The 8 Most Gut-Wrenching GRUNGE-ERA Songs!

[@dlmyrs]

Black by Pearl Jam pulls you into the gut wrenching refrain at the end with the line “I know you’ll be a sun in someone else’s sky, but why can’t it be mine?” That line crushes me…because I lost a beautiful sun in my sky.

[@Acemechanicalservices]

Star. It’s star.

[@IRequireMedication]

I know someday you'll have a beautiful life
I know you'll be a star
In somebody else's sky
But why, why, why, can't it be, can't it be mine
Fabulous

[@scottverge938]

I always thought of my wife whenever I sang that song. After 26 years now it's true.

[@kevintunaley5079]

The unplugged version on this song , omg it is Awesome !@@IRequireMedication

[@harmoneebliss777]

That song was on aitorepeat at my friend's home. He later commited suicide. That was back in '93. I have to fight like Hell to keep the tears back whenever I hear it. Even now typing this, that one'll kick my ass every time. Every.F'ing.Time.

[@InsaneWayne355]

For me, one of those songs is Release by Pearl Jam. It's the final track on Ten and not well known, but man is it a gut-wrencher. Eddie's vocals just have so much feeling.

[@Hilaire_Balrog]

Thanks . I had forgotten about this song. Replaying a gem that I once played constantly.

[@CorbCorbin]

Those three songs after Porch, to end that album, really are a perfect vibe, that I found myself listening to the live versions, that were on a single of something. I don’t even remember, maybe Oceans.
It was a foreign release.
*I used to be able to do a good baritone, when I was in high school, and Release was a song I warmed up with. Actually got me a date with a girl I really liked. She wasn’t worth a second date, but the song is one I still try to do the parts along with Eddie, until my voice cracks. 😄

[@cacophonic7]

I hadn't listened to this song in decades, but when you brought it up the feels came back. Nice pick!

[@mariocastillo8334]

Everyone understood just how good Ten was back then, but I don't think anyone could foresee the staying power of the album. It's been 32 years since its, um, Release... and it sounds even more alluring now if that's even possible!

[@quicklicks5963]

I also like difference at the end of versus

[@TheArtofGuitar]

Two corrections. Purple was not the overlooked album. Sorry I was thinking of Tiny Music for some reason. Also Nutshell is sung by Layne. I thought Jerry sang part of it but must just be a false memory from a live clip or something. Not sure. Thanks for the comments everyone.

[@MultiWTFGamer]

Tiny music truly is a great album too!

[@celticc9580]

Ok because I was just about to comment WTF 😂

[@derpplayz7359]

you should pin this

[@ChronicBreakdown]

Rotten Apple by Alice In Chains is one of the most beautiful songs I have ever heard. It’s so melancholy and sad yet beautiful at the same time.

[@lanecore75]

Yes Rotten Apple has a very dark dank feel to it. It's still hauntingly beautiful and nearly has a hypnotizing quality to it. This song played on repeat many an hour during my darkest times. Opiate addiction is a beast and this song, for me, is a stark reminder of those times. I still love the song but it sends me back to the land of NOD when I hear it.

[@whatabouttheearth]

Yup, I studied Eastern Philosophy and Religion in college and when studying shit like Advaita Vedanta I would smoke some weed and listen to Rotten Apple on repeat, it totally fits, I absolutely suggest doing so
Smoke some weed, put on Rotten Apple and read Swami Vivekanandas 'Raja Yoga'. The rocks are being thrown into your mind, but you can pacify the ripples to see the bottom of the lake because you are the water.

[@captainflappyarms8277]

Yes. Same with frogs

[@MrAntifed]

Absolutely. Frogs is another one that always gets me

[@chairmankaga101]

The solo from Soma, when he pulls the string off the fretboard... perfect. Billy's vibrato doesn't get enough accolades.

[@bigrig4385]

What a damn song.

[@majunior1944]

James Iha, ackshually.

[@sprucesoultree3833]

​@@majunior1944nope, Billy did the solo

[@rome8180]

In general, Billy doesn't get enough accolades as one of the best guitarists ever.

[@averagejet5336]

@@majunior1944Billy re done all instruments on the album

[@TheArtofGuitar]

I swear I didn’t plan that dad pun in the beginning when I said, “Cure-ious choice.”

[@PureMagma]

"You might not be the brightest star but you can still shine" ... (Mike quickly follows with) "Don't say that to your partner..."
Me: 😂😂😂😂😂😂😂

[@NytronX]

Smashing Pumpkins is coming the Twin Cities again in 2024. Tickets just went on sale. You going?

