3 Pop Songs From the 1990s That Will Actually Make You Smarter

Music fans in the 1990s were privy to songs that sparked their smarts. Many of the artists of the era wanted to be catchy and challenging. And that’s just what we wanted to dive into here below.

We wanted to share three songs from back in the day that were able to sharpen our brains and entertain all at once. Indeed, these are three pop songs from the 1990s that will actually make you smarter.

“You Get What You Give” by New Radicals from ‘Maybe You’ve Been Brainwashed Too’ (1998)

In the late 1960s, rock fans heard the song from The Rolling Stones, “You Can’t Always Get What You Want”. That tune taught a lesson right in the title. But in the late 1990s, music fans got another taste of a track with a lesson in the name. Indeed, the 1998 hit single from New Radicals, “You Get What You Give”, entertained as it sparked your intellect. It got to the very core of the concept of karma. What goes around comes around. Indeed, you always get what you give.

“Barbie Girl” by Aqua from ‘Aquarium’ (1997)

In 1997, this song blew people’s minds. You can’t overstate it. For so long, the Barbie doll was a beloved and cherished plastic toy. But this track not only turned the object on its head, but it also offered the perspective of Barbie herself. This subversive work from Aqua, which hit No. 7 on the Billboard Hot 100, made everyone who heard it think as they heard Barbie sing about her Plasticine world. They stopped, scratched their hands, and wondered about their own relationship to the doll. What could have been a simple pop song became a philosophical marvel.

“Criminal” by Fiona Apple from ‘Tidal’ (1997)

In the late 1990s, countless people fell in love with Fiona Apple when her track “Criminal” hit the MTV airwaves. But Apple wasn’t a traditional pop star then. She wasn’t writing and singing bubblegum songs about crushes and holding hands. No, she was different, and she challenged the status quo. She was calling herself “bad” and a “criminal”. She didn’t want the crown; she wanted the devil horns (at least in persona). That was something to marvel at in the moment.

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