What were/are the bands that defined the music of the 90s?

When I think of 90's,...

This is obviously somewhat of a subjective question without any type of criteria, but these are definitely some heavyweights: ROCK Nirvana Soundgarden Stone Temple Pilots Pearl Jam Radiohead Red Hot Chili Peppers Smashing Pumpkins Alice In Chains Beck Nine Inch Nails Metallica Green Day Guns n Roses Dave Matthews Band Matchbox Twenty Blues Traveler Faith No More Collective Soul COUNTRY George Strait Trisha Yearwood Garth Brooks Clint Black Brooks and Dunn Reba McEntire The Judds Wynonna Judd Billy Ray Cyrus Tim McGraw Faith Hill Dixie Chicks Alan Jackson POP/ROCK Sugar Ray Hootie and the Blowfish Celine Dion Heart No Doubt R Kelly Boyz II Men Madonna Michael Jackson Whitney Houston Backstreet Boys Nsync Janet Jackson Seal Counting Crows Alanis Morrisette Mariah Carey REM RAP Notorious BIG 2Pac LL Cool J Public Enemy Digital Underground Ice T Wu Tang Clan Dr Dre Ice Cube Snoop Dogg

For Grunge: Nirvana Pearl Jam Soundgarden Alice n Chains   For Punk: Green Day The Offspring Blur Rancid   For Industrial: Nine Inch Nails Marylin Manson Ministry Rammstein   For Rap-metal, Hardcore, "Nu Metal" (awful name): Rage Against the Machine Korn Limp Bizkit Deftones   Gangsta Rap: Dr Dre/Snoop Dogg (Death Row affiliates) Bone Thugs-n-Harmony Notorious B.I.G. Tupac Shakur   Hip Hop: Fugees and related (Lauryn Hill, Wyclef Jean, etc.) The Pharcyde Coolio The Beastie Boys   Holy crap!  We got brass!  (Swing and Ska): No Doubt Brian Setzer Orchestra Mighty Mighty Bosstones Big Bad Voodoo Daddy   Alterna-pop: REM Smashing Pumpkins Alanis Morisette Radiohead   Electronica/House Prodigy The Crystal Method Chemical Bros. Fatboy Slim   Trip Hop Portishead Sneaker Pimps Tricky Massive Attack R&B: TLC En Vogue Blackstreet Destiny's Child Not sure where to categorize but requires mention: Tool 311 Red Hot Chili Peppers Fiona Apple Don't Deserve mention, but oh well: Counting Crows Black Crows Blues Traveller Spin Doctors

The primary genres of the 90s (at least in my experience with my group of friends and the media I was privy to.) were Grunge, Alternative Rock, Metal, Post-Grunge, New Jack Swing, Neo Soul, Rap, Indie Rock, Pop Rock and Dance Pop.  Sure there are always more, and further subgenres, but for me those encapsulated the heart of that decade, so I'll just stick to those for now.  And I'll stick with 10 from each genre since we're talking about those that "defined" the decade and not every group in each genre.  And since I was alive and in Middle School, High School and College back then playing in many and various cover bands, I remember a lot of the music scene.  :) Grunge Nirvana Soundgarden Alice in Chains Pearl Jam Stone Temple Pilots L7 Temple of the Dog Love Battery Mudhoney Garbage Alternative Rock 4 Non Blondes The Violent Femmes Blind Melon Smashing Pumpkins Weezer Green Day Oasis No Doubt The Offspring Jane's Addiction Metal Metallica Megadeth Slayer Korn Pantera Anthrax Sepultura Tool Slipknot Rage Against The Machine Post Grunge Bush Creed 3 Doors Down Candlebox Live Puddle of Mud Seether Third Eye Blind Silverchair Nickelback New Jack Swing Boyz II Men Another Bad Creation Bel Biv Devoe LL Cool J TLC En Vogue Color Me Badd Kris Kross Bobby Brown Snap! Neo Soul Jamiroquai Destiny's Child Maxwell Lauryn Hill Erykah Badu Soul II Soul Prince Lisa Stansfield Tony! Toni! Toné! D'Angelo Rap Dr. Dre Snoop Dogg Eminem Tupac Notorious B.I.G. Nas Ice Cube DMX Bone Thugs 'n' Harmony Jay-Z Indie Rock Jimmy Eat World Dinosaur Jr. Blinker The Star Built to Spill PJ Harvey Fugazi Mazzy Star Dead Milkmen Pixies The Jesus and Mary Chain Pop Rock Matchbox 20 Hootie and the Blowfish Hoobastank Everclear Vertical Horizon Gin Blossoms Counting Crows Crash Test Dummies Smash Mouth Goo Goo Dolls Dance Pop Ace of Bass Backstreet Boys Deee-Lite EMF Right Said Fred Spice Girls 'N Sync Aqua Chumbawumba Hanson Yes.  I ended this entire list with Hanson.  Take THAT!  :)  ps.  Honorable mentions that I didn't dump into any of those genres but that still helped identify "the 90s": Primus Dave Matthews Band Dream Theater Montell Jordan Red Hot Chili Peppers Spin Doctors Reel Big Fish Tom Cochrane Dishwalla Marcy Playground Eve 6 MC Hammer Alanis Morissette NIN Lenny Kravitz Sisqo Garth Brooks Vanilla Ice Yes.  I ended THAT entire list with Vanilla Ice.  Take that AGAIN!  :)

Nirvana

Actually it was not Nirvana. It was the Pixies that defined the sound of the 90s. Although pixies were formed in the late 80s (almost beginning of 90s) they affected 90s music so much that you will find them listed as main influences to all 90s bands (including Nirvana). another band that defined the sound of the 90s is the Sonic Youth. Period. (I am amazed people forget so easily...)

You've already got most of my first choices listed (Nirvana, Pearl Jam, Oasis are what I grew up listening to) so let me throw a few curveballs.  These are 3 songs that SCREAM 90's to me... regardless of your opinion. U Can't Touch This - MC Hammer I'm Too Sexy - Right Said Fred MMMBop - Hanson (For a real 90's flashback - play all three videos at the same time)

Mariah Carey was the biggest female artist of the 90's and redefined Diva Garth Brooks brought country into the mainstream and made it cool for millions of city slickers Green Day became the poster children for modern day punk and a fun alternative to the depressed grunge scene

Radiohead Alice in Chains Bjork Oasis Metallica is not really a 90s band, but this! And I see Nirvana and Pearl Jam have already been taken care of.