Gay4Grunge: My Top 20 Alice in Chains Songs (1990-1996)
Alice in Chains has two separate eras. The first is when Layne Staley was their lead singer and the second is when the band reformed in 2009 with a new lead singer William Duvall. While I prefer the Layne Staley years, I'm still a fan of the William Duvall years as well and I wanted to give both eras their proper due. So, I'm splitting their two eras into two different song countdowns. Next time I will count down my top 10 songs from the William Duvall era, but today I will be counting down my top 20 songs from the Layne Staley era.
In the 90s Alice in Chains released 3 full length studio albums, 2 EPs, an Unplugged performance and a smattering of soundtrack songs. That doesn't sound like too much, but the thing to remember is that none of these albums sound like one another. Alice in Chains kept evolving in their sound from album to album and EP to EP. Alice in Chains was also very consistent. Dirt and Jar of Flies are considered their two best albums because they are pretty much flawless from start to finish. SAP is only 4 songs long, but all 4 of those songs are very good. It's really only parts of Facelift and 1995 self-titled album that have filler, but even then the highs on both of those albums are so high that it's easy to forget about the few filler tracks on each of them. In my opinion Alice in Chains is the most consistent Seattle Grunge band because even their filler is easy to listen to in the background unlike some of the worst Nirvana songs on Incesticide and Bleach. Pearl Jam also has a lot more filler tracks on their albums in my opinion and early Soundgarden has its fair share of filler too.
Still despite their consistency I do favor certain Alice in Chains albums over others and there are certain songs I keep going back to over and over again. So, this list is basically my most essential Alice in Chains songs when Layne Staley was with the group. Some of the songs on this list probably rank up there as some of my most listened to songs of all time. Many of these songs would pop up as my most listened to songs on iTunes back in the day and now Alice in Chains continues to creep into my top 100 most played songs on Spotify for the last several years. As of right now Alice in Chains rank in my top 10 most streamed acts ever on Spotify and they will probably continue to hold strong for years to come.
This list touches upon all 3 studio albums and their two EPs between 1990-1996 and it's a good smattering of singles & deep cuts as well as rockers & ballads. That said, as you get to the upper rankings you'll see Jar of Flies dominating and that's only right because that album means the world to me and I've listened to that album more than any other album by Alice in Chains for sure. Alright let's jump in.
20. We Die Young (1990)
When Alice in Chains first emerged at the end of 1990 with their debut album Facelift, they predated the Seattle Grunge explosion by about a year. What that means is that Alice in Chains were not labeled as Grunge initially, they were labeled as heavy metal and listening to their debut single it's easy to understand why. We Die young is a short blast of intensely scary heavy metal that sees Alice in Chains at their most ferocious. We Die Young isn't for the faint of heart as it sounds like an unrelenting siege coming out of your speakers. Right from the start Layne Staley is bringing you into the darkness with him though he sounds stronger and more confident here than he would later on down the road when his drug addiction really began to take its toll. There's a power to We Die Young that is undeniable and it set the stage for one of the 90s best rock bands.
19. Rain When I Die (1992)
Dirt remains Alice in Chains' definitive album as it sold the most copies, had the most hits and it's where Layne starts addressing his drug addiction directly in the band's music. On this album Layne is already predicting his own death and Rain When I Die is a great example of this. Dirt also saw Jerry and Layne take their vocal harmonies to new and exciting places while Layne also pushed his own vocals to the next level. Rain When I Die features some of Layne's most memorable vocals especially when he just sings AHHHH at the beginning and at the end where it sounds like the music is fading out for good until it slowly creeps back up again to full volume before being suddenly cut off. Vocally Alice in Chains was one of the most unique and experimental of their era and Rain When I Die showcases this perfectly.
18. Dam That River (1992)
While I prefer Alice in Chains' ballads, there's no denying how powerful the band sounds when they crank up the volume to full blast and go full throttle as they do here on Dam That River. When I first heard the Dirt album I knew the five singles, but I didn't know any of the deep cuts and this one jumped out the most for me upon first listen. Here Layne is singing about others trying to keep him drug free and cut off from his supply, but it's no use because the addiction is too strong at this point. The chorus to this song remains one of the most cutting in Alice in Chains' entire catalogue:
"So you couldn't dam that river
Well maybe I don't give a damn anyway"
At this point Layne is practically daring others to help him kick his drug habit, but as we all know you can't help someone who doesn't really want to be helped.
