'90s Bands: 30 Favorites in Alt Rock, Grunge, Pop, R&B, Metal, and More

Nirvana detonated the grunge movement. With "Smells Like Teen Spirit," Kurt Cobain and company made alternative rock mainstream overnight.

Their sound, a gritty blend of punk and heavy metal, turned "Nevermind" into a cultural landmark and made Cobain an icon.

Pearl Jam’s "Ten" became a blueprint for '90s rock bands. Where Nirvana was raw, Pearl Jam delivered arena-ready anthems like "Alive" and "Jeremy." Eddie Vedder’s voice became the emotional core of alternative music.

Billy Corgan’s band carved out their own niche between metal and melancholy. "Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness" was a sprawling double album filled with soaring ballads and crushing riffs. Songs like "1979" and "Bullet With Butterfly Wings" defined their sound—and the decade.

Funk met punk when the Chili Peppers dropped "Blood Sugar Sex Magik." Songs like "Under the Bridge" and "Give It Away" ruled radio.

Their mix of genres, from rap rock to funk rock, kept fans guessing and grooving.

The "Black Album" brought Metallica’s thrash roots into the mainstream. "Enter Sandman" and "Nothing Else Matters" became hard rock staples. They helped bridge the gap between heavy metal and popular music.

Trent Reznor made industrial rock sound personal ... and dangerous. "The Downward Spiral" turned sonic chaos into hits like "Closer."

The NIN logo also became an iconic symbol of ’90s alternative music culture.

Green Day’s "Dookie" launched pop punk into the stratosphere. Tracks like "Basket Case" and "Longview" gave suburban teens a voice. Their debut album hinted at what was coming, but "Dookie" blew the doors wide open.

Dave Grohl emerged from Nirvana with Foo Fighters, crafting a new legacy with melodic rock. The self-titled debut, recorded almost entirely by Grohl, included hits like "Big Me" and "This Is a Call."

They’d go on to become one of the biggest bands of the next two decades.

Few bands fused sludge metal and emotional depth like Alice in Chains. Layne Staley’s voice was pure pain, and Jerry Cantrell’s guitar work made tracks like "Man in the Box" unforgettable. They gave grunge a darker tone.

Chris Cornell’s operatic range set Soundgarden apart. "Black Hole Sun" blended psychedelia and doom, while "Superunknown" showed their progressive metal influences. Cornell became one of the decade’s defining vocalists.

Initially written off as grunge clones, STP found their voice with "Purple" and "Tiny Music." Scott Weiland swung from snarls to croons with ease. "Interstate Love Song" and "Vasoline" became alt-rock staples.

Fusing metal, punk, and hip-hop, Rage dropped politically charged bombs with tracks like "Bulls on Parade" from "Evil Empire." Their sound was weaponized groove—built for mosh pits and protest.

Across the Atlantic, Oasis led the Britpop charge. With "(What’s the Story) Morning Glory?", they delivered massive hooks and even bigger egos. "Wonderwall" became a campfire anthem.

Known for their psychedelic soundscapes, The Flaming Lips took weird to new heights. "The Soft Bulletin" and later "Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots" earned them cult status among alternative music fans.

Pop dominated too, and the Backstreet Boys were its kings. With their harmonies and choreographed charm, they filled stadiums and topped charts. Their rise set the stage for boy bands well into the 2000s.

Her solo debut "The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill" fused soul, hip-hop, and pop with lyrical depth. Winning multiple Grammy Awards, Hill showed that '90s artists could blend genres and break barriers.

Though they started in the 80s, Public Enemy’s impact peaked in the '90s. Albums like "Apocalypse 91" tackled injustice with precision. Chuck D’s voice became a megaphone for protest.

West Coast hip-hop exploded in the '90s, and Snoop’s "Doggystyle" became a defining sound. With Dr. Dre’s beats and Snoop’s smooth delivery, G-funk became its own genre.

Canada's Barenaked Ladies brought quirky charm and rapid-fire lyrics to the alt scene. "One Week" was a fast-talking, genre-bending hit that became a pop culture touchstone.

Big beat and electronic music had their moment too. The Chemical Brothers brought club sounds to the mainstream with tracks like "Block Rockin’ Beats." They paved the way for electronic crossovers.

For fans of technical skill, Dream Theater's progressive metal was unmatched. Albums like "Images and Words" were packed with complex rhythms and virtuosic solos.

Pop royalty Kylie Minogue reinvented herself in the '90s. Her self-titled 1994 album and subsequent albums blended dance, disco, and electronic elements. She helped define '90s pop on a global scale.

Janet ruled the charts with "janet." and "The Velvet Rope." Blending R&B, funk, and pop, her music pushed boundaries while delivering hooks that filled dance floors.

Bon Jovi transitioned smoothly into the '90s with hits like "Always" and "Bed of Roses." His blend of rock and pop ballads kept him relevant even as grunge dominated.

Known for their hit "No Rain," Blind Melon brought a psychedelic flair to alt-rock. Their self-titled debut was sunny on the surface but rich in layers.

Bringing swagger and fuzz, The Dandy Warhols made their mark with "Thirteen Tales from Urban Bohemia." They blended glam, garage, and shoegaze into something unmistakably '90s.

Few artists embodied the '90s like Tupac. Albums like "All Eyez on Me" mixed poetry with pain, cementing him as a lyrical legend. His death marked the end of an era.

While his solo career began earlier, George Michael remained a '90s force. "Older" showed a mature artist blending pop, soul, and vulnerability with grace.

Hair metal was fading, but Motley Crue still rocked the '90s. The late success of "Dr. Feelgood" carried into the decade with their signature blend of sleaze and stadium riffs.

Petty’s "Wildflowers" became a '90s classic. His heartland rock found a new audience, and tracks like "You Don’t Know How It Feels" kept him chart-relevant.

We created this article in conjunction with AI technology, then made sure it was fact-checked and edited by a HowStuffWorks editor.