Musical acts from the '90s who are still playing today

In the wake of Kurt Cobain’s death, Dave Grohl regrouped and started his own project, Foo Fighters. The first album was effectively solo work from Grohl, but since the band’s debut in 1995 he has kept at it. Even another untimely death, that of drummer Taylor Hawkins, has not stopped Foo Fighters from going. Grohl just seems too dedicated to music to stop.

Green Day was at the forefront of the rise of pop punk in the 1990s, becoming one of the faces of that genre. They had some crossover success with songs like “Basket Case,” but the trio has stuck at it, releasing their most recent album in 2020. That includes headlining Lollapalooza in 2022.

Speaking of ‘90s pop punk, blink-182 became even more popular than Green Day, thanks largely to memorable music videos that arrived during the era of “TRL” on MTV. The band has seen its lineup change now and again, but recently Tom DeLonge returned after a hiatus, giving fans back the trio of Mark, Tom, and Travis that were together when “Enema of the State” propelled them to stardom.

The woman who changed the way we think of Dave Coulier is still at it. “Jagged Little Pill” is an iconic ‘90s album that yielded a musical adaptation in recent years. However, instead of resting on those laurels, Alanis has dropped two new albums in the 2020s.

Apple won a Grammy and an MTV VMA stemming from her debut album “Tidal,” but she has arguably seen her star rise since the 1990s. In fact, her 2020 album “Fetch the Bolt Cutters” was viewed by many as the best album of that year. That may be her last album at the moment, but Apple has popped up here and there, and she’s only 45, so there is plenty of time left for her to bolster her resume.

Fronted by legendary guitarist J Mascis, Dinosaur Jr. was at the forefront of indie rock in the 1980s, before seemingly calling it quits in 1997. However, eventually Mascis and former Dinosaur Jr. bandmate Lou Barlow buried the hatchet, and the band’s classic lineup returned in 2007 with “Beyond.” Since then, they have released five albums.

We’ve gotten a couple of Pavement reunion tours in recent years, something that once seemed unfeasible. That being said, even once Pavement went their separate ways, Malkmus never stopped producing new music. Whether with his band the Jicks or his recent two solo albums, Malkmus has managed to avoid living in the shadow of his iconic ‘90s band, even if he did return for a reunion or two.

We're fairly certain Mariah Carey will be active as long as she is alive and Christmas is celebrated. “All I Want for Christmas is You” is the definitive Christmas song of the last…50 years? In fact, her most recent album was the soundtrack for her Apple TV+ Christmas special, so clearly, Carey is steering into what has made her an indelible part of the zeitgeist for good.

Madonna is one of the definitive ‘80s artists, but don’t overlook her ‘90s output. While the Material Girl last released new music in 2019, she has announced her first-ever greatest hits tour is beginning in July 2023, and she plans to continue that tour into January of 2024, and perhaps beyond one assumes.

John and John first rose to prominence with their “Dial-A-Song” promotion, wherein you could call a number and hear a song they had recorded. It was decidedly old school, fitting for a band that has been around since the 1980s. They actually brought Dial-A-Song back for 2018, but since then got back to more-traditional releases with a 2020 album and a 2021 EP.

‘90s nostalgia tours are big. One of the biggest of those tours has seen New Kids on the Block and Backstreet Boys joining forces. It’s pure ‘80s and ‘90s nostalgia, as New Kids have released little new music since then, and nothing in the last decade. The tours just keep on coming, though.

While Chris Gaines has been suspiciously quiet since 1999, Brooks has continued to perform. He did take a few years off in the 2000s, but got back at it, touring extensively and releasing a new album in 2020. Brooks is about to take up a residency at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas. We’ll see if his good friend Gaines shows up.

Hip-hop is now a genre that has elder statesmen. Jay-Z is one of the foremost of rap’s old-school names that still draw acclaim. Jay-Z has retired from recording new music approximately a dozen times, and so far that has held true since 2018. He’s appeared on a few songs since then, though, and was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2021, followed by producing the Super Bowl halftime show in 2022.

