This was a big year for music in my life.
In 1996 I moved in with my girlfriend in May. At the end of October we broke up – and it was a pretty rocky summer leading up to that. So in the early months, the music was during happy times. In the middle months, we had combined our CD collections to make this one massive collection – and so again, music was a big part. Predominantly alternative. By the end of the year I was a wreck. A Long December really put the cap on this year – and on my rough breakup.
I bought myself a shitty pickup truck (all I could afford) so I wouldn’t be stranded, since she had the vehicle all this time. I couldn’t focus on my final year in University, but still got by. I did lots of traveling home – and back then road trips always meant music. A lot of the songs that came out in the second half of ’96 got plenty of play in Guelph’s The Trashateria when I frequented there in 1997 (I still think of ‘The Trash’ every time Pepper plays). They also got lots of play during my stint as a delivery driver (with my shitty old/new truck). These songs remind me of sitting in my truck waiting for my next call, listening to The Edge. I really fell in love with the MTV Unplugged album by Alice in Chains. Ahead By a Century quickly became one of my favorites from the Hip. And I still think of my ex whenever Santa Monica plays – and my time living in that tiny apartment.
Unlike most rankings, I haven’t been simply tossing these up in a numerical order. Because we can all agree that on some days, certain songs kick more ass than other songs – yet other days they do not. It all depends on mood and situation. 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.
50 Great Songs from 1996
California Love – 2Pac
Let It Rain – Amanda Marshall
Diggin’ a Hole – Big Sugar
Fire Water Burn – Bloodhound Gang
In The Meantime – Spacehog
Greedy Fly – Bush
The Distance – Cake
Naked – Goo Goo Dolls
One More Astronaut – I Mother Earth
Killing Me Softly With His Song – Fugees
Scooby Snacks – Fun Lovin Criminals
Leave It Alone – Moist
If It Makes You Happy – Sheryl Crow
The Good in Everyone – Sloan
Trippin’ On A Hole In A Paper Heart – Stone Temple Pilots
Banditos – The Refreshments
Too Much – Dave Matthews Band
The Freshman – The Verve Pipe
If You Could Only See – Tonic
Give Me One Reason – Tracy Chapman
Hail Hail – Pearl Jam
The Devil in the Kitchen – Ashley MacIsaac
Santeria – Sublime
Brenda Stubbert – Ashley MacIsaac
Sleepy Maggie – Ashley MacIsaac
One Of Us – Joan Osborne
Bound For the Floor – Local H
So Much To Say – Dave Matthews Band
Popular – Nada Surf
E-Bow the Letter – R.E.M.
A Change Would Do You Good – Sheryl Crow
Lady Picture Show – Stone Temple Pilots
Springtime in Vienna – The Tragically Hip
One Headlight – The Wallflowers
Crossing a Canyon – 54-40
Over Now – Alice in Chains
The Old Apartment – Barenaked Ladies
Devil’s Haircut – Beck
No Diggity – Blackstreet
Crash Into Me – Dave Matthews Band
Tripping Billies – Dave Matthews Band
Used to be Alright – I Mother Earth
I Want You – Savage Garden
Everything You’ve Done Wrong – Sloan
Wannabe – Spice Girls
Salvation – The Cranberries
Hollywood – The Cranberries
