Sometime back I posted my selection of the Top 50 songs from the Eighties which not only defined the Hit Factor of the period but literally defined the industry on a whole taking the direction of music and style into altogether a new dimension.
I was encouraged by the readership of this article and so here I come with a listing of the Top 50 songs from the 90's.
As I began work to define the Top 50 songs from the 90's, I found this a much easier task than it was before, as I knew clearly what I was looking for.
As I studied the music, the artists, the styles etc, amazingly I saw how the direction of music took a new twist with the sound of the eighties literally staying the sound of the eighties and the nineties establishing its own unique sound and style.
That is what I love about Music.
With the passing of each year, you can be assured you'll be treated to something new, something fresh.
Artists, who come out of nowhere, influence you in ways unimaginable and before you blink they are gone and a new icon has taken their place.
A new sound is what you dig.
90's also saw the most One-Hit-Wonders take the stage.
'Groove Is The Heart' one such hit by the band Dee Lite is an example as also the phrase which defined the nineties music - Dance.
Groove.
Shake-A-Leg.
This period also saw a unique concept of Song-Specific-Dancesteps like those developed for the Billy Ray Cyrus hit Achy Breaky Heart or for Los Del Rio's 'Macarena'.
There were new dance steps learnt for Vanilla Ice or MC Hammer hits.
Each of these just spread like a fever! Listed below is a list of top 50 songs, I believe which defined the 90's.
This time around I tried to ensure that the list is unique to artist i.
e.
only 1 of their hits from the decade would make it to this list.
Choosing 50 of 1000's was always going to be arduous hence the concept.
Needless to say the song represents the artist through the decade.
As before the list is based on not only its 'hit' factor at the time, but more so on its influence on the industry on the whole.
Its iconic impact and relevance even today in 2011.
These tracks are timeless.
Although listed 1-50, there was no way I could actually rank them.
Every song earned its way to this list.
So please do not take the numbers as a ranking! It is for this reason they have been listed alphabetically.
Do send me your feedback if you think any song on this list should have been replaced.
01.
Achy Breaky Heart - Billy Ray Cyrus 02.
All I Wanna Do - Sheryl Crow 03.
All That She Wants - Ace Of Base 04.
Believe - Cher 05.
Black Or White - Michael Jackson 06.
Blaze of Glory - Jon Bon Jovi 07.
Cant Help Falling In Love - UB40 08.
Don't Speak - No Doubt 09.
(Everything I Do) I Do It For You - Bryan Adams 10.
Fields Of Gold - Sting 11.
Freedom - George Michael 12.
Give It Away - Red Hot Chili Peppers 13.
Hand In My Pocket - Alanis Morissette 14.
(Hit Me) Baby One More Time - Britney Spears 15.
How Am I Supposed to Live Without You - Michael Bolton 16.
I Believe I can Fly - R.
Kelly 17.
I'm Too Sexy - Right Said Fred 18.
Ice Ice Baby - Vanilla Ice 19.
I'd Do Anything For Love (But I Wont Do That) - Meatloaf 20.
I'll Stand By You - The Pretenders 21.
It Must Have Been Love - Roxette 22.
Its My Life - Dr.
Alban 23.
Just Another Day - Jon Secada 24.
Justify My Love - Madonna 25.
Lets Get Rocked - Def Leppard 26.
Livin La Vida Loca - Ricky Martin 27.
Losing My Religion - REM 28.
Macarena - Los Del Rio 29.
Mmm Mmm Mmm Mmm - Crash Test Dummies 30.
Mmmbop - Hanson 31.
More Than Words - Extreme 32.
My Heart Will Go On - Celine Dion 33.
Nothing Compares 2 U - Sinead O'Connor 34.
Now And Forever - Richard Marx 35.
Return To Innocence - Enigma 36.
Scatman - Scatman John 37.
Step By Step - New Kids On The Block 38.
Streets Of Philadelphia - Bruce Springsteen 39.
Tears In Heaven - Eric Clapton 40.
The End Of The Innocence - Don Henley 41.
The River Of Dreams - Billy Joel 42.
The Road To Hell - Chris Rea 43.
Truly Madly Deeply - Savage Garden 44.
Two Princes - Spin Doctors 45.
U Can't Touch This - MC Hammer 46.
Wannabe - Spice Girls 47.
What's Up - 4 Non Blondes 48.
Wicked Game - Chris Issak 49.
Wind Of Change - Scorpions 50.
Wonderwall - Oasis That was tough! Just try and take out one and see how it hurts!!!!!!! The basic aim? The List had to be eternal.
I do realize there were so many more amazing tracks.
Somewhere someone had to be de-listed.
I was a bit partial to artists who came up fresh in the 90's and made their impact in such a way their sound still resonates today such as acts like No Doubt, Ricky Martin, Sheryl Crow, R.
Kelly or Red Hot Chili Peppers.
I also wanted to include a few 'one-hit-wonders' which actually impacted the period like Achy Breaky Heart or Whats Up by the 4 Non Blondes.
Vanilla Ice & MC Hammer made magic during this time and somehow subsequently were hardly heard thereof.
I do hope you enjoy this listing.
A simple idea - try collating this list into a CD for yourself.
Listen to it on 'shuffle' mode and you are bound to go back into the Nineties.
The nostalgia will envelope you.
Pleasant Listening!