‘Vous Avez Dit Bizarre’ N°320 – Vintage 90s Music Videos

1 . Oasis – All Around The World

“All Around the World” by Oasis stretches the boundaries of conventional Britpop with its monumental runtime and lavish orchestration.

Clocking in at over nine minutes, the track unapologetically leans into excess, pairing its cyclical, sing-along chorus with layers of strings, horns, and expansive harmonies that flirt with absurdity yet command attention.

Coming off their self-absorbed “Be Here Now” album, the song captures both the grandiosity and bloated ambition of Oasis at their peak, serving as a peculiar marriage of triumph and overindulgence.

The accompanying music video echoes this sentiment with animated surrealism, clearly nodding to the psychedelic whimsy of “Yellow Submarine,” all while embedding the band into a kitschy intergalactic adventure.

The track doubles down on repetition, daring listeners to either succumb to its epic bravado or criticize its unrelenting self-importance.

While some may dismiss it as a drawn-out ego trip, its infectious optimism and larger-than-life theatrics create a bizarrely endearing relic of ‘90s excess.

Both a pinnacle and overreach of their career, it’s a farewell in more ways than one, silently marking the end of an era for the original lineup and their Creation Records tenure.

Featured on the 1997 album “Be Here Now “.

Lyrics >> Review >> More by the same : Official Site

2 . Foo Fighters – My Hero

Foo Fighters’ “My Hero” stands as an anthem for the unassuming strength of ordinary individuals, first released in 1997 as part of their album *The Colour and the Shape.*

Its air of defiance is underscored by Dave Grohl’s raw vocal delivery and the track’s propulsive rhythm, driving home a message of reverence for everyday resilience without falling into melodrama.

While speculation surrounds whether the song alludes to Kurt Cobain, Grohl sidesteps this, instead framing it around the understated heroism found in non-celebrity lives. This point becomes more resonant when paired with moments like the 2008 statement rejecting its politicized use or the emotionally charged Taylor Hawkins tribute performances.

In the accompanying music video, released in 1998, its themes of perseverance are dramatized further, filled with adrenaline and tension as Grohl leads a cinematic rescue mission amid chaos, all without a single gratuitous nod to stardom.

Perhaps what keeps “My Hero” fresh after decades is its dual legacy: a celebration of the unsung and a personal requiem for the band’s own evolving story, now tinged with reflective poignancy after Taylor Hawkins’ passing.

Its cultural longevity stems from such contradictions: a rock anthem that turns its gaze away from grandeur yet somehow commands vast stages and universal connection.

Featured on the 1997 album “The Colour and the Shape“.

Lyrics >> Review >> More by the same : Official Site

3 . Skunk Anansie – Hedonism

“Hedonism (Just Because You Feel Good)” by Skunk Anansie encapsulates a 1990s alternative rock essence, simmering with emotional intensity and thematic depth.

Skin’s vocals oscillate between vulnerability and raw strength, painting a portrait of love’s betrayal and the fragility that lingers after intimacy.

The track stands out for its poignant lyrics and restrained instrumental arrangement, amplifying the emotional undercurrent without veering into melodrama.

Its accompanying music video leans into minimalism, juxtaposing live band shots with computer-generated facial manipulations, sparking minor debates tied to its depiction of same-sex intimacy.

The single achieved commercial success, climbing charts across the UK and Europe, and solidifying its place in Skunk Anansie’s repertoire.

Critics highlighted Skin’s gentler vocal delivery, a contrast to the band’s typically fierce sound, which broadened the song’s appeal.

Whether resonating with its themes or the tender power of Skin’s performance, this track retains its edge in the landscape of ’90s rock ballads.

Featured on the 1996 album “Stoosh”.

Lyrics >> Review >> More by the same : Official Site

4 . James – Born Of Frustration

“Born of Frustration” by James occupies a fascinating space in the early ’90s indie rock landscape, blending existential musings with an anthemic structure that thrives on its dynamic contrasts.

