"Write Your Own Song" by Matthew Sweet

Lincoln, Nebraska is not known as a hotbed for power pop musical talent, but Matthew Sweet defied the odds. While in Athens for college, Sweet started making inroads with the music scene, and by the late 80s had two solid albums under his belt that went nowhere.

For the 90s, he ditched the dated 80s sounds and retooled his music to jive more with the times. He kept his trademark harmonies and welcoming lyrics and started getting lots of airplay with "Girlfriend," the title track to his 1991 breakthrough album. The song didn't crack the Top 100, nor did the excellent "I've Been Waiting," but it started making people notice.

Unfortunately, his follow-up album didn't do so well, and outside of "Time Capsule," many people won't remember it. Then came his masterpiece, "100% Fun," propelled by the awesome "Sick Of Myself." This is the song that finally put Sweet on the charts, clocking in at #58 in 1995. Strangely, the equally excellent "We're The Same" bubbled under the chart, leaving Sweet to be a one-hit wonder.

Sweet has quietly cranked out a ton of material since, both as a solo artist and as a member of The Thorns. He's also done a popular series of duet covers with Susanna Hoffs (The Bangles).

"Write Your Own Song" is a deep cut from his overlooked 1999 album called "In Reverse."