Can't Believe They Didn't Make It Big - 90's Version

I was very much into music in the 90's. Those were my college years, and I was much more open to new music than I am these days. I listened to lots of different types of bands and some I thought for sure were destined to be HUGE. These are a few of the artists/bands I can't believe just burned out or faded into oblivion...feel free to discuss or add your own.

Chris Whitley - when other musicians say they have a "fervent, religious devotion" to the music he made, that speaks volumes. Dave Matthews said this about Chris Whitley. Bruce Springsteen, Bruce Hornsby, Tom Petty, Don Henley, Iggy Pop, Alanis Morissette, John Mayer, and Keith Richards all professed themselves as "fans." Quite honestly, Living With the Law is one of the best albums of the 90s...it's definitely one of my all time favorites. I wasn't a big fan of much he did after that and he seemed to take an IDGAF attitude about making it big. He apparently had quite a problem with drugs and unfortunately died of lung cancer at age 45. Upon learning of his death, John Mayer said, "[When] Chris Whitley died...with him went a big part of modern American blues music. There aren't many fighters for the cause, and Chris never gave up on his mission. His somewhat prostrated place in pop culture earned him a sidebar of an obituary, but to those who knew his work, it registers as one of the most underappreciated losses in all of music."

Belly - probably a victim of the oversaturated new alternative/120 minutes era, but I thought they had something less formulaic and more original than most. Tanya Donnelly (former lead of Throwing Muses and also helped start the Breeders) was super talented and had a unique voice and style. They toured in the 90s with the likes of Radiohead, REM, Jewel and others. I still listen to "Feed the Tree", "Low Red Moon", and "Judy Staring at the Sun" (with Catherine Wheel) on my iPod. Never made it huge and broke up in the mid/late 90s.

Cracker - for a few years, they cranked out some damn fun songs. "Low", "Euro Trash Girl", "Teen Angst (What the World Needs Now)", and "Get Off This" are quintessential 90s greatness. They're still plodding around, putting out an album here and there, but hardly anybody knows it. Seems like they had a short run and missed taking it to that next level.