Top Ten... Alternative 90s

Concluding our (mini) series of Top Tens, we're looking over the alternative classic of the 1960s, 70s, 80s and 90s. So, what do we mean by alternative? Well, alternative, for the purposes of these entries, means anything that is critically derided, overlooked by the public or just generally under-rated. Ultimately, though, it all comes down to how we argue it, so if you disagree, let us know!

FILMS - By The Writer

1. A Simple Plan (1998)
Sam Raimi may be best known for his Evil Dead and Spider-Man trilogies, but his finest film is this low-key drama from 1998. Starring Bill Paxton as a man who finds his senses of morality and loyalty challenged when he stumbles across thousands of dollars hidden in a downed aeroplane, A Simple Plan is a mini-masterpiece of a film that was nonetheless ignored upon release because its snowy landscapes and crime-oriented story were similar to the earlier Fargo. But while the Coens’ film was a blackly comic one that ultimately left you with a feeling of warmth, this is a dark exploration of the evil that men can do in the pursuit of money and power.

2. That Thing You Do (1995)
Tom Hanks is already one of America’s best-loved actors, but if this directorial debut is anything to go by he could well become one of its best-loved personalities behind the camera too. Telling the story of fictional 60s pop group The Wonders, That Thing You Do is a snappy tale of love and fame that’s sweet and nostalgic without being sentimental or cheesy. Liv Tyler and Tom Everett Scott give great performances, but its Hanks' zipping direction (and his surprising talent for writing a toe-tapping pop song) that makes this trip into nostalgic pop culture really fly.

3. Romeo + Juliet (1997)
From the plus sign of the title to the use of guns instead of swords, Baz Luhrmann's modern-day adaptation of William Shakespeare's timeless play was attacked on release for not paying enough respect to the much-loved original text. If anything though it's actually more in tune with the Bard’s work than Franco Zeffirelli’s more-lauded 1968 version. By communicating in the modern language of guns, pop music and the media, Luhrmann heightened the feelings of lust, revenge and violence that the play revolves around, and in doing so returned the passion to a timeless piece of work that had become twee through decades of rubbish school productions.

4. Alien 3 (1992)
Following on from Alien and Aliens is difficult enough already, but doing so with the interference of producers and a script made up of fragments from several earlier drafts just makes the creative process even trickier. Yet that was exactly what David Fincher had to put up with while making Alien 3 and, predictably enough, the results are messy. Still, there's enough here to show just how impressive a director Fincher would go on to be, from the dark religious subtext to the stunning set design and cinematography. The new, non-Fincher-endorsed, cut on the Alien Quadrilogy DVD set promised much but delivered little, meaning this is likely to be a flawed masterpiece that will remain under-appreciated for many more years to come.

5. Hard Eight (1996)
Here's another debut film wracked with production problems. Or rather, one big one. Paul Thomas Anderson's first feature, a low key story of a down on his luck gambler played by John C. Reilly, was originally going to be called Sidney, after the father figure Reilly's character finds in Vegas. Then the studio got involved and re-branded it the far less meaningful (and vaguely pornographic-sounding) Hard Eight. Controversy or no though, this is a sterling debut that features some wonderful performances from Samuel L Jackson and Gwyneth Paltrow and shows all Anderson's usual themes in their embryonic stages.

6. Meeting People Is Easy (1998)
Grant Gee's OK Computer era Radiohead rock documentary is remarkable for two reasons. First, the band are notoriously shy around the media and the idea of Thom Yorke and co allowing a camera crew to record the making of In Rainbows or any future albums is almost unthinkable. Secondly, and most importantly, it's not really a typical rock documentary. We see very little of the band performing, with Gee instead choosing to show how the worldwide success of OK Computer affected the band personally. Throw in some rare glimpses of the band working in the studio and snippets of still-unfinished songs (the biting Big Boots among them) and you have a fascinating insight into the defining band of the 90s.

7. Gremlins 2: The New Batch (1990)
Joe Dante is one of the least appreciated directors of the 80s and 90s and Gremlins 2 is one of his least appreciated films. Sure it's not as good as the original and sure it just becomes a procession of gags about half-way through, but who cares? This is all about Gizmo acting cute and his gremlin siblings tearing stuff up, which they do very well indeed. Throw in endless film references, Tony Randall voicing the sophisticated Brain gremlin and a closing rendition of New York, New York that’s arguably the finest musical sequence ever committed to celluloid and you have an hour and a half of raucous Dante entertainment.

8. Heavenly Creatures (1994)
Like Sam Raimi, Peter Jackson is best known for his work in the fantasy and horror genres. And, just as Raimi did, he also directed a stunning drama in the mid-90s that proved him more than just a one-trick pony. Heavenly Creatures is based upon the Parker-Hulme murders of 1954 in which two young girls’ friendship grew to such an intense state that they plotted murder when their parents tried to separate them. It’s dreamily shot and sensitively written, making for a unique piece of filmmaking that bodes well for Jackson's return to drama: next year's adaptation of Alice Sebold's novel The Lovely Bones.

9. Pi (1998)
Darren Aronofsky attracted massive critical acclaim for his 2000 adaptation of Hubert Selby Jnr's novel Requiem for a Dream. But it's his self-written debut Pi that is arguably the better film. Shot in striking black and white, it’s the story of a maths whizz whose calculations land him in hot water with Wall Street and some Jewish zealots who believe he can bring them closer to their god. Sean Gullette gives a stunning turn, while Clint Mansell, in his first slice of soundtrack work, creates a haunting score. However, it's Aronofsky who shines the brightest here, making a big impact in his first attempt as so many others on this list did.

