Did you grow up in the 1990s? Did you have posters of grunge bands, boy bands, pop starlets, or L.A. rappers on your walls? When you think of the eclectic musical decade, what comes to mind? Beyond the sit-coms, Michael Jordan jerseys, and Nintendo games, the 90s were famous for music, especially classic rock. There was so much music back then!

But if you grew up in the 90s, you already know that. And you’re also probably pining to go back. To be able to see your favorite bands from the era live. But how much would you pay to do so? One million dollars? One billion? Below, we wanted to highlight three classic rock bands from the 90s era we would time-travel to go see if we could.

Nirvana

If there is one band that defines the 1990s, it has to be Nirvana. Grunge music, born in the Pacific Northwest, was a phenomenon during the decade, and Nirvana was at the top of the list of bands from that movement that you’d want to see live. Leas vocalist Kurt Cobain was an incredible songwriter, and his growling voice could bring you to your knees. The band raged on stage, but they wrote songs that made your mind bend. Indeed, there’s nothing not to like.

Soundgarden

Speaking of grunge, another Seattle-born band from the 1990s that we’d pay to go see today if we could is Soundgarden. While the band’s remaining members are playing shows here and there under the moniker Nudedragons today, it’s the lineup that featured Chris Cornell that fans originally fell in love with. Sadly, the banshee singer died in 2017, and with that, Soundgarden as we knew it stopped for good. So, why not hop into a time machine and go back in time to catch them at places like the 1992 Pinkpop Festival? Let’s do it!

The Cranberries

When Dolores O’Riordan died in 2018, the world lost something great. The lead vocalist for the Irish-born rock band The Cranberries rocketed to stardom in the 1990s thanks to songs like “Zombie” and “Linger”. The diminutive singer had a powerful voice that could fill a room in a flash. Her lyrics were thoughtful and, at times, world-changing. Sadly, that all went away about seven years ago. Still, to go back in time and see the band on stage with a few thousand close friends? Wow.

Photo by Frans Schellekens/Redfern