What are some obscure alternative hits from the early 90's?

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I'm thinking about getting together some local punk bands to do covers of songs like "Believe" by Dig and "Two Princes" by the Spin Doctors. I don't know where I have to go to look through all the Billboard charts from 91-95, so who can help me think of forgotten/semi-hit/one-hit wonders from this wonderful period in adult contemporary rock?

― Famous Athlete, Tuesday, 2 September 2003 02:29 (9 years ago) Permalink

Stuff I remember from WHTG Eatontown, NJ back in the day...

"Very Best Years," The Grays
"Lie on Lie," Chalkfarm
"Here and Now," Letters to Cleo
"I'm Allowed," Buffalo Tom
"Web in Front," Archers of Loaf
"Boring," (?) Denzil
"Watch the Girl Destroy Me," Possum Dixon

...That's a good start, hopefully.

― Prude (Prude), Tuesday, 2 September 2003 02:40 (9 years ago) Permalink

"Where I Find My Heaven" and "Cope," Gigolo Aunts

― Prude (Prude), Tuesday, 2 September 2003 02:42 (9 years ago) Permalink

three strange days by school of fish
disneyland by dada

― keith (keithmcl), Tuesday, 2 September 2003 02:44 (9 years ago) Permalink

"You Suck," The Murmurs
"Trampoline," Greenberry Woods

― Prude (Prude), Tuesday, 2 September 2003 02:51 (9 years ago) Permalink

The Caulfields, "Devil's Diary"

― Sonny A. (Keiko), Tuesday, 2 September 2003 02:55 (9 years ago) Permalink

"hey jealousy" by gin blossoms

― electric sound of jim (electricsound), Tuesday, 2 September 2003 03:00 (9 years ago) Permalink

Flagpole Sitta by ??? (it is like Captain something...don't remember the bandname.)

― earlnash, Tuesday, 2 September 2003 03:10 (9 years ago) Permalink

Lieutenant Harvey Danger.

Thanks d00ds. Some of these songs arent terrible.

― Famous Athlete, Tuesday, 2 September 2003 03:20 (9 years ago) Permalink

judybats - all day afternoon

― luna (luna.c), Tuesday, 2 September 2003 03:26 (9 years ago) Permalink

soul asylum to thread.

― fact checking cuz, Tuesday, 2 September 2003 03:38 (9 years ago) Permalink

"Twentieth Century" by Brad

― cuspidorian (cuspidorian), Tuesday, 2 September 2003 03:52 (9 years ago) Permalink

the The - Slow Emotion Replay (a bit of a hit on alt rock radio)

― ham on rye (ham on rye), Tuesday, 2 September 2003 03:58 (9 years ago) Permalink

"Every Generation's Got Its Own Disease (And I've Got Mine)," Fury in the Slaughterhouse (feel the social consciousness! yeah!)

― Prude (Prude), Tuesday, 2 September 2003 04:43 (9 years ago) Permalink

"Last Goodbye" by Jeff Buckley

(well, obscure at the time)

― nickalicious (nickalicious), Tuesday, 2 September 2003 04:53 (9 years ago) Permalink

I saw obscure alternatives and thought the thread was about Japan...mmph

― SplendidMullet (iamamonkey), Tuesday, 2 September 2003 06:16 (9 years ago) Permalink

I came here just to mention the Gin Blossoms. Hey Jealousy is a GREAT song.

also,
Presidents of the United States of America - Peaches
Third Eye Blind - Semi-Charmed Life (sounds just like Two Princes)
Breeders - cannonball
The Odds - Eat My Brain(so good)

― derrick (derrick), Tuesday, 2 September 2003 06:21 (9 years ago) Permalink

Blind Melon: Rain

― Geir Hongro (GeirHong), Tuesday, 2 September 2003 08:09 (9 years ago) Permalink

"No Rain", I mean

― Geir Hongro (GeirHong), Tuesday, 2 September 2003 08:10 (9 years ago) Permalink