[@squishy312]

I think you might have kids out there somewhere.... lol j/k.

[@matttaylor3120]

I call B.S!😂

[@CorbCorbin]

Oh, when Lollapalooza was actually put together by musicians for musicians.
When they had something for every weirdo, and their friends who had never seen people nail things onto their extremities. 😆
I know exactly what you’re describing about Soma live.
I went to the first three Lollapaloozas. I went to two times the second year.
Could’ve been somethin’
Nothingman
Eddie going up beyond his natural range, are often the most emotional parts of their songs.

[@vvoof2601]

Personally my vote goes to AIC nutshell. Especially the live MTV unplugged version. I honestly know my depression is coming back when I find myself starting to listen to that song on repeat.

[@LilacSnowBun]

Hell yeah, I agree ❤

[@rivenbeef]

Soma is an absolute masterpiece! Great choice. Still one of my favorite songs of all time.

[@Gian4455]

There was a lot of gut wrenching music during those years. I would have included "Release" and "Dissident" by Pearl Jam, "Creep" by STP, "Disarm" by SP, "Fell on Black Days" and "The Day I Tried to Live" by Soundgarden... so many to choose from.

[@lueysixty-six7300]

Fake Plastic Trees, too..

[@CorbCorbin]

Rhinoceros and Crush from Gish, are those for me.
I really dug the trippier stuff on Siamese Dream, but Today and Disarm were their MTV video/radio hits, that were played over and over. I’d pick Soma off that one.
I listened to Pearl Jam’s Ten, for months, before anyone started buying it. So, Black, Release, Garden, Deep End, were all the darker ones for me.
Funny enough, it was because the Hunger Strike video was put into rotation, and everyone wanted to know who that guy with the baritone was, that got them bigger hype. The TotD album has a lot of those type of songs, Times of Trouble, being a song Pearl Jam also used with Eddie’s lyrics(Footsteps).
Didn’t get into STP as much, until years later, playing with folks who loved them.
Alice In Chains, SAP ep, was a darker thing than Facelift for me, and really let me know the next album would be special, with how different it was.
I was one of the few who had Bleach in 1990, which was when I actually first got a guitar. I could play Negative Creep easier than About a Girl, but About a Girl, was very popular among the girls, once I did learn it. I agree with Something in the Way.
Soundgarden was different, as they were one of my get worked up bands. Louder than Love was being played a lot, then Badmoterfinger, I was partial to Somewhere, Room a Thousand Miles Wide and Jesus Christ Pose, after everyone was listening to the first three songs, from that album.

[@bonglord430]

Every time I sing Release in the car I end up tearing up

[@-jank-willson]

outshined by soundgarden

[@lanecore75]

​@CorbCorbin When I first listened to Times of trouble I couldn't for the life of me figure out why it was so familiar. I hadn't realized that footsteps was the same song. Love both those tunes.

[@acerimmer8338]

Thank you for calling out Whale and Wasp! So many times I've heard people say it's boring or throwaway. It's so beautiful and surprisingly uplifting. Agree it's one of the best instrumentals ever.

[@berkmustafaoglu9020]

Such a good instrumental

[@zaphodbeebs]

Amazing song, love it.

[@Naughtforeye]

​@@zaphodbeebsThat damn song definitely did NOT make me well up with emotion on more than one occasion. I'm not crying, you're crying bro....lol!

[@puppetmaster8551]

Jerry is the GOAT, wrote that song when he was 19

[@Frenchmelodymaker]

-Crush (SP)
-Soma (SP)
-To forgive (SP)
-Circus (Lenny Kravitz)
-Saint joe on the school bus (Marcy playground)
-learn to hate (silverchair)
-fell on black days (Soundgarden)
-Mmmm Mmmm Mmmm (crash test dummies)

[@adrianashe9364]

You are spot on with all of your picks. Black by Pearl Jam. Soma by Smashing Pumpkins. Off the top of my head, I might add, Screaming Trees "Nearly Lost You," Mazzy Star "Fade Into You," "Milk" by Garbage, "Walking In My Shoes" by Depeche Mode, "Acrobat" by U2... I know the last two are eighties bands, but these are very grunge-era songs by them, compared to their older songs.

[@benwilliamson3447]

You talking about imagining memories to “far behind” going through an 8mm film gave me chills, this is the exact way I’ve always felt with this riff and it’s amazing to see someone else feeling that exact same way.

