate that energy with sheer power!

Kool ThingSonic youth

Sonic Youth – Kool Thing

A seminal track in the grunge scene, it appears on Goo, the album that marked Sonic Youth’s major-label debut and established them as pioneers of alternative rock.

The song is said to have been born from a cultural clash that vocalist Kim Gordon experienced while interviewing a prominent rapper.

It poses sharp questions about sex and power, expressed through a cool back-and-forth with hip-hop heavyweight Chuck D.

Its sound—noisy guitars paired with pop accessibility—was truly revolutionary.

Released as a single in June 1990, the track was also featured in games like Guitar Hero III.

Why not experience its intellectual spark and the tense, electric atmosphere of the ’90s for yourself?

OutshinedSoundgarden

Soundgarden – Outshined

Though outwardly brimming with confidence, inside it’s full of anxiety.

This song by the American rock band Soundgarden candidly portrays the pain of that gap between one’s inner and outer selves.

It sings of a struggle anyone can have—acting confident while being tormented by self-doubt within.

Its unusual 7/4 time signature and heavy, brooding guitar sound skillfully express an unstable mental landscape, while Chris Cornell’s powerful yet aching vocals seem to amplify the sense of futility.

The track appears on the October 1991 album Badmotorfinger, and a symbolic line from its lyrics even inspired the title of the film Feeling Minnesota.

When you’re feeling down from comparing yourself to others, listening to it might just blast away the sediment in your heart with a roar.