- 7/6/2025
From grunge anthems to pop perfection, the 90s gave us musical moments that defined a generation! Join us as we count down the tracks that shaped the decade and still get us singing today. Our list celebrates the unforgettable hooks, groundbreaking artists, and cultural phenomena that made the 90s a revolutionary era for music across all genres.
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00:00Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we're counting down our picks for songs released from 1990 to 1999 that defined the decade.
00:19Number 10, Killing Me Softly, The Fugees.
00:22We'll allow you a moment to pick your jaw up off the floor once you realize that The Fugees' breakout hit is actually a cover of a cover.
00:34Originally written and recorded by the relatively obscure Lori Lieberman, Killing Me Softly became a smash hit for R&B performer Roberta Flack in 1973.
00:43Over two decades later, the trio of Lauryn Hill, Wyclef Jean, and Praz Michelle put a distinctly 90s spin on Flack's reinterpretation.
00:52It probably goes without saying that The Fugees' version was an unqualified success.
01:02Certified triple platinum in the U.S., The Fugees also brought home the Grammy Award for Best R&B Performance by a duo or group with vocals for Killing Me Softly.
01:18Number 9, I Want It That Way, Backstreet Boys.
01:21You are my fire.
01:27Let's not kid ourselves. The lyrics to this enduring sing-along are, for the most part, completely indecipherable.
01:33That's been largely attributed to Swedish producer Max Martin's then-limited grasp of the English language.
01:38However, to get hung up on what exactly this romantic ballad is about is to completely miss the point.
01:43Tell me why.
01:44Ain't nothing but a party.
01:48Tell me why.
01:49A sublime slice of impeccably crafted 90s pop, I Want It That Way benefits from Martin's deft, razor-precise ear for what makes a hit.
01:57Ultimately, though, I Want It That Way wouldn't be the hit it is without the boys' trademark sugary-sweet harmonies.
02:02Their earnest sincerity is what truly sells the song, despite its elusive meaning.
02:07Number 8, Thunderstruck, ACDC.
02:16I was caught in the middle of a riding road track.
02:22Thunder!
02:23A quote commonly attributed to Angus Young tightly explains a common criticism against this Australian institution of rock.
02:30The quote details Young's frustration with accusations that, quote,
02:33We've made 11 albums that sound exactly the same.
02:36In fact, we've made 12 albums that sound exactly the same.
02:39Beer!
02:41Thunderstruck!
02:45Thunderstruck!
02:45Sure, the line itself may be apocryphal, but the fact remains that ACDC have hardly ever needed to reinvent the wheel to please their legions of fans worldwide.
02:55Thunderstruck, released nearly 20 years into the band's career, demonstrated that their timeless sound was just that.
03:01Timeless.
03:09Number 7, California Love, Tupac featuring Dr. Dre.
03:13Let me welcome everybody to the wild, wild west.
03:16A state that's untouchable like Elliot Ness.
03:19The track hits your eardrum like a slug to your chest.
03:21Released just months before Tupac Shakur's untimely 1996 death,
03:26California Love became one of the highly revered rapper's biggest hits.
03:29The floor-filling party anthem, produced by featured guest Dr. Dre,
03:33is a loving, unmistakably 90s tribute to both Dre and Shakur's home state of, well, you know.
03:38California
03:40Never knows how to party
03:42Boosted by stellar swaggering verses from the two rappers,
03:49California Love was elevated to all-timer status by its unshakable talkbox hook,
03:54provided by ZAP founder and legend of funk Roger Troutman.
03:57Receiving a posthumous nomination for the Grammy for best rap performance by a duo or group,
04:02California Love still feels like a fitting time capsule for the era of West Coast hip-hop it represents.
04:06It was all a dream.
04:19I used to read Word Up magazine.
04:21Salt and pepper and heavy D up in the limousine.
04:23Look, we knew we couldn't not include a Biggie song on a list of the 1990s most iconic tunes.
04:29The question was, though, which one?
04:31Big Papa?
04:32Hypnotize?
04:33Mo' money, mo' problems?
04:34After much consideration, we decided that we had to go with Juicy,
04:38the first single from the late rapper's debut, Ready to Die.
04:41Remember rap and do the hard, the hard You never thought that hip-hop would take it this far
04:46Now I'm in the limelight cause I rhyme tight
04:48While you could, of course, make a case for any of the songs we just listed and then some,
04:53Juicy just feels quintessentially Biggie.
04:55From his powerful gift for storytelling to his unmatched lyricism,
04:59Biggie's Juicy has a bit of something for everyone
05:01and serves as not only one of the best rap songs of the 90s, but ever.
