If you were to put together a time capsule dedicated to the 90s for future generations to discover, what would go into it? A George Foreman grill? A few Beanie Babies? Maybe a Tamagotchi or two? If the focus of the time capsule was music, I’m sure anyone who was alive in the 90s would know exactly which songs to include. I’m a big fan, in particular, of the following three 1990s songs and would be quick to include them in such a time capsule. Let’s take a look! You might just agree with me on these.
Videos by American Songwriter
“No Scrubs” by TLC (1999)
Ah, TLC. Few groups from the 90s just scream 90s quite like this amazing trio. Quite a few hit songs from TLC could have made it to this list, but I just couldn’t leave out the 1999 hip-hop and R&B classic, “No Scrubs”. The music video for this song is probably the most aesthetically memorable music videos of the era. Few groups that were around at the turn of the millennium were quite as memorable as TLC. It’s not surprising that “No Scrubs” topped the charts in the US, UK, and elsewhere.
“Cannonball” by The Breeders (1993)
I couldn’t leave off this fine little alt-rock grunge tune from our list of time capsule songs of the 1990s. “Cannonball” by The Breeders was released way back in 1993 and still gets plenty of airplay today. It’s a classic, and it really captures the vibe of the early-to-mid-1990s beautifully. “Cannonball” hit No. 44 on the Hot 100 chart that year and did similarly well in the UK and Europe as a whole. Kim Deal really was at her best in The Breeders, and her vocals on this track prove it.
“Loser” by Beck (1993)
This Beck classic would absolutely make it into a musical time capsule of songs from the 1990s. “Loser” was a huge hit for Beck back in 1993, when it peaked at No. 10 on the Hot 100 chart. In fact, this was Beck’s first ever single to make it to a major chart, and it’s still a staple on classic rock radio today. If you were a 90s kid who spent way too much time staying up late to watch 120 Minutes on MTV, you probably remember seeing the music video for this song.
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