The Top 200 Songs of the 1990s (according to Issun, no repeats)

[Issun]

Stabbing Westward was the natural extension of NIN's brand of industrial tinged alt rock, and is kind of a step towards the emo/scene wave of the mid aughts. Besides all that, #138 "Save Yourself" just flat-out rocks.

 

[Issun]

The entirety of Luscious Jackson's Fever In Fever Out album is some of the smoothest music you will ever listen to, but #137 "Why Do I Lie?" is my favorite from the record.

 

[WildcatJF]

Mine as well!

 

[Issun]

Most people only know Joan Osborne for "What If God Was One Of Us?", so one could be forgiven for not knowing that she also put out some rockers as well, like #136 "Right Hand Man".

 

[Issun]

The latter half of the decade saw a lot of bands cribbing from Nirvana and Pearl Jam, sure, but Alice in Chains also had a massive influence on bands, as seen here with #135 Oleander's "Why I'm Here".

 

[Issun]

Tori Amos is wonderfully strange, but fun and interesting at the same time. Her hit single #134 "God" is both sonically and lyrically wonderful.

 

[Issun]

There are a LOT of R.E.M. songs to choose from, but I went with #133 "Leave". I know this song isn't everyone's cup of tea. It probably helps that the first time I heard the song was during a certain scene in the movie A Life Less Ordinary, so that connection made me really like it.

 

[WildcatJF]

Yeah narrowing REM down to just one song for the whole decade is a tough one. "Leave" is a favorite of mine, but I'm inclined to say "Bittersweet Me" or "Strange Currencies" would be mine, even if the popular choice would be "Losing My Religion".

 

[Torzelbaum]

Yeah narrowing REM down to just one song for the whole decade is a tough one. "Leave" is a favorite of mine, but I'm inclined to say "Bittersweet Me" or "Strange Currencies" would be mine, even if the popular choice would be "Losing My Religion".

Would "Everybody Hurts" be the runner-up there?

 

[WildcatJF]

Popularity wise, probably. Man on the Moon or What's the Frequency Kenneth? are contenders, too.

 

[Issun]

Kenneth is my runner-up for favorite R.E.M. song.

Anyways, today we have Missy Elliot's debut single #132 "The Rain (Supa Dupa Fly)". It's always been a favorite of mine, and who can forget the era of Hype Williams fisheye lens in rap videos?

 

[Torzelbaum]

Popularity wise, probably. Man on the Moon or What's the Frequency Kenneth? are contenders, too.

Oh, yeah. I had forgotten about those two.

 

[Issun]

Monster Magnet is a band that often gets lost in the shuffle when talking about 90s rock, but their one truly big hit, #131 "Space Lord" is somewhat well known. Pretty fun to sing along to, as well.

 

[Issun]

#130 "Genie in a Bottle" scandalized parents back in the day what with Christina Aguilera talking about being rubbed the right way, but on top of being a certified banger it's also about how consent is sexy.

 

[Issun]

#129 "Connected" by Stereo MCs

I wanna do it again

 

[Issun]

311 was one of the bands that got in on the ground floor of the rap/rock hybrid machine that would dominate the turn of the century, and #128 "Down" was their introduction.

 

[Issun]

The late 90s had some interesting musical fads, like in 1997 when Gregorian chants were really big. Celtic music also got pretty big, and none bigger than Loreena McKennit, whose #127 "The Mummer's Dance" was getting airplay on radio alongside Blink 182 and Green Day. Helps that it's a really good song.

 

[Eishtmo]

The 90s had such an wild mix of musical styles that got lots of radio play. Still surprises me even having lived through it.

 

[Issun]

#126 So get up up and get down "911 Is A Joke" in your town

 

[Issun]

#125 It took me a very long time to get into Foo Fighters. One might even say an "Everlong" time. But now I like them and actually giving this song a chance is a big part of the reason why.

 

[Issun]

There are some artists whose biggest hits are not at all reflective of their larger body of work, and Fiona Apple is one such case. Both Criminal and #124 "Sleep to Dream" are pretty rockin', but the majority of her music is closer to jazz. I'll admit it was a surprise to me the first time I listened through Tidal.

 

[Issun]

Counting Crows is a divisive band, largely because of Adam Duritz's vocals, and honestly they've been hit or miss for me, but #123 "A Long December" has such a wistful melancholy that hits just right that I listen to it every New Year's Eve.

 

[Issun]

You were probably all wondering if #122 "Tubthumping" by Chumbawumba was going to be on here. Well wonder no longer, and sing along, won't you?

 

[Issun]

It's a tribute to The Breeders that, even over three decades later, #121 "Cannonball" sounds as fresh and original now as it did then.

 

[Issun]

Yeah, Hootie and the Blowfish has become synonymous with dad rock but their debut, Cracked Rear View, was a pretty good album, and #120 "Let Her Cry" is their best song, I think.

 

[Issun]

Lisa Loeb was most famous for "Stay", which got a big boost from being on the Reality Bites soundtrack, but my preferred track of hers is #119 "I Do".

 

[Issun]

Oasis's most well-known song is easily Wonderwall, but I tend to prefer their debut single, #118 "Live Forever" myself.

 

[Issun]

Queen Latifah was already an icon by the time her Black Reign album came out in 1993, yet her most iconic song, #117 "U.N.I.T.Y." was on that album. The late 80s hip hop beat and funky fresh horns, along with her smooth flow and feminist message in an increasingly misogynistic (at the time) genre combine to make a rap classic.

 

[Issun]

#116 "Santa Monica" by Everclear

 

[Issun]

The Bloodhound Gang was a band that made their hay off of being incredibly crude and juvenile, while also having pretty clever wordplay in their lyrics. I would also guess that, for many people just a few years younger than myself, their CDs were the ones you wanted while praying that your parents never found out what was on them. This one was tough because I really like Fire, Water, Burn, but in the end I had to give it to #115 "The Bad Touch". It's one of those songs where everyone knows the chorus even if they haven't heard of the band.