The '90s (Songs)

To start this off, this is not just a ‘best of’ or ‘most important’ list, this is also a list of my favorite songs that to me, best help to remember the 1990s. It was after all the first full decade in which I was alive, and I would be lying to you if I said I remember each of these songs when they came out and told you about how each one impacted me and the way in which I listen to music today. Instead, I can tell you about how I remember my dad having cassette tapes by Green Day, Nirvana, and Sublime and my mom loving the soundtrack to The Body Guard. I remember watching Stephanie Tanner’s band lose the talent show at the Smash Club because they spent too much time on their looks and not enough time practicing “The Sign” by Ace of Base and the time I watched Outkast on SNICK’s Kenan and Kel or any musical guest for that matter who appeared on All That. Needless to say this list is merely one for memories. I don’t have a staff recalling countless songs and I’m sure I am not doing many artists and genres justice, subsequently this is how I choose to remember the decade. Personally, however, I do think that "All Apologies" is actually the best Nirvana song and one hell of a swan song, but in terms of defining an era and a generation, I know that's not the right choice for this list. Still, it's better. To include as much as possible, I stuck to one song per band/artist. I'm sure there are major tracks missing you can argue about the order all you want and to which I'll say, show me your list. When people stop having ‘80s themed parties and switch to the ‘90s, this is the play list I am hoping to hear.

200.  AMERICAN FOOTBALL | "Never Meant"

199.  THE WHITE STRIPES | "Screwdriver"

198.  MAD SEASON | "River of Deceit"

197.  BUTTHOLE SUFFERS | "Pepper"

196.  HARVEY DANGER | "Flagpole Sitta"

195.  SOUL II SOUL | "Back to Life"

194.  RUPAUL | "Supermodel (You Better Work)"
193.  TORI AMOS | "Silent All These Years"
192.  SWERVEDRIVER | "Duel"

191.  SAVES THE DAY | "Jessie & My Whetstone"

190.  FUN LOVIN' CRIMINALS | "Scooby Snacks"

189.  MINERAL | "Gloria"

188.  THE MOUNTAIN GOATS | "Going to Georgia"

187.  DONNA LEWIS | "I Love You Always Forever"

186.  THE DIXIE CHICKS | "Cowboy Take Me Away"

185.  THE PROMISE RING | "Is This Thing On?"

184.  NATALIE IMBRUGLIA | "Torn"

183.  CORONA | "The Rhythm of the Night"
182.  WILSON PHILLIPS | "Hold On"

181.  BEDHEAD | "Bedside Table"

180.  NOFX | "The Decline"

179.  COOLIO | "Gangsta's Paradise"

178.  L7 | "Pretend That We're Dead"

177.  SPACEHOG | "In the Meantime"
176.  HUM | "Stars"

175.  GODSPEED YOU! BLACK EMPEROR | "Moya"

174.  BIG AUDIO DYNAMITE | "Rush"

173.  TOM PETTY AND THE HEARTBREAKERS | "Learn to Fly"

172.  PALE SAINTS | "Sight of You"

171.  LETTERS TO CLEO | "Here and Now"

170.  4 NON BLONDES | "What's Up?"

