They say the music you grew up with will stick with you and hold a special place in your heart for the rest of your life. I wish I could say that's not true, that you can continue to explore and discover new things as long as you want. However, looking back I can only admit that's true to a certain extent.
For this guy, at least, 1994 was pretty much the best year ever for rock music. And that might seem a bit crass and blasphemous at first blush. After all, 1994 was the year wherein alternative rock (or, what the majority shrugged off as "grunge") lost its arguable flag bearer. When Kurt Cobain was found dead on April 8, it was pretty much surmised that that was the end of the scene. While it certainly seemed like the beginning of the end at the time, the truth is rock in 1994 proved much too diverse and all-encompassing to fall in one fell swoop.
If you look at the alternative music that made an impact in 1994, you start to realize just how scattered and far-reaching the genre was in the stages of becoming. Sure, "grunge" as most saw it would never recover from Cobain's death, but there was plenty of backup willing and able to take up the charge in its stead. And, when it came to success and acceptance, it truly seemed as though 1994 was a year with an "everything goes" mentality.
Whether it was newly established acts finding their footing, legacy acts releasing new benchmarks or fresh blood pointing the way to the future of not just alternative but the very course of music itself, 1994 was a genre-busting all-you-can-eat buffet of awesomeness. Here's a list of fifty(!) albums/songs celebrating two decades of existence this year that hold significance artistically, personally or otherwise. Enjoy!
ALICE IN CHAINS
I Stay Away
From: Jar of Flies (EP)
Released: January 25
GREEN DAY
Basket Case
From: Dookie
Released: February 1
PAVEMENT
Cut Your Hair
From: Crooked Rain, Crooked Rain
Released: February 1
LUCY'S FUR COAT
Treasure Hands
From: Jaundice
Released: February 8
BECK
Loser
From: Mellow Gold
Released: March 1
NINE INCH NAILS
March of the Pigs
From: The Downward Spiral
Released: March 8
SOUNDGARDEN
Fell On Black Days
From: Superunknown
Released: March 8
PANTERA
5 Minutes Alone
From: Far Beyond Driven
Released: March 15
54-40
Blame Your Parents
From: Smilin' Buddha Cabaret
Released: March 22
OUR LADY PEACE
Naveed
From: Naveed
Released: March 22
OFFSPRING
Self Esteem
From: Smash
Released: April 8
HOLE
Violet
From: Live Through This
Released: April 12
ROLLINS BAND
Liar
From: Weight
Released: April 12
LIVE
I Alone
From: Throwing Copper
Released: April 26
PRIDE & GLORY
Losin' Your Mind
From: Pride & Glory
Released: May 1
SONIC YOUTH
Bull in the Heather
From: Experimental Jet Set, Trash and No Star
Released: May 10
SUNNY DAY REAL ESTATE
Seven
From: Diary
Released: May 10
WEEZER
Say It Ain't So
From: Weezer
Released: May 10
FRANK BLACK
Headache
From: Teenager of the Year
Released: May 23
BEASTIE BOYS
Sabotage
From: Ill Communication
Released: May 24
MOIST
Push
From: Silver
Released: June 1
STONE TEMPLE PILOTS
Interstate Love Song
From: Purple
Released: June 7
RANCID
Salvation
From: Let's Go
Released: June 14
HELMET
Wilma's Rainbow
From: Betty
Released: June 21
KYUSS
Demon Cleaner
From: Welcome to Sky Valley
Released: June 28
CANDLEBOX
Far Behind
From: Candlebox
Released: July 19
MARILYN MANSON
Lunchbox
From: Portrait of an American Family
Released: July 19
NOFX
Leave it Alone
From: Punk in Drublic
Released: July 19
MACHINE HEAD
Davidian
From: Burn My Eyes
Released: August 9
SEBADOH
Rebound
From: Bakesale
Released: August 23
TOADIES
Possum Kingdom
From: Rubberneck
Released: August 23
MANIC STREET PREACHERS
Revol
From: The Holy Bible
Released: August 26
OASIS
Rock N' Roll Star
From: Definitely Maybe
Released: August 30
SLOAN
Coax Me
From: Twice Removed
Released: August 30
SUGAR
Your Favorite Thing
From: File Under Easy Listening
Released: September 6
THE TRAGICALLY HIP
Grace, Too
From: Day for Night
Released: September 19
DAVE MATTHEWS BAND
Ants Marching
From: Under the Table and Dreaming
Released: September 27
R.E.M.
What's the Frequency, Kenneth?
From: Monster
Released: September 27
SOUL COUGHING
Down to This
From: Ruby Vroom
Released: September 27
VERUCA SALT
Seether
From: American Thighs
Released: September 27
THE CRANBERRIES
Zombie
From: No Need to Argue
Released: October 3
SLAYER
Dittohead
From: Divine Intervention
Released: October 3
KORN
Blind
From: Korn
Released: October 10
NIRVANA
About a Girl
From: Unplugged in New York
Released: November 1
TOM PETTY
You Don't Know How it Feels
From: Wildflowers
Released: November 1
CORROSION OF CONFORMITY
Albatross
From: Deliverance
Released: November 27
THE GANDHARVAS
The First Day of Spring
From: A Soap Bubble and Inertia
Released: November 30
THE STONE ROSES
Love Spreads
From: Second Coming
Released: December 5
BUSH
Everything Zen
From: Sixteen Stone
Released: December 6
PEARL JAM
Immortality
From: Vitalogy
Released: December 6
Whew. That's a lot of anniversary posts to write.
