VH1 is airing a "100 Greatest Songs of the ’90s" countdown on Dec. 17, but as PopWatch reader Jason Englisbe points out, you can vote now for your top 10 choices here. Sadly, you’re limited to VH1’s preselected pool of tunes, which includes no more than one song by any artist. If you like any Nirvana songs besides "Smells Like Teen Spirit," any Beck songs besides "Loser," any Radiohead songs besides "Creep," any Tupac songs besides "California Love," and any country songs besides Shania Twain’s "You’re Still the One" and Billy Ray Cyrus’ "Achy Breaky Heart," then you’re out of luck. Also, nothing here by such ’90s stalwarts as Juliana Hatfield (pictured), Tori Amos, Pavement, Morphine, Bjork, or the Fugees (though Lauryn Hill is here). And even though this is VH1, classic-rockers who had major successes in the ’90s (Eric Clapton, Neil Young, Bob Dylan) aren’t here either.
Here are five songs I wish were on this list:
• The Verve: "Bittersweet Symphony"
• Lemonheads: "It’s a Shame About Ray"
• Teenage Fanclub: "The Concept"
• Matthew Sweet: "Divine Intervention"
• Letters to Cleo: "Here and Now"
Your turn: You can pick only ’90s songs that aren’t on VH1’s list.
Comments (1-30) of 129 Add your comment
No mention of “Laid” by James? “You Always Get What You Give” by New Radicals?
Sigh. The songs are super mainstream and, in some cases, totally generic. It’s more of a “biggest hit” list than a truly “best songs” compilation. Billy Ray? Really?
Horrod list. I am not even a big Verve fan and I know the love for Bittersweet Symphony. Also, every Radiohead fan knows that the band is far superior post-Creep.
And where is the Coolio?
“Please” by Chris Isaak. 1998
Whether or not the songs are ‘good’ is of little significance here. I hate ‘My heart will go on’ just like everyone else, but the first time I heard it I thought it was a fine song. Achy-breaky is the same. Fun song at first, but then after the millionth time…arrgggg!
A lot of the songs on this list aren’t really about being good, it’s more about sales.
Been a while since I’ve posted on PW. Anywho, my Top 5 Best Songs of the 90s:
“I Want It That Way”, Backstreet Boys
“Poison”, Bell Div DeVoe
“Always Be My Baby”, Mariah Carey
“Bombs Over Baghdad”, OutKast
“Mo’ Money, Mo’ Problems”, Notorious B.I.G.
Those are the songs that stood out to me in the ’90s.
I forgot one more:
“Don’t Speak”, No Doubt.
Where the the real rock contingent.
Some “Mama, I’m Coming Home” by Ozzy,
“Sweating Bullets” by Megadeth
Shawn Colvin Sunny Came Home
Tori Amos Cornflake Girl
En Vogue Hold On
It’s interesting that no artist has more than one song on the chart…
Here’s my five:
1. The Sign – Ace of Base (#1 song of 1994!?!)
2. Let’s Talk About Sex – Salt-N-Pepa
3. Ray of Light – Madonna
4. Don’t Speak – No Doubt
5. Hero – Mariah Carey
The Fugees are in there: “Killing Me Softly”
i second the ace of base love. i’d also add:
1) robyn’s “show me love” and/or “do you know what it takes to love me.”
2) skee lo “i wish”
3) boyz II men “motown philly”
4) spice girls “wannabe”
5) natalie imbruglia “torn”
“Hey Jealousy” by Gin Blossoms.
“Hold On” by Wilson Phillips.
“Vision of Love” by Mariah Carey (back when she looked like a normal girl)
I think I would trade out your Divine Intervention for some Gilfriend on Matthew Sweet — since it is the perfect pop song =). I would add: Michael Penn — No Myth
James — Laid
New Radicals — Get What You Give
Paul Westerberg — Dyslexic Heart (Not popular but oh so good!)
BBD- Poison
De la Soul- Me, Myself, and I
NWA- Straight Outta Compton
Lisa Stansfield- Been Around the World
Boyz II Men- Motownphilly
ABC- Iesha
Kris Kross- Jump
Naughty By Nature- OPP
and here’s a longshot- Tribe Called Quest either Check the Rhyme or Scenario
I hope no one minds if I frame “the 90s” in emotional/political terms, i.e. from the fall of the Berlin Wall to September 11th – that way, songs like The Stone Roses’ “Fool’s Gold” and “I Want To Be Adored,” or The Las’ “There She Goes” can be counted.
In any case, that decade for me was framed by the overwhelming beauty of shoegazer and the angular crankiness of indie rock. Having grown out of most of it, I still have to respect it.
Black Metallic – Catherine Wheel
Only Shallow – My Bloody Valentine
Connection – Elastica
Cut Your Hair – Pavement
Good Morning, Captain – Slint
…and last, but not least, the best song of the 90s…
Lucky – Radiohead
the self-titled Marcy Playground CD is by far, one of my favorite CD’s of my high school career.
every song on there should be on this list.
