250 Best Rock Songs from the 90s

A Tribute to the Soundtrack of a Generation

The 1990s were a golden era for rock music, where new genres flourished, iconic bands emerged, and the sound of rebellion and raw emotion echoed through the airwaves. From the grunge revolution to the rise of alternative rock, metal, and indie anthems, the 90s shaped the rock music landscape in ways that still influence the genre today.

In this list of 250 Best Rock Songs of the 90s, we take a deep dive into the tracks that defined an entire decade. Whether you were headbanging to the grunge anthems of Nirvana, lost in the soulful sound of Pearl Jam, or rocking out to the power-pop explosion of Oasis, the 90s had something for every rock fan.

This collection celebrates the diversity and innovation of 90s rock, showcasing the best from legendary bands like Metallica, Radiohead, Soundgarden, R.E.M., and many others. Each song tells a story of youth, angst, love, and defiance—capturing the essence of a time when rock was at its peak.

Join us as we pay homage to the unforgettable soundtracks that shaped the 90s, and relive the era when rock truly ruled the airwaves.

Track list:

1. Nirvana - 'Smells Like Teen Spirit'   [Nevermind (Remastered)]
2. Alice In Chains - 'Man in the Box'   [Facelift]
3. Soundgarden - 'Black Hole Sun'   [Superunknown (Deluxe Edition)]
4. Green Day - 'Basket Case'   [Dookie]
5. Radiohead - 'Creep'   [Pablo Honey]
6. Pearl Jam - 'Black'   [Ten]
7. R.E.M. - 'Losing My Religion'   [Out Of Time (25th Anniversary Edition)]
8. Foo Fighters - 'Learn to Fly'   [There Is Nothing Left To Lose]
9. Red Hot Chili Peppers - 'Scar Tissue'   [Californication (Deluxe Edition)]
10. Pantera - 'Walk'   [Vulgar Display of Power]
11. Metallica - 'Enter Sandman'   [Metallica]
12. Guns N' Roses - 'November Rain'   [Use Your Illusion I]
13. blink-182 - 'All The Small Things'   [Enema Of The State]
14. Oasis - 'Wonderwall - Remastered'   [(What's The Story) Morning Glory? [Remastered]]
15. U2 - 'One'   [Achtung Baby (Deluxe Edition)]
16. Nine Inch Nails - 'Closer'   [The Downward Spiral (Deluxe Edition)]
17. Queen - 'Innuendo - Remastered 2011'   [Innuendo (2011 Remaster)]
18. Weezer - 'Buddy Holly'   [Weezer]
19. No Doubt - 'Don't Speak'   [Tragic Kingdom]
20. The Offspring - 'Come Out and Play'   [Smash]
21. The Wallflowers - 'One Headlight'   [Bringing Down The Horse]
22. Rage Against The Machine - 'Killing In The Name'   [Rage Against The Machine - XX (20th Anniversary Special Edition)]
23. The Cranberries - 'Zombie'   [No Need To Argue (The Complete Sessions 1994-1995)]
24. Slayer - 'Raining Blood'   [Reign In Blood (Expanded)]
25. my bloody valentine - 'when you sleep'   [loveless]
26. The Mighty Mighty Bosstones - 'The Impression That I Get'   [Let’s Face It]
27. Stone Temple Pilots - 'Plush'   [Core]
28. Korn - 'Freak On a Leash'   [Follow The Leader]
29. Pavement - 'Cut Your Hair'   [Crooked Rain, Crooked Rain]
30. Anthrax - 'Got The Time'   [Persistence Of Time (30th Anniversary Remaster)]
31. Blur - 'Song 2 - 2012 Remaster'   [Blur (Special Edition)]
32. The Smashing Pumpkins - '1979 - Remastered 2012'   [Mellon Collie And The Infinite Sadness (Deluxe Edition)]
33. The Verve - 'Bitter Sweet Symphony - Remastered 2016'   [Urban Hymns (Remastered 2016)]
34. Pixies - 'Here Comes Your Man'   [Doolittle]
