10 Underrated Hard Rock Albums Of The '90s

In the prime time of grunge, no band got more flak without deserving it more than Stone Temple Pilots. Amid the other grunge outfits of the world, these guys from San Diego were thrown under the bus for sounding too much like Pearl Jam, only to have hits anyway with songs like Interstate Love Song and Plush. Once the grunge scene started to fade away though, it was time for STP to get the upper hand.

Instead of continuing on the grunge spectrum, Tiny Music sounds like STP have been reborn, with most of their look and sound owing a huge debt to the glam rock sounds of the '70s. Whereas other artists were still drenching their guitars in as many effects as possible, the subtle crunch of Big Bang Baby and Lady Picture Show showcased a group that was willing to both pay homage to their musical influences as well as shift with the times.

The new look doesn't stop at glam though, with songs like Trippin on a Hole in a Paper Heart having some of the most outlandish progressions in any alternative rock song, with Dean DeLeo pulling from jazz to create one of the most off-kilter bangers of the modern age. Compared to the other acts trying to coax off of the death of Kurt Cobain, this hard-edged update on the classic sounds of rock's glory years could be considered the very definition of alternative.