I realize it’s not a top-40 genre, but where’s the alt-country? How about Old 97s (Time Bomb) or Jayhawks (Waiting for the Sun), or Son Volt (Drown)… If the goal is to capture the BEST singles, then I think this group is too influenced by which singles sold the most records
Ray of Light
Madonna [1998]
Santa Monica
Everclear [1995]
I Don’t Want to Miss a Thing
Aerosmith [1998]
Stupid Girl
Garbage [1995]
Where It’s At
Beck [1996]
Heart Shaped Box
Nirvana [1993]
When I Come Around
Green Day [1994]
Harvest Moon
Neil Young [1992]
Say Yes
Elliott Smith [1997]
Firestarter
The Prodigy [1996]
Constant Craving
k.d. lang [1992]
Song 2
Blur [1997]
Block Rockin’ Beats
Chemical Brothers [1997]
Malibu
Hole [1998]
Rump shaker
Wreckz-N-Effect [1992]
Ordinary World
Duran Duran [1993]
Gin & Juice
Snoop Dogg [1993]
Daughter
Pearl Jam [1993]
“All Apologies”
Nirvana [1994]
Drinkin in LA
Bran Van 3000 [1998]
Big Head Todd and the Monsters: Broken Hearted Savior
Mighty mighty Bosstones:
The Impression that I Get
Elliot Smith:
Waltz #2
Paul Westerberg:
Dyslexic Heart
No Dave Matthews?
But they have Gerardo with Rico Suave???
Yeah! That’s a well thought out list.
In Liverpool – Suzanne Vega
Please – Chris Isaak
Wonderful – Adam Ant
Wise Up – Aimee Mann
Secret Garden – Bruce Springsteen
Work It Out – Def Leppard
I Touch Myself – Divinyls
Save Tonight – Eagle Eye Cherry
Why – Annie Lenox
Welcome to Paradise – Green Day
Constant Craving – k.d. lang
Wonder – Natalie Merchant
Cuts You Up – Peter Murphy
Fields of Gold – Sting and/or Eva Cassidy
One Headlight – The Wallflowers
Birdhouse in Your Soul – They Might Be Giants
Yeah, songs were left out, but what songs would you take off their list? I think most of them are good representatives for the 90s.
I didn’t bother to look at their list, but here’s 10 songs that I would like to put on there:
Award Tour – A Tribe Called Quest
Game of Pricks – Guided by Voices
Gold Soundz – Pavement
Changes – Sugar
Rosa Parks – Outkast
My Brother Is A Basehead – De La Soul
Shut The Door – Fugazi
Dead Presidents – Jay-Z
Vapour Trail – Ride
Come Together – Primal Scream
“Wonderwall” – Oasis
“Gangstas Paradise”- Coolio
“Comedown” – Bush
“Ants Marching”- Dave Matthews Band
“Hard to Handle” – Black Crowes
“What I Got” – Sublime
“Killing Me Softly”- Fugees
“I’ll Make Love To You” Boyz ll Men
“What’s Up?” 4 Non Blondes
“Good” – Better Than Ezra
“Wannabe” – Spice Girls
…just to name a few
“Nobody Knows” Tony rich project
always makes me cry
I can’t believe the Macarene is there…Anyway here is my top 5:
Salt’n Pepa “Push it”
George Micheal “Freedom”
The Verve “Bittersweet Symphony”
Fatboy Slim “Rockafeller Skank”
Madonna “Ray of Light”
Catherine, Push It is not 90’s it came out 1987 or 88
Sorry my mistake…
First and foremost, where in the sweet hell are They Might Be Giants?
Secondly, I think VH1 is either updating their list, or we’re all getting seperate ones, I had both the Fugees and The New Radicals on mine.
where are all my cheesey 90’s mtv fav bands?
the proclaimers, toad the wet sprocket, faith no more, des’ree
where is the britpop?
blur, massive attack, elastica
Ah, the 90’s the last decade when I knew all of the songs on the top 40 every year. Here’s my five, with a comment:
1) Mariah Carey Fantasy–Normally the best songs on MC’s CDs are not the singles, but this was the exception. Makes me feel good every time I hear it.
2)Nirvana–All Apologies–Love the line: I wish I was like you/Easily amused. Great song.
3)Michael Jackson–Jam. Yep, at the beginning of the 90’s, most people thought of Michael as a very talented if slightly wierd star. This gem is a great reminder…
4)Guns N’Roses–You Could be Mine. And at the beginning of the 90’s, GNR was going to be the new Led Zep. Too bad. This was supposed to be on Appetite for Destruction, but it got pushed back. Axl really screams this one.
5)Len–Steal my Sunshine. The best guilty pleasure song of the decade; came out at the end.