Inspired by the release of ‘Sound As Ever: A Celebration of the Greatest Decade in Australian Music (1990-1999)’, a book by Jane Gazzo and Andrew P Street chronicling the glorious decade in Australian music that was the 1990s.

Here are my picks for the ten best tracks from that time.

10. ‘Just Ace’ by Grinspoon - 1998

One minute 47 seconds. Is it the shortest magnum opus of any band in Australian music history? Probably, but that’s all it took for Grinspoon to break out of Silverchair’s grungy shadow and achieve pop-punk perfection. It’s so damn fun. You’ll just wish there was more of it.

9. ‘Theophilus Thistler (An Exercise In Vowels)’ by Sonic Animation - 1999

Sonic Animation emerged in the bubbling underground of pre-Avalanches Australian electronica, and so never quite hit the big time in the way they deserved. ‘Theophilus Thistler’ is a song without peer, a bizarre hodgepodge of quirky samples, funky guitars and infectious tongue twisters that practically dares you to try and sing along.

8. ‘Sorrento Moon (I Remember)’ by Tina Arena – 1994

‘Chains’ is the belter. It’s big and punchy and sexy, the track that made Tina Arena an official, all-capitals Pop Superstar. But ‘Sorento Moon’, the follow up single from Arena’s classic record Don’t Ask, is just as powerful, if much more understated. It’s gorgeous and delicate, a soft sway that still allows Arena’s incredible voice to flex.

7. ‘The Ship Song’ by Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds – 1990

If you’re a huge Nick Cave fan, you might have mixed feelings about ‘The Ship Song’. It’s certainly not the most Nick Cave song – it contains little of the distinctive gothic dread in signature Cave songs like ‘The Mercy Seat’ or ‘Red Right Hand’. But I love it. A grand, baroque ballad that allows Cave’s gravelly baritone to soar. A contender for Australia’s greatest ever love song.

6. ‘Hieronymus’ by Clouds – 1991

One of the most unique Australian songs ever – a vivid nightmare, coated in honey, marrying Bleach-era Nirvana guitars with pop-perfect harmonies. I mean, what the hell do you even call that? You call it ‘Hieronymus’ and stop asking questions.

5. ‘Pulse’ by Front End Loader – 1997

It doesn’t seem possible that a song about voluntary euthanasia could be this fun. Front End Loader, one of Australia’s most underrated bands of the late-90s, channel The Smiths and The Go-Betweens to deliver a jangly, upbeat pop track with an important, crushing message.

4. ‘Berlin Chair’ by You Am I  - 1994

‘Berlin Chair’ is not a traditional earworm in any sense, but it will rattle around in your brain from the moment you hear it. Such is the power, the understated brilliance of Tim Rogers’ alt-rock masterpiece. There’s something both endearing and heartbreaking in its honest reflection of co-dependency, fragile masculinity, and the challenge of trying.

3. ‘Alive and Brilliant’ by Deborah Conway – 1993

I have always considered this song a spiritual sequel to the perfect 1983 track ‘Man Overboard’ by Conway’s band, Do Re Mi. And like ‘The Godfather Part II’ or ‘The Dark Knight’, it is the rare worthy follow up. Deborah Conway should be considered a national treasure, one of Australia’s most remarkable, enigmatic vocalists and fiercest lyricists.

2. ‘! (The Song Formerly Known As)’ by Regurgitator – 1998

A party song about not wanting to be at the party. A front man who exudes confidence and bravado while suffering crippling anxiety. A genre-bending kaleidoscope of contradictions and confections, that serves as an anthem for the stay-at-home crowd. Super funky, deeply authentic, and painfully relatable. Regurgitator, ladies and gentlemen.

1.‘Pinstripe’ by Something For Kate – 1997

Four singles were released from Something For Kate’s first full-length record, Elsewhere For 8 Minutes. ‘Pinstripe’ was not one of them, yet it has become their most beloved song. To see it performed live is a religious experience – an entire crowd worshipping at the altar of Paul Dempsey, singing every single word of a six minute song with no chorus. My favourite song of all time.