Free To Decide – The Cranberries
Rags to Rags – Eels
23 Truly Awesome songs from 1996
Radiation Vibe – Fountains of Wayne
Pretty Noose – Soundgarden
Heaven Beside You – Alice in Chains
Pepper – Butthole Surfers
A Long December – Counting Crows
Santa Monica – Everclear
Hero Of The Day – Metallica
Blow Up The Outside World – Soundgarden
What I Got – Sublime
Ahead by a Century – The Tragically Hip
Swallowed – Bush
Novocaine For The Soul – Eels
Another Sunday – I Mother Earth
Push – Matchbox Twenty
Off He Goes – Pearl Jam
Who You Are – Pearl Jam
Bulls On Parade – Rage Against the Machine
Burden In My Hand – Soundgarden
Big Bang Baby – Stone Temple Pilots
When You’re Gone – The Cranberries
Open Up Your Eyes – Tonic
El Scorcho – Weezer
Love Rollercoaster – Red Hot Chili Peppers
Reminds me of ‘The Trash’ in Guelph. This song is a real pick-me-up
Symbolistic White Walls – Matthew Good Band
You can listen to these great songs as a playlist on YouTube here
Follow me here on Spotify (lots of great playlists…)
Here is the full list…
| Awesome – 1 | Heaven Beside You | – | Alice in Chains |
| Awesome – 1 | Pepper | – | Butthole Surfers |
| Awesome – 1 | A Long December | – | Counting Crows |
| Awesome – 1 | Santa Monica | – | Everclear |
| Awesome – 1 | Hero Of The Day | – | Metallica |
| Awesome – 1 | Blow Up The Outside World | – | Soundgarden |
| Awesome – 1 | What I Got | – | Sublime |
| Awesome – 1 | Ahead by a Century | – | The Tragically Hip |
| Awesome – 1 | Swallowed | – | Bush |
| Awesome – 1 | Love Rollercoaster | – | Red Hot Chili Peppers |
| Awesome – 1 | Symbolistic White Walls | – | Matthew Good Band |
| Awesome – 12 | Novocaine For The Soul | – | Eels |
| Awesome – 12 | Another Sunday | – | I Mother Earth |
| Awesome – 12 | Push | – | Matchbox Twenty |
| Awesome – 12 | Off He Goes | – | Pearl Jam |
| Awesome – 12 | Who You Are | – | Pearl Jam |
| Awesome – 12 | Bulls On Parade | – | Rage Against the Machine |
| Awesome – 12 | Burden In My Hand | – | Soundgarden |
| Awesome – 12 | Big Bang Baby | – | Stone Temple Pilots |
| Awesome – 12 | When You’re Gone | – | The Cranberries |
| Awesome – 12 | Open Up Your Eyes | – | Tonic |
| Awesome – 12 | El Scorcho | – | Weezer |
| Awesome – 12 | Radiation Vibe | – | Fountains of Wayne |
| Awesome – 12 | Pretty Noose | – | Soundgarden |
| Great – 25 | Rags to Rags | – | Eels |
| Great – 25 | Killing Me Softly With His Song | – | Fugees |
| Great – 25 | Scooby Snacks | – | Fun Lovin Criminals |
| Great – 25 | California Love | – | 2Pac |
| Great – 25 | Let It Rain | – | Amanda Marshall |
| Great – 25 | Diggin’ a Hole | – | Big Sugar |
| Great – 25 | Fire Water Burn | – | Bloodhound Gang |
| Great – 25 | In The Meantime | – | Spacehog |
| Great – 25 | Greedy Fly | – | Bush |
| Great – 25 | The Distance | – | Cake |
| Great – 25 | Naked | – | Goo Goo Dolls |
| Great – 25 | One More Astronaut | – | I Mother Earth |
| Great – 25 | Leave It Alone | – | Moist |
| Great – 25 | If It Makes You Happy | – | Sheryl Crow |
| Great – 25 | The Good in Everyone | – | Sloan |
| Great – 25 | Trippin’ On A Hole In A Paper Heart | – | Stone Temple Pilots |
| Great – 25 | Banditos | – | The Refreshments |
