101 Best Songs of 1994 - #1 - Notorious BIG - Juicy (1 Viewer)

[plinko]

My lord. That was like bad Swedish Devo fronted by the chick from Charly Bliss.

ftr I meant Hobo Humpin was a slamming track, not Ubuntu the free OS

 

[TripItUp]

#96 - Whale - Hobo Humpin’ Slobo Babe

Hobo Humpin' Slobo Babe

Easily my favorite of those ranked thus far.  Really reminds me of the era for some reason.

 

[rockaction]

#95 - Johnny Cash - Delia's Gone

The Man in Black's comeback record (American Recordings) produced by rap/rock svengali Rick Rubin.  I wasn't much in tune with it at the time as I was still running away from my parents' force-feeding me country music during my formative years.  I did wonder why William Bennett, C. Delores Tucker, and other scolds didn't go after Johnny Cash for singing about committing graphic violence the same way they did hip-hop stars (and Trent Reznor, who was bizarrely referred to as a gangsta rapper for the satirical Big Man with a Gun).  Honestly had no idea that Delia's Gone was an old folk song about the murder of a 14-year old, but I doubt that the public moralists did either.  Kate Moss plays Delia in the video.

Delia's Gone

Great song. Probably evaded criticism because tradition is tradition, and damn if the traditionalists don't know what to do with that. And plus the penultimate last verse 

Jailer, O jailer
I can hardly sleep
Cause all around the bedside
I hear the patter of Delia's feet

Delia's gone, one more round, Delia's gone

He's in obvious torment over what he's done. 

But then in the last verse he says "you can bring her down and do her like Delia got done," which sort of undermines my point, so we're sort of back to tradition. And race, but let's keep it cool, eh? 

Nobody ever got on Dylan for his "Ballad Of Hollis Brown," either, which is socially conscious enough to evade progressive censorious eyes. Now forget the almost playfulness of "Delia's Gone," which my girlfriend S used to mouth or just sing to me back in my twenties as a sort of threat/joke, Hollis Brown? That's a haunting song about killing your loved ones. Whoa. Gives me chills when I hear the build-up. 

 

[rockaction]

#96 - Whale - Hobo Humpin’ Slobo Babe

I  loved this song the first time I heard it on the radio - weird in a good way, not a Chumbawumba way.  Then Beavis and Butthead helped turn it into a cult classic.  I know I can’t be the only one who found Swedish singer Cia Berg oddly alluring.

Hobo Humpin' Slobo Babe

The guy with the best 'nads gets his armpit licked

Honestly could never get behind this song because it was atonal and weird, even for the nineties, which were thoroughly upside down. But a fine effort at weirdness, for sure. Or just too Scandinavian for me all over again. (I do not get Scandinavia. At all.)

 

[scorchy]

 (I do not get Scandinavia. At all.)

Neither did I until I saw the sign. It opened up my eyes.

 

[rockaction]

Neither did I until I saw the sign. It opened up my eyes.

Just a year off. 

 

[scorchy]

Great song. Probably evaded criticism because tradition is tradition, and damn if the traditionalists don't know what to do with that. 

I mostly agree, but then raise you I shot a man in Reno just to watch him die.  Johnny Cash was impervious it seems.

 

[scorchy]

Just a year off. 

Yeah, thankfully I won't have to make that call till 1993. Don't Turn Around was easy to ignore for '94.

 

[rockaction]

I mostly agree, but then raise you I shot a man in Reno just to watch him die.  Johnny Cash was impervious it seems.

Yeah, that's pretty nihilistic and always struck me as such when I first heard it in my early twenties. I thought, "Gosh, that's cold," especially when listening to the prisoners cheer about it live from Folsom prison, another cheery act of nihilism itself. Teflon Johnny, I guess. 

He was an outlaw country guy (or respected by those guys) and the Man In Black, though, so he had an image of that, at least. I think the free-wheeling sixties and early seventies allowed for that, not sure how he got away with it in the nineties. I'm still going with tradition and reverence. 

