When you think about the best decade of music, you might immediately think the 60s or 70s. Some may argue it was the 80s or 90s. I was pretty sure the best decade of music was the 2000s, but now I’m convinced it was the 1990s.
This started as a top 10 list of 90s music, which was really hard because of all the different sounds during this era. Expanding the list to a top 100 was poised to be my most ambitious list yet. Turns out, my love for music and making lists made this a simple task. In the end, I decided to rank them using an online ranking generator allowing me to compare songs 2 by 2. I input my list of 110 songs into the ranking generator and did over 400 comparisons. The end results were very surprising.
The rules for this list, made up be me:
– No repeats for main attributed artist (e.g. Michael Jackson & Janet Jackson – Scream counts as an entry for both of them)
– No covers, original recordings only (e.g. Whitney Houston – I’m Every Woman originally recorded by Chaka Khan in 1978, not eligible)
– Must have been released as a single or on an album after December 31, 1989 and before January 1, 2000
– No complications, best of, or greatest hits releases apply
For your and my listening pleasure, I’ve created this list as both an Apple Music and Spotify playlist (see below)
The top 100 list is below in order based on my opinion, and because I’m me, there are 10 honorable mentions afterwards!
Did your favorite 90s song make the list?
Artist | Title | Year | Rank |
Lauryn Hill | Doo Wop (That Thing) | 1998 | 1 |
Bone Thugs -n- Harmony | Tha Crossroads | 1995 | 2 |
Usher | You Make Me Wanna... | 1997 | 3 |
Michael Jackson & Janet Jackson | Scream | 1995 | 4 |
Whitney Houston | I Have Nothing | 1992 | 5 |
2Pac | Changes | 1998 | 6 |
Luniz | I Got 5 On It | 1995 | 7 |
Boyz II Men | End of the Road | 1991 | 8 |
Big Pun | Still Not a Playa (feat. Joe) | 1998 | 9 |
Sublime | What I Got | 1996 | 10 |
Mariah Carey | Fantasy | 1997 | 11 |
Hanson | MMMBop | 1997 | 12 |
TLC | Waterfalls | 1994 | 13 |
Aaliyah | Are You That Somebody? * | 1998 | 14 |
Alanis Morisette | You Oughta Know | 1998 | 15 |
Hootie & The Blowfish | Hold My Hand | 1994 | 16 |
Warren G & Nate Dogg | Regulate | 1994 | 17 |
Dr. Dre | The Next Episode (feat. Snopp Dogg) | 1999 | 18 |
Snopp Dogg | Who Am I (What's My Name)? | 1993 | 19 |
Kci & JoJo | All My Life | 1997 | 20 |
Blackstreet | No Diggity (feat. Dr. Dre & Queen Pen) | 1996 | 21 |
No Doubt | Spiderwebs | 1995 | 22 |
Alice in Chains | Rooster | 1992 | 23 |
T.Q. | Westside | 1998 | 24 |
Ice Cube | It Was a Good Day | 1992 | 25 |
Outkast | Rosa Parks | 1998 | 26 |
Blues Traveler | Run-Around | 1994 | 27 |
The Notorious B.I.G. | Mo Money and Mo Problems (feat. Mase & Puff Daddy) | 1997 | 28 |
Matchbox 20 | 3 am | 1996 | 29 |
Ginuwine | Pony | 1996 | 30 |
311 | Down | 1995 | 31 |
Ma$e | Feels So Good | 1997 | 32 |
Rage Against the Machine | Bulls On Parade | 1996 | 33 |
Do or Die | Po Pimp | 1996 | 34 |
Soundgarden | Black Hole Sun | 1994 | 35 |
Destiny's Child | Bug a Boo | 1999 | 36 |
*NSYNC | Tearin' Up My Heart | 1997 | 37 |
Jay-Z | Big Pimpin' (feat. UGK) | 1999 | 38 |
Salt-N-Pepa | Shoop | 1993 | 39 |
The Presidents of the United States of America | Peaches | 1995 | 40 |
Beastie Boys | Intergalactic | 1998 | 41 |
