Hip Hop Junction: Top 10 Songs of the 1990s

Wassssssssssssuuuuuuuupppppppp! While that commercial could be the most annoying thing to come out of any decade to date, the 1990s gave light to many more tolerable fads. The Beanie Baby frenzy was still new and Elmo announced he was ticklish. Overalls were “tight” when worn unbuckled and everybody had a fanny pack. “The Rachel” haircut was “da bomb”. Victoria revealed her new secret to the world – The Wonder Bra. To which, the medical field countered with a secret of their own – Viagra. The music industry saw an explosion of boy bands and the hip hop culture soon followed. Teen pop and Grunge music was also popular. Come with me as we count down the “phattest” songs of the decade. Word to your mother.

1990 Nothing Compares 2 U by Sinead O’Connor

Penned by the artist perpetually known as Prince, “Nothing Compares 2 U” didn’t make much of a splash in his 1985 family album. Sinead O’Connor’s 1990 re-recording brought worldwide fame to the song. Sinead topped the charts in both the US and the UK. Prince sang the song once again on his 1993 album and it was later covered by Me First and The Gimme Gimmes on their 2003 album “Take A Break”.

1991 Everything I Do by Bryan Adams

Bryan Adams co-wrote this song for the film “Robin Hood” . The song won success with the release of the movie and became widely popular. It stayed in the #1 spot on the Billboard chart for seven weeks and in the top spot on the UK charts for a record breaking sixteen weeks.

1992 End of the Road by Boyz II Men

“End of the Road” was written by “Babyface” Edmons. The hit snatched the record of the most successful single ever released on the Motown away from The Jackson 5 – who previously held that title with their single “I’ll Be There”. The Boyz II Men song was witting for the soundtrack of the movie “Boomerang”. It held on to the top spot for thirteen weeks in 1992, breaking yet another record for the longest stay on the charts previously held by Elvis Presley with his hit “Don’t Be Cruel/Hound Dog” of eleven weeks in 1956.

1993 Dreamlover by Mariah Carey

Mariah Carey penned this single for her 1993 album of the same name, which ended up being her most successful to date. “Dreamlover” won her a Grammy nomination for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance in 1993. The song debuted at #40 and held the #1 spot six weeks later – which it held on to for eight weeks. Dreamlover sold enough copies to become certified platinum.

1994 The Sign by Ace of Base

This song landed Ace of Base a Grammy nomination in 1994 and spent six weeks in the Billboard chart’s top spot.

1995 Gangsta’s Paradise by Coolio

This song was featured in the movie Dangerous Minds first and then was released on Coolio’s album of the same name, which won him a Grammy. It is a cover of the Stevie Wonder song “Pastime Paradise” and incorporates the melody of Wonder’s song along with a popular Bible scripture – Psalm 23. “Gangsta’s Paradise” opened the door to mainstream audiences for gangster rap. It was the first rap song to be played on NYC’s Z100 radio station and the first ever gangster rap to land a #1 spot on the UK charts.

1996 Macarena (Bayside Boys Remix) Los Del Rio

This song was originally released in 1993 without English lyrics and had widespread success in Spain and Mexico. The Bayside Boys did a remix of “Macarena” in 1993, adding English lyrics. It turned out to be a surprise smash hit of the summer. A Flamenco instructor from Venezuela invented a dance for her students to dance to during class at her studio to the song. The dance spread like wildfire across the country. “Macarena” spent fourteen weeks at #1 on the Billboard charts and a record shattering sixty weeks in the Top 100.

1997 Candle In The Wind by Elton John

The original version of this song appeared on John’s 1973 album Yellow Brick Road. It was written in tribute to Marilyn Monroe, who’s life was cut tragically short in her prime. Elton John breathed new life into the song when he sang it for Princess Diana at her 1997 funeral – changing the opening line to “Goodbye, England’s Rose”. One week later, the song was once again released and sold over a half million copies the first day. By the end of the week, it had sold a million more and held the top spot on the chart for five weeks. Eleven million copies were sold in the US alone. Elton John never performed the Princess Diana version again and says he will not, unless her sons request it.

1998 Too Close by Next

The R&B group Next enjoyed the success of this number one hit in 1998 that would be followed by two more successful singles in the future – Wifey and Beauty Queen, both of which entered the Top 20 in 2001.

1999 Believe by Cher

Believe was Cher’s 24th album in a career spanning four decades. The album also landed Cher her first ever Grammy award. Believe is a disco album featuring many techno and house hit songs. It went #1 in twenty three countries and was certified quadruple platinum.