Is whimsigoth a real thing? Depends on who you ask, but there’s no denying how well a lot of 90s songs fit with the aesthetic. These three in particular are perfect for a 90s whimsigoth fall as the weather finally starts to realize what time of year it is right now.

“building a Mystery” by Sarah McLachlan

Sarah McLachlan released “Building a Mystery” on her 1997 album Surfacing. Its charming, whimsical premise backed by McLachlan’s ethereal vocals made the song an immediate hit. It became Canada’s best-selling single of 1997, and reached No. 13 in the U.S. McLachlan ultimately reigned in the 90s with a folksy, angelic presence that remained accessible.

“Building a Mystery” is a great song for those wanting a whimsigoth fall. It’s mysterious, intriguing, and almost alchemical in the way it presents its themes. According to McLachlan, it’s about everyone having insecurities they try to hide. However, being truly yourself is more interesting than any of those perceived flaws. In this way, “Building a Mystery” almost has a warmth to it, perfect for keeping the autumn chill away.

“Duvet” by Bôa

“Duvet” appeared on Bôa’s 1998 album Twilight, and it’s a song that existed simultaneously of its time and decades ahead. Hearing “Duvet” without knowing it came out in the 90s, it’s easy to assume it’s way more recent. Like, maybe 2023 recent. Granted, its viral moment on TikTok that year may have something to do with that.

But really, “Duvet” has an otherworldly quality to it that takes it out of time all on its own. Jasmine Rogers’ ethereal vocals puts Bôa on par with Mazzy Star and The Cranberries, their hazy, jangly, dreamlike quality amplified into something truly timeless. Overall, this song is amazing for the whimsigoth atmosphere of rainy fall days.

“How Soon Is Now” by Love Spit Love

Love Spit Love, formed by Psychedelic Furs vocalist Richard Butler, covered The Smiths’ “How Soon Is Now” in 1996. It appeared on the soundtrack for The Craft, also a great option for a whimsigoth fall with a little more attitude. Similarly, this “How Soon Is Now” cover has more bite than the original.

However, its attitude doesn’t take away from its delightful whimsy. Butler’s languid, mercurial vocals rough it up a bit, but it still possesses the dreaminess of the original. A couple years later, Love Spit Love’s “How Soon Is Now” became the opening theme to Charmed, yet another perfect moment for 90s whimsigoth atmosphere.

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When you’ve associated a certain artist with their respective bands for so long, it’s hard to imagine them in any other group. Most of the time, musicians play with multiple bands before landing in a successful group. In the 90s, alternative music rose to the top, completely contrasting what it took to make it big in the 80s. Therefore, many 90s alternative bands had stints in bands that were entirely different from the ones we know them for. Here are three examples of this.

Weezer’s Rivers Cuomo Was in a Metal Band

Long before we knew Rivers Cuomo as the nerdy, glasses-wearing frontman of Weezer, he was in a metal band. That may be hard to picture, but fans familiar with his guitar shredding skills will find this to be no surprise. Normally, Rivers’ guitar work for Weezer is straightforward and not very flashy. He went all out on their 2002 album Maladroit, showcasing his true guitar skills.

Before forming Weezer, Cuomo played in a hair metal band called Avant Garde. They later changed their name to Zoom. He also performed in a Kiss cover band called Fury and a short-lived funk metal project called Sixty Wrong Sausages in 1991. Those interested in what the Weezer frontman looked like in this era can refer to the album cover of Alone II: The Home Recordings Of Rivers Cuomo, released in 2008.

Layne Staley Was in a Glam Metal Band

Before Layne Staley became the iconic frontman of one of the “Big Four” grunge bands of the 90s, he was a glam metal singer. He was in a band called Sleze from 1984 until 1986. The band played local high school shows and covered popular heavy metal tracks. In 1986, he formed a new group called Diamond Lie with future members of Alice In Chains. This lineup included guitarist Jerry Cantrell, bassist Mike Starr, and drummer Sean Kinney. One of Staley’s previous groups was called Alice ‘N Chains, and the band soon adopted the name instead of Diamond Lie. Alice ‘N Chains was primarily a speed metal group before the band focused on the emerging grunge sound.

