Thursday Top 10: My Favorite Songs from 1993

No, Whoomp! (There It Is) is not in my Top 10.

Not only was 1993 a pretty good year for music, it was also the year I was born. So it's fitting that this is my first Top 10 feature. The early 90's was partially dominated by the grunge scene, and I have a good share of alternative and grunge on my list. So without further ado, here's my list of my favorite songs from my birth year:




10. No Rain - Blind Melon
"No Rain" is a great alternative song, and it's not really heavy alternative, but more light. I remember always hearing this song but never knowing the name of it. Matching the name to the song led to a huge "Oh, THAT song!" moment for me.

9. Creep - Radiohead
I first encountered "Creep" when I bought the very first Rock Band game. It's a heavier alternative, almost grunge song, and it's actually kind of depressing. The high singing in the bridge is very U2-esque in my mind, and it gives me goosebumps just listening to it.

8. Symphony of Destruction - Megadeth
My friend Alex would be proud that I have Megadeth on here. I first heard "Symphony of Destruction" on the first Guitar Hero game (see a pattern here?), and it's more on here just for nostalgic purposes of when I was crappy at that game and thought I was the coolest when I got a high score at Alex's house... on Easy.

7. Heart-Shaped Box - Nirvana
Yet again, this song was exposed to me through Guitar Hero II. Like I said, grunge dominated the early 90's, and Nirvana was right at the front of that movement. "Heart-Shaped Box" has quiet verses and loud choruses, and that leads to a pretty good song.

6. Linger - The Cranberries
"Linger" was another song I heard frequently while growing up. It was somewhat revived when it made an appearance in the movie Click. The light alternative/indie feeling to the song was also very popular during the 90's, and The Cranberries had a hit single with "Linger".

5. Today - The Smashing Pumpkins
"Today" is a great song by alternative/grunge band The Smashing Pumpkins. Also exposed to me through Rock Band, I was immediately hooked to the song and learned the intro lick on guitar once I started learning guitar. Maybe I should learn this one for piano...

4. Man on the Moon - R.E.M.
"Man on the Moon" was another one I heard a lot while I was growing up. The line I always remembered was, "Let's play Twister, let's play Risk/Yeah yeah yeah yeah". I assumed that the song was just about playing games because that's the only line I ever remembered, but I'm pretty sure now that it's more mature than that.

3. Livin' on the Edge - Aerosmith
"Livin' on the Egde" is one of my all-time favorite Aerosmith songs, and it just so happened to have been released in 1993. It's a political/social song about the wrongs in the world and society's ignorance of it. Weird Al Yankovic made a parody of the song, called "Livin' in the Fridge", and that is pretty good, too.

2. Two Princes - Spin Doctors
There are few songs I like to listen two more than "Two Princes". I had a hard time deciding between numbers 1 and 2, but decided to put this one at #2. However, that doesn't make this any less of a good song. The syncopated beats and singing style make this a great song to sing along to.

1. Plush - Stone Temple Pilots
After some deliberation, I decided to put "Plush" as my favorite song from 1993. I didn't hear it as much growing up, but I still heard it off and on (maybe that's why I like it more). I remember my other friend Evan doing "Plush" for the school talent show in 2009, and I thought it was amazing. Its being in Rock Band 3 just reinforced my like for the song. It's inevitable that I will learn this song on guitar or piano.

Honarable Mention:
Cryin' - Aerosmith
Fields of Gold - Sting
Runaway Train - Soul Asylum

Other Songs from 1993:
Whoomp! (There It Is) - Tag Team
The Sign - Ace of Base
I Will Always Love You - Whitney Houston
Everybody Hurts - R.E.M.
I'd Do Anything For Love (But I Won't Do That) - Meat Loaf
Will You Be There - Michael Jackson