I’m listening to my “90s music collection” of well over a hundred songs that were released between 1990 and 1999 and I’m getting all nostalgic now. Dang.
I began discovering music around 1992 in middle school but really got “into” music in high school. Through the influence of those I hung around (I ran with a very eclectic group of individuals) I was listening to virtually every genre of music around at the time. Keep in mind that I graduated high school in 1997.
On any given day I might enjoy a little White Zombie — you know, “easy listening” tracks like More Human Than Human — and then immediately put in the Blind Melon CD and mellow out to No Rain. I enjoyed listening to old James Taylor, new(ish) Paul Simon and a little Metallica thrown in for good measure (is there anyone who doesn’t like Enter Sandman?) often back to back to back.
But I’m not here to tell you about my wide range of musical tastes. No, this article doesn’t have a dominant theme like that. You see, the 90s was the period of my life when A LOT of what makes me “me” was formed. In the 90s I found Christ — or He found me—. In the 90s I found myself. The act of finding Christ can only be attributed to Him. But the act of finding myself had a lot to do with the music with which I surrounded myself. And it’s for that reason that I’m writing now. I think that if I share with you some of the formative musical influences in my past that you may just get a better glimpse of me.
The following list of music represents songs from the 90s that heavily influenced me in one way or another. Some of the songs simply moved me and still continue to move me today. Other songs just evoked a gut-level reaction that’s almost impossible to explain.
Each item in the list below is linked to a last.fm page where you can listen to a sample of the song I’m referring to.
Red Hot Chili Peppers – Under The Bridge
Stone Temple Pilots – Interstate Love Song
The Verve – Bittersweet Symphony
The Smashing Pumpkins – Tonight, Tonight
Collective Soul – The World I Know
The Smashing Pumpkins – Disarm
The Wallflowers – One Headlight
Primitive Radio Gods – Standing Outside A Broken Phone Booth
Lo Fidelity Allstars – Battle Flag
White Zombie – More Human Than Human
I’m interested to know what you think of this list.