169.  MARCY PLAYGROUND | "Sex & Candy"
168.  BEL BIV DEVOE | "Poison"

167.  ARCHERS OF LOAF | "Web In Front"

166.  SOUL ASYLUM | "Runaway Train"

165.  SQUAREPUSHER | "My Red Hot Car"
164.  THE SUNDAYS | "Here's Where the Story Ends"

163.  KMD | "Peachfuzz"

162.  BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN | "Streets of Philadelphia"

161.  ANNIE LENOX | "Walking on Broken Glass"

160.  LIZ PHAIR | "Fuck and Run"
159.  DJ SHADOW | "Midnight in a Perfect World"

158.  STARDUST | "Music Sounds Better With You"

157.  SOULS OF MISCHIEF | "Step To My Girl"

156.  THE DISMEMBERMENT PLAN | "What Do You Want Me To Say?"

155.  PORNO FOR PYROS | "Pets"

154.  THE JESUS LIZARD | "Mouth Breather"

153.  CODIENE | "Cave-in"

152.  RODAN | "Gauge"

151.  BOARDS OF CANADA | "Happy Cycling"

150.  CHAPTERHOUSE | "Pearl"

149.  EN VOUGE | "Free Your Mind"
148.  BLINK 182 | "Dammit"

147.  CELINE DION | "It's All Coming Back to Me Now"
146.  PJ HARVEY | "Down By the Water"

145.  CECE PENNISTON | "Finally"

144.  QUAD CITY DJS | "C'mon Ride It (The Train)"

143.  CAKE | "The Distance"

142.  ACE OF BASE | "The Sign"

141.  SPICE GIRLS | "Wannabe"

140.  MARK MORRISON | "Return of the Mack"

139.  TORTOISE | "Djed"

138.  GALAXIE 500 | "Fourth of July"

137.  NO DOUBT | "Spiderwebs"

136.  CORNELIUS | "Mic Check"

135.  GUIDED BY VOICES | "I am a Scientist"

134.  RANCID | "Ruby SoHo"

133.  OMC | "How Bizarre" 

132.  NEW ORDER | "Regret"
131.  BRIAN ENO / JOHN CALE | "Spinning Away"

130.  COWBOY JUNKIES | "Sweet Jane"

129.  THE PHARCYDE | "Passin' Me By"

128.  BUSH | "Glycerine"

127.  THE LEMONHEADS | "Mrs. Robinson"

126.  THE GIN BLOSSOMS | "Hey Jealousy"

125.  OL' DIRTY BASTARD | "Shimmy Shimmy Ya"

124.  BLUR | "Country House"

123.  THE PRODIGY | "Smack My Bitch Up"

122.  NICK CAVE AND THE BAD SEEDS | "Red Right Hand"

121.  SNEAKER PIMPS | "6 Underground"

120.  LUNIZ | "I Got 5 On It"

119.  EVERYTHING BUT THE GIRL | "Missing" (Todd Terry Remix)  

118.  BOYZ II MEN | "End of the Road"

117.  GARBAGE | "Only Happy When It Rains"

116.  THE MIGHTY MIGHTY BOSSTONES | "The Impression That I Get"

115.  THE GET-UP KIDS | "Ten Minutes"

114.  STONE TEMPLE PILOTS | "Interstate Love Song"

113.  APHEX TWIN | "Boy/Girl Song"

112.  BLACKSTREET | "No Diggity"

111.  GZA/GENIUS | "Shadowboxin'" (ft Method Man)

110.  GHOST TOWN DJS | "My Boo"

109.  SLEATER-KINNEY | "Call the Doctor"

108.  EMINEM | "My Name Is"

107.  THE OFFSPRING | "Come Out and Play"

106.  RAEKWON | "Ice Cream" (ft Ghostface Killah, Method Man, Cappadonna)

105.  BELLE AND SEBASTIAN | "Stars of Track and Field"

104.  GETO BOYS | "Damn It Feels Good to Be a Gangsta"

103.  THE CHEMICAL BROTHERS | "Setting Sun"

102.  WARREN G / NATE DOGG | "Regulate"

101.  ROBYN S | "Show Me Love"

100.  JUVENILE | "Back that Azz Up" (ft Lil Wayne)
099.  METALLICA | "Enter Sandman"
098.  TRACY CHAPMAN | "Give Me One Reason"
097.  ALICE IN CHAINS | "The Rooster"
096.  NEIL YOUNG | "Harvest Moon"
095.  BONE THUGS-N-HARMONY | "Tha Crossroads"
094.  TEMPLE OF THE DOG | "Hunger Strike"
093.  BRITNEY SPEARS | "...Baby One More Time"
092.  GEORGE MICHAEL | "Freedom! '90"
091.  SINÉAD O'CONNOR | "Nothing Compares 2 U"

090.  AIR | "Sexy Boy"
089.  SUNNY DAY REAL ESTATE | "In Circles"
088.  DEPECHE MODE | "Enjoy the Silence!"
087.  BRANDY AND MONICA | "The Boy is Mine"
086.  SNOOP DOGG | "Gin and Juice"
085.  YO LA TENGO | "Autumn Sweater"
084.  CHER | "Believe"
083.  GUNS N ROSES | "November Rain"
082.  VERUCA SALT | "Seether"
081.  BLIND MELON | "No Rain"

