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.