17. It Ain't Like That (1990)
It Ain't Like That is a deep cut off of Facelift, but was featured in the movie Singles when Alice in Chains is performing at one of the clubs in Seattle in the film. While I talk a lot about Layne, there's no denying how equally important Jerry Cantrell is to the band, maybe even more than Layne at times. The guitar riffs and textures Jerry comes up with are one the biggest appeals of Alice in Chains and he comes up with a great one here. It Ain't Like That's riff is so memorable and can get stuck in your head after one listen. While many bands would try to replicate Alice in Chains' sound later on, none of them could come up with guitar riffs as memorably unique as this one.
16. Don't Follow (1994)
Speaking of Jerry Cantrell, he takes the lead vocals for a good portion of this song's run time. It's not until the climax that Layne finally jumps in and the juxtaposition works really well here. I also love the use of harmonica on this one which gives the song a very dusty and bluesy feel. Don't Follow was a minor rock hit in 1994, but I don't think I've ever heard it on the radio, which is a shame because this is another winner off The Jar of Flies Ep/Album. I'll be digging deeper into Jar of Flies as we get closer to the top of this list.
15. Over Now (1995)
As the final song off the final album by Alice in Chains with Layne Staley in the group, Over Now can't help but feel like a sad goodbye to Layne Staley as well as the Grunge era as a whole. The song begins with a low horn playing the funeral march as if to emphasize the funeral-like quality of this song. Like most of the singles off the group's 1995 self-titled album, Jerry Cantrell sings lead on all the verses with Layne only joining in on the chorus. It feels like a symbolic passing of the torch in retrospect, but before Alice in Chain's 2009 comeback this felt like an impossibly sad goodbye to Layne in much the same way All Apologies is the impossibly sad goodbye to Kurt Cobain on In Utero. Over Now was released as the final single off Alice in Chains' 1995 album, but it also coincided with the release of their Unplugged performance on CD as well, so the Unplugged version might be even more well known to people than the album version. Whenever I made my timeline mixes on either cassette tape, CD or on Spotify I always had Over Now end 1996, because for me this song is the symbolic end to the Seattle Grunge, which would quickly evaporate in 1997.
14. Grind (1995)
Grind was the first single off Alice in Chains' 1995 album and it's one of the few late period Alice in Chains song that defies death with the opening lyrics being:
"In the darkest hole, you'd be well advised
Not to plan my funeral before the body dies, yeah"
Nonetheless, Jerry is already doing more of the singing on Grind than Layne who was quickly deteriorating at this point. This was one of the songs off Alice in Chains' 2001 Greatest Hits that jumped out for me due to the melodic key change on the chorus, which reminds me a bit of U2's Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me, Kill Me, from that same year. As many know, that U2 song is my favorite rock song of the 90s so anything that reminds me of Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me, Kill Me is a good thing. The melodic key change in Grind is quintessential Alice in Chains, because Grind sounds really heavy and sludgy during the verses, but once that key change hits on the chorus we feel the sunlight peeking through the clouds as the band gets more melodic. This is a trick Alice in Chains had perfected at this point and few could do it as well as Alice then or now.
13. Heaven Beside You (1995)
Up until the release of their 1995 self-titled debut, Alice in Chains had kept their metallic side and acoustic side completely separate from one another. The Facelift and Dirt albums showcased the group's heavy metal sound, while the Sap and Jar of Flies EPs showcased the group's acoustic material. Yet when it came time to record their 1995 album, Alice in Chains finally combined the two, which they would continue doing during the William Duvall era as well. Heaven Beside You is a ballad with lots of acoustics that could have easily ended up on their previous EPs and it was the second single off the group's 1995 album. Heaven Besides You became the album's biggest hit, which is understandable since it had the most crossover commercial appeal. The main chorus captures the juxtaposition of Alice in Chains' light and dark side when Jerry sings "Heaven Besides You, Hell within." Despite the darkness in that chorus, the music video was one of the group's most charming as it featured a girl in a bright red outfit walking around with her wagon and taking pictures. The girl's red outfit really stands out too thanks to the music video having an extremely blue color filter on it. I've just always really liked the look and style of this video, which probably contributed to Heaven Beside You being my favorite song off the group's 1995 album.
