'90s Songs

In the first year of the 1990s, dance music was at its most prominent since the heyday of disco in the late '70s. Some of the first huge crossover hip hop hits emerged as well.

In 1991 dance music continued on a hot streak. A new British invasion introduced bands such as EMF and Jesus Jones to the American pop charts. The grunge revolution was just over the horizon.

1992 was surprisingly a great year for pop ballads, including "I Will Always Love You," and "The End Of the Road," 2 of the biggest pop hits of all time, but it was also a great year for hard, edgy rock and hip hop as represented by "Smells Like Teen Spirit" and "Jump Around."

In 1993 the pop music world seemed to be split down the middle. On one side were the grunge and alt-rock worlds. On the other was hip hop. Dance pop had retreated back to the underground and traditional r&b appeared to be in decline. Nonetheless, another crop of great music was created.

1994 was a year of amazing voices. This top 10 includes the chart introductions of Counting Crow's lead vocalist Adam Duritz and the Cranberries' Dolores O'Riordan along with the amazing rasp of Melissa Etheridge and R. Kelly's erotic wail.

1995 was a year of powerful performances from solo artists. From Seal's beautifully measured reading of "A Kiss From a Rose" to Alanis Morissette's barely contained rage on her debut single "You Oughta Know," pop music audiences tuned in to the solo voice.

1996 was a year with a number of wistful, melancholy hits including Everything But the Girl's "Missing," the Fugees remake of "Killing Me Softly," Smashing Pumpkins' "1979," and Collective Soul's "The World I Know."

Many of the top pop hits of 1997 were aimed at making you want to move, with the notable exception of 2 of the most significant pop songs of mourning of all time by Puff Daddy and Elton John. Hanson and the Spice Girls brought bubblegum pop back to the forefront after a long exile from the mainstream.

1998 was a year of musical diversity. From Celine Dion's traditional big pop ballad "My Heart Will Go On" to Madonna and Jay-Z pushing musical boundaries with their latest work. Musical eclecticism is the order of the day for 1998.

The year that closed out the decade and the millenium was a year of great music. Dance music, Latin beats, and major comebacks were all part of the big musical stories of the year. The song that topped them all, however, marked the emergence of a phenomenal pop personality.