Mike McCready Was In a Hard Rock Band

This one isn’t too different from what he ended up doing anyway. But still, picturing the iconic Pearl Jam guitarist in any other band just seems weird. That’s not including Temple Of The Dog, which was practically Pearl Jam before the band launched. In 1982, the band Shadow formed with McCready on rhythm and sometimes lead guitar. The group was primarily influenced by hard rock bands such as KISS, Van Halen, and the new wave of British heavy metal bands such as Def Leppard and Judas Priest.

The band moved from Seattle to Los Angeles in an attempt to secure a record deal. They never signed a major deal as they had hoped. The band felt burned out and went their separate ways in 1988, with McCready going back to Seattle in 1988. In 2013, Shadow reunited for a special live performance and vinyl release.

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Pop-punk peaked towards the end of the 90s and into the early 2000s. You can get a sense of this when re-watching films from the era. It became cliché to use pop-punk hits for transitional scenes. Now, we look back fondly on this era where pop-punk invaded the mainstream. In the 2000s specifically, many pop-punk hits raced the charts, charting higher than ever before or since. These are the three highest-charting pop-punk hits of the late 90s and 2000s.

“All The Small Things” by Blink-182

By the time Blink-182 established their legendary trio lineup, pop-punk had already pushed into the mainstream. The band capitalized on the momentum of bands such as Green Day to become one of the biggest pop-punk acts going into the new millennium. With their third album, the band released a string of hits starting with “What’s My Age Again?”, peaking at No. 58 on the Billboard Hot 100. They immediately exceeded expectations with their follow-up hit, “All The Small Things”, peaking at No. 6 on the Billboard Hot 100.

“Girlfriend” by Avril Lavigne

By 2007, pop-punk had already dominated the first half of the 2000s. Artists such as Avril Lavigne still had more to offer. Her 2007 hit, “Girlfriend”, became one of the most successful pop-punk songs of all time. Released on February 27, 2007, “Girlfriend” peaked at No. 1 on the US Billboard Hot 100. Avril Lavigne had been close to a No. 1 hit multiple times before. In 2002, her debut single “Complicated” peaked at No. 2. That same year, “I’m With You” peaked at No. 4, and “Sk8er Boi” peaked at No. 10. In 2004, “My Happy Ending” peaked at No. 9. However, she did earn a No. 1 album in 2004 with Under My Skin, and she achieved this again in 2007 with The Best Damn Thing.

“Sugar, wE’RE Goin’ Down” by Fall Out Boy

Fall Out Boy was one of the main bands to push emo into the mainstream. Their 2000s variation of emo was categorically pop-punk as well, especially on their debut and sophomore albums. On May 3, 2005, Fall Out Boy released their critically acclaimed sophomore album, From Under The Cork Tree. The album’s lead single, “Sugar, We’re Goin’ Down”, peaked at No. 8 on the US Billboard Hot 100. They brilliantly followed up with “Dance, Dance”, which peaked at No. 9 following its release on October 31, 2005.

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In 1991, Alice In Chains got the opportunity of a lifetime. They got to go on tour as the opening act for one of their favorite bands. By 1991, Van Halen had already dominated the 1980s with two lead singers. Well into their Sammy Hagar “Van Hagar” era, the band released their third album with Hagar on June 17, 1991. For Unlawful Carnal Knowledge had a bit of a rougher edge than their previous albums, 5150 (1986) and OU812 (1988).

By this point, a grunge band out of Seattle had released a defining album in 1990. It’s one of the main tracks that helped push grunge into the mainstream. Grunge officially broke with Nirvana in September 1991, but many forget Alice In Chains’ “Man In The Box” went to No. 18 on the Mainstream Rock Chart in January 1991.

Sammy Hagar saw the music video on MTV and decided to bring the young band along as the opener for their North American tour. Alice In Chains, their guitarist Jerry Cantrell in particular, were huge fans of the band, so they gladly accepted.