[@juniorlupercio1470]

Far behind really changed my life the first time I heard it. Was one of the first riffs I learned on guitar

[@richardwhite4923]

Purple is FAR from being a “forgotten” album.

[@cozm8]

Agree 100% brother!

[@davidskutches5238]

RIP Layne- Everything on Jar of Flies is incredible and River of Deceit is a great song from Mad Season

[@jolu1621]

So true

[@lanecore75]

Couldn't agree more. Wake up is such a gut punch to me. Knowing the path Layne took he knew it was past time to get past his addiction but couldn't is gut wrenching. The whole album is just wonderful in so many ways.

[@bobsala7780]

"Times of Trouble" by Temple of the Dog would be my pick. The emotion that Chris Cornell pours into the lyrics of the chorus when he sings it for the last time in the song just hits me every time.

[@CorbCorbin]

Same. It’s the song I always went back to over the years. I really didn’t get the full meaning, when I was 13 or 14, aside from it being about his friend dying, when first getting the album. It became more impactful as I got older, and the piano is so simple yet poignant and beautiful. I also dug hearing the demo of Eddie Vedder singing over the basic guitar part, for Footsteps. It became similarly powerful for me.
I was listening to it, and because I knew Soundgarden, Alice In Chains and and a few other bands from Seattle, I constantly read anything about new stuff coming from there, in any magazines I could get my hands on. I was lucky to have a record store close, with owners who told me what the best Zines to subscribe to were. From England, L.A., New York, Seattle, etc. Lots of free ones too. From 1989-1992(the year I got serious about guitar), there was just year after year of music that was so different, and just better than what I had known.
It all came at a very influential point in my life, and the bands were so different, it’s been how I approached the guitar ever since. From Jane’s Addiction, Pixies, even Cure Disintegration, AIC, right at the turn of the decade, through everything after.
I’ve never again felt so much great music, that fought its way into the mainstream, no matter what other genres were pushed harder.
I was into all these bands before Nirvana’s Teen Soirit broke MTV.

[@CorbCorbin]

When the spoon is hot,
And the needle’s sharp,
And you drift away…

[@lanecore75]

Those lines go right to my gut. Such a beautiful song. Full of pain but beautiful all the same. Great great song

[@CMill78]

One correction, Purple is not often forgotten. It's viewed as an all time great album from start to finish.

[@zaphodbeebs]

Was wondering the same thing like, wtf

[@lomarsweed6604]

Yeah it's my favorite STP album.

[@braxfistya547]

It doesn’t say ‘Purple’ on it tho. I had friends that had it but didn’t know it was called Purple. Like Versus from Pearl Jam

[@joen8529]

Yeah I was thinking that too… I thought that was by far their biggest album…

[@David_Downs]

@@braxfistya547 Technically it does, though written in its chinese character and not in english.

[@aritradutta1581]

River of deceit made me feel the same way during the pandemic. Grunge was my vibe during the entirety of the two years, still remains one of my favourite genres

[@termikes174]

Good one!

[@jkanyae]

Great list. Here are some other incredible, emotional songs from this era not on the list:
Change by Blind Melon
Long Gone Day by Mad Season
Mayonaise by Smashing Pumpkins
Creep by Stone Temple Pilots
Elderly Woman... by Pearl Jam
Zero Chance by Soundgarden
Mouthful of Cavities by Blind Melon
High Hopes by Pink Floyd
Say Hello 2 Heaven by Temple of the Dog

[@leodavies1615]

Trouble is, pink floyd isn't grunge. Cracking song though

[@melany5506]

Wake Up by Mad Season as well
And Dirt by AIC

[@psydvckk]

jar of flies is one of the greatest records of all time, one of your older video introduced me to it and it helped me get through very rough times. Deserved 1st place

[@acerimmer8338]

First thing that came to mind. Nutshell is absolutely heart-breaking.

[@asmongoldsmouth9839]

*The 90s grunge era was so mystical and serene. I remember going to sleep with Soundgarden, Smashing Pumpkins, STP, NIN, Pearl Jam, Collective Soul, Nirvana, and so many more and having a hard getting to sleep because the chorus, flange and digital delay effects on the guitars made it sound so ghostly. So ethereal. It gave me butterflies.*

[@paulrawnsley3963]

Man... the 90's. Musically, what a time to be alive. So many amazing bands. I still remember, vividly, hearing 'Today' for the first time and buying Siamese Dream within an hour (by walking from my University to the record/cd store). It's still one of my favourite albums of all time: Mayonnaise, Soma, Spaceboy, Disarm, Geek USA, Rocket, Today, Cherub Rock... something for everyone.
Also: "It can't rain all the time." - Eric Draven. RIP - Brandon Lee.

