Essential 90s Songs

PJ Fan est. 1990
PJ Fan est. 1990 Posts: 1,788
edited January 2017 in Other Music
I think I'm going to take the leap of faith this spring and start street performing and doing bar/restaurant gigs. I want to focus my set on 90s songs. My instrument of choice is acoustic guitar and I'll mostly be working solo (not that I'm opposed to a partnership, but at the moment I don't have one)

Can you all help me come up with a repertoire of essential 90s songs that can be performed by a solo acoustic artist? I want to start preparing now so that I'm good and rehearsed by the time spring rolls around.

The songs don't have to be acoustic songs. You can definitely suggest some of the electric, full band, or late 90s pop songs if you think an acoustic solo adaptation would work well in a busking/bar gig environment.

Lastly, I'm mostly looking for the crowd pleasing hit songs and I realize that many of us on the PJ forum might dislike the over played cheesy stuff, but please don't neglect them. I need the Third Eye Blind and Oasis type stuff to carry my sets and I'll sprinkle in the obscure deep tracks to make my set more cultured.

I'll begin a list below organized by artist. Help me add to it!

Pearl Jam
Black
Small Town
Daughter
Betterman
Nothingman

Third Eye Blind
Semi-Charmed Life
Jumper
Graduate

Oasis
Wonderwall
Champagne Supernova

The Cranberries
Zombie
Linger

Bush
Glycerine
Come Down

Stone Temple Pilots
Plush
Creep

Weezer
The Sweater Song

Blind Melon
No Rain
Change

Matchbox 20
3 a.m.
Push

Semisonic
Closing Time

Alanis Morrisette
You Oughta Know
Ironic

Soundgarden
Black Hole Sun

Nirvana
Come as You Are

Jesus Jones
Right Here Right Now

Porno For Pyros
Pets

Everlast
What It's Like

James
Laid

Silverchair
Tomorrow

Sublime
What I Got

Better Than Ezra
Good
In the Blood
This Time of Year
Desperately Wanting

Radiohead
Karma Police
Creep

Everclear
I Will Buy You A New Life
Santa Monica
Father of Mine

Marcy Playground
Sex and Candy
Saint Joe on the School Bus

Local H
Bound for the Floor

The Toadies
Possum Kingdom

Liz Phair
Divorce Song

Spacehog
In the Mean Time

Alice In Chains
Nutshell
Post edited by PJ Fan est. 1990 on
«13

Comments

  • Thirty Bills Unpaid
    Thirty Bills Unpaid Posts: 16,881
    Jesus Jones right here right now

    Porno for pyros pets would be awesome
    "My brain's a good brain!"
  • PJ Fan est. 1990
    PJ Fan est. 1990 Posts: 1,788
    Oh man, how did I leave off Pets? I love that song
  • jeffbr
    jeffbr Seattle Posts: 7,177
    How about What It's Like by Everlast? Pretty easy, and fun acoustic song. Works well solo.
    "I'll use the magic word - let's just shut the fuck up, please." EV, 04/13/08
  • Dead Man Walking
    Dead Man Walking Toronto-ish Posts: 2,762
    James - Laid

  • AceCool
    AceCool Texas Posts: 455
    I think you could play Tomorrow by Silverchair on acoustic guitar.
  • Dead Man Walking
    Dead Man Walking Toronto-ish Posts: 2,762
    Sublime - What I got
  • ledvedderman
    ledvedderman Posts: 7,762
    Good, In The Blood, This Time of Year, Desperately Wanting by Better Than Ezra. Actually, the vast majority of BTE works well on an acoustic. Very easy tunes.
    E8toX.gif

    http://www.reverbnation.com/brianzilm
  • jeffbr
    jeffbr Seattle Posts: 7,177
    Radiohead - Karma Police
    Radiohead - Creep
    Everclear - I Will Buy You A New Life
    Everclear - Santa Monica
    Everclear - Father of Mine
    Marcy Playground - Sex and Candy
    "I'll use the magic word - let's just shut the fuck up, please." EV, 04/13/08
  • Thirty Bills Unpaid
    Thirty Bills Unpaid Posts: 16,881
    jeffbr said:

    Radiohead - Karma Police
    Radiohead - Creep
    Everclear - I Will Buy You A New Life
    Everclear - Santa Monica
    Everclear - Father of Mine
    Marcy Playground - Sex and Candy

    I like Marcy's Saint Joe...

    Probably not the greatest roadside, acoustic song unless you alter lyrics somewhat.
    "My brain's a good brain!"
  • jeffbr
    jeffbr Seattle Posts: 7,177
    Thirty Bills Unpaid said:

    jeffbr said:

    Radiohead - Karma Police
    Radiohead - Creep
    Everclear - I Will Buy You A New Life
    Everclear - Santa Monica
    Everclear - Father of Mine
    Marcy Playground - Sex and Candy

    I like Marcy's Saint Joe...