Eminem | My Name Is | 1999 | 42 |
Green Day | Basket Case | 1994 | 43 |
Ini Kamoze | Here Comes The Hotstepper | 1994 | 44 |
Barenaked Ladies | One Week | 1998 | 45 |
Juvenile | Ha | 1998 | 46 |
Bush | Comedown | 1994 | 47 |
Everlast | What It's Like | 1994 | 48 |
Puff Daddy | I'll Be Missing You (feat. Faith Evans & 112) | 1997 | 49 |
The Smashing Pumpkins | 1979 | 1995 | 50 |
Third Eye Blind | Jumper | 1997 | 51 |
Red Hot Chili Peppers | Under the Bridge | 1991 | 52 |
The Cranberries | Zombie | 1994 | 53 |
Spice Girls | Wannabe | 1996 | 54 |
The Goo Goo Dolls | Iris | 1998 | 55 |
Next | Too Close | 1997 | 56 |
Keith Sweat | Nobody (feat. Athena Cage) | 1996 | 57 |
Montell Jordan | This Is How We Do It | 1995 | 58 |
DMX | Party Up (Up In Here) | 1999 | 59 |
Metallica | Enter Sandman | 1991 | 60 |
Backstreet Boys | I Want It That Way | 1999 | 61 |
Wu-Tang Clan | C.R.E.A.M. | 1993 | 62 |
Sugar Ray | Fly (feat. Super Cat) | 1997 | 63 |
Lenny Kravitz | Fly Away | 1998 | 64 |
Master P | Make 'Em Say Ugh | 1997 | 65 |
Aerosmith | Crazy | 1993 | 66 |
Mark Morrison | Return of the Mack | 1996 | 67 |
Brandy | Sittin' Up In My Room | 1995 | 68 |
The Chemical Brothers | Block Rockin' Beats | 1997 | 69 |
"Weird Al" Yankovic | Amish Paradise | 1996 | 70 |
Color Me Badd | I Wann Sex You Up | 1991 | 71 |
Radiohead | Creep | 1996 | 72 |
Kid Rock | Cowboy | 1998 | 73 |
Will Smith | Gettin' Jiggy Wit It | 1997 | 74 |
Ol' Dirty Bastard | Got Your Money (feat. Kelis) | 1999 | 75 |
En Vogue | Free Your Mind | 1992 | 76 |
Marcy Playground | Sex & Candy | 1997 | 77 |
Naughty By Nature | O.P.P | 1991 | 78 |
Crazy Town | Buttefly | 1999 | 79 |
Jamiroquai | Virtual Insanity | 1996 | 80 |
The (Dixie) Chicks | Wide Open Spaces | 1998 | 81 |
Robyn | Show Me Love | 1995 | 82 |
Ace of Base | The Sign | 1993 | 83 |
Oasis | Wonderwall | 1995 | 84 |
The Mighty Mighty Bosstones | The Impression That I Get | 1997 | 85 |
The Tony Rich Project | Nobody Knows | 1995 | 86 |
SWV | Weak | 1992 | 87 |
Sisqo | Thong Song | 1999 | 88 |
702 | Where My Girls At? | 1999 | 89 |
Beck | Loser | 1993 | 90 |
LeAnn Rimes | How Do I Live | 1997 | 91 |
Mary J. Blige | Real Love | 1992 | 92 |
The Prodigy | Firestarter | 1996 | 93 |
Kris Kross | Jump | 1992 | 94 |
Crystal Waters | 100% Pure Love | 1994 | 95 |
Babyface | Every Time I Close My Eyes | 1996 | 96 |
Nine Inch Nails | Closer | 1994 | 97 |
Snow | Informer | 1994 | 98 |
Garbage | Only Happy When It Rains | 1995 | 99 |
New Edition | Hit Me Off | 1996 | 100 |
Honorable Mentions:
101. Shaggy – Bombastic (1995)
102. Meredith Brooks – Bitch (1997)
103. Jewel – Who Will Save Your Soul (1995)
104. Nirvana – Smells Like Teen Spirit (1991)
105. LFO – Girl On TV (1999)
106. Lil’ Troy – Wanna Be a Baller (1999)
107. Vitamin C – Smile (1999)
108. The Offspring – Pretty Fly (For a White Guy) (1998)
109. 98ยบ – The Hardest Thing (1998)
110. New Kids On the Block – Step By Step (1990)
*Aaliyah – Are You That Somebody? is not available on any digital platforms.
In Memoriam: Michael Jackson, Whitney Houston, Tupac Shakur, Big Pun, Bradley Nowell, Lisa Left-Eye Lopes, Aaliyah, Nate Dogg, Layne Staley, Christopher Wallace, Chris Cornell, Adam Yauch, Dolores O’Riordan, Earl Simmons, Russel Jones, Keith Flint, Chris Kelly, and Kurt Cobain.
Credits: Wikipedia, Apple Music, Pub Meeple