[@seancollins3106]

I love this era of music SO much!! it's so weird watching my 16yr old son listen to this music, and going through the same angsty teenage stuff as I did. this music hits really hard.

[@enlat2003]

RCHP's "I could have lied" is a hidden gem on their most iconic album BSSM. That acoustic intro/riff from Frusciante combined with Anthony's vocal is just gut wrenching, and after the first verse Flea and Chad join in making it even more gut wrenching. The melody continues and that solo just hits the bottom of your soul. Strangely enough because of how much emotion is packed lyrically and musically it does not feel like a 4 minute song. Such a beautiful track. Enjoy!!!!

[@Elementalism]

Agree 110%, that song is so tight with that lead.

[@thetribalist6923]

Great choice. One of the saddest songs I’ve heard to this day. It really captures how crippling regret feels.

[@coz109]

One of my favorite solos ever.

[@ignatiusjackson235]

Oh, fuck yeah! Kiedis and Frusciante killed that shit.

[@EmettTheGreat]

​@@coz109and the tone on those solos. It's magical.

[@dragunserf]

It's ironic to hear you say something about Jerry Cantrell as a vocalist next to someone "iconic like Layne.. when for me, their best songs were always ones where their unique Harmonies were at play: no excuses, heaven beside you, I stay away, down in a hole.. etc. To be able to harmonize like that actually takes an extremely high level of vocal and ear ability, and abouldnt be underestimated.. especially noteworthy is Jerry Cantrells solo stuff. Also, do you remember that one AIC song done just for a soundtrack? I think it was called "What the hell have I?".. that is some of their best work, all wrapped up in a single song.

[@SomeCanine]

I love Down in a Hole so much. Probably my favorite AiC song. Just absolutely epic and also super sad.

[@impoopnrightnow906]

You graduated in '94? Dude, are you immortal? Anyway, I still think The Crow has one of the best soundtracks ever.

[@termikes174]

Haha. I graduated inn 95 and I definitely look older than him

[@perpetualbystander4516]

Omg, I had no idea you knew more than just one word! 😧🤣

[@rivenbeef]

He does look very young

[@captainflappyarms8277]

70s Is only 40-50s not that old

[@whiteyfisk7625]

My Curse by Afghan Whigs, absolute classic. So many Pumpkins tracks - Rhinoceros, Hummer, Soma, Mayonnaise, Spaceboy, Luna, To Forgive, countless others. What an era!

[@guyelgat5893]

The comparison of Nutshell and Wish you Were Here is insightful.

[@humanbass]

What really makes Nutshell an incredible piece is the bassline. Slow, melodic and yet ultra heavy on sadness.

[@WorldsOkayestSorcerer]

Runaway Train, Yellow Ledbetter, Nutshell, and 1979 hit me really hard.
1979 was my best friend in High School’s favorite song and we fell out of contact because our lives diverged pretty sharply due to mental health issues and teenage stupidity.
Hope my boy is okay these days. Still think of my friend every time Corgan croons “We don’t even care.”

[@judd5662]

My favorite part of your channel is just how open you are about yourself. You're never afraid to talk about something people might not understand or tell stories that others might be too embarrassed to tell. Such a genuine dude

[@thezombie7839]

Calling someone "genuine" is high praise in today's world, especially on the internet.
I said it about him, too.

[@MashaT22]

Melancholy and The Infinite Sadness was an instrumental track from Smashing Pumpkins that always hit me in the feels. Still does! I also loved STP Interstate Love Song. Helped me get through a tough time in my life. There are so many more I could name, but I definitely relate with all your picks.

[@VonPitt84]

Pisces Iscariot is my all-time fave from this time period; soul-searching infused magic. Pumpkins never did anything like it before or after...

[@BlindingSun_]

Thru the eyes of Ruby 😢😢😢😢

[@XXIII_89]

Yep you called it. There is no better grunge band than Mad Season. I love that CD so much. I had it around the time I first got a guitar, so it's a super meaningful one to me!

[@DarthV506]

Nutshell, Down In A Hole and Black for me. 20 odd years later, Black Gives Way to Blue.

[@danza1612]

It's not really a grunge-era album but Jerry Cantrell's Boggy Depot from 1999 or 2000 (one of those years lol) is definitely gut-wrenching for me.

