Sep 7 2007 12:00 PM ET

The best songs of the '90s

Categories: Music, Television

Hatfield_lVH1 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

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  • Beth

    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?

  • Brian

    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?

  • JillS

    “Please” by Chris Isaak. 1998

  • FLIPPER

    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.

  • Vivi

    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.

  • Vivi

    I forgot one more:
    “Don’t Speak”, No Doubt.

  • BigA

    Where the the real rock contingent.
    Some “Mama, I’m Coming Home” by Ozzy,
    “Sweating Bullets” by Megadeth

  • Alexis

    Shawn Colvin Sunny Came Home
    Tori Amos Cornflake Girl
    En Vogue Hold On

  • beb

    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

  • Anonymous

    The Fugees are in there: “Killing Me Softly”

  • NineDaves

    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”

  • Jill

    “Hey Jealousy” by Gin Blossoms.
    “Hold On” by Wilson Phillips.
    “Vision of Love” by Mariah Carey (back when she looked like a normal girl)

  • Hick

    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!)

  • fluff daddy

    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

  • flightjacket

    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

  • marykate

    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.

  • Traci

    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

  • castlenes

    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]

  • Chuck

    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.

  • Broadway Baby

    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

  • Jason

    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.

  • Stevey Majors

    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

  • Rae Rae

    “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

  • ita

    “Nobody Knows” Tony rich project
    always makes me cry

  • Catherine

    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”

  • Anonymous

    Catherine, Push It is not 90’s it came out 1987 or 88

  • Catherine

    Sorry my mistake…

  • Miles

    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.

  • gene gene

    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

  • Joe C

    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.

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