The 25 best Indie Songs of 1994
7 November 2024, 19:00
Take a trip back to the year that Britpop broke, Grunge peaked and The Stone Roses made a huge comeback.
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Inspiral Carpets - Saturn 5: release date 10th January 1994
Clint Boon's tribute to the huge NASA rocket was one of the Oldham band's two Top 20 sinles this year - the other was their collaboration with Mark E. Smith of The Fall, I Want You.
Inspiral Carpets - Saturn 5
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Beastie Boys - Sabotage: release date 28th January 1994
Accompanied by an hilarious Spike Jonze-directed video that parodied 1970s cop shows, this tune took the Beasties back to their punk roots and made Number 19 in the UK in the process.
Beastie Boys - Sabotage
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The Charlatans - Can't Get Out of Bed: release date 24th January 1994
The lead single from the band's third album Up To Our Hips marked The Charlatans' first new material in two years.
The Charlatans - Can't Get Out of Bed HD
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Ash - Jack Names The Planets: release date 31st January 1994
The Northern Irish trio's debut single, which had first appeared on their demo tape and was responsible for getting the young band signed.
Ash - Jack Names The Planets (Official Video)
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Suede - Stay Together: release date 14th February 1994
After kick-starting Britpop in 1993, Brett Anderson and co began their next phase with this one-off single. Despite the track making their highest position on the UK charts at Number 3, it was ironically to be their last single with guitarist Bernard Butler.
Suede - Stay Together (Official Video)
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Beck - Loser: release date 21st February 1994 (UK)
Originally issued in March 1993, a reissue the following year saw this Mellow Gold track make Number 15 in the UK charts.
Beck - Loser (Official Music Video)
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Primal Scream - Rocks: release date 28th February 1994
This tribute to The Rolling Stones' country rock period was the first new material to come from the band following the Screamadelica period two years previously.
Primal Scream - Rocks (Official Video)
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Blur - Girls & Boys: release date 7th March 1994
A real statement of intent from the Blur camp, after the first rumblings of Britpop with the 1993 album Modern Life Is Rubbish. This boisterous single paid ironic tribute to Club 18-30 holidays and became a Top 5 hit.
Blur - Girls And Boys (Official Music Video)
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Pulp - Do You Remember The First Time?: release date 21st March 1994
After years on the sidelines on the indie scene, Jarvis Cocker finally broke through into the Top 40 with this classic Pulp outing. It was accompanied by a conceptual video that saw celebrities like John Peel and Jo Brand recall losing their virginity.
Pulp - Do You Remember the First Time?
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Hole - Miss World: release date 28th March 1994
The first single from the band's second labum Live Through This, and released a week before the death of Courtney Love's husband Kurt Cobain.
Hole - Miss World (Official Music Video)
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Oasis - Supersonic: release date 11th April 1994
Supersonic was the band's first official release and one of five singles issued by the Mancunian titans in '94 - the others being Shakermaker (20th June), Live Forever (8th August), Cigarettes & Alcohol (10th October) and Whatever (18th December). British music wouldn't be quite the same again.
Oasis - Supersonic (Official HD Remastered Video)
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Crash Test Dummies - Mmm Mmm Mmm Mmm: release date 11th April 1994
This strangely popular song from the Canadian alternative rockers has had over 42 million views on YouTube and made it all the way to Number 2 in 1994, only being held off the top spot by Prince's The Most Beautiful Girl In The World. What a time to be alive.
Crash Test Dummies - Mmm Mmm Mmm Mmm (Official Video)
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Manic Street Preachers - Faster: release date 31st May 1994
The first single from the uncompromising album The Holy Bible, with lyrics by Richey Edwards and Nicky Wire. Issued as a double-A sided single with the track PCP, the song made Number 16 in the UK charts.
Manic Street Preachers - Faster
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Veruca Salt - Seether: release date 20th June 1994
The Chicago alternative rock band featured a heavyweight songwriting team Nina Gordon and Louise Post. Seether featured on their debut album, the brilliantly-titled American Thighs (a phrase nicked from AC/DC, of course).
Veruca Salt - Seether
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Weezer - Undone (The Sweater Song): release 24th June 1994 (US)
Nerd rock is here! Overshadowed by its more famous cousin Buddy Holly, this slow, building riff was many people's first introduction to the unique worldview of Rivers Cuomo, making Number 35 in the UK charts.
Weezer - Undone -- The Sweater Song
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Green Day - Basket Case: release date 1st August 1994
The Californian punk trio crossed over into the mainstream with this frantic tune that remains a favourite three decades on. It shot all the way to Number 7 in the UK charts.
Green Day - Basket Case [Official Music Video] (4K Upgrade)
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Portishead - Sour Times: release date 1st August 1994
Featuring a memorable sample from soundtrack legend Lalo Schifrin, the Bristol band had their first hit with this classic piece of trip hop. The subsequent album Dummy was one of 1994's most critically-acclaimed colletions.
Mysterons
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Soundgarden - Black Hole Sun: release date 8th August 1994
Written by the late, great Chris Cornell, this is the third single from the Seattle band's album Superunknown. Aided by a creepy video, the song went to Number 12 in the UK charts.
Soundgarden - Black Hole Sun
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Shed Seven - Speakeasy: release date 15th August 1994
Taken from the Yorkshire band's debut album Changegiver, this tune made Number 24 in the singles charts and later did some time as a jingle on a mobile phone TV ad.
Shed Seven - Speakeasy (Solo Version)
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R.E.M. - What's The Frequency, Kenneth? Release date 5th September 1994
After the enormous success of Out Of Time (1991) and Automatic For The People (1992), 1994's Monster saw a return to live performance for R.E.M. so the songs were less intricate and much rockier than its predecessors. Michael Stipe references a tale of a man who attacked news journalist Dan Rather, while repeating the song's title.
R.E.M. - What's The Frequency, Kenneth? (Official HD Music Video)
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Dodgy - Staying Out For The Summer: release date 12th September 1994
Released just as the summer of 1994 was on its way out, this tune was the lead track on the band's second album, Homegrown.
Staying Out For The Summer - Dodgy
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The Cranberries - Zombie: release date 19th September 1994
A harrowing, heartfelt response to the IRA bombing of Warrington in 1993, this was the follow-up to the more genteel Linger was the lead single from the Irish band's second album No Need To Argue.
The Cranberries - Zombie (Official Music Video)
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Elastica - Connection: release date 10th October 1994
After two singles - Stutter and Line-Up - this was Elastica's third outing, which peaked at 17 and even gave them some exposure in the US. It would be included on their self-titled debut album in March 1995.
Elastica - Connection *HD*
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Supergrass: Caught By The Fuzz: release date 17th October 1994
After issuing Caught By The Fuzz and Mansize Rooster on their own indie label, this was the Oxford trio's debut on the major label Parlophone. A tense tale of singer Gaz Coombes being collared by the police, it nudged the edge of the Top 40, peaking at 43. 1995 would be the year of Supergrass.
Supergrass - Caught By The Fuzz (Official HD Video - US Version)
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The Stone Roses - Love Spreads: release date 21st November 1994
The Roses' first new material since One Love in July 1990, which seemed like an eternity at the time. Many were surprised at the Led Zeppelin-style rock guitars, but the faithful sent the track to Number 2 anyway.
The Stone Roses - Love Spreads