The track juggles a sense of yearning and unease, carried by Tim Booth’s signature falsetto—half primal scream, half prayer—set against vibrant brass sections and desert-like soundscapes that evoke a wandering spirit.

Lyrically, it wrestles with themes of isolation and cosmic bewilderment, offering introspective tension without succumbing to melodrama.

Released in 1992 as a single from *Seven*, it stood out with an urgency that set it apart from its contemporaries, merging pop sensibility with a raw emotional edge.

Its accompanying video situates the band in a stark desert, intermittently cutting to urban chaos, creating a disjointed yet oddly hypnotic pairing that mirrors the track’s inner conflict.

The song’s hooks are strikingly effective, oscillating between moments of quiet brooding and explosive choruses that remain visceral without teetering into arena-rock banality.

While it doesn’t carry the same communal warmth as “Sit Down,” “Born of Frustration” more than compensates with its introspective depth and experimental ambition.

It’s a snapshot of a band riding a wave of creativity and tension, unwilling to settle for easy answers or predictable resolutions.

Featured on the 1992 album “Seven”.

Lyrics >> Review >> More by the same : Official Site

5 . The Wedding Present – Montreal

“Montreal” by The Wedding Present strums into existence in a fashion that feels quintessentially indie rock: jangly guitars, wistful themes, and a sense of quiet yearning.

The track breathes nostalgia into its verses, weaving a tale of longing and separation that is universally relatable, even if slightly opaque in its specifics.

This is not a song that screams for attention; instead, it sits comfortably in its mellow groove, offering more to those willing to lean in.

The lyrics flirt with the kind of poetic ambiguity that feels right at home in the late ’90s, inviting interpretation without forcing conclusions.

The accompanying music video sips the same melancholic tea, visually complementing the track’s introspective tone without straying into melodrama.

There’s no grand collaboration or culturally pivotal moment tied to “Montreal,” but that suits its understated charm.

Charting at number 40 in the UK, its brief commercial tenure feels secondary to the mood it captures—fleeting, a little sad, and quietly beautiful.

Featured on the 1996 album “Saturnalia”.

Lyrics >> More by the same : Official Site

6 . Gene – We Could Be Kings

Released in 1997, “We Could Be Kings” offers a sweeping Britpop ballad from the London-based Gene.

This track captures an intricate balance of ambition and longing, wrapped in romanticized lyricism and a grand, guitar-driven melody.

Despite its emotional weight, the song sidesteps bombast for a nuanced delivery, cementing it as one of the more contemplative efforts in the late ’90s alt-rock canon.

The accompanying video lands in familiar territory: performance shots punctuated by earnest close-ups, clearly aiming to emphasize lyrical intent rather than cinematic experimentation.

“We Could Be Kings” found itself as a staple of Gene’s live sets, thriving in festival atmospheres like Glastonbury and Reading, where its anthemic swells resonated with larger, adoring crowds.

While not overshadowing fan favorites such as “For the Dead” or “Haunted By You,” the track fits seamlessly within the band’s body of work—a sonic bridge between introspection and ambition.

It remains a snapshot of ‘90s Britpop earnestness, recalling a time when sincere lyricism paired with dynamic instrumentation still felt bold, if not entirely groundbreaking.

Featured on the 1997 album “Drawn to the Deep End”.

Lyrics >> More by the same : Wikipedia

7 . Catatonia – Sweet Catatonia

Released in January 1996, “Sweet Catatonia” marks a pivotal moment in the early days of Welsh indie band Catatonia, offering a glimpse into the eccentric charm that would later define their career.

Written by Cerys Matthews and Mark Roberts, the song pairs quirky lyrics with upbeat melodies, creating an infectious indie pop tune that balances humor with earnest craft.

Paul Sampson and Stephen Street, known for their deft production touch, keep the track lively yet raw, reflecting the DIY ethos of its origins at Cardiff’s Grassroots youth project.

