In 1993 I finished high school and started at the University of Guelph. I turned 19 that April, legal drinking age in Ontario. I was still into Classic Rock, with a lot of Tragically Hip on the playlist. But I was also exposed to Alternative/Grunge and was starting to appreciate it. By the time 1995 began, I was completely into that music. But it was a transition that took a couple of years and I never did lose my love of classic rock.
While I got into the Hip album of 1992 (Fully Completely), and Kravitz and Pearl Jam in ’93…many of the Alternative songs from that year I got into in ’94. Including ‘Shine’, which to this day is still one of my favorite songs of all time.
Unlike most rankings, I haven’t been simply tossing these up in a numerical order. Because we can all agree that on some days, some songs kick more ass than other songs. A song that is ranked 14th today could very well rank 1st tomorrow – if it suddenly comes on the radio during the perfect moment and I start singing along. So I group them instead of presenting a hard-and-fast order:
Awesome
Great
Solid
Not Bad
…with some inter-group splitting.
At the bottom – the full list of songs I enjoyed from 1993. But first, let’s look at the cream of the crop…
30 Great Songs from 1993
Cats In The Cradle – Ugly Kid Joe
I’d Do Anything For Love (But I Won’t Do That) – Meat Loaf
Insane In The Brain – Cypress Hill
Mrs. Robinson – The Lemonheads
Connected – Stereo MC’s
You can see that some of these songs drift from the usual rock influence. You can also recall my above mention that I turned 19 this year. In September I went to the University of Guelph for my first year. Now it all fits, eh?
Sweat (A La La La La Long) – Inner Circle
The Sign – Ace of Base
Mr. Jones – Counting Crows
Come Undone – Duran Duran
Ordinary World – Duran Duran
Linger – The Cranberries
Courage (For Hugh MacLennan) – The Tragically Hip
We’ll Go To – The Tragically Hip
I enjoyed this live version:
At the Hundredth Meridian – The Tragically Hip
Can’t Help Falling In Love – UB40
All That She Wants – Ace of Base
Heart-Shaped Box – Nirvana
Soul to Squeeze – Red Hot Chili Peppers
Disarm – Smashing Pumpkins
Today – Smashing Pumpkins
Two Steps Behind – Def Leppard
Hey Jealousy – Gin Blossoms
Come to My Window – Melissa Etheridge
I’m the Only One – Melissa Etheridge
Rape Me – Nirvana
Glorified G – Pearl Jam
Dissident – Pearl Jam
All I Wanna Do – Sheryl Crow
Dreams – The Cranberries
She Don’t Use Jelly – The Flaming Lips
Eldorado – The Tragically Hip
14 Truly Awesome Songs from 1993
Low – Cracker
Laid – James
Are You Gonna Go My Way – Lenny Kravitz
Dumb – Nirvana
Elderly Woman Behind The Counter In A Small Town – Pearl Jam
Creep – Radiohead
This song reminds me of my buddy’s apartment in St. Mary’s, Ontario. I actually walked from there home to Stratford once. Took a good eight hours. I think it may have been in 1993, too…
Shine – Collective Soul
One of my favorite songs of all time
Believe – Lenny Kravitz
All Apologies – Nirvana
Pennyroyal Tea – Nirvana
Daughter – Pearl Jam
Cherub Rock – Smashing Pumpkins
My favorite song by this band…
Pigeon Camera – The Tragically Hip
When Fully Completely came out, I felt this was the best song on the entire album, with the exception of Locked In A Trunk (I have that one listed for 1992)…
Mary Jane’s Last Dance – Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers
These songs from 1993 are on a YouTube playlist right here.
