And the top 5 grunge songs are...

3. Soundgarden — Outshined

I can't think of a more brilliant musical expression of raw testosterone than this. I love the way all the instruments and vocals move together on "Show me the power child / I'd like to say / That I'm down on my knees today" — like a machine with perfectly synchronized interlocking parts.

Focus on the interlude that starts just before 3:00. On the surface, there's not much going on here — no key change or guitar solo or anything. But a gentle little passage like this, in a song that's otherwise anything but gentle, is the kind of thing that elevates a song, and distinguished Soundgarden from 99% of grunge bands.




(Click here for song #2.)

(Click here for the whole list.)