12. Angry Chair (1990)
I've mentioned many times already that Alice in Chains excel at dark sludgy verses that give way to these extremely melodic choruses that catch you by surprise on your first listen. Angry Chair may be the peak of that, because you really don't see that chorus coming initially. The guitar tone Jerry comes up with is so atmospherically foreboding that it feels like you're walking into a horror movie at the start of Angry Chair. The chorus is so unexpected compared to what came before, but it also feels like a huge relief at the same time because it gives us a brief respite from the doom and gloom of the verses as soon as Layne starts singing "I don't mind yeah I don't mind." Alice in Chains were great at capturing the experience of a drug user because it wasn't all dark all the time. There are genuine moments of euphoria and bliss when people take drugs and those moments are why most people take drugs in the first place. The chorus to Angry Chair acts like the moment of euphoric bliss where the drugs feel incredible before you come crashing back down to earth again during the verses. Angry Chair is also one of my favorite music videos by Alice in Chains because it captures the spirit of the song so well, which means the music video is creepy as hell.
11. Am I Inside (1992)
Alice in Chains' 1992 EP Sap was released between their first two albums Facelift and Dirt. Before Sap, Alice in Chains was pretty much a heavy metal band, but Sap presented the band in a completely different light. All of a sudden, the heavy metal label didn't quite fit anymore, because Sap was most definitely not metal. One of my favorite tracks off the ep is the closing song Am I Inside. This is dark and atmospheric but in a much calmer way than anything off of Facelift. There's an air of mystery and sorrow to this song that spoke to me deeply when I was in the closet. Layne's vocals on this are so good too. I feel Layne always excelled most as a vocalist on the band's ballads and acoustic material and you can really hear the pain and despair in Layne's voice on Am I Inside. On Facelift Layne came off pretty ferocious at times, but here he sounds very fragile and timid as if he's about to break at any moment. Ann Wilson of Heart also contributes vocals here too. Heart was also a Seattle band and they really took a lot of the Grunge bands under their wing, especially Soundgarden and Alice in Chains. In fact, from what I've read the Wilson sisters were the ones who were really pushing for Alice in Chains to reform in the 2000s after Layne's death.
10. Man in the Box (1990)
Man in the Box was the band's breakthrough hit, but it only got as high as #19 on the mainstream rock chart and it didn't chart on Alternative Rock at all. It was MTV that propelled this song to hit status as the music video went into heavy rotation on the network in early 1991. Now years later Man in the Box is the most played song by Alice in Chains on both mainstream rock radio and alternative rock radio and it has now become the band's most well-known and beloved song as a result. What this says to me is that Man in the Box was a little bit ahead of its time, coming out before Nirvana opened up the floodgates for Grunge and Alternative Rock as a whole, but the years have been kind to Man in the Box. That riff still sounds cool as hell and the chorus is practically arena sized. It really doesn't matter what Man in the Box is about, it's more important how it sounds and feels for most listeners, including my dad who says this is his favorite Alice in Chains song. Also, to go back to MTV, I think sometimes the role MTV played in breaking Grunge into the mainstream gets overlooked these days. Now I'm the first person to criticize MTV because they usually deserve it, but I can't deny that they really were Grunge's biggest supporters at first. Most Gen X kids got introduced to these Grunge bands on MTV, because it took rock radio a few years to really catch up in all honesty. Even Alternative Rock radio was hesitant at first to include Grunge on its playlists, because that format had originally been defined by British acts such as The Cure, Depeche Mode and Morrisey. Nowadays you don't hear those 80s British acts on most Alternative Rock radio stations, but you're likely to hear Man in the Box, which never charted on Alternative Rock, but has since become one of the most played songs in the format's entire history.
