1990s retrospective
Best Songs of the 1990s
The '90s were music's last pure-physical-format decade — CDs, cassettes, vinyl reissues, and the rise of the MTV-era music video as a cultural force. The result: songs designed to soundtrack videos, sustained on FM radio for months, and built to mean something specific to their decade in a way newer music struggles to.
What defined this era
Grunge, hip-hop's golden age, R&B's vocal peak, and trip-hop all in one decade. Genre-specific brilliance everywhere.
Artists at the center
- • Nirvana
- • Tupac
- • Notorious B.I.G.
- • Radiohead
- • Beck
- • Mariah Carey
- • Lauryn Hill
- • Pearl Jam
- • Aaliyah
- • TLC
A listening note
'90s production stands up better than later eras. A well-made '90s record on good speakers still sounds expensive.
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