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Happy When It Rains in the mid-90s. With lyrics that express the paradox of happiness in being sad, this song captures the essence of the draw to the popular angst-ridden music of the 90s.

3. Zombie - The Cranberries - The Cranberries, an Irish band who reached worldwide fame, feature vocalist Dolores O'Riordan. Zombie is a powerful song describing the violence of IRA bombings and those who are victims to the violence.

4. Angry Johnny - Poe - While not as familiar as other alternative artists of the 90s, Poe was best known for this haunting song. Angry Johnny was one of the few singles released from Poe's debut album, Hello, which is an album well worth checking out.

Other alternative sounds of the 90s came from bands with strong roots in punk or industrial rock. While some were known in the early 90s, many more bands reached wider audiences in the mid- to late-90s after the initial popularity of grunge helped open the door for alternative rock genres.

Here are just a few of the best songs taken from across alternative rock sub-genres of the 90s:

1. Basket Case, Brain Stew/Jaded (tie) - Green Day - It's difficult to choose one song as Green Day's best from the 90s. Basket Case's catchy rhythm, interesting lyrics and extensive airplay boosted its nostalgia factor. However, Brain Stew's hard power chords transitioning into the frenetic pace of Jaded, have earned a place among the most memorable alternative songs of the 90s.

2. Closer - Nine Inch Nails - The song's explicit lyrics and video may have been controversial, but Closer is arguably the best Nine Inch Nails release to date. Edited versions of the song received much airplay in the 90s and it is one of the most memorable songs of the decade.

3. Come Out and Play - The Offspring - This hit of the 90s is often recognized more for its repeated line "gotta keep 'em separated" than for its actual title. While The Offspring has been together since the mid-80s, the band gained widespread popularity in the 90s with songs such as Come Out and Play.

4. Creep - Radiohead - Released in the early 90s by English band Radiohead, Creep spread across America receiving much airplay throughout the decade. The identifiable lyrics about feelings of inferiority feel as current today as they did fifteen years ago.

It's always difficult to pull together a short list of the best music from any genre or time period, and it's especially difficult with the wide variety of music in the alternative genre. These are only a few of the amazing songs in a pivotal decade for rock music.

Learn more about this author, Susan Quilty.
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