If you’re a fan of grunge or were lucky enough to be around during the alt-rock genre’s heyday, you know that 1993 was a fine year for songs, albums, and performances alike. A lot of great music came out that year, and a lot of grunge music from the previous year was still charting strong. Let’s take a look at just a select few grunge songs from 1993 that I still listen to today, and you might, too.
“Pennyroyal Tea” by Nirvana from ‘In Utero’
There are quite a few songs from Nirvana’s final album that could have made it to this list, but there’s something about “Pennyroyal Tea” that just keeps getting to me after all these years. “All Apologies” and “Heart-Shaped Box” are classics, but “Pennyroyal Tea” is one of the most devastating songs on the album. Anyone who has ever dealt with chronic pain or depression will find some relatability, if not comfort, in the lyrics of this song.
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“Elderly Woman Behind The Counter In A Small Town” by Pearl Jam from ‘Vs.’
It’s a mouthful, but this acoustic take on grunge music is a real treat for the years, decades after it was released in 1993. “Elderly Woman Behind The Counter In A Small Town” by Pearl Jam is a killer track from Vs., and it’s not your typical grunge track. Eddie Vedder said that the inspiration for this tune came from his fascination with small towns.
“You either struggle like hell to get out, to some people want to stay ’cause then they’re the big fish in the small pond, and then others just kind of get stuck there,” said Vedder of the song’s inspiration.
“Hooch” by Melvins from ‘Houdini’
Houdini by Melvins has a firm place in the record collection of many grunge fans out there, and for good reason. The whole hour-long album is fantastic grunge-meets-sludge goodness, but these are some songs on this 1993 album that stand out. I went with “Hooch”, simply because it’s so memorable. Kurt Cobain has a co-production credit on this song, among a few others from Houdini. “Goin’ Blind” (yes, that’s a KISS cover) and “Honey Bucket” could have made it to this list, too.
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