I was a 90s kid, so a lot of my music taste was formed during that decade. And, honestly, despite the obvious bias, I really do think that decade was one of the greatest for pop and rock music. Let’s take a look at just a few classic tunes from the 1990s that you probably also love that will be in my regular rotation until I’m 90 years old.
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“Ray Of Light” by Madonna (1998)
The whole of this title track’s album makes it to my regular rotation today, but I have to admit, nothing beats the single “Ray Of Light”. Madonna made probably the best creative decisions she possibly could have made for someone who had been in the music game as long as she was by 1998, and “Ray Of Light” is a song that will get virtually any club in the 2020s up and energized. It’s almost future-proof. I can’t imagine this song ever getting old.
“Nothing Compares 2 U” by Sinéad O’Connor (1990)
This might be a cover of a Prince song, but Sinéad O’Connor’s version of “Nothing Compares 2 U” is so heartfelt and so beautifully produced, it might as well be in its own universe. This song was a huge international hit when the 1990s first kicked off, and it has stood the test of time. O’Connor’s voice really is timeless.
“Wannabe” by Spice Girls (1996)
I was a Spice Girls stan when I wasn’t even in the double digits in age, and I’ll be a Spice Girls stan until I die. In my opinion, they were one of the first major girl bands to put out music that appealed to international audiences, rather than just Americans. This British girl group really turned young kids (and adults, honestly) into serious fans with the release of Spice, and “Wannabe” is probably the most well-known song from that very album.
“1979” by Smashing Pumpkins (1996)
Alternative rock outfit Smashing Pumpkins have enjoyed plenty of hit songs through the years, but few have stood the test of time quite like the art rock classic, “1979”. This entry on our list of classic tunes from the 1990s is a beautiful, whimsical song that you still hear out in the wild today, and it certainly makes sense why. It’s a coming-of-age song, a great example of what rock looked like outside of grunge in the 1990s, and a standout release from Mellon Collie And The Infinite Sadness.
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