Over the recent months, I’ve found myself falling into this cycle of getting really into one thing in music–whether it is an artist, album, genre, playlist or something else–and not listening to anything else for the foreseeable weeks. Currently, I find myself wrapped up in the 90s scene at the intersection of harder, grungy rock songs and slower, more emotional songs. These tracks are sure to become unforgettable earworms.
“Ballad of Big Nothing” by Elliott Smith
Rating: 10/10
Favorite Lyric: “Do what you want to / Whenever you want to / Though it doesn’t mean a thing / Big nothing”
The only thing I can think that would make Elliott Smith’s “Ballad of Big Nothing” better would be if it was longer. It’s one of those songs I usually have to listen to more than once whenever it comes on. It isn’t necessarily short in length–it has a 2:49 playtime–but it’s so densely packed with music and lyricism that I so enjoy one listen isn’t enough to take it in. I can say the same for most of Smith’s discography, but of all of his songs, “Ballad of Big Nothing” definitely placed among my favorites. The song’s simple instrumentals and emotional lyrics pair perfectly, making it a song that, no matter the circumstances, I don’t ever get tired of.
“Forget Her” by Jeff Buckley
Rating: 9/10
Favorite Lyric: “My tears falling down as I try to forget”
I was first introduced to Jeff Buckley’s music after hearing his “Lilac Wine,” and have loved his music since. While “Forget Her” isn’t my favorite of his songs, it is the one I have recently found myself listening to the most. The song moves seamlessly between more emotional and more desperate deliveries of lyrics, which allows Buckley to convey to the listener how he feels about the subject, despite the lyrics acknowledging he needs to move on from her. The song’s lyrics are all too relatable as well. They tell of a subject who is no longer in the singer’s life, which he knows is for the better, but he can’t move on despite that. Even if listeners can’t relate to the song in its more romantic meaning, the meaning can also be applied in other forms–platonic, familial or otherwise.
“Unthought Known” by Pearl Jam
Rating: 10/10
Favorite Lyric: “Feel the sky blanket you / with gems and rhinestones”
Pearl Jam’s album “Backspacer” was technically released in 2009, but the band became popular in the 90s, so in my mind it fits with the rest of the tracks. “Unthought Known” is probably my favorite of all of Pearl Jam’s songs. The song employs the frequent use of metaphors to convey a message of perseverance and everything working out in the end. It has a very “written in the stars” theme throughout, which can especially be seen in the lyric “see the path cut by the moon / for you to walk on.” The song is very beautiful both musically and lyrically. It’s not very repetitive, making it a song that—no matter how many times I listen to it—it never gets old. Especially toward the end, with the repetitions of the lines “nothing left,” “nothing here” and “nothing there,” the song is able to make listeners feel something more so than with other songs.
“Stars” by Hum
Rating: 8/10
Favorite Lyric: “She thinks she missed the train to Mars / She’s out back counting stars”
Another theme I’ve noticed among my recent listens is they tend to have mentions of the stars (see also: “Unthought Known”). The imagery that comes with them is vivid and very beautiful which draws me to them. Hum’s “Stars” is the song that introduced me to the band which I have since come to love. The song toggles between slower, more stripped down vocals and more heavy instrumentals. Upon first listen, the change between the slower and heavier music can be a bit jarring, but subsequent listens can instill a deeper appreciation for the emotion of the song. It’s short, but not too short, so it leaves nothing to be desired.
“High and Dry” by Radiohead
Rating: 10/10
Favorite Lyric: “You’d kill yourself for recognition / kill yourself to / never ever stop”
“High and Dry” comes off of Radiohead’s 1995 album “The Bends.” While “The Bends” isn’t my favorite of their albums, as I will forever have a special place in my heart for their 2007 release “In Rainbows,” some of my favorite songs of theirs have come off of “The Bends.” The emotion of the song is perfectly conveyed through the lyrics alone, and the combination of them and the superb instrumentals make it a song that I could listen to again and again.