[@Aryanof99]

Degradation Trip hits hard too

[@ruineditwithabasssolo3606]

"Prick" by Tripping Daisy is another one that most wouldn't think of. Plus, the drums after the guitar intro just sound so huge. Such a great tune for that era!

[@phillipschmidtke2001]

13:18 Far Behind hits so hard. The intro brings back instant memories, but for me it is the “as you trip the final line” line later in the song that always hits me the hardest.

[@neilhowellmusic]

As another grad from '94, I approve of this 100%. I saw the Pumpkins twice during that time (by themselves and on Lollapalooza) and opening with Soma was so epic. And good call on Still Remains. That song gets overlooked but is one of my favorites from STP.

[@Krullmatic]

Wow! Hey Mike! I've been on a grunge obsession this past week. Just about anything from Soundgarden. Especially, Burden In My Hand, Overfloater, Fell On Black Days, The Day I Tried To Live (which is not about suicide btw), Dirt-Alice In Chains, Far Behind-Candlebox, Loser-3 Doors Down, STP-Interstate Love Song...etc...etc. I could go on and on.....lol. I was an alcoholic and drug addict through all of this music era. Well, I've been an addict for 40 years. I started at 12 and I'm 53 now. Thankfully and Gratefully I've been clean and sober for 2 years and 7 months, live in sober living, and actually getting ready to start a job in the drug and alcohol field. With some of these songs, I still have some feels, but now I know how to work through them. Thank you so much Mike for bringing back the nostalgia!

[@breal1183]

Still Remains by STP is a freaking GEM!! Nice finally someone recognized how amazing it is. Thanks!!

[@scotlandhughes219]

One for me would def be Say Hello 2 Heaven by Temple of the Dog. That song is just gut-wrenching and one of the best vocal performances of all time. Cornell wrote it about his friend who passed and the lyrics are incredibly deep.

[@davidmatheny1993]

I'm surprised that I have not seen many people mention "Say Hello to Heaven" off the Temple of the Dog album. It is one of the few songs that make me jam out and tear up simultaneously, and Chris Cornell gives a vocal delivery that I consider amongst his best. The song may be in tribute to a particular person, but it definitely feels like one that could remind many of the passing of a good friend.

[@Wills.musicpage]

Ha! I hadn't seen your comment, I literally just mentioned my surprise that it wasn't mentioned! This one definitely hit a little different a couple years ago though...

[@Trudgewild]

Thanks for this video. You summed up a lot of what I’ve felt. It’s surprising how music can help heal. When I lost my wife, I was waiting for the funeral home and the rain started pouring down while I was parked in my truck at her favorite arboretum. Rain When I Die came over the speakers on the radio and I lost it. It allowed me to grieve at that moment while I belted out the lyrics as my diaphragm seized with sorrow. I let it all out and was able to carry on with the business at hand. Now to check out your other vids.

[@samstevenson5328]

My personal top 8 gut-wrenching grunge songs are:
1. Release - Pearl Jam
2. Am I Inside - Alice in Chains
3. Mayonaise - Smashing Pumpkins
4. Frogs - Alice in Chains
5. Fell on Black Days - Soundgarden
6. Rooster - Alice in Chains
7. All Apologies- Nirvana
8. All Alone - Mad Season

[@cozm8]

Awesome choices Mike! Here are some alternatives (pun intended) to mirror yours:
- Big Empty by STP from The Crow
- Rhinoceros - SP debut album
- Something I Can Never Have - NIN debut album
- Letting the Cables Sleep - Bush
- Oceans - PJ

[@yegorgorodzha9921]

Apart from your obviously great guitar related stuff, the storytelling in these kinds of videos is just awesome! You really have a unique way of channeling your love for music through personal experiences and analogies. Also love that you mentioned that cure song

[@cidlopez]

You’ve got some great taste in music. You nailed with river of deceit. That song hits my soul so hard. I remember when I first heard the songs from each album you talk about.
Honorable mentions: soul to squeeze, sliver chair’s tomorrow, sunshower, seasons.
Jar of flies - I wore that cassette out.
Do you remember where you were when you first heard Nevermind?
I forgot to add say hello to heaven.

[@msscott22]

What gives The Downward Spiral that warmth is the pureness and honesty of the lyrics. Truly hitting rock bottom, you have to either pick yourself up or let go. And that's why TDS resonates so much with people imo.

