33 years ago, during my sophomore year of high school, I put together the first of what would eventually become a nearly 20 volume collection of mix tapes, containing my favorite songs that I had gathered either from the radio, a cassette tape, or (eventually) CD.  Today, we revisit those mix tapes for the fourth time and see how, or if, the soundtrack of my youth still resonates in today’s digital world and how much has changed over the past four years.

Back in February, Soundgarden was announced as a 2023 nominee for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.  If they were to make it, they would be the fifth band featured on this cassette to receive the honor.  Aerosmith was elected in 2001, followed by Tthe Pretenders in 2005, Green Day in 2015, and Pearl Jam in 2017.

What does that mean?  Well, nothing, really, aside from some level of durability and commercial success.  I can’t think of anything less rock and roll than the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and trying to rank something as subjective as music.  In fact, I purposely avoided the museum during my trip to Cleveland back in 2019.  But, it seems to mean something to the artists themselves, so I guess, for today at least, we will celebrate the honor.

Volume 14 takes us into the early summer of 1994, following the end of my sophomore year of college.  The song selection continues to be  mostly alternative, with a little G-funk added for flavor.

Side A

Stone Temple Pilots – Big Empty
iTunes stats: 22 plays, most recently on 7/7/2022

This entry from The Crow soundtrack picked up an additional five listens over the past four years.

Aerosmith – Crazy
iTunes stats: 26 plays, most recently on 10/16/2020

Only a three-play increase for the final installment of the Alicia Silverstone video trilogy, now with extra Liv Tyler.

Soundgarden – Black Hole Sun
iTunes stats: 17 plays, most recently on 10/1/2021

Winner of the Best Hard Rock Performance Grammy and nominated for Best Rock Song, the band’s biggest commercial hit picked up just four plays over the past four years.

Green Day – Longview
iTunes stats: 22 plays, most recently on 10/10/2022

The “debut” that pushed Green Day into the mainstream, hitting #1 on the Alternative Songs chart, added eight new listens over these last four years.

Hole – Miss World
iTunes stats: 28 plays, most recently on 3/12/2022

Hitting #13 on the Modern Rock Tracks chart, the introduction of Courtney Love to a mainstream audience picked up six additional listens over the past four years.

Pearl Jam – Dissident
iTunes stats: 21 plays, most recently on 11/12/2019

Last heard prior to the pandemic, the song, which peaked at #3 on the Album Rock Tracks chart, saw just four listens over the previous four years.

Sarah McLachlan – Possession
iTunes stats: 14 plays, most recently on 6/7/2022

Inspired by letters written to McLachlan by two deranged fans, the 27th biggest hit of 1994 on the Alternative songs chart doubled its play total over the past four years.

Side B

Tori Amos – Cornflake Girl
iTunes stats: 36 plays, most recently on 7/28/2022

Ranked at #433 in Blender magazine’s list of The 500 Greatest Songs Since You Were Born, the tune picked up six new listens over the past four years.

Sonic Youth – Bull In The Heather
iTunes stats: 19 plays, most recently on 2/25/2020

The Sonic Youth hit, ranked as one of the 50 Greatest Indie Anthems Ever by NME, picked up five new listens despite last being heard prior to the pandemic.

Offspring – Come Out And Play
iTunes stats: 32 plays, most recently on 9/27/2022

The smash that exposed the Offspring to a mainstream audience, hitting #1 on the Modern Rock Tracks chart, picked up a less-than-impressive four additional listens over the past 3 years.

Toad The Wet Sprocket – Fall Down
iTunes stats: 24 plays, most recently on 5/26/2020

Hitting #33 on the Billboard charts, the first single from the band’s fourth studio album added just three new listens and hasn’t been heard in nearly three years.

Stone Temple Pilots – Vasoline
iTunes stats: 32 plays, most recently on 12/31/2022

The second single from the band’s sophomore effort, the tune, which hit #1 on the Mainstream Rock Tracks chart, scored an additional eleven listens over the past four years.

Lisa Loeb & Nine Stories – Stay
iTunes stats: 27 plays, most recently on 9/25/2022

The smash hit from the Reality Bites soundtrack, which made Loeb the first artist to hit #1 on the Billboard charts before signing a record contract, saw an impressive eleven-play increase over these last four years.

The Pretenders – Night In My Veins
iTunes stats: 18 plays, most recently on 3/19/2021

The Pretenders hit, which was originally recorded off of Q101, picked up five additional listens in the past four years, though none within the last two years.

Warren G – Regulate
iTunes stats: 36 plays, most recently on 11/23/2022

Nominated for the 1995 Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group Grammy, the debut hit from Dr. Dre’s step-brother added eight new listens.

Coolio – Fantastic Voyage
iTunes stats: 17 plays, most recently on 3/12/2022

The breakthrough hit for Coolio, which hit #3 on the Billboard charts, added only five additional listens over the past four years, despite the death of Coolio last fall.