90s Rock Revolution! A Collection of Masterpieces by Western Bands That Colored the 90s
The 1990s were a time of major transformation in the rock scene, with the rise of movements like alternative rock and grunge that didn’t fit into existing rock categories.
From pop punk and shoegaze to nu metal and rap metal, and innovative sounds that fused rock with dance music and techno—the sensibility that truly deserves to be called a “mixture” gave birth to ’90s rock, which continues to have a huge influence on young musicians even in the 2020s.
In this article, we’ll introduce a roundup of classic songs by Western rock bands from the ’90s!
It’s a lineup focused on essential, definitive tracks—perfect for anyone who wants to start exploring ’90s rock.
- Great Western rock classics and hit songs of the ’90s
- [For Beginners] A Collection of Iconic and Popular Western Hits from the 1990s
- [Masterpiece Selection] A Compilation of Classic Western Rock Songs
- Great Western pop masterpieces and hit songs of the 90s
- Western songs from the 90s featured in commercials. A roundup of CM songs.
- [Back to the '90s!] Dance Music from Western Hits of the 1990s
- Debut song by a 90s Western girls' band
- 1980s: Legendary Western Rock Bands’ Classic and Hit Songs
- [Definitive] An introduction to Western mixture rock: a roundup of recommended classic tracks
- [2025] A roundup of classic UK rock songs: from the latest tracks to timeless staples!
- Cheering songs in Western music that were hits in the ’90s. World-famous classics and popular tracks.
- Recommended Western alternative rock bands that connect to the modern rock scene
- All masterpieces! Western pop ballads that were hits in the ’90s
90s Rock Revolution! ~ A Collection of Masterpieces by Western Bands That Colored the 90s (41–50)
Buddy HollyWeezer
One of the signature songs by Weezer, the American rock band formed in 1992.
The track appears on their 1994 album Weezer, commonly known as the Blue Album, which has sold over three million copies.
True to their so-called “crybaby rock” style, the song carries a somewhat fragile feel, yet it’s also gentle and approachable.
Many listeners are surely moved by the straightforward love expressed in the lyrics.
Their knack for melodies that really hit you in the heart is outstanding—and that’s exactly why they’ve continued to be so beloved.
90s Rock Revolution! ~ A Collection of Masterpieces by Western Bands That Colored the 90s (51–60)
Civil WarGuns N’ Roses
A track released by Guns N’ Roses in 1993.
It features references to events such as the assassination of President Kennedy and the Vietnam War, and is inspired by Louis Lambert’s 1863 track “When Johnny Comes Marching Home.”
SabotageBeastie Boys
In the 1990s—a decade that was literally the age of “mixture”—one name you simply can’t leave out when talking about an act that, with DIY spirit and impeccable taste, influenced not only music but culture at large is the Beastie Boys.
Though they came up in the ’80s, their masterful fusion of hip-hop and rock and the innovative style they forged make them indispensable to any discussion of the ’90s as well.
“Sabotage,” the song featured here, is an absolute classic that every rock fan—even those who don’t usually listen to hip-hop—should hear.
Released in 1994 on the hugely acclaimed, hit album Ill Communication, it’s an insanely cool track built around a legendary riff with a ferocious, effects-driven bass line, perfectly capturing both the destructive power of their hardcore punk roots and the groove of live-instrument hip-hop.
Together with the Spike Jonze–directed music video, just encountering this song brings the atmosphere of the ’90s flooding back in all its intensity.
PlushStone Temple Pilots
A track released in 1993 by the American rock band Stone Temple Pilots.
It reached No.
1 on the U.
S.
charts and won a Grammy Award.
The music video, directed by Josh Taft, won an MTV Video Music Award.
CrazyAerosmith
A power ballad released by Aerosmith in 1994.
It reached No.
68 on the U.
S.
charts and won a Grammy Award.
In the music video, actress Alicia Silverstone and Liv Tyler, the daughter of frontman Steven Tyler, play high school girls.
Black Hole SunSoundgarden
Formed in Seattle in 1984, Soundgarden is widely respected by many bands as a pioneering presence in the grunge/alternative rock boom of the ’90s.
Unfortunately, their recognition in Japan is somewhat limited, but noting that they were senior to bands like Nirvana and Pearl Jam—and that they released an album on a major label as early as 1989—should give a sense of how remarkable they are.
Influenced by ’70s hard rock and punk, their heavy, undulating groove diverges from classic metal, forging a sound that straddles metal and alternative rock and profoundly influenced the bands that followed.
Their charismatic vocalist and guitarist Chris Cornell—who sadly passed away in 2017—delivered an overwhelming vocal performance that remains uniquely inspiring to countless singers.
Black Hole Sun, from their breakthrough 1994 album Superunknown, is a masterpiece that vividly showcases the breadth of their musicality, with Chris’s expressive singing being truly outstanding.
As a classic rock ballad of the ’90s, it’s a song I’d love many people interested in ’90s Western music and films to hear.
Kinky AfroHappy Mondays
The “Madchester Movement” was a culture that developed from the late 1980s and declined in the early 1990s.
The genre was characterized by a psychedelic sound that was closely tied to the decadent culture of the time.
A portmanteau of “mad” and “Manchester,” it encapsulated the climate of Britain and the values of its youth back then.
Its dissonance was also dreamlike, creating a completely new and compelling sound, most famously represented by the Happy Mondays.
They were the rock band that heralded the beginning of 1990s rock, with later legends of UK rock following in their footsteps.