05:05Number 5. Creep, Radiohead
05:15When the members of the little-known band Radiohead broke into their song Creep during rehearsal,
05:26they referred to it as their Scott Walker song,
05:28a reference to the eccentric American-British musician.
05:31Dismayed, producer Paul Q. Coldery reportedly shared with co-producer Sean Slade
05:35that it was, quote,
05:36too bad their best songs a cover.
05:46After confirming that Creep was indeed an original song,
05:49Radiohead went ahead and released it as their debut single.
05:53The rest is history, and Creep became a massive, if discomforting hit,
05:57announcing the band in a big way,
05:59and launching one of the most revered, most productive catalogs in rock music.
06:03Number 4. No Scrubs, TLC
06:12You may be surprised that the slang term scrub, while not invented by TLC,
06:23was widely popularized following the smash success of this undying hit.
06:27Wrapped up in an infectiously catchy package,
06:29No Scrubs was controversial upon its debut.
06:31While some took issue with its perceived chastising of low-income men,
06:43others described it as a reaction to an epidemic of misogyny
06:46and male entitlement in hip-hop music.
06:48Through that lens, No Scrubs becomes a radical rallying cry to women,
06:52a reminder that no one should sacrifice their self-worth for a partner that doesn't value them.
06:56No Scrubs is totally 90s, but it's also eternal.
07:00No Scrubs is a guy that can't get enough love from me
07:05Number 3. Wonderwall, Oasis
07:08Today's gonna be the day that they're gonna throw it back to you
07:15Anyway, here's... well, do we even have to say it?
07:18If you've been within earshot of an acoustic guitar in the last 20 years, you already know.
07:23Wonderwall was Oasis' biggest hit in the United States,
07:26and their only track to crack the top 40 of the Billboard Hot 100.
07:29I don't believe that anybody feels the way I do about you now
07:36In the years since its release, Noel Gallagher has waffled on its meaning,
07:40initially saying it was about his then-girlfriend Meg Matthews,
07:43only to later claim it was about, quote,
07:45an imaginary friend who's gonna come and save you from yourself.
07:48Well, whatever it's about, Wonderwall is the world's song,
07:52an ever-relatable love letter to those who are there for us, no matter what.
07:55You're my Wonderwall
07:58From those dynamic opening piano jabs,
08:12listeners knew that they were in for something special.
08:14Spears' debut single, Baby One More Time,
08:16marked one of the most successful first releases by any artist in history.
08:20In fact, having sold over 10 million copies,
08:24Baby One More Time is among the biggest smash hits ever.
08:28The song boldly declared that just in time for the new millennium,
08:39a fresh, new, groundbreaking voice was coming to shake the world's youth loose.
08:43An expert synthesis of pop, hip-hop, and R&B,
08:46courtesy of the aforementioned Max Martin,
08:48Baby One More Time didn't show us where music had already been,
08:52it showed us where the art form was going.
08:54Give me a sign
08:56Hit me, baby, one more time
09:00Before we unveil our top pick, here are some honorable mentions.
09:05Enter Sandman, Metallica,
09:06Basket Case, Green Day,
09:15Sometimes I give myself the dreams
09:18Sometimes my mind plays tricks on me
09:23You Ought to Know, Alanis Morissette
09:25And I'm here
09:26To remind you
09:29Of the mess you left
09:32When you went away
09:34Gangsta's Paradise, Coolio featuring LV
09:36Semi-Charmed Life, Third Eye Blind
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10:05Number 1
10:08Smells Like Teen Spirit
10:09Nirvana
10:10Featuring perhaps the most instantly recognizable guitar riff of all time
10:22Kurt Cobain's Magnum Opus is commonly regarded as one of the great rock songs
10:26Smells Like Teen Spirit never lets up for a second
10:29Consisting of five straight minutes of defiant wall-to-wall moshing
10:33Despite its now iconic status, Cobain himself initially referred to its timeless riff as
10:46Cliched
10:46To which bassist Chris Novoselic agreed
10:49Novoselic likely regretted speaking his mind
10:51As Cobain then forced him and drummer Dave Grohl to play it repeatedly for 90 minutes
10:56Luckily, unlike Chris, we're not being punished
10:59No, we're choosing to strum Teen Spirit for hours on end
11:02Much like the Generation X teens who felt all too seen by Cobain's powerful songwriting
11:07Which song on our list defined the 90s for you?
11:18Are there any decade-defining anthems we missed?
11:21Be sure to let us know in the comments below
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