10 1990s Rock Bands That Never Matched the Hype

The 1990s produced a lot of "next big thing" bands, but in some cases the results never quite matched the hype. In this feature, we revisit some of the '90s acts that seemed destined for bigger things only to see their window of popularity actually fizzle out quite quickly.

Take, for instance, Spin Doctors, who amassed such a grassroots buzz that they appeared on the cover of Rolling Stone. After a modest start with "Little Miss Can't Be Wrong," "Two Princes" was the song you couldn't escape. But for all the press and mass exposure, the band seemingly fell off the radar as quickly as they rose in the public eye.

Some of these acts saw their downfall come of their own doing. Others were more a victim of the dominant radio rock sound of the day shifting. And others could maddeningly get no further than being a "critics" band that struggled to find that big commercial breakthrough single.

READ MORE: 25 Essential 1990s Rock + Metal Albums to Pass On to Your Children

Let's take a look back at the 1990s and revisit these bands that never quite lived up to the hype their early career seemed to promise.