[@BataraKado]

omg finally someone include mad season!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! thanks so much for including my favorite band of all time, such a rare album of gold.

[@pashaking1]

I watched this entire video 3 times already! Every time I have tears in my eyes and I cannot talk for like 20 minutes. You are amazing!

[@216trixie]

I'm 62. 91-95 was the low point in my life. Bring them on!
Edit: Now I'm to your number one, Jar of Flies. You hit the nail on the head. This album is my number one emotional savior. I'm not even a big Alice in chains fan. This album has been there for me so many times. When you start the album you play it to the finish.

[@JunkfoodZombieGuns]

You mentioned Alice in Chains' album, Dirt. I would say the song "Dirt" is pretty damn dark and depressing. The part about the pistol and scraping him from the wall is just emotionally brutal.

[@rome8180]

I think of that note in "Hurt" as a flat 5, not a sharp 11. Regardless, that one note is why I love NIN's version of the song so much more than Johnny Cash's. Johnny Cash watered it down a bit by removing that note. If you listen closely, Trent also sometimes sings the major third. Johnny Cash doesn't do that. The major third works because the chord voicing doesn't contain the third. However, the sequence of chords heavily implies a minor tonality. So the major third is striking. He only does it at the end of certain phrases.

[@neliacwahs895]

Nutshell is #1 for me gives me chills to this day

[@danmelvin9460]

That guitar solo in Soma is still one of the most powerful things I've ever heard. Feels like the guitar is wailing with this tortured longing and grief. Love it.

[@jerihelyleal6552]

And finishing that last comment you mentioned "Candle Box"... same felling, but that one I still listening, actually is in my running playlist, but it brings always nostalgia.

[@EastyyBlogspot]

The crow soundtrack was one of the first CDs I ever bought, dead souls was a big standout for me to

[@1995ssc]

Same. And the CD was perpetually in my Sony Discman velcroed to my car's dash and playing through a CD-to-tape adapter.

[@jongusta]

Very cool list! Those were prime music times for me as well as I was coming of age during those years and remember all that music quite vividly. 91-95’ was an amazing time for music for sure. Only song I might add is RHCP “Under the Bridge”. Even though a major commercial success those chords with the words are gut wrenching as well. The all acoustic Keidis and Frusciante version of this amazing. Since going up to 95’, just about any song off Elliott Smith’s self titled album could be added as well even though you did mention Needle in the Hay. A very nostalgic time for music for sure

[@jimglass3106]

I always loved Soma and Rhinoceros(Gish) because of the dream-like quality. The band Eleven has a lot of that going on.

[@cozm8]

Agree 100% about Rhinoceros!

[@Christocalese]

Great list. I went to that Lollapalooza show in Mountain View, CA. One of the best concerts ever! Where Did You Sleep Last Night off Nirvana Unplugged gets me every time.

[@TheSupy96]

I still get a lump in my throat when I hear Nothingman. All of this great music, we were definitely the lucky ones. Class of '96 here.

[@HannahCope88]

Loved all of these! 🤘🏻🔥I'm proud to say I know all of these songs. Mad Season Above is a fantastic album. Far Behind will always remind me of the early livestreams.
Alice In Chains is one of my favourite bands from that era, Jar of Flies and Dirt are just masterpieces. The Unplugged version of Nutshell is my favourite version, Mike Inez' bass playing is simply sublime, that performance is the entire reason I'd like to have an acoustic bass someday. Layne Staleys voice is just unreal, I love it.
I had the Nevermind CD in my car for about 2 solid months earlier this year and I looked forward to the end when Something In The Way would play. It was great to sing along with and was actually quite relaxing to do whilst driving. I do love the use of strings in this and other songs from this list, it really does add another depth of emotion and feeling.
Congrats on 838k Subscribers!

[@mymooom3593]

My personal most gut wrenching has to be love, hate, love by Alice in change. It’s so raw and when I discovered it I instantly related to it

[@TheRealCeeJai]

13:45 I can completely relate to this. I just turned 41 (though I still feel like I'm 25) and when I look back on my childhood in the 80's and 90's, I get that same exact film grain filter effect on my memories. I'm glad I'm not the only one.

