50 Great (or pretty good) Songs of the Post-Grunge Era

I'm curious ILM:

We've had a bit of recent discussion about post-grunge, what it was, whether it had any redeeming values whatsoever, and what its significance was in a time after Kurt when nu-metal and Strokes-style garage-revival music were taking over.

Post-grunge isn't a fondly remembered genre. Largely seen as a watered-down and commercialised retread of the original sound but without the spirit, bands like Nickleback and Puddle Of Mudd were widely successful with mainstream audiences but much maligned by heads.

But what, if any, were the essential tracks? I have a fondness for the first Foo Fighters' album for example. I'm not sure whether something like Smashing Pumpkins' "Adore" counts, but I guess it does! And what about younger bands like Days Of The New and Silverchair?

I'm going to let you be the judge of what counts as "post-grunge" here, but we're roughly talking about an era of alternative US-centric rock from 1995 onwards.

Have at ye, and whatnot

I'll start with something obvious. From perhaps arguably the first album one could feasibly call a "post-grunge" album:

50. Foo Fighters - This Is A Call

I'll say, when this came out it felt like a bit of a relief. The idea that Nirvana hadn't completely gone away and that Grohl had taken-up the mantle and spirit of the band while somehow retaining a Green Day-ish pop-punk catchiness. I don't care for much FFs after the first album, but there's a lot to love on there

Is this going to be a 1 song list? There must be another one

Local H: Bound to the Floor

Ok, fine. I'll say it.

48. Puddle of Mudd - Blurry

I think it's a fine song! Had never knowingly listened to it - maybe ambiently - but it came on in my gym a few weeks back. I usually have earbuds in to block out their largely grunge/post-grunge playlist, but for some reason I didn't. It hit a nostalgia button in me. I think it's pretty solid melodically, and the cascade of guitar harmonics in the verse are so emblematic of the era. I could picture myself sitting around post-911 having a late-night PS2 session with this on in the background. It seemed tailor-made for nights like that. And then I go to watch the video, and there's Wes Scantlin playing N64 with his kid!

We don't have to like Wes Scantlin as a person, and his vocal tone is maybe the only downside I can find to the song, but it's a bop for me now.

xp: Great choice.

47. Fuel - Shimmer

46. Nickelback - Burn It To The Ground

This isn't "post-grunge" so much as modern buttrock, but on its own terms it absolutely works.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dGNJcwUXDFQ

Bush - "Machinehead"

Album came out in late '94, but wasn't a single until 95 so I think it counts. Probably the best post-grunge "jock jam"

44. Live - "Lakini's Juice"

An ILM classic?

43. Seven Mary Three - Cumbersome

This song is THE bridge from Pearl Jam to Nickelback (an admittedly short distance)

42. Nine Black Alps - Cosmopolitan

This band came out in 2005 and it’s a bit of a rehash but honestly this could be on side two of Nevermind.

This may be my least favorite music genre.

41. Staind - Outside

I love a lot of this garbage. I was very young and constantly listened to rock radio during this era.

I don't want to overrun the thread, but let's make sure we get some Creed in here. The chorus of My Sacrifice is transcendent to me.

39. Lifehouse - "Spin"

It wasn't their biggest hit but I have a soft spot for this piece of junk

38. Fig Dish - "Bury Me"

A bit like Nirvana - in cover version mode - and Weezer, good record, overlooked possibly because of the name.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kiuyYOG7VwU

37. Toadies-Possum Kingdom

Not actually sure if this one is “post-grunge”

38. Failure - Stuck On You
39. Truly - Blue Flame Ford
40. Screaming Trees - Sworn And Broken
41. Queens of the Stone Age - Feel Good Hit of the Summer
42. A Perfect Circle - Judith

43. Chris Cornell - Preaching the End of the World

44. Audioslave - Cochise (steep drop off but for one song the conceit of a Bad Company for grunge works)

45. Pearl Jam - The Fixer

I have always loved this stuff, it felt long in the tooth at the time during the nu metal era and now it just sounds like classic rock.

That screaming trees does not deserve to be in the hellscape of this countdown, particular as they were a band pre-grunge

I'm just wondering to what extent to I just start listing off late 90s Can Con.

I thought we were counting DOWN from 50? lol

just going to put these here and let someone else figure out the numbering

Oleander - Why I'm Here
Collective Soul - Shine
Marcy Playground - Sex and Candy

Whoops then it should be 36-29 for my entries.

The Screaming Trees song is from their 1996 album and has a Belmont Tench solo. Feels canonically late/post grunge to me.

No way

28. Hum - Stars
27. Veruca Salt - Spiderman ‘79 (or Volcano Girls) if the former is too early)

26. spacehog - in the meantime

btw:

https://i.postimg.cc/hgqbkyrN/bafkreigi333z5lu7rd3dxzxzgqugacm7dzdcwxsw-d4o5zvjhlvm66obj54.webp

Looking at albums and singles under the post-grunge tag on rateyourmusic I realize I mildly like some of those songs but the bad definitely outweighs the good.

This bullshit genre dying and then being replaced by nu metal as the next best thing are the reasons I soured on anything “rock music” for most of my teenage years.

25. Staind - It's Been Awhile

I'll vouch for this one as "so nearly great we might as well call it great", but the production cliches of the era sure liked to suck life out of stuff.

I liked the first two singles so much, it was a bummer to find out that the rest of Break the Cycle wasn't very good. (story of the alternative rock early-'00s)

Now I gotta go listen to some Meat Puppets to refresh the ears