Counting Crows and Augustana perform “Rain King” with the most interesting introduction to date.
Hey, kids, remember the ’90s? It was a magical decade. The series of tubes which would become America’s Super Highway to Pornography were just being laid. Netscape, a company that would go on to defeat Microsoft in the browser wars became the greatest economic force the world would ever know, forcing other software giants into a dark slumber and the eventual murder/suicide pact of Bill Gates and Steve Jobs.
Meanwhile, “Titanic” was embraced by critics but shunned by young women everywhere, grossing a mere four dollars at the box office. America was captivated by TV’s Marcel, David Schwimmer’s stand-in on “Friends.” TV network juggernaut UPN stunned the world with “The Secret Diary of Desmond Pfeiffer,” a show so successful that ratings for its series finale rivaled those of M*A*S*H. Also, some music happened:
Top 5 more-or-less successful musical partnerships of the 1990s
1. “6th Avenue Heartache,” The Wallflowers (backing vocals by Adam Duritz of Counting Crows)
2. “Hold My Hand,” Hootie and the Blowfish (backing vocals by David Crosby)
3. “What Would You Say,” Dave Matthews Band (harmonica solo by John Popper of Blues Traveler)
4. “Past The Mission,” Tori Amos (backing vocals by Trent Reznor of Nine Inch Nails)
5. “‘Til I Hear It From You,” Gin Blossoms (produced by Marshall “Power Pop Darling” Crenshaw)
Top 5 more-or-less successful musical partnerships of the 1990s
If you happen to live in the northeast U.S., you may have noticed the near-constant rain we’ve endured for the past 40 days and nights. Maybe you’re tired of watching the endless parade of animals, lined two-by-two, marching up the ramp into that big, wooden ark-like-thing. Maybe you just want to lean your head against the window pane as raindrops rapt softly against the glass and weep silently to yourself over lost love or your seasonal affective disorder. At any rate, theFiver is only too happy to provide the soundtrack as we count the:

1. “Most of the Time,” Bob Dylan
Dylan has released a more uptempo version that sounds more like his earlier works, but for this list we’re referring to the version off the High Fidelity soundtrack. With one of the saddest bass lines this side of “The Only Living Boy In New York,” it’s as dreary as the overcast skies.
2. “Runaway,” Del Shannon
It’s fun, but it’s got an edge. Lines like “I’m a-walkin’ in the rain/tears are fallin’ and I feel the pain” offer an interesting contrast to what could have been just another oldies novelty song.
3. “November Rain,” Guns N’ Roses
A romantic, if drizzly, ballad gives way to a storm of emotion somewhere around the 7-minute mark.
4. “Raining In Baltimore,” Counting Crows
Even without the lyrics, the dirge-like piano evokes nothing but the rain.
5. “Battleflag “(Lo-Fidelity Allstars Remix),” Pigeonhed
Why sit inside and mope when you can run around in the rain, reenacting a scene from the shitty Sandra Bullock/Ben Affleck romantic comedy “Forces of Nature”?
Runners up: “Lightning Crashes,” Live; “Two Out Of Three Ain’t Bad,” Meat Loaf; “All Good Things,” The Weepies; “6th Avenue Heartache,” The Wallflowers; “Wish You Were Here,” Pink Floyd. Not even close: “I’m Only Happy When It Rains,” Garbage; “I Love A Rainy Night,” Eddie Rabbitt.
What tunes should rain down on you?
Remember when you could pick up an album by Counting Crows and be reasonably sure it wasn’t going to suck? It seems like a long time ago, but I assure you, such a time did exist. The now-independant band may be revisiting that bygone era with the release of the band performing August and Everything After, recorded in 2007 in New York. Meanwhile, the band has run away and joined the circus.