For this guy, at least, 1994 was pretty much the best year ever for rock music. And that might seem a bit crass and blasphemous at first blush. After all, 1994 was the year wherein alternative rock (or, what the majority shrugged off as "grunge") lost its arguable flag bearer. When Kurt Cobain was found dead on April 8, it was pretty much surmised that that was the end of the scene. While it certainly seemed like the beginning of the end at the time, the truth is rock in 1994 proved much too diverse and all-encompassing to fall in one fell swoop.
If you look at the alternative music that made an impact in 1994, you start to realize just how scattered and far-reaching the genre was in the stages of becoming. Sure, "grunge" as most saw it would never recover from Cobain's death, but there was plenty of backup willing and able to take up the charge in its stead. And, when it came to success and acceptance, it truly seemed as though 1994 was a year with an "everything goes" mentality.
Whether it was newly established acts finding their footing, legacy acts releasing new benchmarks or fresh blood pointing the way to the future of not just alternative but the very course of music itself, 1994 was a genre-busting all-you-can-eat buffet of awesomeness. Here's a list of fifty(!) albums/songs celebrating two decades of existence this year that hold significance artistically, personally or otherwise. Enjoy!
ALICE IN CHAINS
I Stay Away
From: Jar of Flies (EP)
Released: January 25
GREEN DAY
Basket Case
From: Dookie
Released: February 1
PAVEMENT
Cut Your Hair
From: Crooked Rain, Crooked Rain
Released: February 1
LUCY'S FUR COAT
Treasure Hands
From: Jaundice
Released: February 8
BECK
Loser
From: Mellow Gold
Released: March 1
NINE INCH NAILS
March of the Pigs
From: The Downward Spiral
Released: March 8
SOUNDGARDEN
Fell On Black Days
From: Superunknown
Released: March 8
PANTERA
5 Minutes Alone
From: Far Beyond Driven
Released: March 15
54-40
Blame Your Parents
From: Smilin' Buddha Cabaret
Released: March 22
OUR LADY PEACE
Naveed
From: Naveed
Released: March 22
OFFSPRING
Self Esteem
From: Smash
Released: April 8
HOLE
Violet
From: Live Through This
Released: April 12
ROLLINS BAND
Liar
From: Weight
Released: April 12
LIVE
I Alone
From: Throwing Copper
Released: April 26
PRIDE & GLORY
Losin' Your Mind
From: Pride & Glory
Released: May 1
SONIC YOUTH
Bull in the Heather
From: Experimental Jet Set, Trash and No Star
Released: May 10
SUNNY DAY REAL ESTATE
Seven
From: Diary
Released: May 10
WEEZER
Say It Ain't So
From: Weezer
Released: May 10
FRANK BLACK
Headache
From: Teenager of the Year
Released: May 23
BEASTIE BOYS
Sabotage
From: Ill Communication
Released: May 24
MOIST
Push
From: Silver
Released: June 1
STONE TEMPLE PILOTS
Interstate Love Song
From: Purple
Released: June 7
RANCID
Salvation
From: Let's Go
Released: June 14
HELMET
Wilma's Rainbow
From: Betty
Released: June 21
KYUSS
Demon Cleaner
From: Welcome to Sky Valley
Released: June 28
CANDLEBOX
Far Behind
From: Candlebox
Released: July 19
MARILYN MANSON
Lunchbox
From: Portrait of an American Family
Released: July 19
NOFX
Leave it Alone
From: Punk in Drublic
Released: July 19
MACHINE HEAD
Davidian
From: Burn My Eyes
Released: August 9
SEBADOH
Rebound
From: Bakesale
Released: August 23
TOADIES
Possum Kingdom
From: Rubberneck
Released: August 23
MANIC STREET PREACHERS
Revol
From: The Holy Bible
Released: August 26
OASIS
Rock N' Roll Star
From: Definitely Maybe
Released: August 30
SLOAN
Coax Me
From: Twice Removed
Released: August 30
SUGAR
Your Favorite Thing
From: File Under Easy Listening
Released: September 6
THE TRAGICALLY HIP
Grace, Too
From: Day for Night
Released: September 19
DAVE MATTHEWS BAND
Ants Marching
From: Under the Table and Dreaming
Released: September 27
R.E.M.
What's the Frequency, Kenneth?
From: Monster
Released: September 27
SOUL COUGHING
Down to This
From: Ruby Vroom
Released: September 27
VERUCA SALT
Seether
From: American Thighs
Released: September 27
THE CRANBERRIES
Zombie
From: No Need to Argue
Released: October 3
SLAYER
Dittohead
From: Divine Intervention
Released: October 3
KORN
Blind
From: Korn
Released: October 10
NIRVANA
About a Girl
From: Unplugged in New York
Released: November 1
TOM PETTY
You Don't Know How it Feels
From: Wildflowers
Released: November 1
CORROSION OF CONFORMITY
Albatross
From: Deliverance
Released: November 27
THE GANDHARVAS
The First Day of Spring
From: A Soap Bubble and Inertia
Released: November 30
THE STONE ROSES
Love Spreads
From: Second Coming
Released: December 5
BUSH
Everything Zen
From: Sixteen Stone
Released: December 6
PEARL JAM
Immortality
From: Vitalogy
Released: December 6
Whew. That's a lot of anniversary posts to write.
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