90s movies notoriously have amazing soundtracks, this is an undisputed fact. The movies aren’t always modern cinema masterpieces, but more often than not the soundtrack will make up for a lack of realistic dialogue. Or bad acting or poor direction, whatever the complaint may be. So, what if we took the formula of the untouchable 90s movie soundtrack and niched it down to a beloved concept: the misfit grunge teen movie.
Occasionally done to death, but familiar because it works. Here are the five must-have songs for my hypothetical 90s grunge teen movie, which would obviously include young Matthew Lillard in literally any capacity. Also probably Fairuza Balk in her The Craft era. And maybe 1989 Robert Sean Leonard if he’s interested.
“Seether” — Veruca Salt
“Seether” was released on Veruca Salt’s 1994 debut album American Thighs. Possessing both a “childlike innocence” and “guiltless brutality,” as described by CMJ New Music Monthly at the time, “Seether” is the ideal main character introduction for this hypothetical soundtrack. Who is she, what secrets does she keep, what’s her deal?
“Seether” is a girl on the verge of violent adulthood. She’s pulled in many different directions at the same time that she’s “at the center of it all.” It’s the teen girl experience boiled down into 3 minutes and 16 seconds of dirty guitars and lyrics that threaten to go for the throat.
“Violet” — Hole
Hole released their second album, Live Through This, in 1994. It continued Courtney Love’s preoccupation with themes of womanhood, motherhood, beauty, and violence. “Violet” opens the album with a gut-punch, but on its own feels like the spiritual successor to “Seether” (ignoring the fact that Live Through This came out five months before American Thighs).
For hypothetical soundtrack purposes, “Violet” represents the progression of our main character’s 90s teen anger. “Seether” recognizes her “snarl-toothed” rage and attempts to smother it to remain likable. But “Violet” is past all that. Now she’s foaming at the mouth to release the Seether.
“popular” — Nada Surf
Released in 1996 on the album High/Low, Nada Surf’s “Popular” presents rules for successful teen etiquette (taken from a 1964 book on teenage charm and popularity) in increasingly frantic spoken word. This song is an obvious and possibly overdone choice for a 90s grunge teen movie soundtrack. But, we’re going to ignore that. What matters is, “Popular” creates an acute sense of being a fringe high school loser.
“Popular” captures what it’s like to be a high school misfit in a roundabout way. The emotional delivery of straightforward, outdated etiquette is what it’s like to be told you’re doing everything wrong in life when really you’re just being yourself.
“Teen Angst (What The World Needs Now)” — Cracker
Cracker debuted in 1992 with the lead single “Teen Angst (What The World Needs Now).” This is more of a lighthearted entry in our grunge teen movie soundtrack. Here is the freedom of being a teenager (often an oxymoron). But, combine that with contradictory feelings of caring too much and not at all. Being 17 feels like the oldest age in the world with the least autonomy.
“I don’t know what the world may need,” the song states frequently. The punchline is that the world often puts pressure on the next generation to fix everything. For the sake of our fake 90s movie, let’s say teenagers just want to drink stolen beer, start fights, drive fast cars, and have sex. They don’t want to save the world, they just want to survive high school.
“Cut Your Hair” — Pavement
Pavement released their second album, Crooked Rain, Crooked Rain, in 1994, featuring the highly popular track “Cut Your Hair.” Allegedly, it was written in response to the industry’s obsession with image over artistry. However, it can relate to the high school experience as well.
With thematic genius carefully wrapped in nonsensical lyrics, “Cut Your Hair” serves as the evolution of “Popular” in terms of our soundtrack. If “Popular” makes it obvious that we’re stuck on the social sidelines, “Cut Your Hair” is recognition, acceptance, rebellion, and that specific flavor of teenage apathy.
Photo by Jim Steinfeldt/Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images
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