My Top 2000 Songs #1171: Santa Monica

Every now and then, you come across one of those songs you thoroughly enjoy (maybe against your better instincts), yet you still manage to come away from it with zero interest in hearing anything else by that artist.

Like, say, "Santa Monica." Everclear had the sound of every alternative rock band I hated in the 90s, angsty, overdriven guitar rock which seemed totally lacking in flavor. Still, when "Santa Monica" (off 1995's Sparkle And Fade) came on the radio, I was totally cool with it. Undeniably killer power-chord riff, doing a great job with the slow build from unadorned stripped-down alt.rock to raging anthem. But I never bothered with the rest of the album. I remember coming across a few later singles, which... sounded just like "Santa Monica," and who could blame them.

Anyway, still a great song for a 90s mix.

Live 1999:

Reggae cover: