Only A 90's Kid Remembers These College Rock Hits

The 1990's were a pretty great time for music of the heavier persuasion. The decade began with a triple hit of genre-defining classics in 1991; Metallica's Black Album and Pearl Jam's 'Ten' were both released in August and they were swiftly followed by Nirvana's 'Nevermind' in September. All three of these albums would go on to be considered defining records in their band's histories, and all three provided a number of the biggest anthems of the decade: 'Enter Sandman', 'Nothing Else Matters', 'Smells Like Teen Spirit', 'Come As You Are', 'Alive' and 'Jeremy' to name but a handful.

The decade would go on to bring the world more grunge, in the shape of bands like Soundgarden and Alice In Chains, before a breed of rap-infused-rock began to emerge, pioneered by bands like Faith No More and Rage Against the Machine. These guys influenced the nu-metal movement, which then took over in the late 90's and continued into the early 2000's. In amongst this was the rise of pop-punk, led by Green Day.

This quiz will be for all of you out there that came of age during this time. The guys who wore flannel shirts and dirty ripped jeans, and the ones who spiked their hair up high and skanked to their hearts content. This is for all the girls who pierced their noses, tongues and belly buttons and moshed like crazy. If you rocked in the 90's, you'll dig this quiz!

In order to ensure the quiz isn't too easy, by the way, there will be no entries from any of the aforementioned mega-bands, and the quiz also stretches into the early 2000's a bit.

Let's do it!

Question 1

Pretty Fly (For A White Guy)

'Give it to me baby! Uh-huh, uh-huh! Give it to me baby! Uh-huh, uh-huh! And all the girlies say I'm pretty fly (For a white guy)' 1998 was the year that this pop-punk smash hit was unleashed upon an unsuspecting world. Even though the band in question had been around since the early 1990's, and had a previous breakthrough with 1994 album 'Smash', this was the single that truly thrust them into the mainstream. It went to number one in the charts in nine different countries, including Australia and the UK!

Question 2

Learn To Fly

'I'm looking to the sky to save me Looking for a sign of life Looking for something to help me burn out bright' One of the defining singles by a band that is still a major force today (in fact, it could be argued they're one of the biggest rock bands in the world), this 1999 ditty is a brilliant three-minute pop-rock record. The music video also became legendary, winning the 2000 Grammy Award for Best Short Form Music Video. It starred the band acting alongside Jack Black and Kyle Gass (Tenacious D).

Question 3

Iris

'And I don't want the world to see me 'Cause I don't think that they'd understand When everything's meant to be broken I just want you to know who I am' This 1998 soft-rock ballad was part of the soundtrack for the Nicolas Cage/Meg Ryan weepie City Of Angels, but its success was so massive that it arguably eclipsed the movie. It is one of the biggest crossover hits in the history of popular music, and was one of the most played songs of 1998 across all formats of radio.

Question 4

Don't Speak

'Don't speak I know just what you're saying So please stop explaining Don't tell me 'cause it hurts' This ballad was the most played song on American radio in 1996, and stayed at the top of the Billboard's Hot 100 Airplay chart for a record-setting 16 weeks. It also went to number one in many other countries, including the UK and Ireland (where it stayed at the top for three weeks) and Australia (where it topped the charts for eight weeks). It is one of the defining 'sad songs' of the 90's, and undoubtedly the band's biggest hit.

Question 5

Smooth Criminal

'Annie, are you okay, you okay, you okay, Annie? You've been hit by You've been struck by A smooth criminal' One of the most famous cover versions of the last few decades, this rocked-up iteration of Michael Jackson's 1988 classic was released in 2001 and became a sizeable hit. It went to number one on Billboard's Modern Rock Tracks chart, and was also featured on the soundtrack for American Pie 2. Legend has it that the band would play a few notes of the song during their warm-ups, which led to audience members requesting they play the whole song. The rest was history!

Question 6

Kryptonite

'If I go crazy then will you still call me Superman If I'm alive and well, will you be there holding my hand I'll keep you by my side with my superhuman might Kryptonite' This 2000 song, which was of course inspired partly by the DC Comics hero Superman (and was reportedly one of the first songs written by drummer/vocalist Brad Arnolad at 15 years old, while bored in math class) reached number three on the Billboard Hot 100 and number one on the Mainstream Top 40.

