What if Current Car Companies Were Bands From the 1990s?

Acura - R.E.M.

Picking the band that released an album titled Automatic for the People for one of the few manufacturers that still offers a manual transmission choice may seem odd. But let’s ignore that fact.

R.E.M. in the 1990s was entering their second successful decade, still making hits that, much like Acura, appealed to a wide range of people. Their music was inoffensive, catchy, and well thought out, just like most of Acura’s vehicles.

Alfa Romeo – Jamiroquai

Jamiroquai burst on the scene with flash, style, and an infectious sound. If that doesn’t describe an Alfa Romeo, I don’t know what does.

Audi – Dr. Dre

Dr. Dre started as an outsider in the music industry, but by the 1990s was one of music's major players. Just like Dre, Audi has been around for quite some time, but is still as important, relevant, and successful as ever.

BMW – Madonna

In the 1990s, Madonna transitioned from her iconic, spunky persona of the ‘80s into a more sophisticated, yet still uber-successful one. Much like BMW, the rawness that defined the brand in the ‘80s and ‘90s may be toned down, but the cars are much more sophisticated and still some of the best on the road.

Buick – Dave Matthews Band

Buick is for the relaxed set. Those who aren’t concerned about high adrenaline driving, but rather comfort and premium quality. Dave Matthews Band sound was very similar. Although softer than the distorted grunge of the time, it was sophisticated, complicated, and had a specific, dedicated set of fans.

Cadillac - The Black Crowes

The Black Crowes combined raw rock tones in a catchy, popular way that appealed to many folks in the 1990s. Although loud, rocking, and sometimes a bit wild, there was a sophisticated edge to their songs.

Cadillac in many ways is the same. The brand has plenty of luxury offerings, but still has a wild side, most notably with the Escalade-V and Blackwing sedans.

Chevrolet – Oasis

In the ‘90s Oasis was massive, with popularity all over the globe. The band was also embroiled into a very public, hotly contested feud with another band: Blur. So, if Chevrolet is the Oasis of ‘90s rock, guess which brand is the company’s Blur? You know the brand Chevy is forever locked in a battle, competing head-to-head? Hint, it has an oval in its logo.

Chrysler - Matchbox Twenty

Matchbox twenty had a smooth (get it?) sound that was more mainstream than many other rock bands of the time. Some might even call it somewhat family friendly. Perfect for a manufacturer that currently only makes the ultimate family hauler, a minivan.

Dodge – Metallica

Huge, loud, and with a devoted following. See, I could be talking about Dodge or Metallica here, so it fits perfectly.

Ferrari – Soundgarden

A loud, distinct, edgy, yet melodic sound is what defined Soundgarden. Like a Ferrari at redline, it was both in your face yet soothing at the same time. There’s also a parallel to be made here in the amount of fans both the brand and band have worldwide.

Fiat – Sublime

Unique and unbothered by what others are doing, Fiat does its own thing, regardless of mainstream success or broad appeal. Fiat is a brand about being cool and having fun, and like Sublime, that’s more than enough.

Ford – Blur

You’ve arrived at Chevrolet’s main rival: Ford. When the ‘90s were done, Blur and Oasis each had a massive following who mostly disliked the other band. It’s the musical equivalent of the F-150 vs Silverado debate. Neither side will ever convince the other their truck is better.

Genesis – Weezer

Seemingly coming out of nowhere (or Kenosha, Wisconsin if you believe Al Delvecchio), Weezer exploded on the scene in the ‘90s and changed the course of rock music. Immediately churning out the hits, the band enjoyed success early and often. For upstart luxury brand Genesis, it has been much the same. Right out of the gate, the manufacturer’s cars and SUVs have received high praise.

GMC – Temple of the Dog

Temple of the Dog was a super group, comprised of members from Mother Love Bone, Soundgarden, and a newcomer by the name of Eddie Veder. By taking the best parts of the various members, it all came together create a great sound, and solid music. GMC is similar inhow the brand includes some bits and pieces from Chevrolet, Buick, and Cadillac to make something familiar, but slightly different.

Honda – Pearl Jam

Speaking of Pearl Jam, the band was easily one of the biggest acts in the ‘90s. They had massive mainstream appeal yet were still unique and didn’t mind ignoring the status quo at times. Honda has a similar history, with massive success across the board, especially with the Civic, Accord, and CR-V. Yet the brand isn’t afraid to do some things different like the manufacturer’s unique take on hybridization and the Ridgeline, a unibody mid-size pickup.

Hyundai – Nirvana

Nirvana couldn’t do any wrong in the ‘90s, well, musically at least. Everything the band touched turned to gold. Hyundai right now is seemingly on the same track. Electric vehicles, SUVs, or sport compact sedans, the brand keeps producing hit after hit. Although Nirvana met a tragic end, Hyundai seems poised for continued success.

Infiniti - Jane’s Addiction

Jane’s Addiction edgy, melodic sound appealed to many and showcased the band’s musical talent and sophisticated compositions. They may not have been stealing the headlines during the ‘90s, but the band had plenty of devote fans. Infiniti mirrors many of these traits, offering sophistication to a specific subset of customers.

Jaguar - Guns and Roses

The band was massive in the '80s and the start of the '90s, but Guns and Roses went through plenty of personnel changes during the ‘90s and tried to find their way. Jaguar can relate, with a storied past, but plenty of ownership changes over the past few decades. On the cusp of a crossroads, will the brand get it together in time?

Jeep – Foo Fighters

Rising partially from the ashes of the defunct Nirvana in the ‘90s, the Foo Fighters went on to have a massive, much lengthy career. Jeep has had a similar trajectory, breaking off from parent American Motors Corporation (AMC) to become a massive success in its own right.