The name “Catatonia,” borrowed from Matthews’ time in a mental health facility and inspired by Aldous Huxley’s “The Doors of Perception,” offers a sly nod to avant-garde influences cloaked in bubblegum cheer.

Though it peaked modestly at #61 on the UK Singles Chart, “Sweet Catatonia” established the band’s charisma on the festival circuit with appearances at Reading and Madstock 3, foreshadowing their later chart-topping successes.

The accompanying video mirrors the song’s playfulness with colorful visuals, capturing themes of individuality while keeping things irreverent enough to avoid pretension.

Featured on the 1996 album “Way Beyond Blue”.

Lyrics >> Review >> More by the same : Wikipedia

8 . Tanita Tikaram – I Might Be Crying

“I Might Be Crying” feels like an intimate correspondence set to music, teetering between heartbreak and catharsis with a muted glow of nostalgia.

Tikaram’s voice exudes a smoky restraint, a fitting match to the haunting orchestral arrangements conducted by Thomas Newman.

The song’s melancholic core finds depth in its understated string and brass flourishes, building a reflective soundscape that’s both lyrical and cinematic.

Jennifer Warnes’ backing vocals layer an air of quiet solidarity, a subtle yet complementary dynamic to Tikaram’s introspective tone.

The B-side, a reimagining of Stevie Smith’s poem “Not Waving but Drowning,” underscores Tikaram’s literary leanings, lending the release a touch of poetic gravitas.

Shot in Vietnam, the music video amplifies the song’s themes, juxtaposing its sorrowful undercurrent with imagery rich in texture and cultural nuance.

The single’s mixed critical reception exposes a tension: its cinematic production and lyrical weight intrigue some, while others find it steeped in excessive gloom.

Charting modestly, “I Might Be Crying” captures a moment in Tikaram’s career where ambition and introspection collide, for better or worse.

Featured on the 1995 album “Lovers in the City”.

Lyrics >> Review >> More by the same : Official Site

9 . Renegade Soundwave – Probably A Robbery

“Probably a Robbery” by Renegade Soundwave merges gritty storytelling with pulsating electronic beats, creating an audacious and kinetic listening experience.

The track, extracted from their 1990 album “Soundclash,” exemplifies the group’s knack for blending electro-dub with hip-hop textures, while injecting a sharp sense of humor into the lyrical narrative.

Centered around a heist, the song builds tension through syncopated rhythms and layered samples, including a nod to cult classic “The Warriors,” which adds cinematic flair to the composition.

Its accompanying visual, a vivid depiction of a robbery scene, amplifies the subversive energy of the track without veering into parody.

Supported by “Ozone Breakdown” as its AA side, the single became a club favorite and held its ground on the UK Singles Chart for six weeks, reflecting its widespread appeal.

In retrospect, the song occupies a fascinating spot in the late ’80s to early ’90s electronic movement, a time when genre lines were being blurred with electrifying results.

“Probably a Robbery” does not aim for easy digestibility but rather thrives in its chaotic yet calculated disarray, a hallmark of Renegade Soundwave’s ethos.

Its blend of rebellion, satire, and unmistakable groove ensures its relevance in playlists that value complexity over conformity.

Featured on the 1990 album “Soundclash”.

Lyrics >> More by the same : Wikipedia

10 . Bluetones – Slight Returns

“Slight Return” by the Bluetones, released in two iterations, clings to Britpop’s jangly euphoria while taking heartbreak on a wistful detour.

Originally limited to 2000 copies on blue vinyl in 1995, the track carried a cult-like exclusivity, with “The Fountainhead” as a modest B-side before its wider re-emergence in 1996.

When repackaged as the second single from *Expecting to Fly*, the lush debut album, its melancholic swagger hit a broader audience, supported by alternative B-sides like “Don’t Stand Me Down” and “Nae Hair On’t,” each lending subtle tones to the era’s sonic landscape.

