Tentative best '90s songs list

[StevieFan13]

Just something I cooked up for fun. Anything I should add? Take away? The missing Song #100, by the way, is Dr. Dre's "Nuthin' But a 'G' Thang" (fuckin' Spotify...). Honorable mention to They Might Be Giants' "Birdhouse in Your Soul," which was technically released in '89 but would easily make the cut if my standards were more lax. I want more world music on this thing, so if you have any recs based on that, I'd appreciate them.

[babydoll]

I'm assuming it's not ranked, because honestly, it'd be nice to have another music nerd who considers "...Baby One More Time" to be the best song of the '90s.

I also highly disagree with "Bills, Bills, Bills". I find that song to be one of the worst on The Writing's on the Wall, an album which I actually love. "Say My Name" and "Jumpin', Jumpin'" are both so much better.

Now, I'm not sure if you have heard it or not, but I think you may actually prefer "Ray of Light" to "Vogue" where Madonna's concerned.

And, because, I pretty much will recommend Annie to everyone, I recommend the one song of the '90s she did, "The Greatest Hit".

[StevieFan13]

I'm assuming it's not ranked, because honestly, it'd be nice to have another music nerd who considers "...Baby One More Time" to be the best song of the '90s.

I also highly disagree with "Bills, Bills, Bills". I find that song to be one of the worst on The Writing's on the Wall, an album which I actually love. "Say My Name" and "Jumpin', Jumpin'" are both so much better.

Now, I'm not sure if you have heard it or not, but I think you may actually prefer "Ray of Light" to "Vogue" where Madonna's concerned.

And, because, I pretty much will recommend Annie to everyone, I recommend the one song of the '90s she did, "The Greatest Hit".

I just sorted it alphabetically. If I was ranking it, I'd put "Screenwriters Blues" at #1, quite possibly the most underrated song ever. "...Baby One More Time" would probably be in the top 20, though, although my favorite '90s pop song is the not-dissimilar "I Want It That Way" (or maybe "Kiss Me," which is objectively not that good but I just happen to adore).

I'll give the other two a re-listen - you might be onto something.

I've heard "Ray of Light." A re-listen might help, but it'd be a lot to surmount my love of "Vogue." My favorite Madonna song's either "Like a Prayer" or "Hung Up" (which would both show up on either a best '80s or best '00s list).

I'll listen to that too. Thanks for the recs!

[StevieFan13]

In hindsight, with slight altering, the first 5 songs could actually be a pretty credible top 5. I have always preferred "All Apologies" to "Smells Like Teen Spirit" anyway (but if I'm being totally honest, it'd probably top it as objectively both the best and most important song of the '90s).

[StevieFan13]

