The year was 1994. Before we spent hours scrolling through Facebook and Instagram we were watching Tonya Harding get stripped of her figure skating title following an attack on her rival Nancy Kerrigan. We were also introduced to a number of what are now considered to be “classic” albums. I never really felt “old” until a couple weeks ago, when Green Day’s album “Dookie” turned 25 years old.
I remember when “Dookie” came out. It was full of catchy lyrics and punk-fuelled angst, catapulting punk into the mainstream. Released on Feb. 1, 1994, “Dookie” turned out hits like “Basket Case,” “Longview “and “When I Come Around.” “Dookie” peaked at No. 2 on the U.S. Billboard 200 charting in seven countries. The album won a Grammy Award for best alternative album and is Green Day’s best-selling album with more than 20 million copies sold worldwide.
There are actually quite a few albums turning a quarter-century old this year. Another album that helped bring punk rock into the mainstream was The Offspring’s “Smash.” The album produced a number of hit singles, from “Self Esteem” to “Gotta Get Away” and “Come Out and Play.” It sold more than 11 million copies worldwide – making it the best-selling album released by an independent record label. Did you know when the band was recording “Smash” all the members still had day jobs? Noodles was a janitor for the Garden Grove School District!
The debut studio album from Weezer (also known as the Blue Album) came out in May of ’94. It spawned three successful singles including “Undone: The Sweater Song,” “Buddy Holly” and “Say It Ain’t So.” Weezer’s music videos were directed by Spike Jonze, who contributed to the band’s mainstream success
Soundgarden released its fourth studio album “Superunknown” on March 8, 1994. It debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 – spawning five hit singles: “The Day I Tried to Live,” “My Wave,” “Fell on Black Days,” “Spoonman” and, my personal favourite, “Black Hole Sun.” The album was certified five times platinum.
Released six months after Kurt Cobain’s April 1994 suicide was Nirvana’s “MTV Unplugged in New York.” Six of the 14 tracks were covers. Nirvana members Dave Grohl, Krist Novoselic and Pat Smear felt it was a sombre sendoff to Cobain. Other memorable rock albums out in ’94 included Pearl Jam’s “Vitalogy,” Oasis’ “Definitely Maybe,” Hole’s “Live Through This,” Alice in Chains “Jar of Flies” and Stone Temple Pilot’s “Purple.” Feel old yet?
There were a couple of big Canadian rock albums to hit the scene in 1994 -Our Lady Peace’s “Naveed,” Moist’s “Silver,” Sloan’s “Twice Removed” and The Tragically Hip’s “Day for Night.” OLP’s debut was certified platinum and spawned the hits “Starseed” and the title track “Naveed.” “Silver” was the debut studio album from Moist, costing only $4,000 to make and is the band’s most commercially successful album. Sloan’s second album “Twice Removed” is considered one of the greatest Canadian albums of all time. The Tragically Hip’s fourth studio album “Day for Night” was the band’s first album to debut at No. 1 on the Canadian Albums Chart and has been certified six times platinum.
There are so many other notable albums that turn 25 years old this year – Nine Inch Nails’ “The Downward Spiral,” TLC’s “CrazySexyCool,” Madonna’s “Bedtime Stories,” Notorious B.I.G’s “Ready To Die” and The Cranberries’ “No Need to Argue.”
I think it is safe to say that 1994 was one of the best years for music.
Cassie Donnelly is the morning show co-host at 105.3 ROCK. You can reach her on twitter @cass_1053rock.
