3 Soft Rock Songs That Defined Summer for Millions of Americans in the 1990s

Soft rock was far from dead in the 1990s, and I can think of countless songs from that era that serenaded listeners during the summertime. The following three songs, specifically, were either released during a 90s summer or have that summertime vibe that immediately brings listeners back to the warmer months from decades ago. Let’s take a walk back in time, shall we?

“More Than Words” by Extreme (1991)

Remember sitting on your front porch as the sun went down during your months off from school in the 1990s? This is the kind of song you’d probably listen to while watching fireflies dance around in the air. It really was a different time, and a special one, at that.

The acoustic rock hit “More Than Words” by Extreme was a successful one back in 1991. The track peaked at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.

“Truly Madly Deeply” by Savage Garden (1997)

It’s a pop song with a soft rock edge and a flirty, ultra-memorable melody that had listeners bumping it from its release in March 1997 well through the summertime. “Truly Madly Deeply” might also be Savage Garden’s most world-famous song, outside of maybe “I Want You”. I’d say the song’s success is certainly well-deserved. This track from their self-titled debut record peaked in the Top 10 across the board, including the Hot 100 (No. 1), the band’s native Australia (also No. 1), and countless other countries.

“Stay (I Missed You)” by Lisa Loeb (1994)

How about one of the most memorable songs from the super nostalgic 1990s coffeehouse soft rock era? Lisa Loeb’s “Stay (I Missed You)” is the kind of pop-rock tune that transports listeners back in time in an instant, and it still feels just as cozy as it did when it dropped in 1994. Plenty of 90s youths bumped this one in their car during summer break, and I find myself still doing the same thing decades later.

“Stay (I Missed You)” was a hit when it was released, too. It peaked at No. 1 on the Hot 100, and Loeb became the first artist to top that particular chart without a record label.

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