The Rock ‘Song of the Summer’ for Each Year of the 1990s

What were the songs of the summer for each year of the 1990s?

Here we are at the beginning of another summer, but it’s hard not to think about the sunny days, rocking tunes and great times that the ’90s provided for us.

It was a decade bookended by the aggression and angst of grunge and nu-metal, but not every summer was clouded with doom and gloom. In fact, there’s some more light and bouncy material that broke through, while still plenty of heavier, crunchy riffs rocked our summers as well.

Who doesn’t remember the summer of ’94 when Soundgarden‘s “Black Hole Sun” not only commanded the airwaves but dominated the MTV rotation as well giving us creepy cool summer vibes? Or what about when the sunny disposition and life reflection of Sublime‘s Bradley Nowell rose above the sadness of the musician’s death to write the summer tale of success the band had long been in line for with “What I Got.”

READ MORE: 41 Rock Albums That Totally Remind Me of Summer

The songs mentioned in this feature are sure to conjure up memories of summer fun, barbecues, baseball games, past (or present loves), road trips and more good times had by all. Let’s kick off the summer right with this reflection on the Songs of Summer for Each Year of the 1990s.