4 Goofy Songs From the 1990s I Can’t Help but Sing Along To

The 1990s saw the culmination of decades’ worth of whimsy and imagination, all colored by an impending turn of the millennium that had the zeitgeist hyperfixated on sparkly silver futurism. Contrasting the grittier grunge and sun-soaked West Coast rap of the 1990s were goofy songs like these, all of which are at least a little ridiculous but virtually impossible not to sing along to (for me, anyway).

“Barbie Girl” by Aqua

I have been a fan of Aqua ever since my sister gifted me Aquarium on CD when I was six (?) years old, and I will be an Aqua fan until I die. Yes, there are people who unironically like to listen to the album that features “Barbie Girl”, everyone’s favorite least-favorite song. Do I know not to play this one in mixed company? Yes, of course, I’m not totally uncivilized. But put me in the car for a four-hour-plus road trip by myself? I will be listening from front to back, thanks very much.

“Blue (Da Ba Dee)” by Eiffel 65

For an inexplicable reason that can only be chalked up to the infectious melody, I had a very intense phase of listening to Eiffel 65’s “Blue (Da Ba Dee)” on repeat. The chorus is undeniably what got stuck in my head. However, there was something about the melancholy story about this guy who lives “all day in a blue world” that resonated with my moody younger self. I can still sing every word to this song, verses included, but that’s something I do in the privacy of my own home.

“Mambo No. 5 (A Little Bit Of…)” by Lou Bega

Lou Bega’s “Mambo No. 5 (A Little Bit Of…)” certainly seems like a song that would make for good torture material if one had to listen to it on repeat. But can I share a secret? I think I might enjoy at least the first few days of repeats. Of all the goofy 1990s songs I hear in passing every now and then, I feel like Lou Bega’s is one I hear the least. Has enough time passed to where we can finally admit that this song is so stupid and catchy that it’s actually good?

“Scatman (Ski-Ba-Bop-Ba-Dop-Bop)” by Scatman John

Wrapping up my list of goofy 1990s songs I physically can’t help but sing along to is “Scatman (Ski-Ba-Bop-Ba-Dop-Bop)” by Scatman John. I place full, direct blame on my high school classmates who, after discovering that this song existed, used to play it in the band room before rehearsals started. Sometimes, I’ll find myself muttering “skeee-ba-bop-ba-duh-bop” to myself, and it’s been well past a decade now since I last saw Scatman John’s uncomfortable close-up vocalizing on Mt. Vernon High School’s Marching Wildcats’ whiteboard.

Photo by Tim Roney/Getty Images