09. What the Hell Have I? (1993)
What the Hell Have I? was released in conjunction with the Last Action Hero soundtrack, which means it was released in between other singles from the Dirt album in 1993. Luckily the song didn't get lost in the shuffle, because it's one of Alice in Chains best. What the Hell Have I? is heavy like the songs off of Dirt, but it's given a nice psychedelic edge that helps it stand out from the other singles Alice in Chains was releasing at that time. I also really liked the music video, which seemed to take place in some kind of demonic carnival. Plus, Layne is rocking some hot pink hair in this video and I always dig when Layne has pink hair, which also included the band's unplugged performance.
08. Down in a Hole (1992)
The final single off Dirt sees the band dipping into ballad mode though it's still all electric guitars here unlike their more acoustic based EPs. It's also one of Alice in Chains best examples of using the Grunge formula of having the choruses being louder than the verses. It's also pretty melodic from start to finish though it soars every time that chorus comes back. Despite the soaring chorus, this is still a pretty bleak song where once again Layne is predicting his own demise:
"Down in a hole and I don't know if I can be saved
See my heart I decorate it like a grave
You don't understand who they thought
I was supposed to be
Look at me now a man
Who won't let himself be
Down in a hole, feelin' so small
Down in a hole, losin' my soul
I'd like to fly, but my wings have been so denied"
I also want to point out that the director of this music video is Nigel Dick who has directed music videos for over 4 decades. In the 80s he directed a lot of music videos for heavy metal bands like Guns N Roses and Def Leppard, but later on he would direct many of the most iconic teen pop music videos of the TRL era including 4 for Britney Spears alone. If you've spent any time watching music videos on MTV or YouTube you've seen his work.
07. Rooster (1992)
The highest charting single to come off of Dirt is also one of the few songs that doesn't deal with Layne Staley's drug addiction. Instead, Rooster tells the story of Jerry Cantrell's father who was drafted into the Vietnam war and had the nickname, Rooster. For those too young to remember, the Vietnam War occurred when there was still a national draft, so if you were drafted you had to go. The Vietnam War ended up becoming one of the most unpopular wars in this country's history and with the rise of the hippie counter culture there were numerous protests against it. In Rooster we are told that Jerry's father went through hell fighting that war as he watched people he knew die and was wondering when he would die himself and if he would ever get to see his wife or children again. Yet, by the time he made it home he was not welcomed either by the massive number of protestors who would spit on him. Alice in Chains captures this tragic story as only Alice in Chains can and Layne gives a passionate performance even though this is one of the few times, he's not singing about himself. The music video drove this all home as we see Jerry's father speak on the start with tears in his eyes. In just a few seconds we empathize with Jerry's father, because we can see the pain in his face and the burden he's been carrying ever since fighting that war. We also get lots of disturbing images from the Vietnam war littered throughout the video along with a reenactment of what the men faced while over there. The entire music video hammers home the message of the song, which is that war is hell and there is nothing glamorous about it whatsoever. In just over 6 minutes it feels like we've experienced a complete tragedy. Also, Layne and Jerry's harmonizing at the beginning and the end of the song is so beautiful yet chilling at the same time and it really gives the song a full circle feel by the time it ends.
06. Got Me Wrong (1992)
When the Sap EP was initially released in early 1992 it kind of slipped under the radar, especially since the band didn't do any music video for it but in 1994 the EP made an unexpected comeback. The first reason being that the group's second EP, Jar of Flies, had been such a huge success while expanding on what Sap had established 2 years prior. So, there was now more of a demand for acoustic Alice in Chains from fans who had become enamored with Jar of Flies. The other reason Sap became a hit in 1994 is because Got Me Wrong was included on the soundtrack to Kevin Smith's Clerks, which quickly became a word of mouth hit and ended up becoming one of the definitive Gen X films of the 90s. Got Me Wrong's inclusion on the soundtrack helped it garner radio play where it became a #7 hit on the mainstream rock chart and #22 on the alternative rock chart in the fall of 1994 just as the singles from Jar of Flies had run their course. It's a good thing too because Got Me Wrong is one of my favorite Alice in Chains songs. I actually first heard it on the group's Unplugged and I liked it immediately since acoustic Alice is my favorite Alice. Got Me Wrong is another example of Alice in Chains being slightly ahead of the curve in modern rock and as a result it taking a few years for rock radio and even rock fans to fully catch up with the band.