U2 released their first album in 1980 and stuck around long enough to have an album be included as part of an automatic iTunes download. While the Irish band has not released new music in a bit, in 2023 they released “Songs of Surrender,” a collection of songs they have decided to re-record. U2 has also always been dedicated when it comes to live performance, and Bono and the Edge had a Disney+ special with David Letterman, of all people.

Snoop Dogg went from one of the faces of gangsta rap to a guy in Corona commercials who hangs out at WrestleMania. Truly, his trajectory has been wild. Remember when he released that reggae album as Snoop Lion? The guy has released more albums in the 2010s than the 1990s. He just loves to stay active (despite the copious amounts of weed he enjoys).

As the frontman of Hootie & the Blowfish (but, it must be noted, not Hootie), Rucker and company released a new album in 2019 and toured to celebrate the 25th anniversary of “Cracked Rear View.” On top of that, Rucker has been a successful country artist on the solo front for quite some time as well. He dropped a new single in 2022, with promise of more to come.

The Chili Peps released not one, but two albums in 2022. Also, Flea was in “Babylon” in 2022! They are currently on a global stadium tour that is intended to end in South America at the end of 2023, but they could always keep it going. While the lineup has changed quite often (John Frusciante is back again!), RHCP never seems to slow down.

A lot of people gave up on Weezer in the 1990s, but that has never deterred Rivers Cuomo and company. Sure, they can be cheesy. Like, really cheesy. You can roll your eyes, and Weezer will just go ahead and chart with a cover of “Africa” by Toto. In 2022, they released four EPs, one for every season. Again, very Weezer, but they know their brand.

Pearl Jam was one of the faces of grunge and also fought Ticketmaster before it was cool. After releasing “Gigaton” in 2020, the band intended to tour, but then COVID-19 hit. Instead, the band made videos of almost 200 of their concerts available to fans, and then eventually got back to touring.

No Doubt basically ended after 1995’s “Tragic Kingdom,” though they did release three albums in the 2000s, the last of which was in 2012. Stefani, though, became the breakthrough star from the band (as the “Don’t Speak” video made quite clear even back then). In addition to “The Voice,” Stefani had a residency from 2018 until 2021. She’s been teasing a new solo album for a couple of years, and we’ve heard enough songs to believe it will arrive in time.

Hey, Destiny’s Child released two albums in the 1990s, so Beyonce is a ‘90s artist. When not touring and collaborating with her husband Jay-Z, or playing Nala in that weird “Lion King” remake, Beyonce has been putting together solo music as well. “Renaissance” came out in 2022, with a massive tour based on that album coming in its wake.

What has become of the members of the Wu-Tang Clan? Well, RZA is doing film scoring and released a couple of albums in 2022. Method Man was on two episodes of “Impractical Jokers.” Ghostface, arguably the best rapper hailing out of Shaolin, hasn’t released a new album since 2019. However, in 2022 he appeared on a Kendrick Lamar song, so he’s still out there.

Speaking of film scoring, the guy who gave us the song “Closer” has become an unexpected film awards darling. Nine Inch Nails released two albums in 2020, but these days, Reznor is better known for his film work alongside Atticus Ross. Reznor and Ross have been nominated for three Oscars for Best Original Score, winning twice. The two have two scores on the docket for 2023.

When your debut album is still considered one of the best rap albums ever, it’s a hard legacy to live up to. And yet, Nas has not blanched in the wake of “Illmatic.” In fact, he released a trilogy of albums called “King’s Disease” every year from 2020 through 2022, plus “Magic” in 2021 for good measure.

Yankovic basically has stopped releasing new music since his label contract ended with “Mandatory Fun.” You know what he hasn’t stopped doing, though? Touring. Touring like mad. The guy is as dedicated to being on the road as any musician. Not only that, he just co-wrote “Weird: The Al Yankovic Story,” a parody of biopics starring Daniel Radcliffe as Weird Al. In fact, the closing credits even featured a new Weird Al song, so there is always hope of new music from Yankovic.