080.  SHANIA TWAIN | "Man! I Feel Like a Woman"
079.  THE RED HOT CHILI PEPPERS | "Under the Bridge"
078.  2PAC | "California Love" (ft Dr. Dre)
077.  GINUWINE | "Pony"
076.  BUILT TO SPILL | "Carry The Zero"
075.  JANE'S ADDICTION | "Been Caught Stealin'"
074.  THE AFGHAN WHIGS | "Debonair"
073.  THE LA'S | "There She Goes"
072.  MOGWAI | "Mogwai Fear Satan"
071.  DESTINY'S CHILD | "Say My Name"

070.  LEN | "Steal My Sunshine"
069.  NEW RADICALS | "You Get What You Give"
068.  THE CARDIGANS | "Lovefool"
067.  THE VERVE | "Bittersweet Symphony"
066.  RIDE | "Vapour Trail"
065.  ROBYN | "Show Me Love"
064.  JANET JACKSON | "Together Again"
063.  WHITNEY HOUSTON | "It's Not Right But It's Okay"
062.  FATBOY SLIM | "Praise You"
061.  SILVER JEWS | "Random Rules"

060.  THE FUGEES | "Ready or Not"
059.  WILCO | "Via Chicago"
058.  DEEE-LITE | "Groove is in the Heart"
057.  AALIYAH | "One in a Million"
056.  THE COCTEAU TWINS | "Heaven or Las Vegas"
055.  HOLE | "Violet"
054.  SLOWDIVE | "Alison"
053.  SONIC YOUTH | "Bull in the Heather"
052.  PEARL JAM | "Yellow Ledbetter"
051.  STEREOLAB| "La Boob Oscillator"

050.  SMOG | "Cold Blooded Old Times"
049.  SLINT | "Good Morning, Captain"
048.  THE FLAMING LIPS | "She Don't Use Jelly"
047.  PIXIES | "Velouria"
046.  OASIS | "Don't Look Back in Anger"
045.  R.E.M. | "Nightswimming"
044.  DINOSAUR JR. | "The Wagon"
043.  SOUNDGARDEN | "My Wave"
042.  REFUSED | "New Noise"
041.  MODEST MOUSE | "Trailer Trash"

040.  DAFT PUNK | "Around the World"
039.  DIGABLE PLANETS | "Rebirth of Slick (Cool Like That)"
038.  DR. DRE | "Nuthin' But a 'G' Thang" (ft Snoop Dogg)
037.  RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE | "Killing in the Name"
036.  JAY-Z | "Hard Knock Life (Ghetto Anthem)"
035.  THE BETA BAND | "Dry the Rain"
034.  TLC | "Waterfalls"
033.  SELENA | "Dreaming of You"
032.  MISSY ELLIOTT | "The Rain (Supa Dupa Fly)"
031.  ALANIS MORISSETTE | "Ironic"

030.  FIONA APPLE | "Criminal" 
029.  ELLIOTT SMITH | "Rose Parade"
028.  MAZZY STAR | "Fade Into You"
027.  MADONNA | "Vogue"
026.  MASSIVE ATTACK | "Teardrop"
025.  NINE INCH NAILS | "Closer"
024.  WEEZER | "Only in Dreams"
023.  MY BLOODY VALENTINE | "Soon"
022.  A TRIBE CALLED QUEST | "Can I Kick It?"
021.  GREEN DAY | "Basket Case"

020.  BIKINI KILL | "Rebel Girl"
019.  THE CURE | "Friday I'm in Love"
018.  THE BREEDERS | "Cannonball"
017.  LAURYN HILL | "Doo Wop (That Thing)"
016.  WU-TANG CLAN | "C.R.E.A.M."
015.  PULP | "Common People"
014.  OUTKAST| "Rosa Parks"
013.  PORTISHEAD | "Sour Times"
012.  PAVEMENT | "Gold Soundz"
011.  BECK | "Loser"

010. BEASTIE BOYS | "Sabotage"
009. MARIAH CAREY | "Fantasy"
008. BJÖRK | "Hyperballad"
007. THE CRANBERRIES | "Dreams"
006. FOO FIGHTERS | "Everlong"
005. THE NOTORIOUS B.I.G. | "Juicy"
004. THE SMASHING PUMPKINS | "1979"
003. RADIOHEAD | "Paranoid Android"

002. NEUTRAL MILK HOTEL | "Holland, 1945"
001. NIRVANA | "Smells Like Teen Spirit"