Strange Was Our Currency - A Look Back at 5 of the Most Influential Songs of the '90s!

"No one sings like you anymore."

- Chris Cornell

Ah, the nineties! The decade that seems to preoccupy the minds of souls both young and old. Is it any wonder, though? This was the decade of both endings and beginnings -- the culmination of one of the best and worst centuries in human history, and the prelude to the new millennium. So full of hope and advancement . . .

So long as we could all survive Y2K!

No matter when you were born, if you are alive today, there is some major aspect of your life that has been affected by that great decade. Like all of the decades before and after, the fashion of the nineties was a mixture of timeless and flawless to . . . well . . .

Hammer Pants and Fanny Packs. Sigh . . .

Though, let's be honest: these terrible fashions were really leftover remnants from the '80s, and we all know it!

Ironically, it seems to always be the worst fashions of a decade that resurface over and again. I'm not really sure why one would need to live through the age of Fanny Packs and baggy tie-dyed tees over leggings in order to recognize them as the travesty they are, but I suppose each generation insists upon reliving the errors of the generation before.

When it comes to music, though, the Nineties sort of rules supreme. It was a decade of building upon the best and worst and making it all uniquely and wonderfully new.

(Yes. I'm choosing to overlook "Barbie Doll" and "The Macarena" in this piece...)

It was the decade where female artists were finally gaining traction and freedom to speak their minds. And it was the decade that introduced to us one of the all-time best genres of music - I mean, come on! Where would we be today without Seattle Sound? I for one, do not want to live in a world without this musical influence.

Whatever your age or musical preference, there are some absolute facts that simply cannot be denied. In the Twenties, they roared! In the Sixties, they threw up their hands in peace! And in the nineties, We Got our Grunge On!

Though there were many different genres and bands coming into their own in that decade, there are a few sounds that really captured the essence of the nineties and all that it represented. So, sit back. Turn up the volume. And let me take you on a musical journey through five of the songs and artists who really embody that musical decade!

In no particular order except what struck my fancy at the time of writing this, I give you 5 of the most 90s songs out there!

# 1. "Right Through You" by Alanis Morissette

Whatever your personal opinion on this artist or her music, the impact that Alanis Morissette had on the musical industry is undeniable. She is one of the most recognized names of the decade. More than this, though, Alanis was one of the first female artists to really speak out the feelings that women have and to be successful without singing songs written by men that completely misrepresented women. The truth is that Alanis' voice and lyrics scream out to the world what women had been feeling for a millennia! She faced opposition in the industry, and has been branded by many a man as a screaming man-hater, but her words helped women the world over feel free to finally say, "Yes! I'm angry, and it's not okay!" So, thank you, Alanis! Though "Ironic" was her claim to fame, the sentiments in this song, "Right Through You" represent so much more than just her own experience with men in the industry. This song speaks to the nature of what it is like for women who are trying to be so much more than just "a meal ticket!"

# 2. "Black Hole Sun" by Soundgarden

This single released in 1994, was Soundgarden's biggest hit and is generally considered to be the most representative of the band and its absolutely incredible lead singer, Chris Cornell. One of the pioneering "Seattle Sound" bands, Soundgarden topped the charts and helped to set the tone for Grunge music. Aside from the poignant lyrics that even the writer Chris Cornell hesitantly doled out over his lifetime, this song shows the range and skill of Cornell's voice and has become an anthem for many of the generation! This song came out in the same year that the world lost Kurt Cobain, and Soundgarden helped us get through that year. This song and this voice capture the struggle of an entire generation to break out of the mold of our parents in a way no generation had before. Depressed. Poignant. Raw. That was our voice. Now, we have also lost Chris Cornell. We miss you, our friend, and in your own words, we say, "No one sings like you anymore!"

# 3. "Someday I Suppose" by The Mighty Mighty Bosstones

Okay, so these guys, also just referred to as the Bosstones, may not be as well-known by the average Joe -- what a shame that is?! Now, this is not my favorite song by the Bosstones, but it is sort of their anthem song, so many say. If you haven't heard of them before and would like to hear one of my favorite songs by them (and by anyone ever), click HERE! So, you don't know who the Bosstones are? Well, let me educate you! The Mighty Mighty Bosstones have been around since 1983 and are still together today (for the most part). Though one of their most notable moments came when they were featured in the Film "Clueless," this band had been around a lot longer. They were one of the grandfathers of the Ska genre and pretty much the first to mix in the punk sound. These guys were more than just awesomely strange and under-recognized artists who cameoed in one of my favorite 90s movies! These guys were pioneers and in so many ways, their music embodies the reckless and free-spirited procrastination of the nineties generation! Thanks to the Bosstones, I spent many nights of my youth learning to Skank (it's a dance you dirty mind!!) with the best, and, really, we've all spent the last three decades "knocking on wood!"

# 4. "Linger" by the Cranberries

The definitive love song for any 90s teen, this song by the Irish band, The Cranberries with lead singer Dolores O'Riordan, was first released in 1993, and let's be honest, every kid born within twenty years of that release date knows this song. Her voice and their distinctive sound became iconic for that decade, and owning a Cranberries CD was one of the few things that would make you cool to any group. Their song "Zombie" echoed the thoughts of more than just those within the borders of their homeland, but of an entire generation! Delores' voice and sound was an integral part of our youths, and though she has joined Cornell and Cobain, her influence also "lingers!"

# 5. "Smells Like Teen Spirit" by Nirvana

Do I really need to explain why Kurt Cobain and Nirvana's iconic song makes the list? I hope not. Also parent figures in the Seattle Sound/Grunge music revolution, this band and that VOICE have claimed their ruling title as the # 1 most influential band of the 90s. Sure, they're listed as # 5 here, but that's just because I saved the best for last. Kurt Cobain! We miss you, my friend! There is no explanation needed here. "Smells Like Teen Spirit" is the ANTHEM OF THE NINETIES!

I hope you enjoyed my selection of 5 of the most influential songs of the nineties. You may or may not agree with this selection. I did leave out a plethora of amazing artists of all genres, and I recognize that there are many unrepresented genres, bands, and artists here. But this is a selection of 5 of the trailblazers and foundational members of a decade of juvenile acts, procrastination and profound rebellion! We were rebels and juveniles, but we rebelled with pride against what we felt was wrong and championed for what we felt was long-overdue change. We were a generation of travelers into the great unknown of the Y2K, and strangeness was our claim to fame!

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