 

[rockaction]

Don't Turn Around was easy to ignore for '94.

Not a bad effort, though. I looked up 1994, by the way. Eyes are all on you now. 

 

[scorchy]

#94 - Coolio - Fantastic Voyage 

How we gonna get there? We ain't got no car!

For some reason, my roommate Little Ryan always said that when someone suggested going somewhere.  It didn't make sense, b/c unlike Coolio, we all had cars, but it seemed funny at the time.

Fantastic Voyage was actually Coolio's fourth single, but it's gotta be the first one that anyone beyond LA heard.  It made it to #3 on the Hot 100, and is possibly under-rated on my list.  If nothing else, it's a palate cleanser after a folky murder ballad.

Fantastic Voyage

 

[rockaction]

#94 - Coolio - Fantastic Voyage 

How we gonna get there? We ain't got no car!

For some reason, my roommate Little Ryan always said that when someone suggested going somewhere.  It didn't make sense, b/c unlike Coolio, we all had cars, but it seemed funny at the time.

Fantastic Voyage was actually Coolio's fourth single, but it's gotta be the first one that anyone beyond LA heard.  It made it to #3 on the Hot 100, and is possibly under-rated on my list.  If nothing else, it's a palate cleanser after a folky murder ballad.

Fantastic Voyage

He played our college for our spring weekend thing. He was not too happy with the demographic nature of the crowd, I'd heard, and his set reflected it. It didn't help that it was thirty degrees and snow flurries were in abundance for his outdoor set. 

it was cold and snowy. 

Coolio was unhappy. 

I remember though, that he did pull a kid from the crowd from the guys that had booked him and asked him to spit a verse. It was memorable for that kid, I suppose, to emcee to a whole throng of people that otherwise would never have known him, but his verse, sadly, was not as memorable as the event was. 

 

[rockaction]

One thing about this list and your other one is that they're right in the sweet spot of when I -- and probably others, too -- was growing up. I was a sophomore and junior and college for these years, which put me at twenty-one because I'd done a post-grad year of high school. 

So memories abound. 

 

[Uruk-Hai]

Yeah, that's pretty nihilistic and always struck me as such when I first heard it in my early twenties. I thought, "Gosh, that's cold," especially when listening to the prisoners cheer about it live from Folsom prison, another cheery act of nihilism itself. Teflon Johnny, I guess. 

He was an outlaw country guy (or respected by those guys) and the Man In Black, though, so he had an image of that, at least. I think the free-wheeling sixties and early seventies allowed for that, not sure how he got away with it in the nineties. I'm still going with tradition and reverence. 

I'm pretty sure Cash would tell you that he didn't deserve a pass for anything he did. I recall reading that, when the makers of the Walk The Line film were talking to him about what to show and what not to (Cash was basically on his death bed then), he told them to show it all. Maybe someone can say "well, he had nothing to lose at that point", but I don't take it that way. His public life was always a clash between vice and salvation (in his mind). 

I think this was the main reason his '90s comeback was so celebrated by non-country fans (what traditional country fans thought is....a whole other thing). He laid it all out there.

 

[Pip's Invitation]

#96 - Whale - Hobo Humpin’ Slobo Babe

I  loved this song the first time I heard it on the radio - weird in a good way, not a Chumbawumba way.  Then Beavis and Butthead helped turn it into a cult classic.  I know I can’t be the only one who found Swedish singer Cia Berg oddly alluring.

Hobo Humpin' Slobo Babe

The guy with the best 'nads gets his armpit licked

The mid 90s was the last time you could hear crazy #### like this on commercial radio stations.

 

[Pip's Invitation]

#95 - Johnny Cash - Delia's Gone

The Man in Black's comeback record (American Recordings) produced by rap/rock svengali Rick Rubin.  I wasn't much in tune with it at the time as I was still running away from my parents' force-feeding me country music during my formative years.  I did wonder why William Bennett, C. Delores Tucker, and other scolds didn't go after Johnny Cash for singing about committing graphic violence the same way they did hip-hop stars (and Trent Reznor, who was bizarrely referred to as a gangsta rapper for the satirical Big Man with a Gun).  Honestly had no idea that Delia's Gone was an old folk song about the murder of a 14-year old, but I doubt that the public moralists did either.  Kate Moss plays Delia in the video.