35. Bush - 'Everything Zen - Remastered'   [Sixteen Stone (Remastered)]
36. Jane's Addiction - 'Been Caught Stealing'   [Ritual De Lo Habitual]
37. The Lemonheads - 'Into Your Arms'   [Come on Feel The Lemonheads]
38. The Flaming Lips - 'She Don't Use Jelly'   [Transmissions From the Satellite Heart]
39. The Goo Goo Dolls - 'Name'   [A Boy Named Goo]
40. Sonic Youth - 'Bull In The Heather'   [Experimental Jet Set, Trash And No Star]
41. Dream Theater - 'Pull Me Under'   [Images and Words]
42. Blind Melon - 'No Rain'   [Blind Melon]
43. Garbage - 'Only Happy When It Rains - 2015 Remaster'   [Garbage (20th Anniversary Super Deluxe Edition)]
44. Megadeth - 'Symphony Of Destruction'   [Countdown To Extinction (Expanded Edition - Remastered)]
45. Pulp - 'Common People - Full Length Version'   [Different Class]
46. Aerosmith - 'Cryin''   [Get A Grip]
47. Faith No More - 'Epic'   [The Real Thing]
48. Dave Matthews Band - 'Crash into Me'   [Crash]
49. Live - 'Selling The Drama'   [Throwing Copper]
50. TOOL - 'Schism'   [Lateralus]
51. Silverchair - 'Tomorrow'   [Frogstomp (Deluxe Edition) [Remastered]]
52. Counting Crows - 'Mr. Jones'   [August And Everything After]
53. Emperor - 'The Loss & Curse Of Reverence'   [Anthems To The Welkin At Dusk]
54. Creed - 'My Own Prison'   [My Own Prison]
55. Hootie & The Blowfish - 'Only Wanna Be With You'   [Cracked Rear View]
56. Bon Jovi - 'Bed Of Roses'   [Keep The Faith]
57. Incubus - 'Pardon Me'   [Make Yourself]
58. Testament - 'Return to Serenity'   [The Ritual]
59. Collective Soul - 'Shine'   [Hints, Allegations & Things Left Unsaid]
60. Helmet - 'Unsung'   [Meantime]
61. Sublime - 'What I Got'   [Sublime]
62. Third Eye Blind - 'Semi-Charmed Life'   [Third Eye Blind]
63. AC/DC - 'Big Gun'   [Backtracks]
64. Our Lady Peace - 'Superman's Dead'   [Clumsy]
65. Primus - 'Wynona's Big Brown Beaver'   [Tales From The Punchbowl]
66. Bad Religion - '21st Century (Digital Boy)'   [Against The Grain]
67. Extreme - 'More Than Words'   [Extreme II - Pornograffitti]
68. Scorpions - 'Under The Same Sun'   [Face The Heat]
69. Blues Traveler - 'Run-Around'   [Four]
70. Van Halen - 'Don't Tell Me (What Love Can Do) - 2023 Remaster'   [Balance (2023 Remaster)]
71. Sepultura - 'Refuse / Resist'   [Chaos A.D.]
72. The Black Crowes - 'Hard To Handle'   [Shake Your Money Maker]
73. Def Leppard - 'Two Steps Behind - Acoustic'   [Adrenalize (Deluxe)]
74. Soul Asylum - 'Runaway Train (2022 Remaster)'   [Grave Dancers Union (2022 Remaster)]
75. Candlebox - 'Far Behind'   [Candlebox]
76. Matchbox Twenty - 'Push'   [Yourself or Someone Like You]
77. Skid Row - 'Wasted Time'   [Slave to the Grind]
78. The Cardigans - 'Lovefool'   [First Band On The Moon (Remastered)]
79. White Zombie - 'More Human Than Human'   [Astro Creep: 2000 Songs Of Love, Destruction And Other Synthetic Delusions Of The Electric Head]
80. Spin Doctors - 'Two Princes'   [Pocket Full Of Kryptonite (Anniversary Edition)]
81. Limp Bizkit - 'Re-Arranged'   [Significant Other]
82. 311 - 'Down'   [311]
83. Mudhoney - 'Suck You Dry - 2008 Remaster'   [Piece Of Cake]
84. Fear Factory - 'Replica'   [Demanufacture (Special Edition)]
85. Barenaked Ladies - 'One Week'   [Stunt (20th Anniversary Edition)]
86. Sleater-Kinney - 'Get Up'   [The Hot Rock (Remastered)]
87. Mr. Big - 'To Be With You'   [Big, Bigger, Biggest! The Best Of Mr. Big]
