Essential Songs for a 90s cover band

[mr bungle]

Kinda depends. There were multiple 90s.
Do you want to take an "alternative is now mainstream" vibe?
Be the house band at the Bronze?
The annoyingly smug guy in the dorm who volunteers at the radio station?

I'd want to hear more of the indie stuff, myself
Breeders - Cannonball
Superchunk - Slack motherfucker
Pixies
Something britpop (Pulp?)
Supergrass
Elastica
Liz Phair
maybe some indie-esque cover of a mainstream pop song (which is the true heart of the nineties), e.g. TLC No Scrubs

Yeah, Wheatus, Third Eye Blind, Supersonic etc are akin to Puddle of Mudd, Seether, Hinder, IMHO of course.

[interceptör]

Sonic Youth, Mudhoney, PJ Harvey, Bad Religion, REM

Faith No More, Kyuss, Monster Magnet, Danzig, Type O Negative, Pantera, Marilyn Manson, NIN

Red Hot Chili Peppers, Rage Against the Machine, Beastie Boys, Cypress Hill

For annoying crowds: 15-minute rendition of GNR's Knockin' on Heaven's Door with drum and keyboard solos and at least three guitar solos

[countertext]

^Yeah, anything off PJ Harvey’s first three records would work.

[cestlamort]

Sonic Youth, Mudhoney, Bad Religion, REM

Sadly all their iconic/best stuff was pre-1990 (possible exception of Goo).

REM “nightswimming” got all sorts of critical love in best of decade lists but … I’d rather any song off of Dead Letter Office etc.

Unrelated: Dan from Mudhoney is guesting on Seth Meyers

[interceptör]

Also:

Portishead, Massive Attack, Tricky, Björk

And just to state the obvious:

MBV, Alice in Chains, Smashing Pumpkins, Jane's Addiction / Porno for Pyros

And to clear out any crowd within seconds:

Creed

[eilrahc]

I can't believe I didn't mention them the first time, but anything by Teenage Fanclub - "The Concept" especially would be a really fun one - and Redd Kross would be great.

[mcbrandt]

Chumbawumba - tubthumping
New Radicals - you only get what you give
Smashing Pumpkins - 1979

[ThePearDream]

Do a whole set of Spin Doctors covers.

[panoramic]

the concept - Teenage Fanclub
feel the pain - Dinosaur Jr.
Slack Motherfucker - Superchunk
Fuck and Run - Liz Phair
hobo humpin slobo babe -WHALE
rattled by the rush - Pavement
that one toadies song
natural one - folk implosion
bipolar - Blonde Redhead

[Futuron]

Here's some more obvious ones:

Lump (etc)
The Distance
MmmBop
Song 2
Creep
Lovefool
Monkey Wrench
Achey Breaky Song
Breakfast At Tiffany's
One Headlight
Lightning Crashes
Enter Sandman
MmmmMmmmMmmmMmmm
Shimmer
Black Hole Sun
Loser
Fire Water Burn
Interstate Love Song
Man I Feel Like A Woman
Santa Monica
3AM
Bullet With Butterfly Wings
Macarena
Anything by Goo Goo Dolls EXCEPT Iris
The Impression That I Get (do you have a horn section? )
Bittersweet Symphony (do you have a strings section? )

[marqueemoon]

All indie rock Spice Girls covers

[Jonesie]

For annoying crowds: 15-minute rendition of GNR's Knockin' on Heaven's Door with drum and keyboard solos and at least three guitar solos

Be sure to request some Reggae from the band.

[Sweetfinger]

Lump or Peaches by Presidents Of The USA
Girlfriend by Matthew Sweet
Some Dread Zeppelin?
Ween?

[luau]

If you're playing in IL get some Poster Children in there. If You See Kay or 6x6 or something.

[JSett]

If you want a crowd pleaser: Lit "My Own Worst Enemy"

And something Limp Bizkit