Delia's Gone

Murder ballads have been a thing for centuries. Not that I expect fools like William Bennett to know or understand that.

 

[Pip's Invitation]

Yeah, thankfully I won't have to make that call till 1993. Don't Turn Around was easy to ignore for '94.

I will defend All She Wants if the time ever comes. 

(Don’t Turn Around is awful.)

 

[Pip's Invitation]

One thing about this list and your other one is that they're right in the sweet spot of when I -- and probably others, too -- was growing up. I was a sophomore and junior and college for these years, which put me at twenty-one because I'd done a post-grad year of high school. 

So memories abound. 

Ditto. I was one year out of college in 1994. I was in the car an awful lot for my first job as a newspaper reporter in NJ, and I had the “modern rock” radio station on all the time. The on-air talent included Matt Pinfield just before he joined MTV.

 

[scorchy]

He played our college for our spring weekend thing. He was not too happy with the demographic nature of the crowd, I'd heard, and his set reflected it. It didn't help that it was thirty degrees and snow flurries were in abundance for his outdoor set. 

it was cold and snowy. 

Coolio was unhappy. 

I remember though, that he did pull a kid from the crowd from the guys that had booked him and asked him to spit a verse. It was memorable for that kid, I suppose, to emcee to a whole throng of people that otherwise would never have known him, but his verse, sadly, was not as memorable as the event was. 

Yeah, I guess Coolio had a rep for being a curmudgeon.  That whole Weird All thing was serious business.

A long time back, I was at a Lily Allen show (bite me) and she brought a little kid who was celebrating her 11th birthday up onstage to sing Smile.  I just searched for a video on youtube but no dice - I swear it happened.  Maybe it was before everyone dip#### shot video at shows.  Or maybe I'm imagining this.  My wife remembers it too, but it could be a case of the Mandela effect.

 

[TripItUp]

#94 - Coolio - Fantastic Voyage 

Probably top 40 for me, but I'm a West Coast guy.   Not sure if you East Coasters fully understand West Coast 90s hip hop.

 

[scorchy]

One thing about this list and your other one is that they're right in the sweet spot of when I -- and probably others, too -- was growing up. I was a sophomore and junior and college for these years, which put me at twenty-one because I'd done a post-grad year of high school. 

So memories abound. 

I have no idea how old @timschochet is, but given his affinity for the 60s and 70s vs mine for the late 80s and 90s, it would be fun to do a set of those "First time hearing..." videos for each other's list.  I literally only know 6 of the first 21 songs he's posted for 1972.  I could be entranced by ELP and he could be shocked by Whale.  On the other hand, I'm pretty boring IRL, so it probably wouldn't actually be that funny.

Also, it's interesting to me that my memories for most of these songs aren't nearly as distinct as the ones from 1988.  I guess my emotions were just much bigger in high school.  There will undoubtedly be a few overshares along the way, but nothing like earlier.

 

[TripItUp]

One thing about this list and your other one is that they're right in the sweet spot of when I -- and probably others, too -- was growing up. I was a sophomore and junior and college for these years, which put me at twenty-one because I'd done a post-grad year of high school. 

So memories abound. 

With your 80s metal knowledge I would've pegged you to be a few years older.

 

[scorchy]

I'm pretty sure Cash would tell you that he didn't deserve a pass for anything he did. I recall reading that, when the makers of the Walk The Line film were talking to him about what to show and what not to (Cash was basically on his death bed then), he told them to show it all. Maybe someone can say "well, he had nothing to lose at that point", but I don't take it that way. His public life was always a clash between vice and salvation (in his mind). 

I think this was the main reason his '90s comeback was so celebrated by non-country fans (what traditional country fans thought is....a whole other thing). He laid it all out there.