Question 7

Buddy Holly

'Oo-ee-oo I look just like Buddy Holly Oh-oh, and you're Mary Tyler Moore I don't care what they say about us anyway I don't care bout that' Another song that is inextricably linked with its pioneering music video, which inserted the band (who released the single in 1994) into footage from the show Happy Days (which was made in the 1970's). The video was directed by Spike Jonze, who would go on to direct Being John Malkovich and Adaptation. The song peaked at number two on the US Billboard Modern Rock Tracks chart.

Question 8

Last Resort

'Cut my life into pieces This is my last resort Suffocation No breathing Don't give a &%$£ if I cut my arm, bleeding' An undisputed angsty teenage anthem, this powerful rap-rock monster hit was released in 2000 and dealt with the topic of suicide in an incredibly direct manner. Singer Jacoby Shaddix (then known by the stage name Coby Dick) wrote the song about a roommate who tried to commit suicide. It reached number one on the Modern Rock Tracks chart, and number three in the UK SIngles chart.

Question 9

Stupid Girl

'You pretend you're high Pretend you're bored Pretend you're anything Just to be adored stupid girl stupid girl' This gloomy 1996 anthem was nominated for two Grammy Awards (Best Rock Song and Best Rock Performance by a Duo or Group) and helped propel the album it originated from to sales over 4 million. The music video was filmed in just four hours with an exhausted band, who had just filmed another video, and was inspired by the grimy opening credits to David Fincher's film Se7en.

Question 10

All The Small Things

'Say it ain't so, I will not go Turn the lights off, carry me home Na, na, na, na Na, na, na, na, na, na, na, na, na, na, na' Released in January 2000, this mega catchy pop-punk masterpiece made stars of the band, who had released the song's parent album Enema Of The State in 1999. Accompanied by a hilarious music video in which the band parodied boy bands like Backstreet Boys and N'Sync, the song peaked at number one on the Modern Rock Tracks chart. The band reportedly wrote the song specifically for radio, feeling they needed a 'really catchy and basic' single. Mission accomplished!

Question 11

Every Morning

'Every morning there's a halo hangin' From the corner of my girlfriend's four post bed I know it's not mine but I'll see if I can use it for The weekend or a one-night stand' This pop-rock/reggae fusion was released in 1999, and is easily the song most associated with the band. It topped the charts in Canada and the Modern Rock Tracks chart, and peaked at number three on the Billboard Hot 100. The band, who previously had sounded very rap-metal, pursued a more pop-rock sound with this release, to much success!

Question 12

Break Stuff

'It's just one of those days Where you don't want to wake up Everything is %$£&ed Everybody sucks' We're back in teenage angst territory with this, probably one of the ultimate angry teen anthems in history. Released as a single in 2000, after appearing on the album Significant Other in 1999, this juvenile-but-undoubtedly-fun song encouraged disenfranchised youth all over the world to, well, break stuff! The music video, which was shot at Skatelab (a skateboarding facility in California) won the MTV Video Music Award for Best Rock Video.

Question 13

Ironic

'Isn't it ironic, don't you think It's like rain on your wedding day It's a free ride when you've already paid It's the good advice that you just didn't take Who would've thought, it figures' The album from which this song sprung, Jagged Little Pill, is one of the best-selling albums of all time. All in all, it sold a mind-boggling 33 million copies. To put this in perspective, only 11 albums in history have sold more copies than that. Whoa.

Question 14

In The End

'I tried so hard And got so far But in the end It doesn't even matter' When singer Chester Bennington tragically took his own life on July 20th 2017, legions of fans of his band likely played this song in tribute. Featuring on their debut album, this epic nu-metal ballad was released as a single in 2001 and peaked at number two on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, and number one on both the Alternative Songs and Mainstream Top 40 charts. In fact, it actually wound up as Billboard's second most played rock song of the decade.

Question 15

Semi-Charmed Life

'I want something else To get me through this Semi-charmed kind of life' A quintessential song of the 1990's, this charming (see what we did there?) hit was released in 1997, as the third single from the band's debut album. It reached number one on the Modern Rock Tracks chart, and peaked at number four on the Billboard Hot 100. Interestingly, despite the song having a bouncy and easygoing vibe, the lyrics actually deal with a drug user's descent into crystal meth addiction. Heavy.

Question 16

Freak On A Leash

'Feeling like a freak on a leash (You wanna see the light) Feeling like I have no release (So do I) How many times have I felt diseased (You wanna see the light) Nothing in my life is free, is free' These guys were one of the biggest names in the nu-metal scene of the late 1990's/early 2000's, and are still plying their trade today. This 1999 single, which is fondly remembered for its brilliant animated music video directed by Todd McFarlane (comic book artist and creator of Spawn), peaked at number six on the Billboard Alternative Songs chart. In 2017, Spin Magazine named it the greatest nu-metal song of all time.