88. Meshuggah - 'New Millennium Cyanide Christ'   [Chaosphere (Reloaded)]
89. Death - 'Spirit Crusher'   [The Sound of Perseverance - Reissue]
90. Firehouse - 'When I Look Into Your Eyes'   [Hold Your Fire]
91. Ministry - 'Jesus Built My Hotrod'   [KE*A*H** (Psalm 69)]
92. Semisonic - 'Closing Time'   [20th Century Masters: The Millennium Collection: Best Of Semisonic]
93. Motörhead - 'Born To Raise Hell'   [Bastards]
94. Guided By Voices - 'Motor Away'   [Alien Lanes]
95. Napalm Death - 'Suffer The Children'   [Harmony Corruption]
96. Opeth - 'In Mist She Was Standing'   [Orchid]
97. Warrant - 'Heaven'   [Dirty Rotten Filthy Stinking Rich]
98. Marilyn Manson - 'The Beautiful People'   [Antichrist Superstar]
99. Everclear - 'Santa Monica'   [Sparkle And Fade]
100. Crash Test Dummies - 'Mmm Mmm Mmm Mmm'   [God Shuffled His Feet]
101. The Breeders - 'Cannonball'   [Last Splash]
102. Portishead - 'Glory Box'   [Dummy]
103. Deftones - 'My Own Summer (Shove It)'   [Around the Fur]
104. Blind Guardian - 'Mirror Mirror - Remastered 2007'   [Nightfall in Middle Earth (Remastered 2007)]
105. CAKE - 'The Distance'   [Fashion Nugget]
106. The Stone Roses - 'I Wanna Be Adored - Remastered 2009'   [The Stone Roses]
107. Gin Blossoms - 'Hey Jealousy'   [New Miserable Experience]
108. Filter - 'Take A Picture'   [Title Of Record (Expanded Edition)]
109. Smash Mouth - 'All Star'   [Astro Lounge]
110. Better Than Ezra - 'Good'   [Deluxe]
111. KMFDM - 'Megalomaniac'   [Symbols]
112. Tonic - 'If You Could Only See'   [Lemon Parade]
113. Hole - 'Celebrity Skin'   [Celebrity Skin]
114. 4 Non Blondes - 'What's Up?'   [Bigger, Better, Faster, More !]
115. Yo La Tengo - 'My Little Corner of the World'   [I Can Hear The Heart Beating As One]
116. Ben Folds Five - 'Brick'   [Whatever And Ever Amen (Remastered Edition)]
117. Carcass - 'Keep On Rotting in the Free World'   [Swansong]
118. Rollins Band - 'Liar - Live'   [Weighting]
119. The Jesus Lizard - 'Hide & Seek'   [Rack]
120. In Flames - 'Moonshield'   [The Jester Race (Black Ash-Inheritance Version)]
121. Soul Coughing - 'Super Bon Bon'   [Irresistible Bliss]
122. Judas Priest - 'Breaking the Law'   [British Steel]
123. Sugar Ray - 'Someday'   [The Sugar Ray Collection]
124. Godsmack - 'I Stand Alone'   [Faceless]
125. Queensrÿche - 'Silent Lucidity - Remastered 2003'   [Empire - 20th Anniversary Edition]
126. Dokken - 'Alone Again'   [Tooth and Nail]
127. Built To Spill - 'Carry the Zero'   [Keep It like a Secret]
128. Unleashed - 'Before the Creation of Time'   [Where No Life Dwells]
129. Sebadoh - 'Ocean'   [Harmacy]
130. The Presidents Of The United States Of America - 'Lump'   [The Presidents of The United States of America: Ten Year Super Bonus Special Anniversary Edition]
131. Fastball - 'The Way'   [All The Pain Money Can Buy]
132. Poison - 'Every Rose Has Its Thorn - 2003 Remaster'   [Open Up And Say...Ahh! (20th Anniversary Edition)]
133. Superchunk - 'Driveway to Driveway'   [Foolish]
134. Iron Maiden - 'Bring Your Daughter... to the Slaughter - 2015 Remaster'   [No Prayer for the Dying (2015 Remaster)]
135. Ugly Kid Joe - 'Everything About You'   [America's Least Wanted]
136. Cannibal Corpse - 'Staring Through The Eyes Of The Dead'   [The Bleeding]
137. Dismember - 'Skin Her Alive'   [Like An Ever Flowing Stream]
138. Ammonia - 'Drugs'   [Mint 400]
