The 1970s and 1980s were peak years for hard rock anthems. But hard rock had not totally disappeared in the 1990s, even with new evolutions of rock like grunge and alt-rock taking over the airwaves. Let’s dive into a handful of hard rock anthems from the 1990s that you might have forgotten that you loved!
“Let’s Get Rocked” by Def Leppard from ‘Adrenalize’ (1992)
Def Leppard’s Adrenalize is still a favorite among fans today, and “Let’s Get Rocked” opens up the hard rock glam metal album gloriously. With lyrics about a disobedient teenager and a vibe that feels like a callback to the 80s, “Let’s Get Rocked” really brought hard rock into the 1990s perfectly. The song was a hit when it dropped. It peaked at No. 2 in the UK and No. 15 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.
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“Go” by Pearl Jam from ‘Vs.’ (1993)
Pearl Jam might be best known for grunge and alt-rock. But they did dish out a few classic-sounding hard rock tunes back in the 90s. “Go” off of Vs. actually earned a Grammy nom for Best Hard Rock Performance in 1995. I think it’s worthy of a spot on our list. Funnily enough, Pearl Jam drummer Dave Abbruzzese, who composed the song, said that Eddie Vedder wrote the lyrics of “Go” about his truck.
“Go” was quite successful when it was released, peaking at No. 10 in the UK and No. 3 on the Mainstream Rock chart in the US.
“Man In The Box” by Alice In Chains from ‘Facelift’ (1991)
Alice In Chains is another band best known for grunge. But this hard rock hit deserves a spot on our list of anthems from the 1990s. The hard rock edge is a real throwback to the classic era of the genre. And it has just enough gritty grunge elements to make it worthy of a list of grunge bangers, too. This is one of my favorite Alice In Chains songs, and it just never gets old.
“Man In The Box” peaked at No. 18 on the Mainstream Rock chart when it was first released in 1991, but it has become a notable fan favorite in recent years.
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