10 Most Disturbing 90s Songs (Because of What We Know Now)

“Come as You Are” (1991)

Nirvana
Nirvana frontman Kurt Cobain was widely noted for his dark, often cryptic songwriting style. This, combined with his keen instinct for Beatlesque pop hooks, captivated the public’s imagination, along with the tight musicianship of bassist Krist Novoselic and drummer Dave Grohl. “Come as You Are” is a shining example of this, combining all of the above traits and executing them masterfully. Cobain’s 1994 passing devastated not only the band’s fans, but music fans en masse, who looked to the Washington native’s lyrics for answers. Once again, “Come as You Are” stood out within Nirvana’s discography — largely for its tragically prescient hook, in which Cobain declared that he didn’t “have a gun.”

“Age Ain't Nothin' but a Number” (1994)

Aaliyah
We have just two words that will answer any questions you might have: R. Kelly. 15-year-old R&B/pop prodigy Aaliyah was taken on by the Pied Piper himself in a mentor-mentee relationship… that very quickly deteriorated into something much more sinister. The two secretly wed while working on Aaliyah’s debut album (which shares its title with this song) in 1994; the marriage was annulled the following year by her parents due to her age at the time. Knowing that leads modern-day listeners to hear “Age Ain’t Nothin’ but a Number” in a different, wildly off-putting light.

“Bump n’ Grind” (1994)

R. Kelly
Remember Kelly? From the last entry? As you might have guessed, he managed to get himself into even more trouble than when he convinced an underage girl to marry him. While 1994’s “Bump n’ Grind” might’ve worked as a playful (if deeply corny) plea to shed a potential lover’s inhibitions, Kelly’s misconduct in the following decades makes the song read as a serial abuser’s manifesto. Accused of nearly thirty years’ worth of disturbing misconduct, the R&B giant was indicted and arrested on federal racketeering and human trafficking charges in 2019, making “Bump n’ Grind” an endurance test for listeners.

“Nutshell” (1994)

Alice in Chains
Much like Kurt Cobain, his contemporary, Alice in Chains frontman Layne Staley struggled with substance use disorder and ongoing mental health issues. This was reflected in his songwriting, which often resulted in raw, vulnerable lyrics like those found in “Nutshell,” a deep cut from the band's 1994 EP “Jar of Flies.” The singer later passed away from an overdose in 2002, making “Nutshell’s” already intensely personal lyrics hit even harder. Tragically, Staley wouldn’t be the last founding Alice in Chains member to lose his life in such a way — original bassist Mike Starr died in 2011, also of an overdose. Jerry Cantrell, the band’s guitarist and alternate lead singer, now dedicates performances of “Nutshell” to his fallen bandmates.

“Suicidal Thoughts” (1994)

The Notorious B.I.G.
Even during his lifetime, Biggie Smalls made death an integral theme of his music — this is evident from the titles of his two albums: 1994’s “Ready to Die” and 1997’s “Life After Death.” For a clear example of this, look to this pitch-dark track from the former album. Biggie describes his own hellish version of “It’s a Wonderful Life,” in which the rapper fantasizes about and considers his own death. The hip hop icon was gunned down, just over two weeks before the release of his second record, making “Ready to Die” B.I.G.’s only album to be released during his lifetime.

“So Many Tears” (1995)

2Pac
Much like his contemporary arch-rival, Biggie Smalls, Tupac Shakur seemed to be preoccupied with death and dying. This was most commonly in the context of the Los Angeles gang violence he so often lamented, but he often contemplated his own passing. “So Many Tears” stands out in the rapper’s catalog in its crystallization of themes the influential performer often covered. Notably, the song features ‘Pac bluntly addressing his personal desire to end his life; as noted by Rolling Stone’s Cheo H. Coker, “So Many Tears” “[deals] with the senseless violence that marked his childhood but with the internal demons that threaten to consume him, snapping at his conscience like hellhounds on a bluesman’s trail.”

“Pretty Noose” (1996)

Soundgarden
In what emerged as a heartbreakingly common pattern for grunge frontmen, Soundgarden and Audioslave lead singer Chris Cornell’s death was untimely. The “Black Hole Sun” vocalist took his own life after a 2017 concert in Detroit. While Audioslave’s later “Like a Stone” might hit harder for Cornell’s fans who are still mourning, “Pretty Noose” catches its eye due to its unfortunate association with the method by which Cornell ended it all. However, beside that, the song otherwise bears no indications of ideation: Cornell once described “Pretty Noose” as being about an “attractively packaged bad idea ... something that seems great at first and then comes back to bite you.”

“Morphine” (1997)

Michael Jackson
While King of Pop Jackson had experimented with heavier styles of music before, “Morphine” stands out as a groovy, distorted, almost industrial jam that almost recalls Trent Reznor’s Nine Inch Nails. In line with Jackson’s songwriting during the ‘90s, “Morphine” is a scathing indictment of media scrutiny regarding his well-documented personal life, acting as an impassioned plea for privacy on the singer’s part. While already a difficult listen at the time of its release, it took on an even darker layer following Jackson’s 2009 death, the result of acute propofol intoxication. This was later ruled as involuntary manslaughter on the part of Conrad Murray, his personal physician.

“Satisfy You” (1999)

Diddy featuring R. Kelly
Somehow, two of the biggest figures in ‘90s hip hop and R&B turned out to be two of the most sinister villains of the decades since. And, in an entirely predictable yet still super creepy turn of events, their collaboration “Satisfy You” has aged… well, about as well as you might expect, which is to say, “like milk.” Over a barely tweaked instrumental sample of “I Got 5 On It” by Luniz, Kelly and Sean “Diddy” Combs desperately plead with a romantic interest to break up with her significant other. Knowing the extent of the musicians’ misconduct will have you shuddering after the fact — particularly Combs’ assertion that “I’m the feeling that you can’t leave.”

Which ‘90s song is hard for you to hear nowadays? Be sure to let us know in the comments!