The song soared to number two on the UK Singles Chart, making it the band’s most triumphant single, its longevity underscored by an eight-week grip on the Top 40 and a Silver certification for 200,000 units sold.

Its Ridge Farm Studios recording sessions, steered by producer Hugh Jones, polished its melodic urgency without drowning its raw emotional splinters, a testament to the band’s songwriting quartet.

The title, a nod to Hendrix’s “Voodoo Child (Slight Return),” cleverly avoids mimicry, weaving references into a narrative propelled by nostalgia without stooping to pastiche.

Radio 1’s Evening Session gave the song ample airtime, with listeners finding its mix of jangly guitar riffs and reflective lyrics impossible to ignore. Meanwhile, its video—frequented on *The ITV Chart Show*—offered visuals that matched its soft ache, placing romance amid the routine of day-to-day misery.

This single bolstered *Expecting to Fly*’s climb to a number-one album, a feat proving that the Britpop movement could harbor genuine works of introspection amid its laddish anthems.

The contradictions run deep here: a song steeped in nostalgia while staking its claim as an emblem of mid-‘90s cultural immediacy. It charms, it mourns, and, like its title suggests, it always circles back to where it started.

Featured on the 1996 album “Expecting to Fly”.

Lyrics >> Review >> More by the same : Official Site

11 . Hole – Malibu

Released as a standout track from Hole’s 1998 album *Celebrity Skin*, “Malibu” showcases the band’s pivot towards a polished alternative rock aesthetic without shedding its trademark edge.

The song sits comfortably between buoyant and melancholic, with shimmering guitar riffs and breezy melodies that mask its lyrical depth—a juxtaposition emblematic of late-’90s alt-rock.

Co-written with Billy Corgan, the track carries traces of his influence, yet remains unmistakably Courtney Love’s—a bittersweet reflection on healing and longing wrapped in a deceptively sunny package.

Commercially successful, “Malibu” carved its place on global charts in countries like the US, UK, and Australia, resonating with listeners who caught its mix of rawness and accessibility.

The music video’s washed-out, dreamlike visuals evoke a California surrealism that amplifies the song’s themes of fragility and rebirth.

It’s a curious piece: ostensibly radio-friendly yet layered with a quiet tension, as though it knows it doesn’t fully belong in the pop landscape it drifts through.

Initially intended for Stevie Nicks, the track’s history adds an intriguing twist, imagining an entirely different emotional texture if the Fleetwood Mac frontwoman had claimed it.

Two decades later, Courtney Love’s live performance of “Malibu” alongside The Smashing Pumpkins hints at the song’s enduring relevance, though it’s Love’s voice—unyielding and imperfect—that remains its definitive anchor.

In a way, “Malibu” feels like a postcard from a moment when alternative rock flirted with mainstream appeal but retained enough authenticity to unsettle listeners who dared take a closer look.

Featured on the 1998 album “Celebrity Skin“.

Lyrics >> Review >> More by the same : Wikipedia

12 . The Bates – Billie Jean

The Bates’ 1995 rendition of “Billie Jean” takes Michael Jackson’s sleek classic and drags it through the rough-and-tumble ethos of punk rock.

Stripping away the polished production of the original, this version is grittier, louder, and brimming with untamed energy, showcasing the German punk band’s knack for reinventing mainstream hits with a devil-may-care attitude.

Charting successfully in Switzerland, Germany, and the UK, its rebellious edge seemed to resonate with listeners tired of the same-old radio-friendly fare.

The track balances homage with subversion, retaining the unforgettable bassline while layering over thrashing guitars and raw vocals that feel almost confrontational in contrast to Jackson’s smooth delivery.

The music video doubles down on the band’s anarchic spirit, trading the original’s sleek mystique for unfiltered chaos.

It’s a curious intersection of pop royalty and punk ferocity, bold enough for the mosh pit yet just familiar enough for a knowing nod from fans of the original.

Featured on the 1995 album “Pleasure + Pain”.

Lyrics >> More by the same : Official Site