2.‘The Ghost of Tom Joad’ by Bruce Springsteen Photograph: Columbia Records Springsteen had a weird ’90s, running away from his own superstardom, abandoning the E Street Band, his popularity dropping to a relative low. In the midst of it he released a stark, angry folk record of astoni...
Before the bared abs ofVoodoowasBrown Sugar. The most popular track off D’Angelo’s album of the same name feels as timeless today as it did when it was released in 1995, sizzling with lo-fi sexiness, deep funk, and the freshness that D’Angelo would come to be known for. 31: Jane...
Pearl Jam's debut single was released three months beforeNirvana's "Smells Like Teen Spirit" helped steer the decade's course. While its commercial and critical impact wasn't as immediate as their Seattle brethren'sNevermind, Pearl Jam'sTenis every bit as significant in the growth of grunge a...
After soaring through the previous decade as quite possibly the most universally beloved rock band on the planet, the group hit bumpier terrain in the '90s. Although they released two multi-platinum albums in the first half of the decade, they also endured nasty public feuding, two more lineu...
No, classic rock didn't die in the '90s; it evolved to reflect its times, as the best music always does. 50. Pearl Jam, "Alive" (1991) Pearl Jam's debut single was released three months beforeNirvana's "Smells Like Teen Spirit" helped steer the decade's course. While its commercial...
Low Profile’s “Pay Ya Dues” was just barely released in the 90s, but its appeal lies in the fact that it mines similar territory to so many songs on this list. Over a beat that sounds like a cassette recording of Prince’s drums, rapper W.C. spits about MCs looking for success ...
Gangsta Boo of Three 6 Mafia was only 15 when she contributed to the group’s debut, Mystic Stylez, in 1995, and 19 when she released her own first album, Enquiring Minds, in ’98. If she felt any pressure to stay in the background as a young woman in a male-dominated scene, she...
Sometimes the loudest protest can come from the quietest voice. Piano virtuoso Tori Amos released this angelic-sounding song in 1991 that was inspired byHans Christian Andersen’sThe Little Mermaid. However, with lyrics like“I got the Anti-Christ in the kitchen yelling at me again,”it was ...
3.“The Dance” by Garth Brooks Released as the tenth and final track from Garth Brooks’ self-titled debut album, “The Dance” was named Song of the Year by the Academy of Country Music in 1990 and was considered by many as the signature song for this ‘90s country artist. ...
Unskinny Bop (even though released in the 90's) is a song about a fat girl with massive gas. as seen in lyrics such as, "Whats got you so jumpy? Why cant you sit still, yeah? Like gasoline you wanna pump me And leave me when you get your fill, yeah". Obviously she liked to ...