Review: 60 Songs That Explain the '90s by Rob Harvilla (audio)
time travel via lyrics and sound
60 Songs That Explain the ‘90s by Rob Harvilla, narrated by the author, is apparently based on a podcast I have never heard of. I’ve seen other reviews that suggest listening to the podcast instead, but I think this book is enough of a rabbit hole to fall into without listening to the podcast.
If you grew up in the 80s and 90s, this book is a trip down memory lane from a male point of view. A female point of view and song selections may differ. Harvilla was a rock critic for two decades before his podcast, and he does pinpoint some of the artists that others would cite, such as Nirvana, Pearl Jam, etc.
For me, this was revisiting the music that blanketed the radio before streaming services, which makes me think about how we ever found artists that were not considered mainstream or vetted by radio stations and the powers that be.
At one point or two, I traveled into rabbit holes of nostalgia, grabbing old CDs (yes, I still have those) and streaming music I hadn’t listened to in ages. Cranberries, Fugazi, and so many others. A friend of mine would even be tickled to know that Pavement and Gin Blossoms get a nod.
I was delighted to see Fugazi and Tool among his selections, though I may not agree with his selection of Fugazi’s Merchandise as the song to point to in the 90s. I also wouldn’t have chosen Stinkfist (aka Track 1) by Tool. While I understand those selections and why he chose them, they were not my favorites by any means. You can see my selections below.
But this isn’t really about me - it’s about defining the 90s based on music. Overall, he does a good job, and the stories he imparts about each are illustrative of the decade.
I loved the bits of history, artist feuds, and the nonsensical nature of the music business. Woodstock ‘99, which I attended, is talked about, as you might expect with a heavy emphasis on Limp Bizkit. My experience wasn’t the riots or the rage - though there were shouts of “show your titties,” which my now-husband was less than pleased with. I was incredibly disappointed that the rage and riots led to a fire and my smart move not to continue toward the Red Hot Chili Peppers stage, which was one of the reasons I had attended in the first place. I digress.
60 Songs That Explain the ‘90s by Rob Harvilla covers rock, alternative, R&B, rap, and so much more, including the powerhouse that is Celine Dion. My question is what are the 60 songs that you would pick to define the 90s?
RATING: Quatrain
About the Author:
Rob Harvilla is the host of the podcast 60 Songs That Explain the ’90s and a senior staff writer at The Ringer; he’s been a professional rock critic for 20-plus years with stops at the Village Voice, SPIN, Deadspin, and various other alt-weeklies that generally no longer exist. (Not his fault.) He lives with his family in Columbus, Ohio, by choice.
You know how much I love the Gin Blossoms!!