The Lemonheads, "Into Your Arms"
The Juliana Hatfield Three, "My Sister"
Soul Asylum, "Runaway Train"
Cracker, "Low"
Matthew Sweet, "Girlfriend"
The Cranberries, "Linger"
Toad the Wet Sprocket, "All I Want"
Freedy Johnston, "Bad Reputation"
Deep Blue Something, "Breakfast at Tiffany's"
Del Amitri, "Roll With Me"

― Michael Daddino (epicharmus), Tuesday, 2 September 2003 09:08 (9 years ago) Permalink

Most depressing post ever! Also,

Candlebox, "You"

― Michael Daddino (epicharmus), Tuesday, 2 September 2003 09:12 (9 years ago) Permalink

Better Than Ezra, "Good"
Live, "Lightning Crashes"
Stone Temple Pilots, "Plush"

These suggestions may be a little skewed because I consider nearly every alt.rock MTV-friendly hit from that time "forgotten" in some sense. Perhaps if I still listened to rock radio, things would be different.

― Michael Daddino (epicharmus), Tuesday, 2 September 2003 09:17 (9 years ago) Permalink

Jess I think I may have identified another lull.

― Tom (Groke), Tuesday, 2 September 2003 09:25 (9 years ago) Permalink

LULL?!?!

― Michael Daddino (epicharmus), Tuesday, 2 September 2003 09:28 (9 years ago) Permalink

OK, abyss.

― Tom (Groke), Tuesday, 2 September 2003 09:29 (9 years ago) Permalink

ABYSS?!?!

― Michael Daddino (epicharmus), Tuesday, 2 September 2003 09:34 (9 years ago) Permalink

Done Lying Down - "Just A Misdemeanour"

(NB The Spin Doctors' "Two Princes" was anything but obscure! It was bloody massive! and so AWFUL it made me want to stick forks in my ears.)

― CharlieNo4 (Charlie), Tuesday, 2 September 2003 10:09 (9 years ago) Permalink

MBV soon.

― Julio Desouza (jdesouza), Tuesday, 2 September 2003 10:13 (9 years ago) Permalink

World of Twist: Sweets

― Jez (Jez), Tuesday, 2 September 2003 10:31 (9 years ago) Permalink

Joyrider - "Rush Hour"

― Nick H, Tuesday, 2 September 2003 11:07 (9 years ago) Permalink

Oh, well in that case: Lick - "Shirtlifter".

― CharlieNo4 (Charlie), Tuesday, 2 September 2003 11:19 (9 years ago) Permalink

Tripmaster Monkey "Roman Catholic Haircut"
J Church "Good Judge of Character"

― Lynskey (Lynskey), Tuesday, 2 September 2003 12:22 (9 years ago) Permalink

There's another thread floating around I started like this one.

Wax -- Southern California

Local H -- THe Kids are Right

Soul Asylum -- Misery, Somebody To Shove, Just Like Anyone (Starring Claire Danes!!)

Sponge -- Molly

Filter -- Hey Man Nice Shot

Flaming Lips -- She Don't Use Jelly

Faith No More -- We Care A Lot, Epic

Screaming Trees -- Nearly Lost You

Len -- Steal My Sunshine

Sneaker Pimps -- Six Underground

Verve Pipe -- THe Freshman

― ModJ, Tuesday, 2 September 2003 12:28 (9 years ago) Permalink

Cracker's best singles from the early 90s =

"Teen Angst (What the World Needs Now)"
"Happy Birthday to Me"

― nickalicious (nickalicious), Tuesday, 2 September 2003 12:59 (9 years ago) Permalink

Primitive Radio Gods -- Standing in a blah blah blah oh I give up. The greatest one-hit wonder since "Sugar Shack."

― Jesse Fuchs (Jesse Fuchs), Tuesday, 2 September 2003 13:42 (9 years ago) Permalink

C'mon, people, he said OBSCURE!

Try....

"Ten Dollar Bill" by Cop Shoot Cop
"Heterosexual Male" by the Odds
"Annie's Gone" by Redd Kross
"13th Disciple" by the 5:30

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Tuesday, 2 September 2003 13:46 (9 years ago) Permalink

"Whoever You Are," Geggy Tah
"I Kissed a Girl," Jill Sobule
"X-French Tee Shirt," Shudder to Think

― jaymc (jaymc), Tuesday, 2 September 2003 13:52 (9 years ago) Permalink

Good call with Shudder to Think there, Jaymc.