An ON-STAGE Prank War Unfolds

In one single night, Van Halen pulled multiple pranks on Alice In Chains. Guitarist Jerry Cantrell spoke about these pranks in a 2013 interview with Jim Dunlop, later reported by Loudwire. “A lot of pranks get pulled on stage; it’s kind of a tradition to f*** with each other at the end of the tour, especially the opening bands.”

Cantrell went on to tell, “I remember the Van Halen guys got us like four times in one set, back in 91, at the end of that tour. When we came out on stage, they had taken a bunch of three-foot strips of duct tape and put them all over the stage, face-up. So we walked out, and within a couple of seconds we were all dragging around huge wads of duct tape on stage. They sent out some strippers, not very attractive ones, who stayed out there for a whole song. Then they sent out one of their techs. I think he was a guy named Zeke. He was in a Little Bo Peep outfit with some live sheep.”

“And at the very end of our set, we were playing “Man In The Box,” Cantrell explained. “Their crew came out and started dismantling our entire set around us. They left Sean with a kick and snare, left me with one cab, and they just unplugged Mike Starr. And that was all in one set! I don’t think anyone has ever topped that commitment to f***ing with the opening act.”

Alice In Chains Retaliates

Jerry Cantrell then explained that they did get Van Halen back. “On the flip side of that, there’s a photo, which I think some people have seen, but I don’t think it’s necessarily public knowledge… So Van Halen used to do this signature walk across the stage, and at the time they had these skimpy panties that they would sell to the chicks in the audience.” Cantrell then explained that they wore these to do the signature Van Halen walk across the stage, though it didn’t fully cover their private parts. It was enough to throw Eddie Van Halen off with laughter, missing a few notes on guitar in the process. This was a rarity for the legendary guitarist, and it made Cantrell feel their retaliation prank was a success.

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Before alternative music invaded the mainstream in the 1990s, it dominated college radio. Indie bands emerged in the 1980s, appearing on college rock radio shows. As alternative remained in the underground, these bands inspired some of the biggest names in 90s alternative rock, such as Nirvana, Weezer, Green Day, and more. Here are three college rock bands from the 1980s that basically invented the holy grail of 90s bands.

Hüsker Dü

Hailing from St. Paul, Minnesota, Husker Du formed in 1979. Aside from their mark on the Twin Cities underground scene, the band influenced 90s artists such as Nirvana, Green Day, Foo Fighters, Uncle Tupelo, and many others. Specifically, their sophomore album, Zen’s Arcade, blended elements of hardcore punk and indie rock. This became highly influential and crucial to the 90s alternative rock sound. Sadly, Hüsker Dü broke up in 1988, just before alternative rock broke into the mainstream. Still, their massive influence on the decade was duly noted throughout the 90s.

Violent Femmes

Violent Femmes are among the pioneers of folk punk, fusing together traditional folk with punk rock of the late 70s. The group formed in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, in 1981. Their self-titled debut album became a college rock radio hit in 1983, generating the band’s signature hit “Blister In The Sun.” Notably, the song was quite different compared to other emerging indie rock bands of the decade. It became the template for Nirvana’s acoustic side of Kurt Cobain’s songwriting. As Nirvana’s Nevermind was rising to the top of the Billboard 200 in January 1992, the band was opening for Violent Femmes on tour.

R.E.M.

Almost no other band dominated college rock radio quite like R.E.M. They were the epitome of college rock radio throughout the decade. The band famously targeted college rock radio stations, offering exclusive interviews and hand-delivering their albums. This led to their early breakout single “Radio Free Europe” becoming a staple on college radio. In the late 80s, the band started to break into the mainstream after their hit “The Only I Love” peaked at No. 9 on the Billboard Hot 100.

When alternative music broke into the mainstream in late 1991, R.E.M. became closely associated with this movement. Due to this, their 1991 album Out Of Time became their best-selling release. Additionally, lead singer Michael Stipe’s close friendship with Kurt Cobain was publicly noted during this time as well. The two became so close that Stipe was named the godfather of Cobain’s daughter, Frances Bean Cobain.

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In the 1990s, the rise of hip-hop led to the rise of R&B. At this point, R&B blended the beats and rhythms of hip-hop with soul vocals. 90s R&B artists created timeless ballads that guided millennials through their first experience with love. Love may hurt sometimes, and these R&B hits taught us how to really feel it.

