1. Nirvana – Though Nirvana is not the first grunge band to form, they were the first to make it big. With their first big hit, Smells Like Teen Spirit, Nirvana became an instant success. If it weren’t for Kurt Cobain dieing, Nirvana could have been one of the greatest bands of all time, but they will have to settle for the top spot on the list of best rock bands of the 1990’s.
2. Pearl Jam – Along with many of the grunge bands, this Seattle produced band did not want to be famous. This is one of the key factors in their success and becoming one of the best rock bands of the 1990’s. Pearl Jam refused to shoot music videos and even boycotted the mass ticket selling website, Ticketmaster. Along with the quality of music they created, Pearl Jam became easily one of the best rock bands of the 1990’s.
3. Red Hot Chili Peppers – The Red Hot Chili Peppers finally made rock cool again. The genre of rock had taken a back seat to both metal and grunge in the past, but when the Red Hot Chili Peppers came around, they became the “hottest” band around. Stellar guitar play by the lead guitarist, John Frusciante, and bass guitarist, Flea, made the Red Hot Chili Peppers fun to listen to.
4. Metallica – Though Metallica was an already established band before the 1990’s, their presence was still felt in the 1990’s. With the genre of metal getting replaced by grunge by the time the 90’s rolled around, it was a breath of fresh air to see that Metallica could keep on producing albums even when their entire genre of music had faded away.
5. Radiohead – Though not initially accepted as being a great band, Radiohead became popular a few months after their debut album, Pablo Honey, came out in 1993. As different as Radiohead is, they are still surprisingly a very popular band that has attained great mainstream success.
6. R.E.M. – With songs such as “To The One I Love” and “Losing My Religion,” R.E.M. successfully appealed to college students and drug enthusiasts. R.E.M. turned out to be possibly the best softer, alternative rock band of the 1990’s.
7. Alice in Chains – One of the heavier grunge bands to form in the 1990’s, Alice in Chains knew exactly what they were doing. They created a band that still gets regular airplay on the radio even though the band disbanded in 2002. Even though they did break up, they got back together in 2005 and have not looked back since.
8. Tool – Here is the most distinct and different band of this list. Tool came on the music scene with a message to tell and through all their songs, it really gets out. With Maynard James Keenan’s strangely appealing voice, Tool became one of the most popular rock bands of the 1990’s and are still today producing quality music.
9. Green Day – Here is a band who had a lot of mainstream success. With their music being played on virtually every single radio station, Green Day has enjoyed a great career as a band. Since Dookie came out, the band hasn’t looked back and deserves a spot on the top ten rock bands of the 90’s.
10. Guns N’ Roses – Appetite for Destruction. That is all that needs to be said about Guns N’ Roses. Though that album was released just before the 1990’s, it held its popularity well into the 90’s and is still talked about today. As one of the best hard rock bands of the 90’s, Guns N’ Roses easily gets the 10 spot on the top ten list of greatest rock bands of the 1990’s.
