Ten 90s Bands Thats Sounded Like 70s Bands

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Our Ten 90s Bands That Sounded Like 70s Bands presents a list of groups that released their first album in the 1990s. These groups found quick success, usually starting with their first album release, even though their origins may have gone back a decade or two. Many of these groups continued on into the 2000s and beyond, while some broke up way too soon. Nonetheless, what they all have in common is that their sound was heavily influenced by 70s rock music. For us, this is a good thing, and we love all the artists on this list. This is a tribute to ten great rock and roll bands that have kept the spirit of genuine rock and roll music alive.

# 10 – Damm Yankees

This one makes sense on so many levels; when you combine two guitarists from two of the most successful 1970s rock and roll acts into a new band and add in a bassist from a 70s funk group, it doesn’t matter what decade you do it, it’s going to sound like the 70s. Damn Yankees combined the talents of 70s legendary guitarits Ted Nugent, Tommy Shaw of Styx, Jack Blade of Night Ranger, who had played with Rubicorn in the 1970s, and newcomer Michael Cartellone.

Read More: Top 10 Damn Yankees Songs

# 9 – Porcupine Tree

If the band Porcupine Tree had come of age in the 1970s, they would have been just as huge as bands like Yes and Pink Floyd. That’s how good Porcupine Tree is. Sadly, their arrival in the early 1990s came at a time when grunge music so dominated music culture, that bands like Porcupine Tree were overlooked on a mass cultural level. Nonetheless, the band has gained a massive following over the years that has recognized Steve Wilson’s talents. In the end, the influence of bands like Pink Floyd, Yes, and 70s progressive rock music had a significant impact on the sound of the band.

Read More: Top 10 Porcupine Tree Songs

# 8 – Collective Soul

The riff on “Shine” has classic rock written all over it, as do the harmonies on the band’s monster hit. Sure, there were elements of 90s rock in their sound; I mean, how could there not be? Yet, in the end, this band’s sound tilted much more to 1974 than it did 1994.

Read More: Top 10 Collective Soul Songs

# 7 – The Donnas

First off, I love this band. I don’t care when they came of age, they defined what rock and roll is all about….attitude. The Donnas captured the essence of late-70s punk and new wave. The Donnas released their first album in 1997 called The Donnas. They would release seven more albums, with their last album released in 2007 entitled Bitchin.’

# 6 – Arc Angels

Landing in the number six spot on our Ten 90s Bands That Sounded Like 70s Bands is the very underrated band Arc Angels. The band’s first album was released in 1992. This was a supergroup of rock and blues musicians featuring Doyle Bramhall II, Charlie Sexton, Chris Layton, and Tommy Shannon of Double Trouble and Ian McLagan. The band only released one album and broke up after a year. Oh, but what a group they were.

# 5 – The Derek Trucks Band

The following two bands will be forever connected to the legacy of the great Allman Brothers Band. Warren Haynes played a vital role in the resurgence of the Allman Brothers band in 1990. Derek Trucks would join the Allman Brothers Band nine years later in 1999. Before Derek Trucks became a permanent member of the Allman Brothers Band, he had his own group called The Derek Trucks Band. They released their first album in 1997 called The Derek Trucks Band.

The group continued for another decade before becoming the Tedeschi Trucks Band, which Derek formed with his wife, the blues musician Susan Tedeschi. Throughout this time, Derek Trucks continued playing with the Allman Brothers Band until the group disbanded for good in 2014 with their final concert at the Beacon Theater in New York City.

Read More: Top 10 Derek Trucks Band Songs

# 4 – Gov’t Mule

Gov’t Mule was formed by Warren Haynes, Allan Woody, And Matt Abts in 1994. At the time, Warren Haynes was already a member of the Allman Brothers Band. Gov ‘t Mule was a side project for Warren Haynes. Allan Woody passed away in 2020. The group has continued to be the main outlet for Warren Hayen’s brilliant songwriting, which is heavily inspired by 70s rock and roll.

Read More: Top 10 Gov’t Mule Songs

# 3 – Dropkick Murphys

If you combine the spirit and soulfulness of Bruce Springsteen and U2 and mix it up in a blender with hundreds of years of Irish history, you will be looking at a heaping of Dropkick Murphys staring you right back. And let me say, you better be smiling when you give them a stare, or it won’t end well for you, my friend. These guys are as genuine as it gets, both lyrically and musically. Love the Murphys!

Read More: Top 10 Dropkick Murphys Songs

# 2 – Soundgarden

I know how many of you will be saying Soundgarden is one of the most famous bands to come out of the grunge scene in the early 1990s. Yes, of course they were. But out of all those bands, they had more of a Led Zeppelin sound than any others. The band members were often very open about the Led Zeppelin influence in their guitar riffs Sure, the sound of grunge and all that dark stuff was also there in their sound. Yet, in the end, they still sounded a lot more like a great ’70s band than they did a 90s group.

Read More: Top 10 Soundgarden Songs

# 1 – The Black Crowes

We close out our Ten 90s Bands That Sounded Like 70s Bands list with who else but the Black Crowes. Can anyone say The Rolling Stones? While Chris Robinson may have not sounded anything like Mick Jagger, those guitar riffs and arrangements clearly echoed the sound and style of The Stones with a little Allman Brothers Band poured in for good measure. And that, my friends, is a good thing.