10. The Iron Giant (1999)
Brad Bird is once again wowing audiences at the moment with the amazing Ratatouille, so it’s as good a time as any to revisit this, his debut feature. Stunningly rendered in 2D animation at a time when everyone was busting their pixels for CGI, The Iron Giant is a faithful adaptation of Ted Hughes' short story The Iron Man that remains one of the best and most under-appreciated animated films of the decade.

ALBUMS - By The Editor

1. The Crocketts - We May Be Skinny And Wirey (1998)
I'm showing my age with my choices, which are all from within three years of 90s rock music (basically when I was first really getting into music and everything was the best thing ever). The Crocketts' debut album still stands out from pretty much anything else with its mixture of angry folky rock music and some beautiful and memorable guitar-playing on the slower tunes. Singer Davey is still around with The Crimea, but he's never quite lived up to the awesome potential of this album.

2. Baby Chaos - Love Your Self Abuse (1996)
One of the common themes of this list is that most of these bands aren't around anymore, with Scottish pop-rockers Baby Chaos having turned into the less infectiously-wonderful (but still pretty good) Deckard. Debut album Safe Sex, Designer Drugs And The Death Of Rock 'n' Roll was fantastic, but the follow-up was even better, particularly singles like Hello and Ignoramus. They were sometimes called Baby Wildhearts for their use of crunching guitars and soaring melodies, but that's no bad thing when it's done as well as this.

3. Joyrider - Be Special (1996)
They appeared from Northern Ireland at about the same time as Ash, and had just as many catchy pop rock tunes, like All Gone Away, Vegetable Animal Mineral and their cover of cheesy 80s hit Rush Hour, but for some reason Joyrider were left behind. Every track on here is great, from the fast ones like Fabulae to the slower ones like That Tired, but like so many fantastic bands, Joyrider missed the bus to superstardom and ended up getting the one to obscurity instead.

4. Silver Sun - Silver Sun (1997)
One of the few on here to be still going, Silver Sun did disappear for a while, but reemerged a couple of years ago and have released a couple of albums since then. Obviously none of them have done very well, but at least they are still around, because their Beach Boys-esque harmonies and incredibly catchy power pop songs are well worth hearing. Their debut album was a classic, with singles like Golden Skin, Julia, Far Out, Last Day and the icky sexual exploits of Lava. Quite how it wasn't the biggest album of all time, god only knows.

5. Brad - Interiors (1997)
Like many people no doubt, I first got into Brad through their guitarist Stone Gossard, of Pearl Jam, but the real appeal of them is vocalist Shawn Smith. They are a side project at best of course, with Smith also recording with Pigeonhed, Satchel and as a solo artist, but Interiors ranks up there with the best that any of them have recorded. Smith's soulful voice shines through on tracks like The Day Brings and some darker material like Funeral Song and Some Never Come Home, and Interiors is one of the best albums to come out of Seattle since grunge's heyday.

6. Bullyrag - Songs Of Praise (1998)
Quite probably the most un-Beatles like rock band to have ever emerged from Liverpool, Bullyrag were possibly also a bit too different to fit into any convenient box, which is why they were mostly ignored. Kerrang! tried calling them 'raggametalpunkfunk' for their mixture of all those genres, and even included singer Robbie Awork in their Top 100 Coolest Rock Stars list, but despite awesome ragga-rock tracks like Jump Up In A Fashion, Frantic and Learn To Live, they never really made it big.

7. Kerbdog - On The Turn (1998)
Having a lead singer with a name as cool as Cormac Battle and songs as heavy and memorable as Sally, JJ's Song, Severed, Pledge and On The Turn should have been enough to catapult these Irish lads into the kind of league that the likes of Foo Fighters and Silverchair occupied at the time, but for some reason they were pretty much ignored by the British rock press in favour of 'the next big thing'. They turned into the poppier (but still very good) Wilt, but still got ignored.

8. Groop Dogdrill - Half Nelson (1998)
Sometimes impulse purchases are the best ones and sometimes you can judge a book (or a single) by its cover. Finding their single Gracelands looking cool as hell in my local Omega Music for 50p, I decided to check it out and was rewarded. A real rock 'n' roll swagger, with oil-slicked hair and the constant threat of physical violence, Groop Dogdrill were the best thing to come out of Yorkshire, with lots of film references in tracks like Oily Rag.

9. Shelter - Mantra (1995)
Not many rock albums start off with some Krisna chanting, but not make rock bands were like Shelter. A New York 'krishnacore' band who mingled their spirituality with a straight edge ethos and hardcore rock music, Shelter were much more fun than that sounds, and Mantra was a very catchy album indeed. Not only were the songs great, but the message in all of them was too, which certainly helps convince your mum to put the tape on in the car despite the heavy guitars...

10. Veruca Salt - Eight Arms To Hold You (1997)
One of the all-time greatest music videos was Veruca Salt's Volcano Girls. Rock girls plus guitars plus bungee cords = awesomeness! What? They should be naked too? Tsk... Anyway, Veruca Salt were a great American alternative rock band with two great female singers Louise Post and Nina Gordon. Cracking rock songs, great pop songs and the knowledge that they were already starting to hate each other and ended up splitting up not so long after this. Post still carries on with the Veruca Salt name, but with the magic partnership with Gordon, there's not the same kind of thrill.