Continuing into the 1990’s! The songs of the year. I might have hated them. I might have loved them. I might have heard them on the bus over and over and over again until they were burned into my DNA. For one reason or another, these songs stick out.
(Click song title for YouTube video).
1990:
“U Can’t Touch This” – MC Hammer
They played this song in every neighborhood through loudspeaker every hour on the hour, all summer, winter, and fall. More or less.
“Ice Ice Baby” Vanilla Ice
Raptastic. The 90’s started out rough.
1991:
“Give It Away” Red Hot Chili Peppers
First music video I ever saw.
“Right Now” – Van Halen
Great video. Great Pepsi commercials. Great song.
1992:
“God Gave Rock N’ Roll To You II” – KISS
Fresh from Bill And Ted’s Bogus Journey, this is still one of my ALL TIME JAMS. Love the song. It’s a cover of a remake of a …cover?
“Mrs. Robinson” – Lemonheads
Fresh from the Wayne’s World 2 soundtrack. A cover. And one on the first 10 MP3’s I ever downloaded. Loved the song.
1993:
“No Rain” – Blind Melon
The Bumble Bee Girl. Enough said. Every hour. On the hour. All summer.
“Queen Of My Double Wide Trailer” – Sammy Kershaw
Heard this song a hundred times that year at my grandmother’s house. Since then it’s one of my all time favorites. I once ordered a “Sloe Gin Fizz” because of the song. They had to look it up.
“Two Princes” – Spin Doctors
Something about this song – ever since I heard it – I have to turn it up and play it again. This is the 90’s.
1994:
“Crazy” – Aerosmith
So many things about this song and this video were way over my head. What I did know, as a fourth grader, was that this song was fantastic.
And that Liv Tyler was gorgeous.
“The Sign” – Ace of Base
I heard this song a 1000 times on the school bus. I ended up buying the CD. My first CD. No shame.
“Black Hole Sun” – Soundgarden
So, yeah, I remember having vivid nightmares/night terrors because this video would play overnight on MTV and I kept my TV on. Yikes. Also featured on Beavis & Butthead, who also freaked out. Someone made a fantastic parody that year. “!@#!$ son, mow the lawn! Mow the lawn!”
1995:
Breakfast At Tiffany’s – Deep Blue Something
Another one hit wonder, and what a one-hit-wonder. Constantly played, constantly. If all the 90’s bands were one band, they would have been epic.
“Only Wanna Be With You” – Hootie & the Blowfish
Isn’t Dan Marino hilarious? And golf? Isn’t it hilarious?
This song was 1995.
1996:
“You Oughta Know” – Alanis Morissette
Over and over and over again.
“Heaven Beside You” – Alice in Chains
Really sad… and creepy….and catchy.
1997:
“Men in Black” – Will Smith
First MP3 I ever downloaded. True story.
“One Headlight – The Wallflowers
I absolutely loved this song in 7th grade. Still do. But I always forget about it until I come upon it by chance. Then I love it again.
1998:
“I Don’t Want to Miss a Thing” – Aerosmith
Aerosmith and Liv Tyler again! So cheesy and awesome and big.
“The Way” – Fastball
I hate this song now. I hated this song then. I’ve always hated this song. And it didn’t go away. It’s so depressing, in a “Back To School” kind of depressing.
1999:
“Lullaby” – Shawn Mullins
The guy had one hit, but what a hit. Loved his voice. Just really worked well. This was 1999. Or maybe I just heard it all the time in typing class…
“Believe” – Cher
“Oh, wow, Cher is cool!” …wait. Safe to say, none of us heard anything like this (with a vocoder/autotune effect.)
“Pretty Fly For A White Guy” – The Offspring
I thought this song was just so good then…although… yeah, it’s still pretty good. Weird Al’s parody is better, though.
Up next, the 2000’s…
