by Erik R. Slagle
When Beck’s “Where It’s At” hit the airwaves 30 years ago in April 1996, you knew something was shifting. This was the same guy who made “Loser” two years prior? His “Mellow Gold” album was great, but this sound was something else entirely. Groovy, laid back, with the occasional feedback scorch. The lyrics said Beck, but the sound was expansive. The album it led from – “Odelay,” released the next month – didn’t let down. Rumor has it Beck’s management team encouraged him to throw it out and start over again, but he persisted and released what became the signature album of a career that’s still going strong 30 years later. “Devil’s Haircut” and “New Pollution” steamroll their way into a record that glances off of hip-hop and country, eventually winding down with further out-there cuts like “Readymade,” “High Five” and “Ramshackle”—all in all, a classic that nothing released before or since can come close to.
And that’s just ONE of the best rock albums that came out in 1996 – 30 years ago; the same year THE SHOWCASE MAGAZINE was launched!
Actually, is “Odelay” really “rock”? Not in the strictest sense, but as The Playlist fans out across various segments of 1996-In-Music, it seems like the most appropriate placement for it. The genre saw some incredible releases drop from the decade’s biggest names in hard rock, heavy metal, and the remnants of grunge.
Your ’96 throwback Playlist should also include:
“Sublime,” from Sublime: The 90s favorite party band merged punk, ska, reggae and blues on their final album before the death of lead singer Bradley Nowell. It was also the album that would catapult them fully into the mainstream, with hits like “What I Got,” “Santeria,” “Wrong Way,” and of course “Doin’ Time” (set partly to the tune of “Summertime” from Porgy and Bess).
“Tiny Music… Songs from the Vatican Gift Shop” from Stone Temple Pilots. My college roommate had a theory about STP: “Core” was their attempt to make a splash with their debut by mimicking Pearl Jam. “Purple” was their natural sound. “Tiny Music” was a band that had rocketed to superstardom and decided to try something new. And it worked. Their last album before time off due to Scott Weiland’s drug and legal issues, it’s powered by “Trippin’ On a Hole In a Paper Heart” and “Big Bang Baby,” which also gave us one of the 90s coolest music videos.
“Down on the Upside,” from Soundgarden. From thrash (“Birth Ritual” in 1992) to grunge (the “Superunknown” masterpiece of 1994) and now straight-on rock, Soundgarden ran the gamut in the 1990s. “Down On the Upside” gave them a stronger mainstream radio presence, including the singles “Burden in My Hand” and “Pretty Noose.”
Honorable mention to 5 other albums that still hold up after 30 years: Weezer’s “Pinkerton” (are you feeling old yet?), Tool’s “AEnima,” Metallica’s “Load,” Rage Against The Machine’s “Evil Empire,” and Nick Cave’s “Murder Ballads.”
In the next Showcase issue, The Playlist will delve into landmark hip-hop drops that are turning 30 in 2026. Until then, happy reminiscing!
