The Top 100 Grunge & Post-Grunge Singles of 1995 (Part 3)

This is part 3 of 3, counting down to #1 for New Year's Eve 2025.

30. Soundgarden – “The Day I Tried to Live” (#13 Rock, #25 Mod)

Unorthodox tunings and shifting time signatures fuel this tense rocker about a man who normally keeps to himself attempting to re‑enter the world.

29. Stone Temple Pilots – “Interstate Love Song” (#1 Rock – 15 weeks, #2 Mod)

Arguably the best alternative rock song of 1994, it dominated the Album Rock chart for 15 weeks and stayed on the charts for 33. Though still strong in 1995, its impact was firmly rooted in ’94—hence the lower placement here. But honestly, who cares. It’s an all‑time classic.

28. Alice in Chains – “Got Me Wrong” (#7 Rock, #22 Mod)

Originally released on the 1992 Sap EP, this subdued rocker was rediscovered after appearing in the low‑budget cult film Clerks. Reissued as a single, it charted well into 1995. Written about one of Jerry Cantrell’s ex‑girlfriends, it arrived during the band’s peak, when everything they touched hit radio.

27. Sponge – “Molly (Sixteen Candles Down the Drain)” (#11 Rock, #3 Mod)

Sponge were on fire in 1995 as radio embraced all three Rotting Piñata singles. Brilliant hooks and a killer melody drive this track, which isn’t about the drug “molly” but rather Molly Ringwald, troubled teens, and—in a darker layer—a girl who died by suicide before turning 16 due to a relationship with a teacher.

26. Live – “All Over You” (#2 Rock, #4 Mod)

“All Over You” might as well have been speaking directly to the radios blasting it nonstop in 1995. Built on Live’s signature soft‑loud dynamic, it’s a catchy rocker about an inspiring, overwhelming relationship.

25. Better Than Ezra – “Good” (#3 Rock, #1 Mod – 5 weeks)

A light, straightforward post‑grunge love song that’s fantastically catchy. Its simple sentiment—“It’s good living with you”—resonated with young listeners moving in with partners for the first time.

24. Melvins – “Revolve”

Melvins only recently posted the official 1995 video, but fans have long known this track as a highlight. Thrashing riffs, barked vocals, and a peak‑era performance make “Revolve” one of their most potent grunge moments—even if the lyrics, as usual, are indecipherable.

23. Pearl Jam – “Corduroy” (#22 Rock, #13 Mod)

Who says grunge didn’t do relationship songs. Pearl Jam had touched on them before, but never with the intensity of “Corduroy.” Its punkish surge, dramatic buildups, and explosive releases are matched by Eddie Vedder’s emotional range—anger, sadness, desperation—riding the song’s wild rhythmic terrain.

22. Foo Fighters – “This Is a Call” (#6 Rock, #2 Mod)

The first call of the Foo Fighters. Dave Grohl’s debut single away from Nirvana felt like a fresh hello, a new beginning, and it set the tone for a career of radio‑ready rock. Fittingly, it opens their debut album.

21. Bush – “Everything Zen” (#5 Rock, #2 Mod)

The opener of Sixteen Stone captures Bush’s love of grungy dynamics and thick distortion. Packed with sonic tricks and attitude, it set the tone for their prime era—even if they “don’t think so.”

20. Weezer – “Say It Ain’t So” (#7 Mod)

Like “Flat Top” earlier in the countdown, this song’s fandom seemed to peak long after its initial release. It received plenty of airplay and followed two other classics from Weezer’s debut. While Weezer isn’t a grunge band, this track fit the post‑grunge market thanks to its knockout riff and emotional weight, rooted in Rivers Cuomo’s feelings about his parents.

19. The Presidents of the USA – “Lump” (#7 Rock, #1 Mod – 1 week)

Punchy, quirky, and instantly likable, “Lump” came out of nowhere to hit #1 on the Modern Rock chart. Fans were amused to discover the band’s odd 2‑ and 3‑stringed instruments and their animal‑obsessed lyrics. Chris Ballew has said the song references a tumor he had and a dream about a swamp woman—perfectly matching its wonderfully weird vibe.

18. Collective Soul – “December” (#1 Rock – 9 weeks, #2 Mod)

Despite its beautiful cascading guitar tone, sweet melody, and lush harmonies, “December” comes from a darker place. Ed Roland has said it reflects his struggles with a tormenting manager.

17. Pearl Jam – “I Got I.D.” (#2 Rock, #3 Mod)

A raucous rocker about being shaken by love, “I Got I.D.” features guitar work from Neil Young and captures Pearl Jam at their most aligned and inspired in 1995.

16. Alice in Chains – “Grind” (#18 Rock, #7 Mod)

A total grinder with clenched teeth, “Grind” opened the band’s self‑titled album. More conventional in structure than typical AIC, it nonetheless stood out on radio thanks to its heaviness and menace.

15. Soundgarden – “My Wave” (#11 Rock, #18 Mod)

The newly minted Hall of Famers can look back proudly at 1995 and a song like “My Wave,” one of the standout moments on Superunknown. The chorus rings out like a mantra, while the crunchy backing groove keeps everything locked into a confident, rolling stride.

