Name one song that encapsulates the essence of the 90s

Two if you don't mind:

The plaid and check-shirted misery of Grunge ('Alive' by Pearl Jam)

swept away by the 'Live Forever' optimism of Oasis

Yeah, nice work Roger. Supersonic was my second choice. Went bowling last week and someone had put a 90s Indie playlist on, reminded me of how many great songs were from then.

"There she goes"-The La's..A scouse smackhead anthem.

That was on the playlist!

UK - 'Common People' a perfect time capsule that stands the test of time

World - 'You Get What You Give' cheesy classic that immediately transports you back to late 90s

Bitter Sweet Symphony

Well the '90s for me were mostly about knobbing my way through as many freshers as possible, taking poorly paid work on graduation, drinking far too much, eating far too little, living in slum accommodation and at the very end, buying my own place.

Based on that, probably "Touch my bum" by the Cheeky Girls.

Cannonball-The Breeders
Simply a top tune.

Am I allowed to sneak in House of Pain, Jump Around?

Weekender by Flowered Up is the one that springs to mind.

I would say "Loaded" by Primal Scream sums up the early (pre-Brit-pop) 90's.

In fact the whole of Screamadelica could be nominated!

Unfinished Sympathy by Massive Attack springs to mind, certainly for the beginning of the 90s:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZWmrfgj0MZI

Poppydog.
Joined: 07 Sep 01
Replies: 14299
    22 Apr 16 11:24

UK - 'Common People' a perfect time capsule that stands the test of time

A great song and the offspring of 'Smalltown England' by another Yorkshire band, New Model Army, from the 1980's

Touch my bum by the cheeky girls a good call.

Not my cup of tea music wise but I'd imagine for its political connotations Things Can Only Get Better by D Ream would be in the running.

I worked in a Donkey sanctuary in the late 90s with my then girlfriend Myfanwy.
Unfortunately I had to report her to the RSPCA on one occasion for abusing Dolly one of our star attractions.

My sound of the 90's would be
Groove Armada - I see you baby (shaking that ass')

Oasis, Cigarettes & Alcohol.

The 90s were essentially the years of my twenties so I've always held them in high esteem and, as with a lot of others, sneered at the 80s.

However, now at a bit of distance I've come to realise that the 90s were actually pretty poor.

I mean Britpop was crap. Really, really bad. Blur are ok, though their attempts at being "pop" were them at their least ok. Oasis are just an average band. Common People's not as good as either Lipgloss or Babies and His'n'Hers is different class to its successor. There were some nuggets in there: Supergrass's second album is brilliant, Elastica were very good and obviously Radiohead (even if they'd run to mum at being called Britpop) but of their time but there was so much crap amongst it all. Beyond that, I loved grunge at the start of the 90s. I was a speed metal freak getting slightly bored of it all so it came at the right time for me. Again though, it all feels a little contrived. Nirvana, Pearl Jam and Soundgarden are very different bands at heart and the creation of the scene just got a lot of mediocre bands record deals. Post Britpop and into the late 90s was even worse: Stereophonics and their ilk and then the execrable nu-metal of Limp Bizkit et al. Jesus, that was poor.


So sorry 90s you were a bit rubbish. If I had to pick a song to sum it up (and not in a bad way) then probably Wake Up by the Boo Radleys.

Bittersweet symphony had a very messy background with all the lawsuits and plagiarism claims and Richard Ascroft ending up with Sweet FA from the track though it of course helped to sell the brilliant album.

Motorcycle emptiness by the Manics

mmm mmm mmm mmm recorded by crash test dummies.

Afternoons and Coffee Spoons was written about the chit chat old codgers Great band.

90s musically is a game of two halfs? First half was grunge, second half britpop?
So smells like teen spirit surely, then something by blur/oasis. With "Things can only get better" jammed in every single ****ing time the tv talks about Tony Blair winning.

Walking into pubs in the mid 90s and hearing Wonderwall blasting out and everyone singing along is a lasting memory. There's a bit of magic about that tune.

This thread summed up in Father Ted form:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8ZvZ_wu3c6Y

and of course we had el tel as manager of England in the 90,s when the nation sang "three lions on the shirt"

Ebeneezer Goode by The Shamen.

Some good songs mentioned on here.

"Ebeneezer Goode by The Shamen."
I was thinking about that one as well. Got any veras?

Around the World,
Around the World,
Around the World,
Around the World,
Around the World,
Around the World,
Around the World,
Around the World,
Around the World,

.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yca6UsllwYs

That was the first song that popped into my head when I read the thread title, JC. I'd say it summed up the 90's and the 2000's!!! Those were the days................

Clousea I recored the daft punk documentary months ago and only watched it the other day, did you see it, very interesting. They started out as a sort of indy rock band :)

Kenbo, "Ebeneezer Goode by The Shamen"
I remember for specific reasons, it's not my favourite song of the 90s but it's very 90s for me.
It was a hit the summer of 1992, (which I think was a good one), I don't even need to look it up :)

JC... I saw something when I was flying recently which was really interesting. It might be the same thing. Went from them beginning, as you say, as an indie band, through Bangalter developing some innovative mixing and dubbing techniques, up to the set at Coachella (I think).

Was that it do you think?

Yes. BBC 4 I think showed it. Was very intersting. Lots of french guys speaking with subtitles.
You got to see what they looked like before they put helmets on etc though.
I liked them whem I heard "round the world" myself, I've that album because I liked THAT song
so much. I need to get their newest album I think, it sounds like it's back to form?