15 great rock songs from the ‘90s that sound like they’re from the ‘70s - AL.com

Maybe it was because The Rolling Stones had recently reunited. Or, like alternative and grunge, it was a counterreaction to the slick contemporary hard-rock and metal that had been dominating the mainstream. Or even a ripple effect of classic-rock radio.

However it happened, the '90s became a fertile decade for new rock music that sounded like it was from the '70s. Or as it was more commonly and pejoratively referred to back then, "retro rock." While vintage-style rock was by no means the sound of the '90s, it was at least a scarf-shaped sliver of it.

During the previous decade, bands like the Georgia Satellites tilled what later acts like The Black Crowes would soon reap. The Satellites' Stones-y lark "Keep Your Hands To Yourself," released in late 1986, became an unlikely smash – and proof brand-new, classic-style rock could do big business. Other rootsy '80s rockers like Los Angeles combo The Broken Homes, featuring future members of the solo bands of Lenny Kravitz and Izzy Stradlin, arrived a decade too early to cash in.

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While classic sounds helped some '90s rockers score hits, sell albums and get on MTV, it often came with a price. Many critics love to pan overtly retro-sounding artists as derivative, calculating and vacuous cosplayers. (Curiously, in the 2020s the term "retro" is usually swapped out for the far less negative "throwback" when referring to non-rock acts with vintage vibes.) Love 'em or hate 'em, retro rockers helped bring back more-naturalistic production and recording techniques, often the best way for handmade music to be heard.

Since the '90s, I've often gravitated towards rockers with a classic sound. One, I just love that flared-trouser, '70s Les Pauls-and-Marshalls-amps style, which is arguably the height of what can be done with heavily blues-based music. Two, I absolutely love that snooty critics hate retro bands, thereby making those bands automatically uncool to snooty fans. The end result being almost no fans that actually do like these artists are doing so to be fashionable. They just like the songs and music.

Decades later, some '90s retro-rock holds up as well or better than the era-defining grunge and alt-rock. Below are 15 great rock songs from the '90s that sound like they're from the '70s.

"Jealous Again" The Black Crowes 1990 A lot of the '70s sway on "Jealous Again" came from Black Crowes guitarist Rich Robinson's use of a Telecaster in open-G tuning, the setup on many classic Stones riffs. In the song's music video, Rich's brother Chris Robinson danced like Mick Jagger and had a Keith Richards haircut. Haters wrote off this Atlanta quintet as shameless Stones/Faces aping - completely missing the huge influence of Humble Pie's Steve Marriott on Chris' hellcat vocals. Even more of them whiffed on drummer Steve Gorman's fondness for The Replacements, or the importance bassist Johnny Colt had in The Crowes drawing in fans of modern hard-rock.

"Hey You" The Quireboys 1990 Although they never broke big in America, The Quireboys' debut album "A Bit of What You Fancy" was a smash hit in the London band's homeland. As was "Hey You," a single tapping into Faces saunter, sandpaper vocals and slide-guitar. Rod Stewart guitarist Jim Cregan co-produced and ex-King Crimson skinsman Ian Wallace drummed on the LP, upping the '70s bona fides.

"Peace Pipe" Cry of Love 1993 Cry of Love recorded their debut album "Brother" at Muscle Shoals Sound Studio. That Alabama studio's soulful history - The Stones, Staple Singers and others cut there - seeped into the sound. Cry of Love's single "Peace Pipe" topped the rock charts. The Raleigh, North Carolina band was powered by singer Kelly Holland's satin pipes and guitarist Audley Freed's Hendrix-y shredding. Cry of Love never crossed over to pop audiences like The Black Crowes. But later in the decade The Crowes drafted Freed to be their next lead guitarist.

"Shuffle It All" Izzy Stradlin And The Ju Ju Hounds 1993 After departing the bigness and insanity of early '90s Guns N' Roses, rhythm guitarist Izzy Stradlin proceeded to make the best Keith Richards solo album ever (by Richards or anyone else): The self-titled "Izzy Stradlin And The Ju Ju Hounds" album even featured a cameo from Richard's six-string sidekick, Stones lead guitarist Ron Wood, on a hot cover of Wood's solo tune, "Take A Look at the Guy." Standout single "Shuffle It All" featured Stradlin's Keef-cool rasp and blues-power strum. Faces keyboardist Ian McLagan supplied the Hammond organ swells, Bob Dylan drummer Charlie Quintana the rooster-strut beats. Georgia Satellites lead guitarist Rick Richards completely gets his Mick Taylor on. But the secret sauce was the song's melancholic bass line, played by Jimmy Ashburst, borrowing its vibe from Lou Reed's drug-jazz gem "Walk on the Wild Side"

"Always on the Run" Lenny Kravitz 1991 Formerly a Prince acolyte calling himself Romeo Blue, Los Angeles rocker Lenny Kravitz found fame under his own name. As the '80s segued into the '90s, Kravitz's '60s-tinged debut album "Let Love Rule" arguably paved the way for The Black Crowes and the slew of other vintage-hued '90s bands that would follow. Lenny's star ascended steeply with sophomore LP "Mama Said." At one point, Kravitz was going to have Zep god Jimmy Page to play guitar on the album. Instead he ended up collaborating with an old Beverly Hills High School classmate. Guns N' Roses wild-thing Slash wrote the twisty, very '70s riff for hit single "Always on the Run" and also played the track's Marshall-amp-melting solo. If you've ever wanted to hear what Sly Stone jamming with Led Zeppelin would sound like, "Always on the Run" is that.