Kia – The Smashing Pumpkins

Arguably as massive as Nirvana in the ‘90s, the Smashing Pumpkins were at the top of their game. It’s only fitting that Hyundai’s highly successful sibling, Kia, should be considered in the same context.

Lamborghini – Beastie Boys

Brash, loud, distinct, in your face, and awesome. Am I referring to Lamborghini or the Beastie Boys? The answer is yes.

Land Rover - Neil Young

By the ‘90s, Neil Young had been around for decades, evolving his sound while still remaining Neil through and through. Sounds a lot like a Land Rover Defender and Range Rover - always improving in small increments while retaining what people love about them.

Lexus - Hootie & The Blowfish

Hootie and the Blowfish had a smooth, easy to listen to sound. It was the type of music college kids to grandparents could appreciate. Lexus has a similar easy-to-digest mass appeal with a wide demographic of customers.

Lincoln – Eric Clapton

Like Neil Young, Eric Clapton was still around making new music in the ‘90s. He had mellowed with age, producing a great unplugged record, as well as emotionally charged hits like Tears in Heaven. Much like the legendary singer, songwriter, and guitar player, Lincoln has mellowed into a manufacturer of posh, comfort-orientated premium SUVs.

Lucid – The Roots

The Roots, before the Jimmy Fallon days, were a musical group with few contemporaries. The band combined hip-hop with jazz, soul, rock, funk, gospel, and any other styles they felt like. Lucid has the same we’ll do what we want attitude when it comes to the brand’s lineup of vehicles.

Mazda – Tragically Hip

The Tragically Hip are icons in Canada, with great success during the 1990s. Regardless of being fans or not, one would be hard pressed to find a Canadian that’s not aware of the band. Despite enjoying immense success for decades in Canada, the band never really caught on in the United States. Although the parallels aren’t quite as extreme, Mazda continues to enjoy more success in Canada compared to the United States in terms of market share.

Mercedes-Benz – Aerosmith

It’s hard to imagine that a band dating back to the early ‘70s may have had their most success in the early ‘90s. But Aerosmith’s Get a Grip album was packed with high-charting singles and then there was that little hit that came from the movie Armageddon to close out the decade.

Much like the band, Mercedes-Benz has been succeeding at this game a long time and shows no signs of letting up.

MINI - Green Day

Green Day started a modern punk movement in the ‘90s with bands like The Offspring, NOFX, and Rancid. Full of youthful energy, the fast driving, short songs were catchy and fun. MINI is after that same youthful spirit and although the brand has matured a bit over the years, it’s still rambunctious compared to most other car brands.

Mitsubishi - Poison

Massively popular in the past, Poison continued to have some success in the ‘90s but struggled to find a new audience. Mitsubishi is currently in a similar situation with a great Outlander SUV that needs some fresh products to help support it.

Nissan - The Counting Crows

The Counting Crows had a lot of success in the ‘90s. Much like Nissan, not everything was an instant hit, but the ones that did gain popularity ended up being massive anthems. Think of the rogue as Nissan’s Mr. Jones.

Polestar – Björk

Yes, we’re well aware Björk is from Iceland and not Polestar’s home country of Sweden. And yes, we may be over generalizing by lumping northern, cold-climate European countries together. But like the singer, Polestar is unique, has a devote following, and does things differently.

Porsche - Rage Against the Machine

The company that still insists on a halo car with a rear-mounted flat-six engine is not about conformity. That was the mantra for Rage Against the Machine throughout the ‘90s. But as both Porsche and Rage Against the Machine have proven, different can be good. Really, really good.

Ram - Tool

This comparison is partially chosen as a play on words and because there is some correlation. Starting with the former, Ram builds work vehicles – pickup trucks and vans. Those who work need Tools. Right?

As far as the band relates to the brand goes, Tool was an industrial, heavy, loud band with a hardcore following. Ram mirrors many of these aspects, especially the hardcore fans which forced the brand to bring back the sweet-sounding HEMI V8.

Rolls-Royce – Prince

Prince is music royalty. Not just by name, but by talent, aura, and personality. In the 1990s he was still an icon, or even thee icon. What better way to treat royalty than with a Rolls-Royce?

Subaru – Phish

Phish always marched to the beat of their own drum, so to speak. The often-labeled Jam Band, Phish grew a massive cult following of fans around the world who would flock to their concerts, and even follow them on tour. Phish didn’t really care about what other bands were doing. Subaru may be shifting more and more towards the mainstream lately, but the flat-engine, all-wheel-drive-most-things manufacturer still features plenty of quirks.

Tesla – Nickelback

In the 1990s Nickelback were immensely popular and successful, but also despised by many people, rationally or irrationally. If that doesn’t describe Tesla, I don’t know what does. On a side note, did we ever find out what’s on Joeys head?

Toyota – Red Hot Chili Peppers

Successful for well over a decade, the Red Hot Chili Peppers continued to be a dominant music force in the 1990s. Toyota has been an a similar path, being at the top of the brand’s automotive game for a long, long time now.

Volkswagen – Radiohead

Radiohead loved to experiment with different sounds through the ‘90s and achieved massive success. Many bands were influenced, or flat out copied, Radiohead’s sound. Volkswagen has always been a manufacturer not afraid to try something different. The brand got famous for the people’s car (Beetle) and Sambabus. VW turned a small hatchback into a sports car killer, then went heavily into diesels, and more recently got into the EV game early.

Volvo – Ace of Base

Ok, I’m ending with some low-hanging fruit here, picking the Swedish pop group to represent the originally-Swedish car company. It’s been a long article.

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