Some mo'....

"Stay" by Shakespeare's Sister
"Something Good" by Utah Saints

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Tuesday, 2 September 2003 13:54 (9 years ago) Permalink

C'mon, people, he said OBSCURE!

But he also said "forgotten," and that kinda covers a lot of territory. Plus he cited "Two Princes" as an example.

― Michael Daddino (epicharmus), Tuesday, 2 September 2003 13:55 (9 years ago) Permalink

Seek ya also The Wolfgang Press' cover of "Mama Told Me Not to Come".

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Tuesday, 2 September 2003 13:59 (9 years ago) Permalink

dada - "Dizz Knee Land"

― BrianB, Tuesday, 2 September 2003 14:05 (9 years ago) Permalink

Sidi Bou Said "Twilight Eyes"

Out-obscure that one ya fukkas :)

― Lynskey (Lynskey), Tuesday, 2 September 2003 14:45 (9 years ago) Permalink

Oooh....

- The Pale Saints' cover of "Kinky Love"
- "Paradise" by Birdland
- "I'd Sell My Soul to God" by Passion Fodder

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Tuesday, 2 September 2003 14:49 (9 years ago) Permalink

Lightning Seeds-"Pure"
and second Wolfgang Press's cover of "Mama Told me not to Come"

― ddb, Tuesday, 2 September 2003 15:51 (9 years ago) Permalink

C'mon, people, he said OBSCURE!
Try....

"Ten Dollar Bill" by Cop Shoot Cop

Haha, Jackie Brambles made that single of the week on the Radio 1 mid-morning show.

― David Merryweather (DavidM), Tuesday, 2 September 2003 16:09 (9 years ago) Permalink

"Valerie Loves Me" - Material Issue

Y'all are AMATEURS.

― Dan Perry (Dan Perry), Tuesday, 2 September 2003 16:11 (9 years ago) Permalink

Also, "I Need You Like A Drug" - They Eat Their Own

― Dan Perry (Dan Perry), Tuesday, 2 September 2003 16:11 (9 years ago) Permalink

A second for "Pure" and "Homeboy" by the Adorable.

― Ess, Tuesday, 2 September 2003 16:15 (9 years ago) Permalink

"Joyride," "Fading Like A Flower," "The Look" -- Roxette (I shamelessly love that band.)

― Jeanne Fury (Jeanne Fury), Tuesday, 2 September 2003 16:18 (9 years ago) Permalink

"I Need You Like A Drug" - They Eat Their Own

Dan, I kiss you. I found that on an unlabelled mixtape the other day and have been tearing my hair out trying to remember who sang it.

How the heck are Roxette obscure? Or alternative?

What about Push The Little Daisies by Ween?

― ailsa (ailsa), Tuesday, 2 September 2003 16:37 (9 years ago) Permalink

Skipping 41 messages at this point... Click here if you want to load them all.

"Drive That Fast" by the Kitchens of Distinction

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Friday, 5 September 2003 15:05 (9 years ago) Permalink

Heart Fog - Th' Faith Healers
Chocolate Cake - Crowded House
Snacks & Candy - Miracle Legion
Out There - Blake Babies
Murdering Stone - Walkabouts
Feed the Tree - Belly

..I miss Summer already.

― dave225 (Dave225), Friday, 5 September 2003 16:11 (9 years ago) Permalink

"Dim" - Dada
"Anything by the" - Gin Blossoms
"Story of My Life" - Social Distortion
"Pretend We're Dead" - L7
"Buena" - Morphine
"Nearly Lost You" - Screaming Trees
"Never Said" - Liz Phair
"Friends of P." - The Rentals

― My name is Kenny (My name is Kenny), Friday, 5 September 2003 16:13 (9 years ago) Permalink

"Mr. Balloon Man" - Robyn Hitchcock and the Egyptians (might have been late 80s)

― Dan Perry (Dan Perry), Friday, 5 September 2003 16:14 (9 years ago) Permalink

"Balloon Man" was on the brilliant Globe of Frogs album, which came out in 1988, I believe.

