“Lithium” was released by Nirvana in 1991 on their landmark album Nevermind. The song is built around a stark contrast between subdued, almost fragile verses and explosive, distorted choruses, a dynamic that became one of Nirvana’s signature techniques. Its steady tempo and shifting intensity mirror the emotional instability at the heart of the track. Written by Kurt Cobain, the lyrics explore themes of mental health, isolation, and emotional survival, following a narrator who turns to religion

“No Surprises” was released by Radiohead in 1997 as part of their landmark album OK Computer. Musically gentle and deceptively simple, the song is built around a chiming glockenspiel melody, soft guitar, and a steady, lullaby-like rhythm that contrasts sharply with its bleak emotional core. Written primarily by Thom Yorke, the lyrics explore emotional exhaustion, modern alienation, and the desire for a quiet, painless escape from pressure and routine. Lines about “no alarms and no surprises” ref