[@bryanm120]

Usually I have a hard time relating to videos from people talking about 90’s grunge era songs as my experience with those styles of music coming up as a teenager in the 90’s was quite different than many. I was more into shoegaze but didn’t know what the genre was called so I mostly listened to my two favorite shoegaze albums at the time and whatever grunge/alternative/ska/metal/punk came on the radio at the time. Somehow you managed to hit almost all of the most important songs for me during the 90’s and your descriptions of what you were going through at the time and how these songs affected you were so close to my own at times it was eerie! Especially the description of the 8mm film visuals you see in your mind when you hear Far Behind. It’s crazy how much I relate to your experience and stories. I really thought I was alone with these feelings as I’m sure many others do. Thank you for this video, I really needed this in my life! Keep up the great work!

[@Hoekstes]

Takes me back. Love all those songs and albums.

[@grumpysnail81]

I always enjoy your videos, but this one was BY FAR the most relatable. Thanks for the trip back to a very important phase in my life. That was heavy

[@dlmyrs]

God of Wine by Third Eye Blind, Fine and Good by Local H, Oven by Seven Mary Three, and The Reincarnation Song by Toad the Wet Sprocket are the ones that come to mind immediately. Black by PJ from the live acoustic show.

[@IndependenceGuitar]

Soma really is such a good song. So many of the songs on the album have such a visceral, and even tactile nostalgia for me.especially “Hummer”, “Quiet”… even after all these years, that album hits me just as hard as when I first heard it.

[@apedosmil06]

I can’t really explain why but I know exactly what you mean by tactile nostalgia

[@IndependenceGuitar]

@@apedosmil06 right? It’s like I hear those songs and I am suddenly right back in another moment. I feel things that I haven’t felt in years. Remember smells, see faces I thought I had forgotten, and it transports me somewhere. It’s hard to describe. You either know it, or you don’t.

[@zombiepicnic9683]

This comment section is bringing back so many memories of all the great music of this era. Some I haven't seen mentioned: "Stuck in Here" and "So Cool" by Filter, "Round Here" by Counting Crows (or most songs off August and Everything After), "Fade into You" Mazy Star (or most songs off So Tonight That I Might See), "Lightning Crashes" by Live, "Bonedriven" by Bush, "Suicidal Dream" by Silverchair, "Crushing Me" by Stabbing Westward

[@le_th_]

Lightning Crashes is one of the most heartbreaking songs I've ever heard period...

[@gil80yahoo]

Counting Crows really underrated….

[@braxfistya547]

I loved that SAP EP. Interesting how so many of these great songs give you an impression of sadness. Wasn’t the same for me hey. Soooo many good songs you covered!

[@gee355Art]

Not seen one of your vids before but a good video and good choices. I would have thrown in, 'fell on black days,' by Soundgarden… 🙂

[@wadew3623]

The Crow soundtrack is great and Burn is one of my favorite Cure songs. Everyone will mention Nine Inch Nails from that soundtrack, but that Machines of Loving Grace song is actually one of my favorites from it. What a song!

[@thruthenever]

GREAT call on "Still Remains". Like a lot of people, I bought the album for "Interstate Love Song", but "Still Remains" really hooked me the first time I heard it.

[@rome8180]

The lyrics at the end of "Black" are incredibly sad: "I know someday you'll have a beautiful life, I know you'll be a star
in somebody else's sky, but why can't it be mine?"

[@jaimeflor4181]

The early 90’s was my depressive years as well. In regards to the Siamese Dream, Disarm and Soma were both songs that impacted me. The Crow soundtrack was awesome too! I think Creep and High & Dry, come to mind as well.

[@DevinRyanVitek]

Love “Still Remains”. The lines you mentioned are my favorite, too. Love Scott. RIP. SO many greats on this list. The first time I heard Chloe Dancer by MLB I was transfixed and replayed it over and over. It’s kinda melancholy to me. 12:44 and so true dude!

[@DefenestrateLogic]

AiC was my immediate winner... Staley's voice had so much emotion.

[@trevormoffat4054]

Love the Pumpkins and their ample suite of gut wrenchers- how about “To Forgive” off Melon Collie. That one always got me- “And I remember my birthdays, empty party afternoons won’t come back”. Good selection, and good to see not all the more “standard” choices in your top 10.

[@jolie7neige]

Another excellent list! Takes me right back to high school years.

[@lumberbrain]

I still remember going to see The Crow with my friends when it came out, think I was 14 at the time. And all of these songs/bands on your list I still listen to just about every day. The 90's was such an amazing decade for music.

[@randomperson6433]

I saw it in a double feature with Speed. It was the first time I ever skipped school lol.

[@horatio_]

Mad season hits different. Enjoyed the video as it was mostly your stories everyone has their own story in songs but it was cool to hear yours and have some resonate

[@egnbigdave]

Iris - Goo Goo Dolls, also Lightning Crashes - Live. Not strictly Grunge but the same era - Round Here - Counting Crows.

