It’s finally that time of year. Your flannel shirts in all their different colors and designs have either been sitting untouched in your closet or neatly folded away with your winter clothes. It’s October and officially fall, and though the daytime temperature may not have dipped yet, it’s cool in the evening. You may need a flannel if you’re leaving home at night. To get you excited to incorporate flannels back into your wardrobe, here are songs from the 90s that’ll make you want to bust out your flannel collection as soon as possible.
“Hey Jealousy” by Gin Blossoms
Few bands captured the pop-rock sensibilities of the 90s quite like the Gin Blossoms. The band from Tempe, Arizona, not only had that sound, but it also fit their fashion sense. In the 90s, flannel shirts and torn-up jeans became the trend, and Gin Blossoms’ laid-back, dusty sound fit their aesthetic to a T. In 1992, the band re-recorded a track from their debut album, and it became their breakout hit. The band’s signature track peaked at No. 4 on the Mainstream Rock chart, No. 25 on the Billboard Hot 100, and helped define pop-rock in the early 90s.
“Come As You Are” by Nirvana
You can discuss flannels and the 90s without the band that helped usher the fashion trend into the decade. They weren’t the first to dress this way, nor the first grunge band, but they became the template once they broke into the mainstream in late 1991. Throughout 1992, Nirvana‘s popularity grew significantly, becoming the most recognizable band in the world. It’s hard not to wear a flannel with torn-up jeans and Converse without feeling like you’re ripping off Kurt Cobain. Yet that was just the style at the time, and it returns each year in the fall.
“Dam That River” by Alice In Chains
Out of the biggest names in grunge in the 1990s, Alice In Chains felt like they were on another level. By the time they released their sophomore album, Dirt, no other band blended metal into grunge better than these guys. This can be heard on track two of the 1992 album. Jerry Cantrell’s mean guitar riffs, matched with Layne Staley’s unforgettable snarling vocals, make this high-energy track a thrill ride. It’s an underrated track from the band in the grand scheme of their entire discography. That’s mostly because they penned so many hits at the time, and “Dam That River” wasn’t released as a single. That hasn’t stopped this track from becoming a fan favorite throughout the years.
Photo by Paul Natkin/Getty Images
The post 3 Songs From the 90s That’ll Make You Want to Bust Out Your Flannel Collection appeared first on VICE.