139. STEELHEART - 'She's Gone'   [Steelheart]
140. Danzig - 'Mother'   [Danzig]
141. Rush - 'Tom Sawyer'   [Moving Pictures (2011 Remaster)]
142. Slaughter - 'Fly To The Angels'   [Mass Slaughter: The Best Of Slaughter]
143. Rancid - 'Time Bomb'   [...And Out Come The Wolves]
144. Marcy Playground - 'Sex & Candy'   [Marcy Playground]
145. Suffocation - 'Liege of Inveracity'   [Effigy of the Forgotten]
146. Bodeans - 'Good Things'   [Black And White]
147. Iced Earth - 'Watching over Me - Remixed & Remastered'   [Something Wicked This Way Comes]
148. New Radicals - 'You Get What You Give'   [Maybe You've Been Brainwashed Too]
149. Wilco - 'Jesus, Etc. - 2022 Remaster'   [Yankee Hotel Foxtrot (2022 Remaster)]
150. Failure - 'Another Space Song'   [Fantastic Planet]
151. Screaming Trees - 'Nearly Lost You'   [Sweet Oblivion]
152. Matthew Good - 'Hello Time Bomb'   [In A Coma]
153. Obituary - 'Redneck Stomp'   [Frozen In Time]
154. Danger Danger - 'Bang Bang'   [Danger Danger]
155. The Charlatans - 'The Only One I Know'   [Some Friendly]
156. Belly - 'Feed the Tree'   [Star]
157. Deep Blue Something - 'Breakfast At Tiffany's'   [Home]
158. Winger - 'Seventeen'   [Winger]
159. Amorphis - 'House Of Sleep'   [Eclipse]
160. Overkill - 'Elimination'   [The Years of Decay]
161. Dio - 'Rainbow In The Dark'   [Holy Diver]
162. At The Gates - 'Slaughter Of The Soul'   [Slaughter Of The Soul]
163. Cinderella - 'Don't Know What You Got (Till It's Gone)'   [Long Cold Winter]
164. Entombed - 'Wolverine Blues'   [Wolverine Blues]
165. Skunk Anansie - 'Hedonism (Just Because You Feel Good)'   [Stoosh]
166. KISS - 'Psycho Circus'   [Psycho Circus]
167. Whitesnake - 'Is This Love - 2018 Remaster'   [Whitesnake (2018 Remaster)]
168. Exodus - 'Blacklist'   [Tempo of the Damned]
169. Manowar - 'Warriors of the World United'   [Warriors of the World]
170. Cracker - 'Low'   [Kerosene Hat]
171. Buffalo Tom - 'Taillights Fade'   [Let Me Come Over]
172. Vertical Horizon - 'Everything You Want'   [Everything You Want]
173. LEN - 'Steal My Sunshine - Single Version'   [Steal My Sunshine EP]
174. for KING & COUNTRY,Lecrae,Stryper - 'To Hell With The Devil (RISE)'   [Unsung Hero (The Inspired By Soundtrack)]
175. Britny Fox - 'Girlschool'   [The Best Of Britny Fox]
176. Kula Shaker - 'Govinda'   [K]
177. GRAVE - 'Running Out Of Hope'   [Running Out Of Hope]
178. Ned's Atomic Dustbin - 'Grey Cell Green'   [God Fodder]
179. Kix - 'Don't Close Your Eyes'   [Blow My Fuse]
180. PARIAH - 'Memory Lane'   [Memory Lane]
181. Lamb of God,Kreator - 'State Of Unrest'   [State Of Unrest]
182. L.A. Guns - 'The Ballad Of Jayne'   [Cocked And Loaded]
183. Bolt Thrower - 'The Killchain'   [Those Once Loyal]
184. Suicidal Tendencies - 'Cyco Vision'   [Freedumb]
185. Destruction - 'Thrash Till Death'   [The Antichrist]
186. Quiet Riot - 'Cum on Feel the Noize'   [Metal Health]
187. Helloween - 'OUT FOR THE GLORY'   [HELLOWEEN]
188. Corrosion Of Conformity - 'Clean My Wounds'   [Deliverance]
189. The Tea Party - 'Heaven Coming Down'   [TRIPtych]
190. Edge Of Sanity - 'Black Tears'   [Purgatory Afterglow]
191. Sponge - 'Plowed'   [Rotting Pinata]
192. Reel Big Fish - 'Sell Out'   [Turn The Radio Off]
193. Paradise Lost - 'Small Town Boy'   [Symbol Of Life]
194. Eels - 'Novocaine For The Soul'   [Beautiful Freak]
195. Superdrag - 'Sucked Out'   [Regretfully Yours]
