Freedy Johnston - Bad Reputation

What this video is

Released in 1994 on Elektra Records as the lead single from 'This Perfect World' — Freedy Johnston's major-label debut produced by Butch Vig — 'Bad Reputation' arrived at the intersection of the alt-rock boom and a renewed critical appetite for melodic, lyrically sophisticated singer-songwriters. Rolling Stone named Johnston 'Songwriter of the Year' for 1994, and the song charted for 12 weeks on the Billboard Hot…

Why it matters

A defining artifact of the early-90s Americana-inflected indie singer-songwriter crossover: Johnston's literate, character-driven songwriting bridged the college-radio underground with mainstream alt-rock, earning sustained critical praise from Rolling Stone, Spin, The New York Times, and Musician…