I think a lot of the outlaw country folks felt the same.  I was really impressed hearing Merle Haggard talk about Okie from Muskogee a few years before his death.  He neither defended nor disavowed.  Just said he was still gonna play it because it reflected feelings at the time, but he had since grown up, learned a lot about the world, and came to the realization that he didn't know the answer for everything.  Then he thanked Willie Nelson for convincing him to try weed.

 

[scorchy]

I will defend All She Wants if the time ever comes. 

(Don’t Turn Around is awful.)

That time will be 1993.  And you won't need to defend it, unless you feel like arguing I should rank it higher.

 

[FairWarning]

Probably top 40 for me, but I'm a West Coast guy.   Not sure if you East Coasters fully understand West Coast 90s hip hop.

It’s lower than I expected.

My controversial thought of the month - If the RHCP really wanted to rock out, they should cover the Whale song.  It’s better than anything they have made and fits their style.  I still have the Whale single and CD, used to play it a lot at the bar late night.

 

[rockaction]

With your 80s metal knowledge I would've pegged you to be a few years older.

I was a young appreciator of metal, I suppose. 

 

[scorchy]

#93 - Bush - Everything Zen

I wrote above that I wasn’t a big fan of Bush.  For a long time, I just saw them as a second-rate derivative of the good grunge bands.  Looking back, that may have been an unfair assessment.

There’s some conflicting info online as to whether Bush’s debut single Everything Zen was released in late 1994 or early 1995.  I’m not gonna sweat it.

Everything Zen

 

[DocHolliday]

#93 - Bush - Everything Zen

I wrote above that I wasn’t a big fan of Bush.  For a long time, I just saw them as a second-rate derivative of the good grunge bands.  Looking back, that may have been an unfair assessment.

There’s some conflicting info online as to whether Bush’s debut single Everything Zen was released in late 1994 or early 1995.  I’m not gonna sweat it.

Everything Zen

Great album.  

 

[scorchy]

Great album.  

Sixteen Stone is definitely a better album than Everything Zen is a song.

There must be something we can eat
Maybe find another lover
Should I fly to Los Angeles
Find my####### brother

Mickey mouse has grown up a cow
Dave's on sale again
We kissy kiss in the rear view
We're so bored, you're to blame

Um, okay.

 

[Pip's Invitation]

#93 - Bush - Everything Zen

I wrote above that I wasn’t a big fan of Bush.  For a long time, I just saw them as a second-rate derivative of the good grunge bands.  Looking back, that may have been an unfair assessment.

There’s some conflicting info online as to whether Bush’s debut single Everything Zen was released in late 1994 or early 1995.  I’m not gonna sweat it.

Everything Zen

This song is a fusion of Smells Like Teen Spirit and Rockin in the Free World. As a 23-year-old music snob, I wasn’t having it. Bothers me less now.

Bush were huge in the US but completely ignored in their home country, the UK, where pseudo-grunge wasn’t nearly as popular.

 

[scorchy]

#92 - Gin Blossoms - Allison Road

New Miserable Experience is still one my 20 or so favorite albums released in 1992.  It came out in August that year and pretty much no one bought it or played on the radio.  Then some DJ somewhere (maybe KROQ?) started spinning Hey Jealousy and its word-of-mouth popularity led to A&M releasing it as single.  Within a few months, I and pretty much every other sensitive white guy I knew had the album.

For me, I could relate to NME in ways I really couldn't to most of the grunge records.  It was about girls/breakups, booze, and sadness vs angst, heroin, and "I hate myself and want to die."  Or so I thought, until I learned that principal songwriter and guitarist Doug Hopkins killed himself in December 1993 after a long battle with alcoholism.

Allison Road was the fifth and final single from NME and the Gin Blossoms fourth of six consecutive Top 40 hits.

Allison Road

 

[Ron Popeil]

About to finish my Hipple but just wanted to say *thank you* for those Sponge cuts, Molly in particular.  Had no idea what I was clicking on but boy the music comes charging back.  