"New Mistake" Jellyfish 1993 Like Kravitz, Jellyfish started with more of a '60s sound, as heard on corduroy 1990 single "Baby's Coming Back." The San Francisco combo's power-pop powers emerged to a greater extent on sophomore album "Split Milk." Nifty single "New Mistake" meshed ELO vocal-sugar with Supertramp electric piano and a Badfinger guitar solo. Jellyfish was the rare rock band where the lead singer was also the drummer, Andy Sturmer, who went on to a successful career composing music for Disney animation.

"Cigarettes & Alcohol" Oasis 1994 Manchester louts Oasis were melodically-gifted Beatles proponents/pilferers. But on apex rocker "Cigarettes & Alcohol" the band tried on T. Rex glam and Sex Pistols snarl. Noel Gallagher pilfers Marc Bolan's "Bang a Gong" guitar riff, while bro Liam Gallagher does a foxier version of Johnny Rotten on the mic. You call it Britpop, I call it Rex Pistols.

"Rocks" Primal Scream 1994 Bobby Gillespie hit MTV with a Jeff Beck hairdo and "Beggars Banquet" hip-shake. That was on "Movin' On Up," the 1991 single and music video by Scottish band Primal Scream. On Primal Scream's next album, "Give Out But Don't Give Up," Gillespie went full Mick Jagger ... or at least a version of The Black Crowes' Chris Robinson doing Mick Jagger. (True story: A few years later, music-biz suits tried to get The Crowes to cover "Rocks" for the soundtrack to disaster-movie blockbuster "Armageddon." The Crowes reply? F--- you.) Exhibit A: The drug-boogie track "Rocks." The "Give Out" album featured contributions from bassist David Hood and drummer Roger Hawkins, the rhythm section of legendary Muscle Shoals backing group The Swampers. So "Rocks" doesn't just rock - it rolls, too.

"Rockin' Is Ma Business" The Four Horsemen 1991 Formerly the touring bassist with goth-metal lords The Cult, mononymous Welsh musician Haggis switched to guitar for his new band, The Four Horsemen. The Hollywood-based quintet was signed to Def American, the Rick Rubin helmed label that also launched The Crowes. The band's early AC/DC-channeling grind and singer Frank Starr's 100-proof bellow peaked on single "Rockin' Is Ma Business." Of all the '90s retro-rockers, The Four Horsemen are the ones you'd least like to encounter in a dark alley.

"Twin Earth" Monster Magnet 1993 Monster Magnet's mainstream profile peaked with 1998 single "Space Lord." But five years year, the New Jersey stoner-rock band conjured Black Sabbath black magic on "Twin Earth." That track mined very-1970 fuzz-sludge. The music video depicted the band - faraway-eyed longhairs who looked like they'd just left Anton Lavey's pad - performing atop a red shag-carpet covered, crucifix-shaped stage. In other words, the perfect clip for that song.

"My Favorite Mistake" Sheryl Crow 1998 Interestingly, for whatever reason, '90s female rockers didn't seem to be nearly as likely to go retro as the dudes. When they did, as always, the ladies did so just as well as the fellas. As heard on "My Favorite Mistake," the sublime Sheryl Crow single. The track sounded like "Rumours" and "Some Girls" had been melted together in Crow's CD player. "My Favorite Mistake" boasted guitar from Wendy Melvoin, formerly of Prince and The Revolution. Reportedly inspired by Crow's then-recent romance with classic-rocker Eric Clapton, the song gave the "Must See TV" era its own version of "You're So Vain."

"Blue on Black" Kenny Wayne Sheppard 1997 Kenny Wayne Sheppard was just 20-years-old when his sophomore album "Trouble Is..." was released. The Louisiana guitar phenom was already a star on the blues scene. But with single "Blue on Black," he scored a legit mainstream rock radio hit. The midtempo number sounded like it had been excavated from Bad Company's vault, particularly vocalist Noah Hunt's velvet croon. When it came time for the guitar solo, Sheppard ran the voodoo down with a tasty, phase-shifted excursion.

"Sent by Angels" Arc Angels 1992 Their lineup reads like easy math for blues-rock excellence. Take the late Stevie Ray Vaughan's Double Trouble rhythm section (drummer Chris Layton and bassist Tommy Shannon) and add two talented Austin, Texas guitarists, songwriters and singers (Doyle Bramhall II and Charlie Sexton). And voila, you have the Arc Angels! Although the band's eponymous debut album failed to connect commercially, it won over critics and anyone who saw the band play live. The Arc Angels also served as the farm team for the solo bands of greats like Clapton, Bob Dylan, Buddy Guy etc. The group's mojo crystalized on the single "Sent by Angels," which evoked Duane-era Allman Brothers.

"Fly" Loudmouth 1999 Loudmouth did a more 'Merica version of retro. Instead of pretty deities like Mick and Rod, this Illinois band took cues from workingman '70s acts like Grand Funk Railroad and Ted Nugent. Loudmouth scored ink in Rolling Stone, props from Metallica and synchs on TV. Alas, lasting success eluded them. But with tracks like cathartic riff-fest "Fly," that doesn't mean Loudmouth didn't deserve it.

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