The 90s was a stellar decade for music.
There was britpop, grunge and some of the catchiest pop songs ever created.
Away from the spotlight, there was also a glut of bands who made amazing music without ever getting the credit they deserved.
Here are 5 of our favourites:
The Beta Band
You probably know these guys from the scene in High Fidelity where Rob plays their single.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ppJAkN4m9bY
Clip via Marcio K
The Beta Band are far more than just a throwaway reference in an indie movie. They were an innovative band, set up in Edinburgh around 1996 and kept working until the mid 00’s.
Their collection ‘The Three E.P’s’ is an atmospheric must-have for fans of progressive music.
Pavement
Despite releasing some of the best albums of the decade, Pavement never really broke into the mainstream.
Of course, their refusal to sign for a major record label might have something to do with that.
Clip via Domino Recording Co.
The Californian band briefly reunited in the late 00s, but we’d still love to see them back again playing tunes from the 5 albums they released during the decade.
The Presidents of the United States of America
Despite being one of the finest punk bands to come out of America, these guys are almost always forgotten about when lists of ‘the greatest this’, or ‘the greatest that’ are being compiled.
Their biggest hit of the 90s was ‘Peaches’, but we’ll always have a strange affection for their track ‘Lump.’
Clip via pickle965
Kerbdog
Today Cormac Battle is one of the country’s top DJs, but back in the 90s he was a hardcore rocker. As well as Kerbdog, Battle also starred in another late 90s/early 00s band called Wilt.
Both were great, but for us Kerbdog were always just a step ahead.
Clip via eointomassi
Arab Strap
We started this list with a Scottish band and we’re going to finish with one too. Aidan Moffat and Malcolm Middleton were the masterminds behind this lo-fi indie outfit.
A great band that were vastly underrated, although their track ‘The First Big Weekend’ did gain some recognition for being used in Guinness adverts.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fAFIA1vRJX0
Clip via Will McKee
So there you have it, 5 cult bands we wish would get back together for one last show… although, we’d probably be the only people there.
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