 

[DocHolliday]

About to finish my Hipple but just wanted to say *thank you* for those Sponge cuts, Molly in particular.  Had no idea what I was clicking on but boy the music comes charging back.  

I had just started my career in the early 90s and while I always listed to music often I don’t always remember the names of albums or even the artist.   I was moving around the country and focused on work.   It’s great to hear these songs again and take a trip down memory lane.   

 

[Dr_Zaius]

I don't know what Wax Ecstatic means and it's probably nonsense, but I get in a zone anytime that opening riff hits ny rhis STP cover band.

You could almost say it's...  automatic.  

I always dug Plowed.  Wife saw these guys open for Nirvana.

 

[plinko]

I liked Bush and Gin Blossoms, but things were starting to feel sort of cookie cutter with both those strains of alt rock

Saw GBs open for Spin Doctors.  I'm guessing we won't see Big Fat Funky Booty on the countdown

 

[foxco]

#92 - Gin Blossoms - Allison Road

New Miserable Experience is still one my 20 or so favorite albums released in 1992.  It came out in August that year and pretty much no one bought it or played on the radio.  Then some DJ somewhere (maybe KROQ?) started spinning Hey Jealousy and its word-of-mouth popularity led to A&M releasing it as single.  Within a few months, I and pretty much every other sensitive white guy I knew had the album.

For me, I could relate to NME in ways I really couldn't to most of the grunge records.  It was about girls/breakups, booze, and sadness vs angst, heroin, and "I hate myself and want to die."  Or so I thought, until I learned that principal songwriter and guitarist Doug Hopkins killed himself in December 1993 after a long battle with alcoholism.

Allison Road was the fifth and final single from NME and the Gin Blossoms fourth of six consecutive Top 40 hits.

Allison Road

Not a big Gin Blossoms guy but Allison Road is a good little tune, my favorite from them I think. Spotify overplays them when I put something '90's on and I usually skip, but not Allison Road. 

Also Gin Blossoms and Goo Goo Dolls are essentially the same band for me for some reason. 

 

[Dr_Zaius]

On the Gin Blossoms, it's a little generic, but I've always been partial to Until I Fall Away - it has a wistfulness to it that I enjoy.

 

[plinko]

Sixteen Stone is definitely a better album than Everything Zen is a song.

There must be something we can eat
Maybe find another lover
Should I fly to Los Angeles
Find my####### brother

Mickey mouse has grown up a cow
Dave's on sale again
We kissy kiss in the rear view
We're so bored, you're to blame

Um, okay.

 have to admit this grabs the listener and elevates the song immediately.. ultimately it's an almost great track, IMO

6-7 almost bangers and a wealth of pretentious nonsensical lyrics on those first two albums but I lost all interest after that

 

[scorchy]

On the Gin Blossoms, it's a little generic, but I've always been partial to Until I Fall Away - it has a wistfulness to it that I enjoy.

I identify with the schmaltziness. It's a definite for 1993.

 

[scorchy]

Also Gin Blossoms and Goo Goo Dolls are essentially the same band for me for some reason. 

After their first record (with We are the Normal), I saw Goo Goo Dolls as much more of a chick band.

 

[scorchy]

It’s great to hear these songs again and take a trip down memory lane.   

Thanks - I was into tons of different stuff back then (or at least exposed to it by my roommates) so hope the list has something for everyone.

 

[Manster]

I graduated high school in '94.  I didn't remember that whale song.  I watched a couple minutes of it just now.......it's complete trash, imo.....I'm assuming it illicited a "this sucks, change the channel butthead!"  from Beavis.

 

[scorchy]

I graduated high school in '94.  I didn't remember that whale song.  I watched a couple minutes of it just now.......it's complete trash, imo.....I'm assuming it illicited a "this sucks, change the channel butthead!"  from Beavis.

Nope. The second link is from BnB.

 

[scorchy]

#91 - Jawbox - Savory

Speaking of something for everyone, this is for @plinko- even though I know his favorite Jawbox song is from 1992.

I would have a lot to say, but I'm posting from my phone b/c FBG is blocked at my office, so I'll let him have at it.