I decided to rank my picks. Some might not be satisfied with the placing (I should probably shift some more rap into the top 10), but here's what I've got:
100) Cesaria Evora - Sodade
99) Garbage - Queer
98) Spiritualized - Ladies and Gentlemen We Are Floating in Space
97) Method Man feat. Mary J. Blige - I’ll Be There for You/You’re All I Need to Get By
96) The Prodigy - Firestarter
95) The Pharcyde - Passin’ Me By
94) Hole - Doll Parts
93) Mariah Carey - Dreamlover
92) Deee-Lite - Groove is in the Heart
91) Pearl Jam - Better Man
90) Alanis Morissette - You Oughta Know
89) Ladysmith Black Mambazo - Inkanyezi Nezazi
88) DJ Shadow - Midnight in a Perfect World
87) Lucinda Williams - Car Wheels on a Gravel Road
86) Beastie Boys - So What’cha Want
85) Cowboy Mouth - Jenny Says
84) Stardust - Music Sounds Better with You
83) Pavement - Gold Soundz
82) The Notorious B.I.G. - Hypnotize
81) McAlmont & Butler - Yes
80) Fugees - Ready or Not
79) Blackstreet feat. Dr. Dre - No Diggity
78) Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers - Mary Jane’s Last Dance
77) Ace of Base - The Sign
76) Saint Etienne - Only Love Can Break Your Heart
75) Green Day - When I Come Around
74) Primal Scream - Loaded
73) Nas - N.Y. State of Mind
72) House of Pain - Jump Around
71) No Doubt - Don’t Speak
70) Pete Rock and C.L. Smooth - They Reminisce Over You
69) Air - Sexy Boy
68) Weezer - Say It Ain’t So
67) Erykah Badu - On & On
66) Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds - Into My Arms
65) Jay Z feat. UGK - Big Pimpin’
64) Bonnie Raitt - I Can’t Make You Love Me
63) Buena Vista Social Club - Chan Chan
62) Madonna - Vogue
61) Tori Amos - Silent All These Years
60) OutKast - SpottieOttieDopaliscious
59) Red Hot Chili Peppers - Give It Away
58) Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds feat. Kylie Minogue - Where the Wild Roses Grow
57) A Tribe Called Quest feat. Leaders of the New School - Scenario
56) Guns N’ Roses - November Rain
55) Eminem - My Name Is
54) Radiohead - Paranoid Android
53) Geto Boys - Mind Playing Tricks on Me
52) Fatboy Slim - Praise You
51) PJ Harvey - Sheela-Na-Gig
50) Beck - Where It’s At
49) Metallica - Enter Sandman
48) Elliott Smith - Waltz #2 (XO)
47) Bone-Thugs-N-Harmony - Tha Crossroads
46) Madonna - Ray of Light
45) Bikini Kill - Rebel Girl
44) Destiny’s Child - Say My Name
43) The Cure - Friday I’m in Love
42) 2pac feat. Dr. Dre and Roger Troutman - California Love
41) Jeff Buckley - Lover, You Should’ve Come Over
40) Portishead - Glory Box
39) R.E.M. - Man on the Moon
38) Liz Phair - Fuck and Run
37) Neutral Milk Hotel - Holland, 1945
36) The La’s - There She Goes
35) Natalie Imbruglia - Torn
34) Blur - Tender
33) Beastie Boys - Sabotage
32) Oasis - Wonderwall
31) Mobb Deep - Shook Ones, Part 2
30) Radiohead - Fake Plastic Trees
29) The Notorious B.I.G. - Juicy
28) Missy Elliott - The Rain (Supa Dupa Fly)
27) Massive Attack - Unfinished Sympathy
26) Dr. Dre - Nuthin’ But a “G” Thang
25) Fiona Apple - Criminal
24) Underworld - Born Slippy (Nuxx)
23) Pulp - Common People
22) Britney Spears - …Baby One More Time
21) Wu-Tang Clan - Protect Ya Neck
20) The Breeders - Cannonball
19) Nirvana - All Apologies
18) Soundgarden - Black Hole Sun
17) The Smashing Pumpkins - 1979
16) Green Day - Basket Case
15) 2pac - Dear Mama
14) Daft Punk - Around the World
13) Sleater-Kinney - Get Up
12) Ms. Lauryn Hill - Doo Wop (That Thing)
11) Foo Fighters - Everlong
10) R.E.M. - Losing My Religion
9) Los Fabulosos Cadillacs - El Matador
8) The Verve - Bitter Sweet Symphony
7) TLC - Waterfalls
6) Oasis - Don’t Look Back in Anger
5) The Backstreet Boys - I Want It That Way
4) Beck - Loser
3) Sinead O’Connor - Nothing Compares 2 U
2) Nirvana - Smells Like Teen Spirit
1) Soul Coughing - Screenwriters Blues

Honorable Mentions:
- Arrested Development - Tennessee
- Blur - For Tomorrow
- Blur - Girls and Boys
- Oasis - Live Forever
- Manic Street Preachers - A Design for Life
- AC/DC - Thunderstruck
- Divinyls - I Touch Myself
- Sixpence None the Richer - Kiss Me
- They Might Be Giants - Birdhouse in Your Soul
- The Mighty Mighty Bosstones - The Impression That I Get
- Rancid - Ruby Soho
- The Cardigans - Lovefool
- Seal - Kiss from a Rose
- U2 - Mysterious Ways
- Stone Temple Pilots - Interstate Love Song
- Warren G. feat. Nate Dogg - Regulate
- Kylie Minogue - Confide in Me
- Michael Jackson - Black or White
- Kriss Kross - Jump

[Henrik]

I don't get it. If it's your personal list, then why do you bother if others are satisfied with it?

[StevieFan13]

I don't get it. If it's your personal list, then why do you bother if others are satisfied with it?

Eh. Just felt like posting it for fun. I'm mostly looking for underrated songs I'm less familiar with so I can broaden my scope a bit.

[Henrik]

I don't get it. If it's your personal list, then why do you bother if others are satisfied with it?

Eh. Just felt like posting it for fun. I'm mostly looking for underrated songs I'm less familiar with so I can broaden my scope a bit.

Oh, I'm fine with that. I just think you should be pleased with your taste and not mix it with what is known as "objectively good".