Here is the complete list…
| Awesome – 1 | Shine | – | Collective Soul |
| Awesome – 1 | Believe | – | Lenny Kravitz |
| Awesome – 1 | All Apologies | – | Nirvana |
| Awesome – 1 | Pennyroyal Tea | – | Nirvana |
| Awesome – 1 | Daughter | – | Pearl Jam |
| Awesome – 1 | Cherub Rock | – | Smashing Pumpkins |
| Awesome – 1 | Pigeon Camera | – | The Tragically Hip |
| Awesome – 1 | Mary Jane’s Last Dance | – | Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers |
| Awesome – 9 | Low | – | Cracker |
| Awesome – 9 | Laid | – | James |
| Awesome – 9 | Are You Gonna Go My Way | – | Lenny Kravitz |
| Awesome – 9 | Dumb | – | Nirvana |
| Awesome – 9 | Elderly Woman Behind The Counter In A Small Town | – | Pearl Jam |
| Awesome – 9 | Creep | – | Radiohead |
| Awesome – 9 | Disarm | – | Smashing Pumpkins |
| Great – 16 | I’d Do Anything For Love (But I Won’t Do That) | – | Meat Loaf |
| Great – 16 | The Sign | – | Ace of Base |
| Great – 16 | Mr. Jones | – | Counting Crows |
| Great – 16 | Come Undone | – | Duran Duran |
| Great – 16 | Ordinary World | – | Duran Duran |
| Great – 16 | Linger | – | The Cranberries |
| Great – 16 | Courage (For Hugh MacLennan) | – | The Tragically Hip |
| Great – 16 | We’ll Go To | – | The Tragically Hip |
| Great – 16 | At the Hundredth Meridian | – | The Tragically Hip |
| Great – 16 | Can’t Help Falling In Love | – | UB40 |
| Great – 16 | All That She Wants | – | Ace of Base |
| Great – 16 | Heart-Shaped Box | – | Nirvana |
| Great – 16 | Soul to Squeeze | – | Red Hot Chili Peppers |
| Great – 16 | Today | – | Smashing Pumpkins |
| Great – 16 | Cats In The Cradle | – | Ugly Kid Joe |
| Great – 16 | Dissident | – | Pearl Jam |
| Great – 16 | Insane In The Brain | – | Cypress Hill |
| Great – 33 | Mrs. Robinson | – | The Lemonheads |
| Great – 33 | All I Wanna Do | – | Sheryl Crow |
| Great – 33 | Two Steps Behind | – | Def Leppard |
| Great – 33 | Hey Jealousy | – | Gin Blossoms |
| Great – 33 | Come to My Window | – | Melissa Etheridge |
| Great – 33 | I’m the Only One | – | Melissa Etheridge |
| Great – 33 | Rape Me | – | Nirvana |
| Great – 33 | Glorified G | – | Pearl Jam |
| Great – 33 | Dreams | – | The Cranberries |
| Great – 33 | She Don’t Use Jelly | – | The Flaming Lips |
| Great – 33 | Eldorado | – | The Tragically Hip |
| Great – 33 | Connected | – | Stereo MC’s |
| Great – 33 | Sweat (A La La La La Long) | – | Inner Circle |
| Solid – 46 | When Something Stands For Nothing | – | Headstones |
| Solid – 46 | Into Your Arms | – | The Lemonheads |
| Solid – 46 | Hobo Humpin’ Slobo Babe | – | Whale |
| Solid – 46 | More | – | 13 Engines |
| Solid – 46 | Amazing | – | Aerosmith |
| Solid – 46 | Crazy | – | Aerosmith |
| Solid – 46 | Cryin’ | – | Aerosmith |
| Solid – 46 | Asshole | – | Dennis Leary |
| Solid – 46 | Sister | – | Lenny Kravitz |
| Solid – 46 | Rearviewmirror | – | Pearl Jam |
| Solid – 46 | Cannonball | – | The Breeders |
| Solid – 46 | The River | – | The Tea Party |
| Solid – 46 | Looking For a Place To Happen | – | The Tragically Hip |
| Solid – 46 | Lionized | – | The Tragically Hip |
| Solid – 46 | Fully Completely | – | The Tragically Hip |