| Great – 25 | The Freshman | – | The Verve Pipe |
| Great – 25 | If You Could Only See | – | Tonic |
| Great – 25 | Give Me One Reason | – | Tracy Chapman |
| Great – 25 | A Change Would Do You Good | – | Sheryl Crow |
| Great – 25 | Brenda Stubbert | – | Ashley MacIsaac |
| Great – 25 | All I Know | – | Screaming Trees |
| Great – 25 | Santeria | – | Sublime |
| Great – 49 | The Devil in the Kitchen | – | Ashley MacIsaac |
| Great – 49 | Sleepy Maggie | – | Ashley MacIsaac |
| Great – 49 | One Of Us | – | Joan Osborne |
| Great – 49 | Popular | – | Nada Surf |
| Great – 49 | E-Bow the Letter | – | R.E.M. |
| Great – 49 | Lady Picture Show | – | Stone Temple Pilots |
| Great – 49 | Springtime in Vienna | – | The Tragically Hip |
| Great – 49 | One Headlight | – | The Wallflowers |
| Great – 49 | Crossing a Canyon | – | 54-40 |
| Great – 49 | Over Now | – | Alice in Chains |
| Great – 49 | The Old Apartment | – | Barenaked Ladies |
| Great – 49 | Devil’s Haircut | – | Beck |
| Great – 49 | No Diggity | – | Blackstreet |
| Great – 49 | Crash Into Me | – | Dave Matthews Band |
| Great – 49 | Tripping Billies | – | Dave Matthews Band |
| Great – 49 | Used to be Alright | – | I Mother Earth |
| Great – 49 | I Want You | – | Savage Garden |
| Great – 49 | Everything You’ve Done Wrong | – | Sloan |
| Great – 49 | Wannabe | – | Spice Girls |
| Great – 49 | Salvation | – | The Cranberries |
| Great – 49 | Hollywood | – | The Cranberries |
| Great – 49 | Free To Decide | – | The Cranberries |
| Great – 49 | Bound For The Floor | – | Local H |
| Great – 49 | Hail Hail | – | Pearl Jam |
| Great – 49 | Too Much | – | Dave Matthews Band |
| Great – 49 | So Much To Say | – | Dave Matthews Band |
| Solid – 75 | Ready To Go | – | Republica |
| Solid – 75 | Bittersweet Me | – | R.E.M. |
| Solid – 75 | How Bizarre | – | OMC |
| Solid – 75 | Lies to Me | – | 54-40 |
| Solid – 75 | Love You All | – | 54-40 |
| Solid – 75 | The New Pollution | – | Beck |
| Solid – 75 | Desperately Wanting | – | Better Than Ezra |
| Solid – 75 | Around The World | – | Daft Punk |
| Solid – 75 | Follow You Down | – | Gin Blossoms |
| Solid – 75 | Long Way Down | – | Goo Goo Dolls |
| Solid – 75 | 3 AM | – | Matchbox Twenty |
| Solid – 75 | Everyday Is a Winding Road | – | Sheryl Crow |
| Solid – 75 | Art School Girl | – | Stone Temple Pilots |
| Solid – 75 | Gift Shop | – | The Tragically Hip |
| Solid – 75 | 6th Avenue Heartache | – | The Wallflowers |
| Solid – 75 | The Difference | – | The Wallflowers |
| Solid – 75 | Birmingham | – | Amanda Marshall |
| Solid – 75 | Quit Playing Games (With My Heart) | – | Backstreet Boys |
| Solid – 75 | Criminal | – | Fiona Apple |
| Solid – 75 | Right Hand Man | – | Joan Osborne |
| Solid – 75 | Not An Addict | – | K’s Choice |
| Solid – 75 | Sunday Morning | – | No Doubt |
| Solid – 75 | Trigger Happy Jack | – | Poe |
| Solid – 75 | Hello | – | Poe |
| Solid – 75 | Standing Outside a Broken Phone Booth With Money in My Hand | – | Primitive Radio Gods |
| Solid – 75 | Hard to Make A Stand | – | Sheryl Crow |
| Solid – 75 | Lovefool | – | The Cardigans |
| Solid – 75 | Incarnate | – | The Watchmen |
