Yes, Soundgarden needs to be in this discussion and arguably so do Alice In Chains and Nine Inch Nails.

Whether you like them or not, Green Day had the most staying power and body of work. Pearl Jam stayed alive through a cult following but in terms of mass, commercial success...they died with Vitalogy...that's only 3 records. Nirvana had one fucking album. It was a great one, but it was one album. In Utero didn't come close and then he blew his brains out.

1. Green Day
2. Soundgarden
3. Smashing Pumpkins
4. Nirvana
5. Pearl Jam
6. Alice In Chains

In my world based on my tastes, Alice in Chains is 1 followed by Soundgarden 2. I really really loved Gish and about 3 songs of of Siamese Dream, but the vocals on Mellon Collie are just unbearsable. Huge band, though.
Green Day was based off of Bad Religion, but they never hit the big time like Green Day. You could also include the Offspring in discussion, but Green Day paved the way for them.

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The Offspring were easily one of the worst live bands I ever saw...and everything after Smash sucked.

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Never say them live, but I get your point. Ixnay had song really really really good songs though. "All I Want"....THAT might be one of their best. Once they became a novelty band with Pretty Fly and Why don't yo get a job I was done. They were, however, very very successful.

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I definitely won't deny they were successful...I guess it goes to the whole quality over quantity thing...

I guess if I were to rank 90's bands of the Alternative-ish genrein terms of my favorites, it would be something like:

1. Pumpkins
2. Pearl Jam
3. Soundgarden
4. Stone Temple Pilots
5. NIN
6. Nirvana
7. 311 (the last 10 years or so excepted)
8. Tool
9. Beastie Boys
10. Green Day/Faith No More (I didn't really like anything Green Day did after Insomniac until American Idiot, then I don't like anything after American Idiot - FNM; I dug King for a Day and Album of the Year)

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That's funny GD's American Idiot climbed the U.K. charts for Trump's visit there.

The song has a catchy riff and a good solo in a Chilli Pepper's, "My Friends", kind of way.

The Chilli Peppers are another band that warrant consideration. They would be above Nirvana, but not above the three others, I don't think. Under the Bridge was very popular in the early 90s.

As far as Soundgarden, I would say no, even though Cornell was a talented vocalist. They had one good hit in "Outshined". "Burden in My Hand' is decent. But "Black Hole Sun", "Spoon Man", and "Rusty Cage' are just mediocre at best. I'm not a fan of "Fell On Black Days." None of Soundgarden's songs really have melodies. Their songs are full of minor tones without balance.

It might just be my generation but music in the mid 90s until now is just a lot of one hit bands for me. Only a handful have made me dig deep and own more than one CD of theirs. They are mostly mentioned in this thread.

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If you choose not to decide, you still have made a choice.

Oh.........dude.........holy.......crap............

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Just chillin' like Garret Quillin.

Soundgarden’s 1986-1988 catalog is tremendous. The 90s stuff doesn’t really do much for me, although there’s some great solo Chris Cornell material on bootleg. Nothing is touching “Seasons” from the Singles soundtrack or “All Night Thing” from the Temple Of The Dog LP, of course.

Remember what I said earlier about Vedder - I can’t listen to that I’ve gone hungryyyyyyy shit even though Cornell is flawless.

I’d much rather listen to this Cornell collaboration with Alice N Chains & Mark Arm:

Right Turn
https://youtu.be/qRIXJlmeuww

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Weezer

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God is the uncaused cause of the universe. He had no beginning and has no end. He is not bound by the laws of the universe he created.

WD bringing it.

W_Z . . . Well, I may have to kick his ass again.

WD cracks me up with his take on Vedder.

"Release" was not one of his finest moments vocally.

If this thread has done anything for me, it's made me appreciate Pearl Jam more by going back through their catalog. They're tied with Pumpkins in my book.

Their five best songs in my view are:

1. Yellow Ledbetter
2. Release
3. Given to Fly
4. State of Love and Trust
5. I Got Id

honorable mention: Wishlist

So there’s this bootleg called the Gossman Project that shows you just what a monster Stone Gossard was, basically like the Keith Richards of the Seattle scene.

https://www.discogs.com/Gossman-Project-Pearl-Jam-The-Gossard-Demos-The-Gossman-Project/release/11549465

Early instrumentals for most of the tracks on Ten, including Black, which I’d have attributed to McCready without knowing any better.

I’d love to see a similar collection from McCready with instrumentals for Release, Yellow Ledbetter, etc. Although with Audacity, you could chop up those tracks, loop them, etc and make your own instrumental versions. Shit, when I got some time on my hands, I’m gonna do just that. I’ll throw in some others like Mad Season’s River Of Deceit, etc. I’m assuming Hunger Strike is McCready as well.

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There’s this B movie with Christian Bale, can’t recall the name. Anyway, I’m sitting there watching it with my brother, and the song that’s playing during the opening credits is Release. My brother looks at me and says “Is that gay ass Eddie Vedder?” See, he knew that I was a big fan back in the day. It was a very embarrassing moment for me.

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