10 Rock Songs That Defined The 90s

It wasn't all perfect, but it was unflinchingly 90s.

When it comes to rock music, the 90s might be most remembered as the decade that exploded grunge all over everything, and that's not necessarily a derogatory statement. Sure, there was heavy dose of melancholy and a sizable dab of sludge working its way through the decade, but it also altered the direction of rock n' roll for many years to follow. Before we move any further, we all need to admit to ourselves that, although this time period was responsible for some truly awe-inspiring rock music--with an influence that can still be felt today--it also gave us a hefty load of pure garbage. Seriously, there was some ridiculously bad music that was allowed to exist, without punishment, for a solid chunk of the 90s. So I should be clear that all of the songs in this article aren't going to be the considered by a lot of you to be the very best of the best. Most of them are good--if not groundbreaking--but it would be irresponsible to suggest that the era isn't defined by at least a couple of questionable tunes. Also, to make this a little easier (and to help ween an overwhelming list of rock songs down to a more manageable size), I've chosen one song from each year to be the designated representative. So rather than fill this whole thing up with the greatest grunge hits of 1992, you'll be sure to find a little more variety. All right then, with the disclaimers out of the way, let's go relive the 90s, shall we?
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Jacob is a part-time contributor for WhatCulture, specializing in music, movies, and really, really dumb humor.