196. Dark Tranquillity - 'Atoma'   [Atoma]
197. White Lion - 'You're All I Need'   [Mane Attraction]
198. Mötley Crüe - 'Kickstart My Heart'   [Dr. Feelgood]
199. Therion - 'Litany Of The Fallen'   [Leviathan II]
200. Saigon Kick - 'I Love You'   [Love Is On the Way Collected Cuts]
201. Toad The Wet Sprocket - 'All I Want'   [fear]
202. Behemoth - 'Ov Fire and the Void'   [Evangelion]
203. L7 - 'Pretend We're Dead'   [Bricks Are Heavy]
204. The Folk Implosion - 'Natural One'   [Music For KIDS]
205. Dangerous Toys - 'Teas'n, Pleas'n'   [Dangerous Toys]
206. Nuclear Assault - 'Critical Mass'   [Handle With Care]
207. Type O Negative - 'I Don't Wanna Be Me'   [Life Is Killing Me]
208. Incantation - 'Devoured Death'   [Onward To Golgotha]
209. Jeff Buckley,Shudder To Think - 'I Want Someone Badly'   [Grace (Legacy Edition)]
210. Gun - 'Word Up - Radio Mix'   [Swagger]
211. Citizen King - 'Better Days (And the Bottom Drops Out)'   [Mobile Estates]
212. Trixter - 'One In A Million'   [Trixter]
213. Ratt - 'Round and Round'   [The Essentials: Ratt]
214. Machine Head - 'Is There Anybody Out There?'   [Is There Anybody Out There?]
215. Vio-Lence - 'Eternal Nightmare'   [Eternal Nightmare]
216. Love/Hate - 'Blackout In the Red Room'   [Blackout In The Red Room]
217. Symphony X - 'Sea of Lies'   [The Divine Wings of Tragedy (Special Edition)]
218. Butthole Surfers - 'Pepper'   [Electriclarryland]
219. Archers Of Loaf - 'Web in Front'   [Icky Mettle (Deluxe Reissue)]
220. Sense Field - 'Save Yourself'   [Tonight And Forever]
221. W.A.S.P. - 'I Wanna Be Somebody'   [W.A.S.P.]
222. Rammstein - 'Du hast'   [Sehnsucht (Anniversary Edition - Remastered)]
223. Nine Days - 'Absolutely (Story of a Girl) - Radio Mix'   [The Madding Crowd]
224. Children Of Bodom - 'Are You Dead Yet?'   [Are You Dead Yet?]
225. Gamma Ray - 'Valley of the Kings'   [Somewhere out in Space]
226. Bulletboys - 'Smooth up in Ya'   [Bulletboys]
227. Divinyls - 'I Touch Myself'   [Divinyls]
228. Sacred Reich - 'The American Way'   [The American Way]
229. Carbon Leaf - 'Life Less Ordinary'   [Indian Summer]
230. Suede - 'Beautiful Ones'   [Coming Up - 20th Anniversary Edition (Audio Version)]
231. Voivod - 'Astronomy Domine'   [Nothing Face]
232. Heart - 'Stranded'   [Brigade]
233. Vixen - 'Edge Of A Broken Heart'   [Vixen]
234. Jars Of Clay - 'Flood'   [Jars Of Clay]
235. Vader - 'Triumph of Death'   [Tibi Et Igni]
236. Narvent,FORBIDDEN - 'HATRED'   [HATRED]
237. The Afghan Whigs - 'Debonair - Remastered'   [Gentlemen (Remastered)]
238. Lit - 'My Own Worst Enemy'   [A Place In The Sun]
239. Blessid Union Of Souls,David Kershenbaum - 'I Believe'   [Home]
240. Great White - 'Once Bitten Twice Shy'   [Twice Shy]
241. Living Colour - 'Cult of Personality (2023 Remaster)'   [Vivid (2023 Remaster)]
242. Tankard - 'Schwarz-weiß wie Schnee - 1999'   [Schwarz-Weiß wie Schnee]
243. World Party - 'Is It Like Today?'   [Bang!]
244. Muse - 'Uno'   [Showbiz]
245. Deicide - 'In the Minds of Evil'   [In the Minds of Evil]
246. Annihilator - 'King of the Kill - 2013 Version'   [Re-Kill]
247. Night Ranger - 'Sister Christian'   [Midnight Madness]
248. Travis - 'Why Does It Always Rain On Me?'   [The Man Who]
249. Enuff Z'Nuff - 'New Thing'   [Enuff Z'Nuff]
250. Primitive Radio Gods - 'Standing Outside a Broken Phone Booth with Money in My Hand'   [Rocket]