“Always Be My Baby” by Mariah Carey

This song will make it hard not to think of a former lover. Even if you don’t have someone to miss, and many teenagers didn’t, this track almost made you wish you had someone to miss. Released in 1995, “Always Be My Baby” fell right in the middle of Mariah Carey‘s dominance on the charts in the 90s. She earned an incredible 14 No. 1 hits on the Billboard Hot 100 during the decade. “Always Be My Baby” topped the US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Chart in February 1996. Her fifth album, Daydream, generated three No. 1 hits out of five singles released. She’s still among the most decorated artists of all time.

“Every Time I Close My Eyes” by Babyface

For this 1997 single, Babyface brought together some of the best musicians in mainstream music. Famous saxophonist Kenny G provides soprano saxophone, while Mariah Carey provides additional vocals. On the drums, we hear the “Queen Of Percussion”, the one and only Sheila E. When you bring together these world-class artists, the result is a hit single. “Every Time I Close My Eyes” peaked at No. 5 on the US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart in early 1997.

“All My Life” by K-Ci & JoJo

This one has millennials singing along to “All my life, I’ve prayed for someone like you” when we hadn’t even been on Earth for more than two decades. We weren’t really waiting that long, but it felt like it. That’s the power of 90s R&B ballads like this. They could make anyone feel like they’ve been praying all their lives for a love like this. Soul and passion in R&B peaked with this. It earned the duo three Grammy nominations. Released in March 1998, “All My Life” peaked at No. 1 on the US Billboard Hot 100, becoming one of the most successful R&B singles of the latter half of the decade.

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In 1994, Green Day’s third album, Dookie, pushed pop-punk into the mainstream. Throughout the late 90s, countless other pop-punk bands emerged. This coincided with the rise of skateboarding in the 1990s, with the sport becoming widely popular in the late 90s. With skateboarding on the rise, many millennials attempted to take up the hobby, resulting in some harsh slams on concrete. Skateboarding culture and pop-punk went hand in hand in the 90s, and these pop-punk bands gave millennials the courage to take these harsh slams on a skateboard.

Less Than Jake

Formed in Gainesville, Florida, in 1992, Less Than Jake blended together pop-punk and ska punk at a time when the two genres were beginning to take over the alternative music world. They released their debut album, Pezcore, in 1995, before joining a major label. Now signed with Capitol Records, the band released their 1996 sophomore album, Losing Streak. They followed up in 1998 with Hello Rockview, produced by Howard Benson, who would go on to work with bands such as My Chemical Romance. With these albums, Less Than Jake was at the forefront of the skate-punk movement from the late 90s into the early 2000s.

Blink-182

As Green Day dominated the mid-to-late 90s, Blink-182 started to benefit from their momentum, launching into the mainstream with their 1997 sophomore album, Dude Ranch. Their 1995 debut, Cheshire Cat, established the group’s signature sound, but they became a mainstream success with their follow-up. It was the last to feature original drummer Scott Raynor, who then left the group in 1998.

By this point, Blink-182 was on a fast track to match the success of Green Day. Dude Ranch peaked at No. 67 on the Billboard 200, but landed at No. 1 on the Heatseekers Albums chart. In 1999, their third album, Enema Of The State, was the first to feature iconic punk drummer Travis Barker. This completed the band’s legendary trio lineup. Enema Of The State was a huge commercial success at the end of the 90s, peaking at No. 9 on the US Billboard 200.

MxPx

MxPx were another dominant skate-punk band in the 1990s. They released three defining pop-punk albums in the mid-90s, all a year apart. In 1994, they released their debut album Pokinatcha. They followed up in 1995 with Teenage Politics, featuring some of their most popular songs such as “Punk Rawk Show”.

Their 1996 album, Life In General, is considered to be the band’s masterpiece. It features the essential 90s pop-punk anthem, “Chick Magnet”. MxPx is a band that was known to be closely associated with 90s skateboarding culture. They even used skateboarding in their imagery. An example of this is the cover art of the band’s 1998 B-sides and rarities album, Let It Happen.

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