| Solid – 46 | Fifty Mission Cap | – | The Tragically Hip |
| Solid – 46 | Sober | – | Tool |
| Solid – 63 | Livin’ On The Edge | – | Aerosmith |
| Solid – 63 | Mmm Mmm Mmm Mmm | – | Crash Test Dummies |
| Solid – 63 | Heaven Help | – | Lenny Kravitz |
| Solid – 63 | My Love | – | Lenny Kravitz |
| Solid – 63 | Animal | – | Pearl Jam |
| Solid – 63 | Strong Enough | – | Sheryl Crow |
| Solid – 63 | Numb | – | U2 |
| Solid – 63 | Found Out About You | – | Gin Blossoms |
| Solid – 63 | Will You Remember Me | – | Jann Arden |
| Solid – 63 | Go | – | Pearl Jam |
| Solid – 63 | Rats | – | Pearl Jam |
| Solid – 63 | Indifference | – | Pearl Jam |
| Solid – 63 | Shoop | – | Salt-N-Pepa |
| Solid – 63 | Whatta Man | – | Salt-N-Pepa |
| Solid – 63 | Who Do You Think You Are | – | Sass Jordan |
| Solid – 63 | Oh Carolina | – | Shaggy |
| Solid – 63 | Rocket | – | Smashing Pumpkins |
| Solid – 63 | Love Doesn’t Live Here Anymore | – | Sven Gali |
| Solid – 63 | Human Wheels | – | John Mellencamp |
| Solid – 63 | Pets | – | Porno for Pyros |
| Solid – 63 | Trout | – | Neneh Cherry and Michael Stipe |
| Solid – 63 | Who Am I (What’s My Name?) | – | Snoop Dogg |
| Not Bad – 85 | Keep Ya Head Up | – | 2Pac |
| Not Bad – 85 | Black Gold | – | Soul Asylum |
| Not Bad – 85 | 5 Days In May | – | Blue Rodeo |
| Not Bad – 85 | Round Here | – | Counting Crows |
| Not Bad – 85 | The Wherewithal | – | The Tragically Hip |
| Not Bad – 85 | No Apologies | – | Alanis Morissette |
| Not Bad – 85 | What a Good Boy | – | Barenaked Ladies |
| Not Bad – 85 | The River Of Dreams | – | Billy Joel |
| Not Bad – 85 | Rain King | – | Counting Crows |
| Not Bad – 85 | Mr. Vain | – | Culture Beat |
| Not Bad – 85 | Man on a Mission | – | Hemingway Corner |
| Not Bad – 85 | That’s The Way Love Goes | – | Janet Jackson |
| Not Bad – 85 | Lost In Your Eyes | – | Jeff Healey Band |
| Not Bad – 85 | Long May You Run | – | Neil Young |
| Not Bad – 85 | W.M.A. | – | Pearl Jam |
| Not Bad – 85 | Leash | – | Pearl Jam |
| Not Bad – 85 | Gin And Juice | – | Snoop Dogg |
| Not Bad – 102 | Harvest Moon | – | Neil Young |
| Not Bad – 102 | Prairie Town | – | Randy Bachman |
| Not Bad – 102 | Nobody’s Hero | – | Rush |
| Not Bad – 102 | Goin’ Back Again | – | Sass Jordan |
| Not Bad – 102 | Informer | – | Snow |
| Not Bad – 102 | It’s Probably Me | – | Sting |
| Not Bad – 102 | Whoomp! There It Is | – | Tag Team |
| Not Bad – 102 | Rise Again | – | The Rankin Family |
| Not Bad – 102 | Another Night | – | The Real McCoy |
| Not Bad – 102 | Breathe Again | – | Toni Braxton |
| Not Bad – 102 | Bedrock Anthem | – | Weird Al Yankovic |
| Not Bad – 102 | Shine | – | Doughboys |
| Not Bad – 102 | Sappy | – | Nirvana |
| Not Bad – 102 | What If I Came Knocking | – | John Mellencamp |
| Not Bad – 102 | Truganini | – | Midnight Oil |
| Not Bad – 102 | Award Tour | – | A Tribe Called Quest |
| Not Bad – 102 | Say Hello 2 Heaven | – | Temple of the Dog |
| Not Bad – 102 | Without A Trace | – | Soul Asylum |
| Not Bad – 102 | My Sister | – | Julian Hatfield Three |
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