    Probably not the greatest roadside, acoustic song unless you alter lyrics somewhat.
    :lol: Maybe a good song to make sure everyone's paying attention.
    "I'll use the magic word - let's just shut the fuck up, please." EV, 04/13/08
  • Thirty Bills Unpaid
    Thirty Bills Unpaid Posts: 16,881
    jeffbr said:

    Thirty Bills Unpaid said:

    jeffbr said:

    Radiohead - Karma Police
    Radiohead - Creep
    Everclear - I Will Buy You A New Life
    Everclear - Santa Monica
    Everclear - Father of Mine
    Marcy Playground - Sex and Candy

    I like Marcy's Saint Joe...

    Probably not the greatest roadside, acoustic song unless you alter lyrics somewhat.
    :lol: Maybe a good song to make sure everyone's paying attention.
    Was it the Wedding Singer or Wedding Crashers that had the harsh lyrics to 'Total Eclipse of the Heart' in that wedding scene with the band playing? Laughed my ass off.

    * "I f**king need you more than ever..."
    "My brain's a good brain!"
  • jeffbr
    jeffbr Seattle Posts: 7,177
    Thirty Bills Unpaid said:

    jeffbr said:

    Thirty Bills Unpaid said:

    jeffbr said:

    Radiohead - Karma Police
    Radiohead - Creep
    Everclear - I Will Buy You A New Life
    Everclear - Santa Monica
    Everclear - Father of Mine
    Marcy Playground - Sex and Candy

    I like Marcy's Saint Joe...

    Probably not the greatest roadside, acoustic song unless you alter lyrics somewhat.
    :lol: Maybe a good song to make sure everyone's paying attention.
    Was it the Wedding Singer or Wedding Crashers that had the harsh lyrics to 'Total Eclipse of the Heart' in that wedding scene with the band playing? Laughed my ass off.

    * "I f**king need you more than ever..."
    The Dan Band!
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FfUU1wJKXDc
    "I'll use the magic word - let's just shut the fuck up, please." EV, 04/13/08
  • JK_Livin
    JK_Livin South Jersey Posts: 7,365
    Local H, Bound for the floor
    Toadies, Possum Kingdom
    Alright, alright, alright!
    Tom O.
    "I never had any friends later on like the ones I had when I was twelve. Jesus, does anyone?"
    -The Writer
  • Mignelli14
    Mignelli14 Posts: 626
    Liz Phair - Divorce Song !
  • Thirty Bills Unpaid
    Thirty Bills Unpaid Posts: 16,881
    jeffbr said:

    Thirty Bills Unpaid said:

    jeffbr said:

    Thirty Bills Unpaid said:

    jeffbr said:

    Radiohead - Karma Police
    Radiohead - Creep
    Everclear - I Will Buy You A New Life
    Everclear - Santa Monica
    Everclear - Father of Mine
    Marcy Playground - Sex and Candy

    I like Marcy's Saint Joe...

    Probably not the greatest roadside, acoustic song unless you alter lyrics somewhat.
    :lol: Maybe a good song to make sure everyone's paying attention.
    Was it the Wedding Singer or Wedding Crashers that had the harsh lyrics to 'Total Eclipse of the Heart' in that wedding scene with the band playing? Laughed my ass off.

    * "I f**king need you more than ever..."
    The Dan Band!
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FfUU1wJKXDc
    Hahahahahahaha

    Thanks. My wife and I just cracked up.
    "My brain's a good brain!"
  • Merkin Baller
    Merkin Baller Posts: 12,812
    Spacehog - In the Meantime


    I'm not sure how it would sound with just an acoustic, but to me it's one of the great singles of the '90s.
  • Thirty Bills Unpaid
    Thirty Bills Unpaid Posts: 16,881
    Let's not forget some of the very best acoustic stuff:

    AIC Nutshell
    "My brain's a good brain!"
  • PJ Fan est. 1990
    PJ Fan est. 1990 Posts: 1,788
    All awesome suggestions...except for total eclipse. Lol

    But keep it up, guys!
    Merkin Baller said:

    Spacehog - In the Meantime


    I'm not sure how it would sound with just an acoustic, but to me it's one of the great singles of the '90s.

    The beginning can totally be done with a harmonica and I can just strum the progression. I think it will work.
  • HesCalledDyer
    HesCalledDyer Maryland Posts: 16,491
    edited January 2017
    Toad The Wet Sprocket - Walk On The Ocean, Something's Always Wrong, All I Want, Nightingale Song, Whatever I Fear, Good Intentions
    Star Lake 00 / Pittsburgh 03 / State College 03 / Bristow 03 / Cleveland 06 / Camden II 06 / DC 08 / Pittsburgh 13 / Baltimore 13 / Charlottesville 13 / Cincinnati 14 / St. Paul 14 / Hampton 16 / Wrigley I 16 / Wrigley II 16 / Baltimore 20 / Camden 22 / Baltimore 24 / Raleigh I 25 / Raleigh II 25 / Pittsburgh I 25
  • Wma31394
    Wma31394 Posts: 3,045
    Smashing pumpkins

    Mayonnaise
    Disarm
    Soma
    Hummer
    "Going where the water tastes like wine!"

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