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Friday, 5 September 2003 18:57 (9 years ago) Permalink

"Suckerpunch" by the Wildhearts

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Friday, 5 September 2003 20:05 (9 years ago) Permalink

Cud, Rich and Strange.

― David Merryweather (DavidM), Friday, 5 September 2003 20:13 (9 years ago) Permalink

Katydids, Lights Out (Read My Lips) - which I really liked.
Would-Be's, I'm Hardly Ever Wrong - Morrissey's single of the year, 1990.

― David Merryweather (DavidM), Friday, 5 September 2003 20:17 (9 years ago) Permalink

Popinjays, Please Let Me Go - which was brilliant!

― David Merryweather (DavidM), Friday, 5 September 2003 20:18 (9 years ago) Permalink

"Dreamtime" by the Heartthrobs

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Friday, 5 September 2003 20:50 (9 years ago) Permalink

"Blacker Than Black" by Goodbye Mr.Mackenzie

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Friday, 5 September 2003 21:01 (9 years ago) Permalink

Speaking of underground power pop classics here?

In which case Tearaways' "Jessica Something" really deserves a mention.

― Geir Hongro (GeirHong), Saturday, 6 September 2003 09:05 (9 years ago) Permalink

Katydids! i didn't think anyone else remembered them. i vote for their "Girl in a Jigsaw Puzzle"

― the surface noise (electricsound), Saturday, 6 September 2003 09:19 (9 years ago) Permalink

1 year passes...

Gregory Gray's "The Pope Does Not Smoke Dope" was mentioned in the ilE thread "The Pope is Dead" and that used to receive quite a bit of airplay on the local modern rock station even though it apparently never charted and isn't even listed as making the top 40 modern rock singles on AMG. (Very odd, considering how selective that particular station's output was. They usually played the same twenty songs over and over, and that was before the 1998 mass media-mergers, where now they only play ten songs over and over.)

Consolidated (feat. the Yeastie Girls) - "You Suck"

― What we want? Sex with T.V. stars! What you want? Ian Riese-Moraine! (Eastern Ma, Thursday, 31 March 2005 23:03 (8 years ago) Permalink

Whale--Hobo Humpin' Slobo Babe

Frente--Bizarre Love Triangle

― kornrulez6969 (TCBeing), Friday, 1 April 2005 00:10 (8 years ago) Permalink

Crow- "Railhead"

I was abt to mention the Whale song too. God this thread is like reading a bad old JJJ playlist.

― Trayce (trayce), Friday, 1 April 2005 00:25 (8 years ago) Permalink

"That's a Lie" - Too Much Joy
"LSD is the Bomb" - Radioactive Goldfish
"This Love" - Daniel Ash
"Hippychick" - Soho
"Black Glove" - The Fluid
"Move any Mountain" - The Shamen
"Lightning Man" - Nitzer Ebb
"Love Your Money" - Daisy Chainsaw
"Something Good" - Utah Saints
"Accidentally 4th Street" - Figures on a Beach
"Burst" - Shellyan Orphan
"Monster Mouth" - Popinjays
"Miss Freelove '69" - Hoodoo Gurus

Whew!..

― Yngwie AlmsteenMay (sgertz), Friday, 1 April 2005 02:04 (8 years ago) Permalink

Yikes. All I had to do was picture what I listened to in my car while I was in college & came up with this winner of a list...
"Drinking In LA" - Bran Van 3000
"Popular" - Nada Surf
"Summer" - Buffalo Tom
"Mockingbird" - Grant Lee Buffalo
"Stone Me Into The Groove" - Atomic Swing
"Sister Havana" - Urge Overkill
"Bug Powder Dust" - Bomb The Bass
"Naked Eye" - Luscious Jackson
"Teenage Loser Anthem" - Dambuilders
"Jimmy's Fantasy" - Redd Kross

― VegemiteGrrl (VegemiteGrrl), Friday, 1 April 2005 02:53 (8 years ago) Permalink

1 year passes...