05. Rotten Apples (1994)
Jar of Flies isn't just my favorite Alice in Chains album, it's one of my favorite albums of all time, because it means so much to me. The sorrow and isolation Layne sings about on this album connected with me deeply while I was still in the closet during high school. This album captured my self-imposed isolation more than anything else I had heard up until that point. Even after I came out of the closet and starting living my best gay life, this album continued to be a source of comfort and solace whenever I was feeling sad or depressed for any reason. Most of my close friends and family also know this too, which is why if I post on social media that I'm listening to Jar of Flies alone, red flags go up immediately for them. Rotten Apples is the opener to Jar of Flies and it functions more as a mood setter than anything. At nearly 7 minutes, Rotten Apples is more about wallowing in the murk than giving you hooks to latch onto. It's a mood for sure and whenever the mood hits, Rotten Apples matches my depression nearly every single time. Still, I love this album so much that I still listen to Rotten Apples on many of my Spotify playlists too, but when I listen to it I always feel like I should be laying on my bed sprawled out as I feel my feelings.
04. Nutshell (1994)
The second track off Jar of Flies is probably the most depressing moment on the entire album and maybe Alice in Chains' entire career too, but it's also a big fan favorite. One of the reasons is Jerry Cantrell's emotionally charged guitar solo in the second half, which is one the best things he's ever laid down on tape. The other reason is Layne himself who delivers a devastating vocal performance that can move even those with hearts of stone. I'm also going to put all the lyrics to the song below, because there's not too much, but they are all very important to this song's impact
"We chase misprinted lies
We face the path of time
And yet I fight, and yet I fight
This battle all alone
No one to cry to
No place to call home
Ooh
Ooh-ooh
Ooh
Ooh-ooh
My gift of self is raped
My privacy is raked
And yet I find, and yet I find
Repeating in my head
If I can't be my own
I'd feel better dead"
As a gay teen in the closet, I felt like Layne was singing directly to me and my struggles in the closet at that time. The reason it's called being in the closet is because you are all alone with nobody to talk to or share your pain with so you just keep it all inside. You end up doing it for so long that you don't know if you will ever be allowed to be your true self and sometimes suicidal thoughts enter your mind because of it. 5th grade was when I started realizing I was not like the other boys in my grade and it's also when I first started having suicidal thoughts as well. For me a song like Nutshell, while depressing, also feels sadly comforting too. That's the beauty of music, it can help you feel less alone and less misunderstood, which can be such a lifesaver when you feel as if you are struggling all by yourself. Sadly, Layne would eventually lose his own personal battle when he died of a drug overdose in 2002, but that doesn't take anything away from how I feel about this song and the solace it's given me over the years. Layne may be gone but his art lives on and it continues to resonate and connect with millions of people across the globe till this day. One listen to Nutshell and you'll understand why Layne is my favorite vocalist in all of Grunge.
03. I Stay Away (1994)
I Stay Away was the second single off Jar of Flies and the third song sequentially after Rotten Apples and Nutshell. While I Stay Away still has its share of darkness, it also features some wonderful use of strings which give the song a lightness of touch. Alice in Chains has always been good about balancing light and dark and I Stay Away is one of their best balancing acts. I also want to note that Jar of Flies is one of the few albums that I not only listen to consistently, but I also listen to it in order without hitting shuffle. It's because this album takes me on a journey emotionally, especially when I'm feeling my most depressed. Rotten Apples and Nutshell allow me to wallow in my feelings and get my angst out. By the time I Stay Away comes on I'm still feeling pretty low, but those strings start to punctuate my depression and maybe get me to start thinking positive thoughts again. The journey of course continues after I Stay Away ends but more on that later. For now, I also want to point out that I Stay Away also features a great claymation music video that's one of the best of its kind. Of course, the music video ends pretty darkly, but this is Grunge you can't always expect a happy ending.
