10 Most Underrated Bands of the 1990s
We’re continuing our Loud List series on criminally underrated bands by shining a light on acts from the 1990s. Having already paid respect to bands from the days of heavy metal’s birth, the NWOBHM and the dawn of extreme music, we’re getting into the alt-dominated decade of the ‘90s.
While Nirvana and Pearl Jam were releasing albums that sold over 10 million copies, bands like Dinosaur Jr. and Screaming Trees experienced much more modest success. Though their music was boosted by the alt/grunge wave, even landing them on late night talk shows, both bands were very underrated, yet stood the test of time.
If you type “Demolition Hammer” into Google, you’ll get page after page of power tools instead of the NYC thrash band. Coming up just after thrash’s golden age, DH released three albums in the early ‘90s via Century Media. The band absolutely crushed, but their complex structures didn’t meld with an audience that was further embracing the art of simplicity.
We’d be remiss to ignore the desert rock pioneers of Kyuss. The California stoner act set the stage for Queens of the Stone Age’s 2000s explosion, but more importantly, Kyuss put out some incredible albums in the early-to-mid ‘90s. Though John Garcia was a great singer, Josh Homme was the real star of Kyuss thanks to his filthy riffing and wildly inventive soloing.
Check out our picks for the 10 Most Underrated Bands of the 1990s in the Loud List above.
Top 90 Hard Rock + Metal Albums of the 1990s