Tag Archives: Decades 1994

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Song of the Day #5,047: ‘Waterfalls’ – TLC

I missed out on a lot of popular music in the 90s, whether it came from grunge acts or boy bands. I spent some time on alternative pop acts (see Toad the Wet Sprocket, Hootie, Gin Blossom, etc.) but otherwise I spent that decade following my personal faves that were largely out of the mainstream.

That’s why I completely missed out on TLC’s CrazySexyCool, the first-ever album by a girl group to reach Diamond status in the U.S. This R&B smash placed five singles in Billboard’s top five (two at #1) and ultimately sold 15 million copies worldwide.

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Song of the Day #5,046: ‘Hurt’ – Nine Inch Nails

Before he was a two-time Academy Award winner (for 2010’s The Social Network and 2020’s Soul), Trent Reznor melted brains and faces with his hardcore industrial music as the sole member of Nine Inch Nails.

The Downward Spiral, released in March of 1994, was NIN’s second full-length album, following the critical and commercial favorite Pretty Hate Machine.

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Song of the Day #5,045: ‘Come As You Are (Live in New York)’ – Nirvana

I thought it fitting to follow up my post on Hole’s Live Through This with one on Nirvana’s MTV Unplugged in New York. This is another album that overachieved due to the tragic suicide of Kurt Cobain.

Recorded in November of 1993 and released a year later, MTV Unplugged in New York found a band famous for pioneering the loud grunge sound settling into an acoustic set that highlighted their skill as songwriters and performers. In a set heavy on deep cuts and covers — they don’t even play ‘Smells Like Teen Spirit’ — Nirvana makes a case for themselves as an excellent folk rock band.

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Song of the Day #5,044: ‘Doll Parts’ – Hole

Fronted by Courtney Love, Hole is one of the most successful female-led rock bands in history, and their sophomore album — 1994’s Live Through This — was their biggest hit. And yet, this record was almost entirely new to me.

Hole’s debut album, the hard-edged, punk rock Pretty On the Inside, was released three years earlier, and Love wanted to go in a new direction musically, introducing softer sounds and more melody. The change led to the departures of the band’s drummer and bassist, forcing Love to recruit a whole new rhythm section for Live Through This.

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Song of the Day #5,043: ‘Gimme the Loot’ – The Notorious B.I.G.

Now that I’ve counted down my personal top ten albums of 1994, it’s time to feature some of the most critically acclaimed and commercially successful releases of that year.

The Notorious B.I.G.’s debut album, Ready To Die, has been hailed as one of the best hip-hop albums of all time. Recorded by the Brooklyn rapper when he was 19 going on 20, the record is a semi-autobiographical account of the gangster life he never really escaped.

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