Question 17

Zombie

'In your head, in your head Zombie, zombie, zombie-ie-ie What's in your head, in your head Zombie, zombie, zombie-ie-ie, oh' This protest song, which was written about the 1993 IRA bombing in Warrington England, was released in September 1994. It reached number one in France, Belgium, Australia, Germany and Denmark, as well as topping the US Alternative Songs chart,, It also won the Best Song prize at the 1995 MTV Europe Music Awards. Tragically, the band's singer died unexepectedly on the 15th January 2018 when she was in London for a recording session.

Question 18

3AM

'And she says baby It's three a.m. I must be lonely When she says baby Well I can't help but be scared of it all sometimes' In 1996, these guys rose to international fame with the spectacular success of their debut album 'Yourself Or Someone Like You'. To date, the record has sold 15 million copies, and several popular singles sprung from it, including this one! A perfect distillation of the band's ballad-driven soft rock sound, the song is actually about singer Rob Thomas growing up with a mother battling to survive cancer.

Question 19

Californication

'The sun may rise in the East At least it settles in the final location It's understood that Hollywood Sells Californication' The fourth single from the funk rockers 1999 album of the same name, Californication has gone on to become one of their most popular songs. A rumination on the dark side of the shiny Hollywood dream that is sold to the masses, the song came packaged with a superb music video, which became iconic. It featured the band in video game form, all on some sort of adventure.

Question 20

All Star

'Hey now, you're an all-star, get your game on, go play Hey now, you're a rock star, get the show on, get paid And all that glitters is gold Only shooting stars break the mold' Released in May 1999, this song became such a crossover hit that it is arguably one of the songs that is more famous than the band that performed it! It has been featured in several films, including Mystery Men, Inspector Gadget and Rat Race, but also became inextricably linked with a certain cartoon ogre when it was used in the opening credits of the first Shrek movie!

Question 21

Fat Lip

'I don't want to waste my time Become another casualty of society. I'll never fall in line Become another victim of your conformity' These Canadian pop-punkers shot to fame in 2001 with their album 'All Killer No Filler', which peaked at number 13 on the Billboard 200. This was the debut single from the album, and one of the band's signature songs. It's a rousing mix of pop-punk, hip-hop and rap-rock, and features a gloriously chaotic and silly music video which topped MTV's Total Request Live.

Question 22

How You Remind Me

'This is how you remind me Of what I really am' In 2009, this song was named by Nielsen Soundscan as the number one played song on US radio of the 2000's! Initially released in 2001 as the lead single of the band's second album 'Silver Side Up', the song became the band's signature angsty-yet-melodic hit. Singer Chad Kroeger described it as the song that put them on the map, and it reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100, as well as the Hot Modern Rock Tracks chart.

Question 23

Hanging By A Moment

'I'm falling even more in love with you Letting go of all I've held onto I'm standing here until you make me move I'm hanging by a moment here with you' When it comes to radio-friendly rock songs, there are few as melodic, catchy and fist-clenchingly sincere as this 2000 hit. It peaked at number two on the Billboard Hot 100, and also became the number one best-selling single of 2001 (despite never spending a single week at the top of the charts). Singer Jason Wade says he wrote the song in about five minutes, with little idea as to how much it would take on a life of its own!

Question 24

Chop Suey!

'I don't think you trust In, my, self righteous suicide I, cry, when angels deserve to die, die Wake up!' This incendiary hard rock classic was released in August 2001 and earned its band their first Grammy nomination for Best Metal Performance. With lyrics that deal with heavy themes such as how people's memories are treated differently depending on the manner in which they died, and a musical beat that is off-kilter and also crushingly heavy, it's amazing that the song found such an audience! However, in America, it only peaked at number 76 on the Billboard Hot 100 due to the fact it was taken off the radio, in the wake of 9/11, due to purported political lyrics.

Question 25

Creep

'But I'm a creep, I'm a weirdo. What the hell am I doing here? I don't belong here' This song has a strange history, both with the world at large and with the band itself! Initially released in September 1992 as the band's debut single, it failed to make much of an impression on the charts, and Radio 1 in the UK refused to play it as they found it too depressing. However, after certain US radio stations began playing it, by the second half of 1993 it had become a hit, peaking at number 34 on the Billboard Hot 100. By the time the band then arrived in the US to tour, even they were surprised by how their melancholy tune had become so popular!

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