[@reshmiya]

I think Jeff Buckley deserves an honorable mention. He wasn't grunge at all but he was active in that era and goddamn did he have some heartbreaking songs. "Lover You Should Have Come Over' by itself has probably broken me down more than any other song.

[@TheArtofGuitar]

He's on one of my lists, more from this series coming soon.

[@le_th_]

I would say Last Goodbye is by far and away more gutwrenching than Lover You Should Have Come Over. I mean "I really wanted to have sex with you" is yearning, but "This is our last goodbye" is far far more gut wrenching.

[@reshmiya]

@@le_th_ wow what an unnecessarily rude comment

[@MrDecksels]

In hindsight, it's the last words he sings on Dream Brother for me: "Asleep in the sand with the ocean washing over'

[@vladtepid1]

Pearl Jam's Black is the ultimate for me. When it came out in '91, I loved it. I was in college, in my first serious relationship, talking marriage. A year later, the relationship had ended and the MTV unplugged version of Black came out. It absolutely annihilated me! I couldn't stop listening to it!
That line,
"I know someday you'll have a beautiful life, I know you'll be a star, in somebody else's sky, but why can't it be mine"
Still gets me, even now, years later, happily married. I am immediately transported back to 1992 and the tears start.
I love that song!

[@Ghoster311]

Soma is an absolutely beautiful song. My favorite Smashing Pumpkins song and one of the best of the 90’s. And the solo is one of the top 10 solos ever.

[@cbgny23]

Dude, couldn't agree more with "Far Behind" and "Nutshell;" both songs had a huge impact on my teenage years.

[@mactgnr]

This is one of your best videos, those songs and albums i still listen too regularly and hit me in the gut every time but also takes me back to when I heard them for the first time in my innocent youth. Cheers buddy.

[@mateusbez2669]

Great choice on Soma.
And My brother has this theory about black that I adopted - the singer is gradually realizing along the song that he REALLY lost the person he is interested in, and grows increasingly desperate as the song goes on, until he explodes at the end, realizing at the same time as we do that there is no turning back.
Brilliant songwriting and singing.
And one here interesting thing, I believe, is when bands make really sad songs in major keys and mostly major chords, like Black, nothingman, everybody hurts, don’t follow…

[@Gargamore]

Man this video really came out at an important time. I really love the way you played Soma in this, I keep on coming back to this video to pick it off

[@80sMeavyHetal]

Great stuff!
Still Remains will also have a place in my heart forever..
Stone Temple Pilots and Alice in Chains are my favorite bands for a long time.

[@OmegaMale92]

I bought Jar of Flies while on a pass during basic training in '94. I still have the cassette almost 30 years later.

[@squishy312]

One that always gets me is Live - I Alone. Vitalogy was in my opinion, Pearl Jam's best album behind Ten. My angry songs were Cordouroy, and Not for You. Nothingman has always been a fave though. A song that was a slight bit later I think that also got to me, was Glycerine by Bush. I graduated in 97, so I'm slightly behind in the eras of stuff I listened to.

[@squishy312]

Oh, and an honorable mention from me, is Porcelina of the Vast Oceans by - The Smashing Pumpkins. They did this one live in concert.... I absolutely love the guitar on this one. That tone just gets me every time.

[@werex3]

Whoa, this was such a great vid! thanks for sharing the memories

[@jerihelyleal6552]

now about "Black"... it is simply not just my favorite song from Pearl Jam, but one of my favorites songs of my life.

[@le_th_]

Agreed.

[@NigelTupuola]

Wow! goose bumps at the mention of Still remains.. deep cut from the purple album. Also and so i know from tiny music the follow up album when Scott Weilan was going through some really bad drug times, really bummed they couldn't tour that album.

[@ThePhilTorretto]

Pearl Jam’s Black is the most emotive gut wrenching song ever recorded. Period.

[@Miloshe71]

Coming to back this up 100%

[@rsc2573]

I think "Indifference" off Pearl Jam's 2nd album is even more gut wrenching than "Black"

[@TranzparentMethods]

Something In The Way is my favorite Nirvana song, mainly because it's so reminiscent of 60's folk songs. And if you really listen to the lyrics, I think Kurt was writing about breaking through barriers. There's always something in the way.

[@kaiowas12]

Thumbs up for Burn and The Crow, it is perfectly used in the movie