Someone has to say it: Nirvana is a good band. And there comes a time in every Nirvana fan’s life when they must rank their top 25 songs. That’s easier said than done considering they have at least two dozen tracks that could be their absolute best. Songs like “Pennyroyal Tea,” “On a Plain,” and “Gallons Of Rubbing Alcohol Flow Through The Strip” are excellent and all, but unfortunately not everything they wrote can be top 25 material. Here’s where we rank them.
25. “Serve the Servants”
Nirvana really knew how to open an album to set a tone, not to mention a ranking list. Nothing sums that up more perfectly than the opening lyric “teenage angst has paid off well, now I’m bored and old.”
24. “Polly” / “(New Wave) Polly”
Not many bands released an acoustic song and then recorded a peppier electric version of it. Nirvana did. So hey, if you don’t like the slow pace of regular “Polly” you’ll probably like “(New Wave) Polly.” This trend really should’ve caught on with other bands. Fans need options.
23. “Dive”
The sludge factor on “Dive” is higher than a lot of their others, and it’s one of their more classic grunge-sounding ones.
22. “Something in the Way”
This one trended on TikTok a while back and was heavily featured in a Batman movie, which is exactly what everyone predicted in the early ’90s when this came out.
21. “Lounge Act”
The opening bassline is so good it will make you think, “Hey, I guess bass players are people too.”
20. “Endless, Nameless”
Legend has it, this secret track was an impromptu jam. If that’s the case then they were far more talented than everyone initially thought and quite possibly wrote most of their songs on the fly. It also really showcases Kurt’s magnificent vocal strength.
19. “About a Girl”
“About a Girl” wasn’t a hit when it initially came out, but had a bit of a second life when they kicked off their “Unplugged in New York” performance with it. It’s like Kurt was trying to tell us something and that something was, “You’re all sleeping on this song.”
18. “Milk It”
Cobain as a lyricist was either a bona fide genius who was way ahead of his time or just kind of winging it. The words in “Milk It” definitely confirm one of these theories.
17. “Sappy”
“Sappy” was like a deleted scene on a DVD extra. It wasn’t technically on an album but was bonus material for those of us that needed more content.
16. “Aneurysm”
Lyrically, this one makes no sense, but that’s just all part of the band’s charm.
15. “Tourette’s”
Nirvana was remarkably versatile. They wrote certifiable chart toppers, slow-moving depressing tunes, and heavy nonsensical stuff that should be played with the car windows down. Just like this one. A little something for everyone.
14. “All Apologies”
The band had a tendency to put breathtakingly beautiful songs like this one right next to chaotic tracks like “Tourette’s.” Not sure what that was about, but you have to admire a band that keeps you on your toes.
13. “Love Buzz”
The further you dig into Nirvana’s catalog the more you realize their cover game was on point. They were so good at doing other groups’ songs that they could have easily been the dopest cover band of all time. Wasted potential.
12. “Scentless Apprentice”
This song itself may not get stuck in your head like that Chumbawamba song, but Dave Grohl’s hypnotic opening drum beat most certainly will.
11. “Lithium”
If you made AI write a Nirvana song it would probably spit out something like this one. Classic Nirvana formula that’s easy on the ears.
10. “Territorial Pissings”
The last 30 seconds of this song should be studied in collegiate-level music theory programs. Quite possibly as its own standalone course.
9. “Negative Creep”
The sickest Nirvana riff.
8. “Breed”
“Breed” almost feels like an underrated track on “Nevermind.” I guess that happens when it’s sandwiched between world-renowned smash hits.
7. “Sliver”
Nirvana never overthinks what makes a good song. This one is a perfect example of that.
6. “Drain You”
“Drain You” is secretly the best Nirvana song of all time but almost too modest to rank itself as such.
5. “In Bloom”
This is “Smells Like Teen Spirit” for people who didn’t want to sound too mainstream. The song was also proof that the band was not going to be a one-hit wonder but, in fact, a 25-hit wonder.
4. “School”
If you had a time machine, you’d probably go back and kill baby Hitler. But on your way to 1889, you’d be foolish not to stop off in the early 1990s to see Nirvana perform this song live.
3. “Smells Like Teen Spirit”
I think the Beatles once said this song was more popular than Jesus. They might be right.
2. “Come As You Are”
Ranking Nirvana songs sounds fun until you have to sit down and actually do it. This one could range from first to 25th depending on how you’re feeling that day. We’re feeling good today.
1. “Heart-Shaped Box”
This one perfectly showcases all the different facets of the band in one song. Quiet and loud. Soft-spoken and yelling. Radio-friendly yet raw. It’s quite possibly the most Nirvana of the Nirvana tracks.
The final Ramones album finds the band limping across the finish line—exhausted, depleted and seemingly short on ideas. Joey hands the mic off to Dee Dee’s replacement C.J. far too often here.
Too sick of each others’ shit to sit down and write songs together, the band recorded a covers album, which is generally as underwhelming as a sitcom clip show. That being said, some interesting choices and decent performances make this worth revisiting once every few years.
For the band’s first earnest bid at mainstream acceptance, they recruited psychotic hitmaking producer Phil Spector. The future convicted murderer pulled a gun on the band during recording, putting them in esteemed company alongside Leonard Cohen and future murder victim John Lennon.