02. Would? (1992)
Would? acted as a dual lead single to both Dirt and the Singles soundtrack and it completely captured the times perfectly in 1992. While Man if the Box has become Alice in Chain's most beloved song, Rooster was the highest charting single off of Dirt at the time and No Excuses is their biggest pop hit and my favorite song by the group, Would? is most definitely the definitive Alice in Chains song in my opinion. If I had to sum up Alice in Chains with one song it would be this one. First off, the intro is one of my favorite intros of all time. That dark rumbling baseline sounds eerie from the jump and it then gives way to some of the best and spookiest harmonizing Layne and Jerry have ever done. I still get chills listening to that opening every single time I hear it. The production on this track is so essential as well, because it really amps up the creep factor while still highlighting the beauty and melody of this song at the same time. I remember a co-worker of my dad's saying that Would? is such a creepy song and he's not wrong. Would? feels like a one-of-a-kind experience that only Alice in Chains can deliver, which is why I never grow tired of it and why over the years it continued to be one of my most played songs on iTunes and Spotify. In the years that followed the release of Would? many (AND I MEAN MANY!) bands would try to recapture the darkness found within Would? and while some bands did it better than others none of them could truly recapture what Alice in Chains conjured up for this song. 30 years later Would? not only sounds timeless, but it still feels absolutely chilling.
01. No Excuses (1994)
No Excuses was the lead single to Jar of Flies and it became their highest charting alternative rock hit up until that point when it charted at #3 and it became their first #1 song on the mainstream rock chart. It was also their first and last top 40 pop hit as well. In my previous article I mentioned how Pitchfork described Layne & Jerry's vocal harmonizing as being the Simon & Garfunkel of Grunge and nowhere is that any truer than on No Excuses. On this song Jerry and Layne sing the entire song together in harmony and it's beautiful. In fact, due to its acoustic pop nature, No Excuses sounds like it could have been a hit for Simon & Garfunkel or The Byrds in the 60s; that's how good Alice in Chains sounds on this track. More importantly though, No Excuses is the centerpiece to Jar of Flies and it completes the emotional journey I go through whenever I listen to the first 4 tracks on this album. For me No Excuses represents hope more than any other Alice in Chains song I can think of. Sure, it still has some sadness to it but it's not all doom and gloom here. I also related heavily to the lyrics as a gay teen in the closet back in high school:
"Everyday it's something
Hits me all so cold
Find me sittin' by myself
No excuses, then I know
Yeah, it's fine
We'll walk down the line
Leave our rain, a cold
Trade for warm sunshine
You my friend
I will defend
And if we change, well I
Love you anyway"
The idea of sitting by myself was something that happened to me a lot growing up, especially during lunches. I also didn't hang out with my peers after school either by the time I was in my teens and instead stayed in my room a lot of the time. At the same time, I yearned to find friends and to find a place that would accept me for being gay. It's why I really clung to the lyrics at the end where Layne and Jerry sing about trading rain for sunshine and supporting one another no matter what changes the other one goes through, which is the kind of thing most queer kids need to hear.
Over the years the song has come to mean even more to me. In college when I studied abroad in London two of my friends took over my radio show and on the episode I was able to listen to they dedicated this song to me which was so touching. It reminded me of when I was still in the closet in high school listening to this song and wishing I had friends to talk to and now my friends were dedicating this song to me. At my wedding it was also important that this song got played and the DJ played it for me and I like to think we were the first gay wedding that played Alice in Chains on the dancefloor. This is a song that has always given me hope, but over the years it's also given me lots of great memories of those close to me as well. No matter what mood I'm in I always want to hear No Excuses whenever it comes on and it always makes me feel a little better too. That's why No Excuses completes the emotional journey during the first 4 songs on Jar of Flies, because at first the music sounds as depressed as I feel when I'm struggling but once I get to No Excuses I may still feel sad but I'll always feel less sad after hearing it. No Excuses is in my top 3 songs of the 90s period behind Stone Temple Pilots' Interstate Love Song and U2's Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me, Kill Me and I don't think that will ever change. I'll never grow tired of this song because it will aways mean so much to me and it will hopefully continue to give me even more good memories in the years to come.