Savory

 

[FairWarning]

Not a big Gin Blossoms guy but Allison Road is a good little tune, my favorite from them I think. Spotify overplays them when I put something '90's on and I usually skip, but not Allison Road. 

Also Gin Blossoms and Goo Goo Dolls are essentially the same band for me for some reason. 

I thought GGD was edgier early on.  
 

one of my best friends band lost a battle of the bands to the Gin Blossoms for a national recording contract.  That album was GB’s breakout album. Hey Jealousy anyone?

 

[plinko]

I don't have a ton to say about Jawbox off the top of my head.. this was the era of boring low key white kids in jeans.. they were part of a very rich east coast post-hardcore scene and I look forward to more of it!

Spun off of the D.C. hardcore band Government Issue.. This dude J. Robbins with his girlfriend on bass and other local pals.  I think he and she "broke up" / became platonic but there was underlying tension,  much like a similar band from down the highway.  

They could bring it. FYSS was their peak for sure.  I'm partial to "Cutoff" from '92, just such a crunchy ### jam

Deftones covered "Savory" later but (1) they didn't bring much new and (2) it wasn't even really Deftones, it was Chino and the band Far

 

[plinko]

Apparently Jawbox JUST PLAYED the Metro Gallery

so f*** me, whatever anyway, I don't go to shows anymore, mouth breathers everywhere

Chinese Fork Tie, 95

https://youtu.be/4Rc6vKnDOL4

 

[Pip's Invitation]

#92 - Gin Blossoms - Allison Road

New Miserable Experience is still one my 20 or so favorite albums released in 1992.  It came out in August that year and pretty much no one bought it or played on the radio.  Then some DJ somewhere (maybe KROQ?) started spinning Hey Jealousy and its word-of-mouth popularity led to A&M releasing it as single.  Within a few months, I and pretty much every other sensitive white guy I knew had the album.

For me, I could relate to NME in ways I really couldn't to most of the grunge records.  It was about girls/breakups, booze, and sadness vs angst, heroin, and "I hate myself and want to die."  Or so I thought, until I learned that principal songwriter and guitarist Doug Hopkins killed himself in December 1993 after a long battle with alcoholism.

Allison Road was the fifth and final single from NME and the Gin Blossoms fourth of six consecutive Top 40 hits.

Allison Road

I was all about grunge and would go ham on a 1992 list. But it wasn’t because I dug the “I hate myself and want to die” vibe. It was because I thought guitar-based music became defanged in the 80s and grunge did a lot to reverse that.

Hell, 1992 was the year I discovered Phish, who also played un-defanged guitar-based music, just in a completely different way.

I always found the Gin Blossoms bland. I found their singer whiny and there were other bands at the time that did the power pop thing much better (Teenage Fanclub, Posies, etc.) I saw them open for Neil Young in 1996. They didn’t totally suck, so there’s that, but they were vastly inferior to Neil and the other opening band, Ben Folds Five.

 

[scorchy]

I always found the Gin Blossoms bland. 

That's fair. For me, it was the regretfulness in the lyrics and the jangly guitar.  Not world-beaters but sometimes I needed bland and sad.

 

[scorchy]

I don't have a ton to say about Jawbox off the top of my head.. this was the era of boring low key white kids in jeans.. they were part of a very rich east coast post-hardcore scene and I look forward to more of it!

Spun off of the D.C. hardcore band Government Issue.. This dude J. Robbins with his girlfriend on bass and other local pals.  I think he and she "broke up" / became platonic but there was underlying tension,  much like a similar band from down the highway.  

They could bring it. FYSS was their peak for sure.  I'm partial to "Cutoff" from '92, just such a crunchy ### jam

Deftones covered "Savory" later but (1) they didn't bring much new and (2) it wasn't even really Deftones, it was Chino and the band Far

Gracias, amigo.  I'll just add that Savory was from their major label debut, but Jawbox didn't get nearly the flack for selling out compared to similar bands - a surprise given the nature of the DC/Dischord/Fugazi scene.