The Ramones put out a lot of albums, and this is one of them. A mostly flaccid batch of regressive nostalgic paeans to 50s and 60s rock culture, with a couple of gems shining through. Some sonic experimentation and more complex songwriting add some interest, but not enough.
“My Brain Is Hanging Upside Down (Bonzo Goes to Bitburg)” is the most stirring, sentimental anthem you’ll ever hear about Reagan visiting Germany. They really ran with the animal theme on this one, with songs such as “Eat That Rat,” “Hair of the Dog,” and “Apeman Hop”.
More songs about “bopping” (“Bop Till You Drop”) and wanting things (“I Wanna Live”). Runs the gamut from schmaltzy 50s nostalgia (“Bye Bye Baby”) to flirting with hardcore (“I’m Not Jesus”, which was strangely covered by extreme metal band Behemoth). This is drummer Richie’s last appearance—his brief tenure with the mostly now-deceased band is probably the only reason he’s still alive as of this writing.
As the title implies, this is the boys at their “toughest,” featuring antagonistic songs like “Mama’s Boy” and “Warthog.” Of course, compared to other punk bands, the Ramones’ idea of toughness is pretty tame, sort of like a cute puppy with a switchblade in its mouth.
This is Dee Dee’s final album before leaving to reinvent/humiliate himself as rapper Dee Dee King. With their best songwriter gone, the band probably should’ve heeded a warning from the film Pet Sematary: “Sometimes dead is better.” They still had some good songs left in them, but it’s mostly downhill from here.
This is an unexpectedly decent release considering all the strife the band endured up to this point, including shifting lineups, addiction, poor sales and mental illness. Packed with more bangers than a British butcher shop, due in part to some super-solid contributions from now ex-Ramone Dee Dee.
It feels like the band said, “Okay, we’re not going to make it big, so we might as well try to have fun.” After their previous two albums failed to garner the band radio hits, the Ramones returned to their earlier punk sound with renewed energy. If I were some kind of lazy hack reviewer I’d say this album finds the band “firing on all cylinders” or some shit.
By their fourth album, the Ramones weren’t achieving the fame they felt they deserved. Drummer Tommy left in frustration, but the band were fortunate enough to find a replacement named Marky who incredibly shared the surname Ramone as well—what are the chances?
Here the band embarked on their Sisyphussian quest for the breakthrough hit which eluded them for their entire career. “Pinhead”, a song based on the obscure film “Freaks,” proves that some of the first punks were really just weird nerds in leather jackets.
Seemingly a conscious effort to recreate the magic of their debut, from the nearly identical cover to the opening “Cretin Hop,” an oblique successor to “Blitzkrieg Bop.” Joey blamed poor sales numbers on being overshadowed by the more sensational, wildly inferior Sex Pistols. Featuring what is possibly the Ramones’ greatest couplet, “Sittin’ here in Queens / eating refried beans.”
No stunt ranking here—obviously their legendary debut is at number one. The album was recorded with guitar and bass hard-panned left and right, so baby bassists like myself could omit the bass channel and play along, pretending to be Dee Dee (minus the heroin habit).
If you’re a Propagandhi fan whose eye is now twitching with rage because I’m ranking this juvenile outing last, how’s that AARP membership working out for you? “How to Clean Everything” sounds bad. There are hardly any songs worth revisiting. This is what happens when you let teens into a recording studio.
Failed States completes Propagandhi’s transformation from a snotty melodic skate punk band to a darker thrash/hardcore institution. Have you ever listened to an album, enjoyed it, but had difficulty remembering which songs were which? That happens to me with “Failed States.” A better music critic could tell you why, but you’re stuck with me, so we’re going to leave it at that.
A step up from their debut, Propagandhi’s sophomore effort “Less Talk, More Rock” moves closer towards what would become their signature sound. Quite a bit more aggressive, this LP aims for fewer chuckles and garnered more boos from assholes. We here at The Hard Times can relate.
Propagandhi’s most musically progressive entry in their catalog is “Supporting Caste.” The performances and production are top notch, and Chris Hannah gains mastery over his voice here. Oh shit, I started sounding like a real music critic there. Umm, suck my ass?
No band has gotten more ferocious as they’ve gotten older like Propagandhi has. “Victory Lap” is aptly titled, as it contains some of their most intricate and heavy guitar lines as well as great hooks. Maybe Propagandhi has the Benjamin Button disease? They should go get that checked out.
I almost put this album at number 3. Then I woke up and reordered it all because I’m a different person today. “Today’s Empires, Tomorrow’s Ashes” sees the band with a more mature, more radical worldview. It doesn’t get much straightforward and pure than a song like “Fuck the Border.” Fuck it, indeed.
You know how people dunk on those columnists in the 90s who were like “I think the internet is a fad and will be gone by year’s end?” The same treatment should be applied to all the idiots who didn’t realize the genius of “Potemkin City Limits.” It contains some of the best, complex hardcore/melodic/whateverthefuck punk songs in North American history. The album opens with one of the greatest punk songs ever which is about an imagined conflict between the U.S. and Canada and escalates from there. Now blast this album and go set a business park on fire.
