"Finally, something with a little levity!" That was the feeling shared by a large portion of rock music fans when Dookie came barreling onto the scene. Some of us had grown quite weary of the downer vibes dominating rock radio in the 90s thus far. Not only that, but the death of Kurt Cobain had cast a very dark cloud over the entire year. I think we were all in need of something a little perkier. On the heels of grunge, there was an opening for something equally brash but with a little more zing and pep. Thankfully, Southern California punk was already on the way in, filling that alt-rock hole with some snotty, high-powered, radio-friendly fun. Dookie tackled familiar themes that were favorited among the grunge bands--social anxiety, drug use, loneliness--but did so in a way that was more "turn that frown upside down" than "lock yourself in your room and cry." "Basket Case," in particular, was such a breath of fresh air because it was a frenetic, simple, self-effacing rallying cry that existed, at least it seemed, just for the fun of it. And holy hell was that something people wanted to get behind in 1994. Honorable Mentions: The Offspring - "Self Esteem," Stone Temple Pilots - "Interstate Love Song," Soundgarden - "Black Hole Sun," Beck - "Loser"