"Ladykiller" - Lush
"Wembley" - Candyskins
"Angry Johnny"
"Hello"
"Trigger Happy Jack" - all by Poe
"Who Sucked Out the Feeling" - Superdrag

― FrankieSu, Wednesday, 17 May 2006 02:37 (7 years ago) Permalink

"Who Sucked Out the Feeling" - Superdrag

most... annoying... song... ever

― Mr. Snrub (Mr. Snrub), Wednesday, 17 May 2006 03:02 (7 years ago) Permalink

Here's a few more.

"Drawer" - Summercamp
"Alcohol" - Howlin' Maggie
"Debonair" - Afghan Whigs

― FrankieSu, Wednesday, 17 May 2006 03:08 (7 years ago) Permalink

But....was Superdrag more annoying than...

"Hitchhiker Joe"
and
"Me and Eddie Vedder" by The Rugburns

― FrankieSu, Wednesday, 17 May 2006 03:21 (7 years ago) Permalink

11 months pass...

Hobo Humping Slobo Babe, best song ever. period. done.

Folk Implosion-Natural One

what was that one song by that Kula Shaker band?

No Sister Hazel? Not one Veruca Salt mention? And lest we forget DNA featuring Suzanne Vega with that hot hammed Tom's Diner song with the doot doot doot duh doot sheite in it....I could go on and on but I think I am burning a bundt cake.

― NCGRUDGE, Wednesday, 25 April 2007 08:44 (6 years ago) Permalink

These charts are a good resource:

http://www.radiohitlist.com/KROQ/KROQ-1990.htm
http://www.radiohitlist.com/KROQ/KROQ-1991.htm

etc

― o. nate, Wednesday, 25 April 2007 15:48 (6 years ago) Permalink

Seek ye also "F Minor" by Nudeswirl and "Psych Out" by the Seers!

Nudeswirl I can live without but I snagged that Seers record for a buck last week -- not a bad little album, actually, maybe only half great but a good demi-gaze effort from 1990.

― Ned Raggett, Thursday, 26 April 2007 03:12 (6 years ago) Permalink

1 month passes...

2 songs I cannot remember who sang them...maybe some1 on here can give me some help

First song; it was a girl singer and all i remember is the chorus said something about "here and now" couldn't understand the rest of what she was saying cuz she said it so fast.

The Second Song, "last chinese" was part of the chorus again with the partial choruses

As far as 90's songs go "Talkin Seattle Grunge Rock Blues" by Todd Snider is funny

Faith No More's "Last Cup of Sorrow"

Primal Scream "Rocks"

"Cult of Personality" by In Living Color

― cipher, Monday, 4 June 2007 12:15 (5 years ago) Permalink

Cult of Personality" by In Living Color

It's Living Color, and it was early '89.

Mine:

Kirsty MacColl – "Walking Down Madison"
Candy Flip – "Red Hills Road"
Juliana Hatfield – "I See You"
David Byrne – "She's Mad"
Lightning Seeds – "Life of Reilly"
Ned's Atomic Dustbin – "Not Sleeping Around"
Throwing Muses – "Firepile"
Havana 3 am – "Reach the Rock"

― Alfred, Lord Sotosyn, Monday, 4 June 2007 14:25 (5 years ago) Permalink

Jars of Clay "Flood" and Stone Roses "Love Spreads" even though they are christian songs...it was played in rotation at least on the rock stations here in the U.S.

Sponge "Wax Estatic"

Green Jelly "3 Little Pigs"

Ugly Kid Joe "Everything About You"

It's borderline Alternative but i just thought i'd share

― cipher, Monday, 4 June 2007 14:49 (5 years ago) Permalink

You're right: I head "Love Spreads" more often on the AOR than on the college radio station.

― Alfred, Lord Sotosyn, Monday, 4 June 2007 14:51 (5 years ago) Permalink

Cipher, the "here and now" song is called "Here and Now" and is by Letters to Cleo. The second one might be "Mann's Chinese" by Naked.

― matt2, Monday, 4 June 2007 14:56 (5 years ago) Permalink

Hey thanx for the correction on the "mann's chinese" i'm looking for it now actually on limewire.

