Five overplayed songs from the 1990s that continue to rot our brains

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As a gamer who’s been around since the 90s, I can say with confidence that the music of this decade was a rollercoaster ride, a wild mix of high notes and low blows. And oh boy, did we feel those low blows!

The 1990s were quite exhilarating! Admittedly, when it comes to music, the preceding decades might have had an edge, but the competitive spirit during the ’90s was intense, wasn’t it? Despite this, there was a silver lining – grunge emerged, which was refreshing. However, for the larger part, pop music could be rather mediocre.

During the 1990s, some of the most egregious wrongdoings occurred against music enthusiasts at large. Music industry executives sought success and profit, leading them to compromise the artistic integrity of several talented musicians. They coerced these artists into producing or writing songs that didn’t align with their abilities, resulting in subpar work that tarnished their reputations.

Here are five songs that might hold special meaning for you, and it’s understandable if they do. Feel free to express any disagreements if you have them. For many others, though, listening to these songs can feel more like an unwelcome imposition. It’s somewhat akin to experiencing life in purgatory.

Five overplayed songs from the 1990s which remain horrible after all these years

“Truly Madly Deeply” – Savage Garden

The tune is quite heartwarming. Since Darren Hayes had been separated from his family for a considerable period while the band was recording songs for their first album, he couldn’t return home as often as he might have wished. Oh dear, it could have been more manageable. Perhaps there could have been more visits. However, instead of being taken captive, Hayes aimed to create songs that would generate income. Life, indeed, can be tough!

Indeed, his speech and dismal melody transformed into something so heartfelt that people would share it with their loved ones, expressing feelings they themselves couldn’t verbalize. The phrases, if you notice the irony, are as profound – or perhaps I should say, over-the-top – as “I long to stand beside you on a mountaintop/I yearn to swim with you in the sea/I desire to remain like this forever/Until the heavens collapse upon me.”

How does it play out then – spending eternity with someone, is it on a mountain top or by the sea? The phrase seems a bit whimsical and unusual. Moreover, why does the sky appear to crash down upon him at the end? If this is an allusion to R.E.M., I understand, otherwise, it’s peculiar.

“I Don’t Want to Wait” – Paula Cole

As someone who grew up in the ’90s and was deeply invested in teen dramas like Dawson’s Creek, I can say that Cole’s music has always been a part of my formative years. At first glance, her songs might come across as overly cheerful and lighthearted, but I appreciate her sincerity as a songwriter. However, I feel that the use of her tunes in Dawson’s Creek, particularly with the theme song, took away from their original depth and substance. The show’s portrayal made these songs seem more trivial than they truly are, which is a pity given how much emotion and meaning Cole put into them.

The song had good origins. Cole wrote the song about how her dying grandfather and his relationship with his wife and how Cole did not want to make the same mistakes of not taking each day for granted. There is a wholesomeness to the track that has value. The production and delivery of the tune lowers all of that, though. Maybe if someone had made a black metal version of the track it would highlight the good qualities.

“Everything I Do (I Do It for You)” – Bryan Adams

If you had heard this song when it initially released and shouted, “Down with Bryan Adams!”, your sentiment wouldn’t be off base. The tune is annoyingly catchy and may make you dislike it unwillingly. Don’t worry, though. The song is of poor quality, and perhaps Adams himself realizes this. He might have intentionally produced such mediocrity to suit the film “Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves“, but he should not have done so.

The problem lies in the fact that the song overpowers everything else Adams created, pushing him towards producing more of this mediocre soft rock. However, during the 1980s, Adams wasn’t exactly a revolutionary artist, but he was producing decent rock tunes. Regrettably, it typifies the worst of soft rock, and if you recall dancing to it at your middle school prom, I must extend my sincerest apologies.

“I Don’t Want to Miss a Thing” – Aerosmith

One way to rephrase that in natural and easy-to-read language would be: In their discography, one of the questionable choices made by Aerosmith was a song they didn’t write themselves. Diane Warren claimed she had written it, and there were reports that NSYNC might have recorded it instead. The song concept originated from James Brolin expressing his longing for Barbara Streisand even during sleep (which may seem strange, but love can be peculiar), and eventually, Aerosmith took on the task of recording the track for the movie “Armageddon.”

It might be thought that by this point, Aerosmith was struggling for good song ideas, with even Steven Tyler being reluctant to record it. However, upon witnessing a brief clip of his daughter Liv Tyler in distress over her father’s apparent death (as portrayed in the film), Tyler suddenly agreed, exclaiming “I’ll do it!”. This unexpected inspiration, while heartwarming, has an unsettling undertone.

“The Freshmen” – The Verve Pipe

As a music enthusiast who has spent countless hours exploring various genres and artists over the years, I can confidently say that there is a significant difference between The Verve and The Verve Pipe. My personal experience with both bands has led me to form this opinion.

Another aspect of this impersonal track that the band wrote about a “pregnant girlfriend that got an abortion” is that the band wrote the song based on someone they knew, not something they had a real connection to. Maybe listen to Ben Folds’ “Brick” instead.

Fundamentally, the tune tries too hard to surpass the band’s capabilities, giving it a sanitized feel. However, “The Freshmen” remains listenable, which seems incongruous considering the misrepresentation in the band’s ambition.

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2024-08-25 13:30