| Solid – 75 | Pony | – | Ginuwine |
| Solid – 104 | Mother Mother | – | Tracy Bonham |
| Solid – 104 | Where It’s At | – | Beck |
| Solid – 104 | Two Step | – | Dave Matthews Band |
| Solid – 104 | I Love You Always Forever | – | Donna Lewis |
| Solid – 104 | Don’t Let Go (Love) | – | En Vogue |
| Solid – 104 | Soaked | – | The Killjoys |
| Solid – 104 | Govinda | – | Kula Shaker |
| Solid – 104 | The Beautiful People | – | Marilyn Manson |
| Solid – 104 | Excuse Me Mr. | – | No Doubt |
| Solid – 104 | Red Mosquito | – | Pearl Jam |
| Solid – 104 | 6 Underground | – | Sneaker Pimps |
| Solid – 104 | Breathe | – | The Prodigy |
| Solid – 104 | 700 ft. Ceiling | – | The Tragically Hip |
| Solid – 104 | You’re Makin’ Me High | – | Toni Braxton |
| Solid – 104 | Amish Paradise | – | Weird Al Yankovic |
| Solid – 104 | Tahitian Moon | – | Porno For Pyros |
| Solid – 104 | What Do I Have To Do? | – | Stabbing Westward |
| Solid – 104 | Return Of The Mack | – | Mark Morrison |
| Solid – 104 | Tinfoil | – | Limblifter |
| Not Bad – 123 | Rave + Drool | – | The Killjoys |
| Not Bad – 123 | Mach 5 | – | The Presidents of the USA |
| Not Bad – 123 | Everything Falls Apart | – | Dog’s Eye View |
| Not Bad – 123 | King of New Orleans | – | Better Than Ezra |
| Not Bad – 123 | Until It Sleeps | – | Metallica |
| Not Bad – 123 | Say You’ll Be There | – | Spice Girls |
| Not Bad – 123 | Butts Wigglin’ | – | The Tragically Hip |
| Not Bad – 123 | Apartment Song | – | The Tragically Hip |
| Not Bad – 123 | Un-Break My Heart | – | Toni Braxton |
| Not Bad – 132 | I Cry | – | Bass is Base |
| Not Bad – 132 | Because You Loved Me | – | Celine Dion |
| Not Bad – 132 | Lie In Our Graves | – | Dave Matthews Band |
| Not Bad – 132 | Beautiful Freak | – | Eels |
| Not Bad – 132 | Change The World | – | Eric Clapton |
| Not Bad – 132 | Ready Or Not | – | Fugees |
| Not Bad – 132 | Til I Hear It From You | – | Gin Blossoms |
| Not Bad – 132 | Macarena | – | Los del Rio |
| Not Bad – 132 | Naked Eye | – | Luscious Jackson |
| Not Bad – 132 | King Nothing | – | Metallica |
| Not Bad – 132 | I Don’t Want To Wait | – | Paula Cole |
| Not Bad – 132 | I Believe I Can Fly | – | R. Kelly |
| Not Bad – 132 | Neil Armstrong | – | Starkicker |
| Not Bad – 132 | Tumble In The Rough | – | Stone Temple Pilots |
| Not Bad – 132 | Wrong Way | – | Sublime |
| Not Bad – 132 | Setting Sun | – | The Chemical Brothers |
| Not Bad – 132 | Everything and After | – | The Doughboys |
| Not Bad – 132 | Down Together | – | The Refreshments |
| Not Bad – 132 | Don’t Wake Daddy | – | The Tragically Hip |
| Not Bad – 132 | Put It Off | – | The Tragically Hip |
| Not Bad – 132 | I Don’t Want to Think About It | – | Wild Strawberries |
| Not Bad – 132 | I Saw You First | – | John Mellencamp |
| Not Bad – 132 | Mission Impossible | – | Adam Clayton |
| Not Bad – 132 | Angels Of The Silences | – | Counting Crows |
| Not Bad – 132 | I Was Wrong | – | Social Distortion |
| Not Bad – 132 | Photograph | – | The Verve Pipe |
| Not Bad – 132 | Again | – | Alice in Chains |
| Not Bad – 132 | Screwed It Up | – | Limblifter |
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