Nirvana tops Pearl Jam, Chili Peppers for top spot on 105.9 The X's countdown

Nirvana’s “Smells Like Teen Spirit” topped the Red Hot Chili Peppers’ “Under the Bridge” and Pearl Jam’s “Jeremy” for the top spot on 105.9 The X’s July 420 countdown.

Nirvana also had the most songs with 17, followed by Pearl Jam and the Stone Temple Pilots, each with 16.

Spread over the Fourth of July weekend, the radio station played its top 420 rock and alternative songs from the 1990s. (Sister station WDVE brought back its Memorial Day 500 countdown to much acclaim last year.)

The playlist leaned heavily on the alternative, with a few rock bands such as Metallica and Pantera that are on the X’s playlist filling out the rest. (Curiously, Guns N’ Roses only had one song, “You Could Be Mine” despite the omission of massive, massive singles from the “Use Your Illusion” albums. Even more curious, House of Pain’s “Jump Around” which is neither rock nor alternative, but it is the Penguins’ goal song.)

Other bands with 10 or more songs on the countdown include Metallica, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Alice in Chains, Rage Against the Machine and Smashing Pumpkins

Alternative music fans went old school, keeping meticulous lists in notebooks as the weekend progressed. (Maybe there’ll be some mix tapes or burned CDs coming, too.)

Saturday's list: #thexjuly420 pic.twitter.com/HxbECU0zNt

— Kari Stanich (@karistanich) July 5, 2020

The top 10 went in this order:

10. Nirvana, “Come As You Are”

9. Metallica, “Enter Sandman”

8. Pearl Jam, “Daughter”

7. Soundgarden, “Black Hole Sun”

6. Green Day, “Basket Case”

5. Weezer, “Buddy Holly”

4. Stone Temple Pilots, “Plush”

3. Pearl Jam, “Jeremy”

2. Red Hot Chili Peppers, “Under the Bridge

1. Nirvana, “Smells Like Teen Spirit”

For the full list of the 420 songs, visit 105.9 The X’s web site.