🎧 Downbeat.fm Vol. 6 Track 4

I want my MTV.

Mike Rastiello

05 May 2025 — 2 min read

I've written several times about how the 90s, specifically 1991 to 1997 is my favorite era for rock music. It's said that the music you listened to as a teen ager is imprinted on you, and this was ages 10-16 for me.

I have an epic 28 hour playlist celebrating 90s rock, with grunge, alternative, ska, indie, and other rock genres available on Apple Music and Spotify (these playlists may be out of sync, but I am working on fixing that).

During most of "my musical awakening" I didn't have access to MTV - it was blocked at my house because it wasn't appropriate or something like that. So all I had to discover new music was the radio.

I don't know exactly when MTV was banned in my house - though I do have strong memories of watching Nirvana's Unplugged live when it aired in December of 1993, so it must have been after that. I think we got it back sometime in 1997 or 1998 because I remember seeing Korn and Deftones videos.

Since I missed most of the videos of that era, one of my favorite things to do now is to open the YouTube app on my Apple TV and put on a 90s rock video mix, and just let YouTube play non-stop 90s rock videos. It feels like I'm a teenager again, getting glimpses of things I could only see at a friend's house, or years later on the Internet. I also have strong memories of watching 5 second clips of Deftones' video for Be Quiet and Drive on Real Media Player in the late 90s.

But watching these 90s music videos really takes me back to those days back in the 90s. You never knew what song was coming up next, and if you didn't like it you can't skip it - just one great 90s rock video after another.

I created a YouTube playlist of 90s rock videos that I love. Make sure to save it, because I add to it often.