This week brought us another death of a musician who helped to define the musical landscape for those of us who make up the so-called Generation X. It started back in the 1990s with the death of grunge icon Kurt Cobain and has continued since, most recently with The Cranberries' lead singer, Dolores O'Riordan. As such, I wanted to pay a little tribute to some of those musicians who we have lost. The list is listed in order that they left us for the big rock concert in the sky.
Musician: Kurt Cobain, guitarist and lead singer of Nirvana
Why We Loved Him: Unwittingly, he become a spokesperson for the musical movement that became known as grunge. His raspy voice and sludgy guitars opened the door to countless other bands from the Pacific Northwest (some members of whom, unfortunately, you will see later on this list). In less than 5 minutes, Nirvana's "Smells Like Teen Spirit" closed the book on '80s hair bands and brought alternative rock into the mainstream.
Best Song: "Smells Like Teen Spirit" - It's garbled, screamed vocals, non-sense lyrics and crunching guitars sounded like nothing else on the radio at the time and is arguably the most important song of the '90s.
Honorable Mention: "Lithium"
Musician: Layne Staley, lead singer of Alice in Chains
Why We Loved Him: Another troubled grunge frontman, Staley's snarled vocals and unique harmonies with Jerry Cantrell gave the band's heavy metal music a melodic edge that set them apart from some of their grunge peers.
Best Song: "Would?" - First heard on the "Singles" soundtrack, this song is a terrific example of Staley vocals and his vocal interplay with Cantrell. One of their earliest songs but also still their best, in my opinion
Honorable Mention: "No Excuses" and "Man in the Box"
Musician: Michael Jackson
Why We Loved Him: If you are of a certain age, his 1982 album "Thriller" was the biggest thing in music for several years. Numerous hit singles and groundbreaking videos made him the King of Pop and one of the biggest music stars on the planet. He was uniquely talented, writing his songs, singing them and dancing to them. While he was undoubtedly a strange bird, something that became more and more apparent throughout the '90s and 2000s, he left an indelible mark on the music world.
Best Song: "Billie Jean" - It's almost impossible not to dance - or at least tap your foot - to this song whenever you hear it.
Honorable Mention: "Beat It"
Musician: Whitney Houston
Why We Loved Her: She had an amazing voice and numerous big hit songs during the '80s and '90s before hooking up with Bobby Brown and slowly spiraling downward.
Best Song: "I Will Always Love You" - A cover of a Dolly Parton song, this song spent more than 3 months at the top of the charts. It showcased her vocals and vocal range and was her biggest hit song.
Honorable Mention: "The Greatest Love of All"
Musician: Scott Weiland, lead singer of Stone Temple Pilots and Velvet Revolver
Why We Loved Him: He was a charismatic frontman who helped put a voice to some of the great rock songs of the '90s. His personal life was a mess, but there was no denying that he was a terrific lead singer on stage and on record.
Best Song: "Interstate Love Song" - Three minutes of sunny rock perfection
Honorable Mention: "Wicked Garden" and "Plush"
Musician: David Bowie
Why We Loved Him: I'll admit it - I'm not a big David Bowie fan. Of all of the people on this list, he's my least favorite. I thought about not even including him, since he's significantly older than most of the people on this list and much of his success was in the '70s, when most of us Gen X folks were too long to know the difference. But there is no denying his longevity and legacy, so I decided to include him. After all, with Bowie, we would have never had Peter Schilling's '80s gem "Major Tom (Coming Home)."
Best Song: "Modern Love" - Again, I'm not a huge fan so I went with a big 80s hit. So sue me.
Honorable Mention: "Let's Dance"
Musician: Prince
Why We Loved Him: He was prolific, peculiar and purple. He primarily produced pop music, but was a terrific guitarist who could rock when he wanted to. He was an singer, musician, songwriter, producer and actor. He pushed boundaries and even changed his name to an unpronounceable symbol. He also put out a lot of great songs during his career, from early '80s pop gems like "1999" and "Little Red Corvette" to odd music nuggets like "Batdance."
Best Song: "When Doves Cry:
Honorable Mention: "Let's Go Crazy" and "Raspberry Beret"
Musician: Chris Cornell, lead singer of Soundgarden, Temple of the Dog and Audioslave
Why We Loved Him: He was another terrific frontman with an incredible voice that cut through and soared above the sludgy guitars that permeated Soundgarden's music. Whereas many of the Seattle-based and alternative lead singers had lower, baritone voices, Cornell's vocals often jumped multiple octaves and were distinctly different than his peers. He was also a great lyricist who gave us one of my favorite song lyrics: "I'm looking California and feeling Minnesota."
Best Song: "Outshined"
Honorable Mention: "Black Hole Sun" and "Hunger Strike"
Musician: Tom Petty
Why We Loved Him: With a career that spanned 40 years and bounced back and forth between solo work, albums with The Heartbreakers, as well as collaborations like The Traveling Wilburys, Petty was responsible for a huge catalog of music. He got his start in the days of soft rock and disco, successfully navigate the new wave '80s, continued to produce hits during the alternative rock heydays of the '90s, and on into the new millennium. He might have seemed an unlikely music star, given his plain looks and his nasally, limited voice. But, at the end of the day, it was about the music that he produced more than how he looked, and that's exactly as it should be.
Best Song: "Walls" - This is a lesser known of his songs and it was featured in the soundtrack of the '90s film "She's The One," but this song, with it's simple melody and chiming guitars, is my favorite of his.
Honorable Mention: "Free Fallin'", "You Don't Know How It Feels" and "Last Dance With Mary Jane."
Musician: Dolores O'Riordan, lead singer of The Cranberries
Why We Love Her: She was a bit of a rarity in the alternative rock landscape of the '90s: a female fronting a band made up of men. Her distinctive Irish accent and frequent use of yodeling likewise gave The Cranberries a sound that was different than most of what was on the radio in my college years. While the band's most well known song is likely the crunchy, hard rocking "Zombie," most of her work was softer and more melodic, such as "Linger," "Dreams" and "Ode to My Family." Without her unique voice, The Cranberries likely get lost in the shuffle of the myriad of alternative bands that tried to break through in the '90s.
Best Song: "Linger" - It was the band's first big hit and is still my favorite from their discography. It was an ethereal, acoustic and strings quality that works well when coupled with her voice.
Honorable Mention: "Zombie" and "Dreams"
Mind you, the "best song" selections are obviously subjective. I picked my favorites, but I'd be interested to hear yours as well.
And here's hoping that I don't have to add to this list anytime soon...
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