Top 10 Songs Of The 90's

There’s a wide variety of musical styles featured in the top 10 songs of the 90's. Many different genres rose to prominence throughout the decade, and these diverse ‘90s songs managed not only to be commercially successful, but also influential.

1. “Enter Sandman” by Metallica. Heavy metal would never be the same after this leadoff single from Metallica’s self-titled 1991 album. With its steady opening swell that consummated in a barrage of screaming guitar, this was the song of the 90's that launched Metallica into the public consciousness.
2. “You Oughta Know” by Alanis Morissette. The 1995 album “Jagged Little Pill” became the soundtrack to girl-power in the 90's. This first single was Morissette’s lyrical kiss-off to an ex-lover, and she didn’t mince words: “Is she perverted like me? / Will she go down on you in a theater?”
3. “Nuthin’ but a ‘G’ Thang” by Dr. Dre featuring Snoop Doggy Dogg. Ex-NWA member Dr. Dre found success on his own with this song from 1993’s “The Chronic.” Its laid-back groove beneath Snoop Dogg’s smooth lyrical delivery quickly made it a cult favorite.
4. “U Can’t Touch This” by MC Hammer. Any list of the top ten songs of the 90's would be incomplete without this 1990 smash hit. Using a sample from Rick James’ “Super Freak,” MC Hammer crafted what would become his signature song.
5. “Tearin’ Up My Heart” by *NSYNC. This 1998 single marked the rise of the boy-band, and helped *NSYNC to fill the 90's cultural gap between New Kids on the Block and O-Town. The song itself is a snappy club groove, complete with emotional lyrics that brought screaming fits to pre-pubescent girls.
6. “Livin’ la Vida Loca” by Ricky Martin. As the spearhead of the Latin invasion, Ricky Martin and his undulating hips brought south-of-the-border style to the 90's. This single from his self-titled 1999 album is an upbeat, salsa-tinged tale of a dangerous woman.
7. “Under The Bridge” by Red Hot Chili Peppers. Several top songs of the 90's came from Red Hot Chili Peppers, but “Under The Bridge” stands above the rest. This 1993 song from their breakout album “Blood Sugar Sex Magik” is a melancholy reflection on singer Anthony Kiedis’ checkered history of drug addiction.
8. “Smells Like Teen Spirit” by Nirvana. Sure, the lyrics make no sense at all, but this 1991 single is arguably the most influential of the top ten songs of the 90's. With one click of the distortion pedal, Kurt Cobain and company pushed grunge rock into the mainstream, spawning an entire subculture of flannel-clad imitators.
9. “I Will Always Love You” by Whitney Houston. Featured on the mega-hit soundtrack to the film “The Bodyguard,” this ‘90s song was the theme for every starry-eyed romantic in search of true love. Although it was originally released in 1974 by Dolly Pardon, Houston made the song her own. Her urgent diction and muscular vocals turned it into an iconic soul ballad.
10. “Jeremy” by Pearl Jam. A driving mid-tempo grunge classic, this 90's song was the third single from Pearl Jam’s debut album “Ten.” Singer Eddie Vedder’s haunting lyrics made the song that much more enticing, “Arms raised in a V / The dead lay in pools of maroon below.”