Soothe Your Mood with These 10 Forgotten '90s Alt-Pop Jams

I take over for Mike's Music Morning!

Take a trip back in time with me, if you will, to the 1990s. Picture it - you didn't have a cell phone; you might've had a beeper. You didn't doomscroll, but you did log onto AOL (after a series of sounds akin to a braying donkey being murdered by an accordion). You were probably either knee-deep in parenting or you were a teen or a kid yourself. And you had never heard of terms like “social distancing,” “Capitol riot, “social media,” or even “the September 11th attacks.”

Ah, a simpler time! Then again, if you needed to make a call while out and about, you had to find an actual payphone. You had to physically go to the bank to deposit a check. And you had to pick up your own takeout. So it was kind of a mixed bag.

But the last decade of that millennium produced some great music in all kinds of genres. Today, I plucked from the moody landscape of alternative rock and pop, with a few adjacencies. Let me take you back!

The Spin Doctors - “Two Princes,” 1991

This is my Officially-Certified Favorite Song™️! It's so catchy. And, whether you've been the guy vying for a girl's affection or the woman choosing between a guy who's great on paper and a guy who's, well, the right guy, you can relate:

4 Non Blondes - “What's Up?” 1993

This amazing track uses nearly every bit of my smoky, loud alto range, but I only belt it out when I'm home alone! (Somebody invite David Swindle out for lunch or something!)

Deep Blue Something - “Breakfast at Tiffany's,” 1995

Aww. She remembers the film and, as she recalls, she thinks they both kinda liked it! They do have something in common, after all!

Lisa Loeb - “Stay (I Missed You),” 1994

Looking at the lyrics nearly 30 years later, I'm not so sure this is the most empowering message for young girls and women. But it's a really good song:

Sister Hazel - “All for You,” 1994

A little bit contradictory in message? Yes. Catchy as heck? Also yes:

Dishwalla - “Counting Blue Cars,” 1995

The song came on the radio yesterday as I was driving through Joshua Tree, and I was really surprised to find I'd forgotten all about it. I remember buying the single, though, and it's worth another listen today:

10,000 Maniacs - “Because the Night,” 1993

Another terrific vehicle for an alto - in this case, that of the criminally underrated Natalie Merchant. I played and sang this song during the first weekend I spent with David, so it's a special one for me:

Fastball - “The Way,” 1998

It's not often that a song is both judgmental and catchy! But this one pulls it off:

Ben Folds Five, “Brick,” 1997

I remember playing and singing this immediately after it came out, since piano is featured so elegantly. It's a sad song about a serious matter, but it's beautiful, and anyway, art should make us feel, right?

Blind Melon - “No Rain,” 1992

You didn't really forget this one, I bet! But you probably haven't heard it in awhile. It's always good for another spin, and the video? The dancing girl in the bee costume? Iconic.