14. Nirvana – “Where Did You Sleep Last Night?”

The famous Lead Belly cover that closed Nirvana’s Unplugged performance has become one of the defining moments in alternative rock history. Cobain leans into a country‑blues vocal, and by the end—when he screams with raw, breaking intensity—the performance shines like the sun. It drops a few spots here only because it wasn’t designed as a single and didn’t chart, likely due to its stark style and length.

13. Bush – “Comedown” (#2 Rock, #1 Mod – 2 weeks)

Of the five Sixteen Stone singles that charted, “Comedown” was the one that lifted Bush into the upper atmosphere of alt‑rock. They’d stay there for the rest of the decade. Judging by the lyrics, they had no desire to come down from that cloud.

12. Toadies – “Possum Kingdom” (#9 Rock, #4 Mod)

Inspired by eerie myths surrounding a Texas lake, Todd Lewis taps into the underbelly of rock the way the best grunge songs do. A huge success then and still beloved now, the track’s riffs and guitar tones are deliciously sinister.

11. Bush – “Glycerine” (#4 Rock, #1 Mod – 2 weeks)

By the time “Glycerine” arrived, Gavin Rossdale was both a rock star and a sex symbol, which certainly helped the song’s reach. But beyond that, it’s a beautifully simple melody and a rare moment of lyrical intimacy from Bush.

10. Silverchair – “Tomorrow” (#1 Rock – 3 weeks, #1 Mod – 3 weeks)

The song that broke Silverchair in the U.S. also broke them in Australia, where it won a contest before they even had a label. This sludgy, mammoth track hints at class divides, yet still finds room for sparkling guitar moments, a standout solo, and Daniel Johns’ commanding, vengeful vocal.

9. Hole – “Violet” (#29 Mod)

One of 1995’s most powerful vocal performances came from Courtney Love on “Violet.” Using both soft‑loud dynamics and tempo shifts, she reflects on her early‑’90s relationship with Billy Corgan. It’s one of Hole’s defining moments.

8. Mad Season – “River of Deceit” (#2 Rock, #9 Mod)

Layne Staley had long felt jaded by the industry, the press, and certain people around him, and that exhaustion flows through this song with heartbreaking clarity. But it’s also about his own choices—his own river. “My pain is self‑chosen, at least I believe it to be.”

7. Pearl Jam – “Better Man” (#1 Rock – 8 weeks, #2 Mod)

About a woman who settles in relationships, “Better Man” carries the warmth and empathy found throughout Ten. After a long, patient build, the band lifts into a light‑rock groove that remains unforgettable.

6. Sponge – “Plowed” (#9 Rock, #5 Mod)

If music could be an alien tornado tearing across Earth, Sponge would be the last survivors describing the wreckage. That spinning riff and thunderous rhythm feel apocalyptic, capturing the dread of personal or societal crisis—exactly as Vinnie Dombroski intended. “In a world of human wreckage… I’m plowed into the sound.”

5. Nirvana – “The Man Who Sold the World” (#12 Rock, #6 Mod)

Bowie’s lyrics have always been enigmatic, often interpreted as commentary on fame and personal exposure. Cobain felt a parallel in his own life—perhaps a sense of selling out, or needing to give up the world to avoid doing so. Now the most famous track from Nirvana’s 1993 Unplugged session, it became a hit in 1995 and has only grown in stature since.

4. Goo Goo Dolls – “Name” (#1 Rock – 5 weeks, #1 Mod – 4 weeks)

Though often mistaken for a song about orphans, “Name” was inspired by Johnny Rzeznik’s relationship with MTV host Kennedy. Still, it resonates far beyond that, touching on the confusion and innocence of growing up without knowing what the future holds.

3. Alanis Morissette – “You Oughta Know” (#3 Rock, #1 Mod – 5 weeks)

The song that broke Alanis in the U.S. and influenced generations of singer‑songwriters, “You Oughta Know” remains a blistering post‑grunge attack on a former lover. Like Carly Simon’s “You’re So Vain,” the mystery of who it’s about has only fueled its legacy.

2. Live – “Lightning Crashes” (#1 Rock – 10 weeks, #1 Mod – 9 weeks)

Dedicated to a friend who died in a car crash, the song took on new meaning when its music video depicted a mother dying in childbirth. Regardless of interpretation, listeners were overwhelmed by its emotional weight—arrangement, vocals, lyrics. A glance at the YouTube comments reveals how deeply this song has embedded itself in people’s lives.

1. Smashing Pumpkins – “Bullet With Butterfly Wings” (#4 Rock, #2 Mod)

On October 6, the world tilted on its axis as “Bullet With Butterfly Wings” tore across the airwaves like a meteor shower of molten angst. It wasn’t just a single—it was a seismic event. Billy Corgan, trapped in the gilded cage of stardom, bent the bars with a scream and a snarl, unleashing a song that felt like a jailbreak from the soul.

“Bullet” was pure, uncut grunge gold. It crept in with eerie minimalism—ghostly guitar, pulsing bass, whispering drums—before detonating into a chorus so explosive it felt like the walls were shaking. A prison break in power chords.

Nothing pulled listeners in like that snarling a cappella opening: “The world is a vampire.” Then the band slams in—no intro, no warning—just Corgan’s venomous delivery setting the tone for a track that bleeds metaphor and meaning. Fans, critics, and newcomers alike drank it in as if it were wine.

Have a happy 2026!