Ummm another song i've thought about "Andre" by L7

― cipher, Monday, 4 June 2007 15:08 (5 years ago) Permalink

I'm not sure I understand what's meant by "obscure" here - a lot of these songs were huge hits and virtually ubiquitous at the time.

― Hurting 2, Monday, 4 June 2007 15:11 (5 years ago) Permalink

Helmet "Exactly What You Wanted"

― cipher, Monday, 4 June 2007 15:12 (5 years ago) Permalink

Alfred's choices maybe. But "Everything About You" and "Three Little Pigs" were huge.

― Hurting 2, Monday, 4 June 2007 15:12 (5 years ago) Permalink

how come nobody's mentioned "french disko"?

― grimly fiendish, Monday, 4 June 2007 15:17 (5 years ago) Permalink

Tripping Daisy "I Got A Girl"

― cipher, Monday, 4 June 2007 15:19 (5 years ago) Permalink

These 1990-91 KROQ charts are making me unexplicably sad.

― baaderonixx, Monday, 4 June 2007 15:28 (5 years ago) Permalink

That Dog "Hey Old Timer"

― cipher, Monday, 4 June 2007 15:35 (5 years ago) Permalink

Got a good one: The Clarks - "Madeline"

― Erroneous Botch, Monday, 4 June 2007 16:00 (5 years ago) Permalink

Lush "Hypocrite"
Morphine "I'm Free Now"
Babes in Toyland "Bruise Violet"
Meat Puppets "Backwater"

― daria-g, Monday, 4 June 2007 17:09 (5 years ago) Permalink

It's actually Living Colour, not Living Color.

My choice for obscure alternative "hit" would be:

"If You See Kay" by The Poster Children

― MC, Monday, 4 June 2007 18:08 (5 years ago) Permalink

2 years pass...

Hi I'm looking to find the name of this song and the group who sang it. They only had two hit songs back in '95. I vaguely remember the lyrics which went like this: "Hold back the (rose?,so that the others may go. Can anyone help me out? Thanks.

― Jam90s, Monday, 1 March 2010 07:15 (3 years ago) Permalink

2 years pass...

Paraffin by Ruby :)

― mz.SQUIRRILLEX, Tuesday, 28 August 2012 19:47 (8 months ago) Permalink

and I forgot to mention
Three Little Pigs
By Green Jelly
(Originally Green Jello)

― mz.SQUIRRILLEX, Tuesday, 28 August 2012 19:50 (8 months ago) Permalink

Mother Mother by Tracy Bonham

― mz.SQUIRRILLEX, Tuesday, 28 August 2012 19:56 (8 months ago) Permalink

Jars of Clay "Flood" and Stone Roses "Love Spreads" even though they are christian songs

Love Spreads is not a Christian song!

― Poliopolice, Tuesday, 28 August 2012 20:45 (8 months ago) Permalink

"Who Sucked Out the Feeling" - Superdrag
most... annoying... song... ever

the worst is that horrible, forced, gutteral, grating "FEEEEEEELLLLINGGG." How terrible is that?

― Poliopolice, Tuesday, 28 August 2012 20:46 (8 months ago) Permalink

― chicago rap twitter luminary (Shakey Mo Collier), Tuesday, 28 August 2012 23:21 (8 months ago) Permalink

― Jam90s, Monday, March 1, 2010 2:15 AM (2 years ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

Two years too late but this is Shudder To Think's "X-French T-Shirt"

― jjjdoom (Whiney G. Weingarten), Tuesday, 28 August 2012 23:43 (8 months ago) Permalink

Imperial Drag - "Boy Or A Girl"
Shonen Knife - "Riding On The Rocket"
Greta - "Fathom"
Paw - "Jessie"
Toadies - "I Come From The Water" & "Possum Kingdom"
Sunscreem - "Love You More"
Quicksand - "Dine Alone" & "Thorn In My Side"
Jennifer Trynin - "Better Than Nothing"
Magnapop - "Slowly, Slowly"
Velocity Girl - "Sorry Again"
Ass Ponys - "Little Bastard"
Civ - "Can't Wait One Minute More"

― Old Lunch, Wednesday, 29 August 2012 00:28 (8 months ago) Permalink

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