The 1990s were an exhilarating time for pop music. Some artists defied social norms while others revived ’80s nostalgia with gusto.
Nirvana’s “Smells Like Teen Spirit” became an instant classic and resonated strongly with young listeners; while Spice Girls brought teamwork into the limelight with their 1996 hit.
1. “One Week” by Third Eye Blind
Third Eye Blind was one of the few bands capable of holding their own in pop music before Drake and Taylor Swift made waves, drawing fans from San Francisco-based outfit to Third Eye Blind’s self-titled debut album with its blend of catchy guitar riffs and profound lyrics by leading singer Stephan Jenkins and guitarist Kevin Cadogan redefining post-grunge rock music.
Motorcycle Drive By), and others were filled with socially conscious lyrics that expressed feelings of isolation or misfitting in. “So much of that first record for me came out of always feeling so on the outside, being misfit,” explained frontman Tim Reisner at one point. Though Third Eye Blind’s songs might sound similar to Green Day or Nirvana at times, their preoccupations far outpaced what people were accustomed to at that time.
Jumper was a noir-inspired song that addressed the relationship between homophobia and suicide and how this affects LGBTQ audiences, reaching #5 on the US chart while simultaneously helping reframe debate surrounding bullying.
Third Eye Blind hasn’t quite maintained their initial popularity, but their shows still deliver. Filled with reverb and distortion effects that capture that classic ’97 sound from hits like “Semi-Charmed Life” and “How’s It Going To Be”, their concerts provide the same captivating entertainment.
This summer, The group will hit amphitheaters across the nation for an amphitheater tour to perform some of their most beloved hits. Tickets go on sale January 9th; be sure to join Dashboard Confessional for this unique concert experience! Don’t miss it – tickets go on sale today.
2. “Semi-Charmed Life” by Third Eye Blind
Throughout the 1990s, boy bands such as Backstreet Boys and girl groups such as Spice Girls rose to prominence, popularizing catchy tunes with positive messages. Hip hop also experienced an upsurge thanks to Queen Latifah, Lil Kim, Tupac Shakur and Notorious B.I.G, with The Prodigy and Daft Punk providing infectious beats; alternative rock movement such as Nirvana and Pearl Jam challenging pop’s dominance of this decade. Electronic music became more prominent too, thanks to artists such as Daft Punk providing infectious beats. Grunge was introduced with Nirvana and Pearl Jam challenging pop’s dominance over this decade of pop dominance via grunge/alternative rock artists such as Nirvana/Pear Jam which challenged pop’s dominance of pop dominance of this decade; grunge/alternative rock artists such as Nirvana/Pear Jam challenging pop’s pop dominance of this decade by debuting alternative rock; these artists such as Nirvana/Pear Jam/Quinnerson were notable examples. This decade also witnessed grunge/alternate/alternate rock artists such as Nirvana/Pear Jam challenging pop dominance of this decade with artists such as Nirvana/Pear Jam’s West Coast rivalry of this decade via various acts like Nirvana/Pear Jam’s rivalry played their West Coast rivalry of Tupac Shakur/Notorious B.Imp Jam’s West Coast rivalry between Tupac Shakur and Notorous B v/Notorious B /Quanthem was created and Pearl Jam to challenge pop dominance of hip hop (Nv/Tu (K/ Notorious B.Imp) challenging pop dominance of these years later being born alongside popularization). Grunge/ Pearl Jam challenging pop dominance/P Pearl Jam challenging pop dominance of which started/Pillary B/Notorious B/Notorious B/Notorious B.
Mariah Carey and Whitney Houston were two of the top-selling artists of the ’90s, with songs like “Vision of Love” and “One Sweet Day” popularizing classic soul vocal harmonies once again. Additionally, D’Angelo and Portishead’s trip hop inspired electronic music also gained considerable traction; similarly acid jazz bands such as Jamiroquai, Incognito, the Brand New Heavies Us3 and Ronny Jordan enjoyed widespread acclaim during this era.
At this time, female empowerment was also strong, with artists such as Mary J. Blige, Cher, and Faith Evans encouraging female listeners to embrace themselves through songs like “Just Be Yourself”. Meanwhile, The Spice Girls became one of the most successful girl bands during this period; and RuPaul introduced his groundbreaking musical project known as “Supermodel.”
The mid-1990s also witnessed the emergence of dance acts like Backstreet Boys and LL Cool J who brought energetic sounds to their hits, while rappers such as Beastie Boys and Mobb Deep introduced rawer, more unsettling sounds through songs such as “Gimme Shelter” and “Mo Money Mo Problems”.
Third Eye Blind emerged onto the scene when their self-titled debut album from San Francisco became an international success in 1997. Their most well-known song to date, “Semi-Charmed Life” became an upbeat track with multiple sounds to create a memorable and catchy tune, its lyrics recounting tales of unrequited love and loss – making it their signature song to date.
4. “Black or White” by Michael Jackson
The 1990s was a decade when Spice Girls reigned supreme and Janet Jackson continued her string of massive hits. From high-energy dance songs to powerful love ballads, the top 100 songs of that decade include an eclectic range of genres that will remain classics or open up new directions in music.
“Black or White,” Michael Jackson’s debut single from Dangerous album, features him at his most aggressive and angry. Featuring rap lyrics written by Bill Bottrell, it combined his message of racial harmony with feelings of defiance stemming from ongoing injustice in America.
Jackson became one of the most beloved pop music entertainers due to her ability to balance anger and take a stand. While most of her song is focused on celebrating diversity and acceptance, her closing coda–where Jackson destroyed a mural depicting racism and prejudice from graffitied walls–made an artistic statement as well as serving as a visual expression of her anger.
In the 1990s, many of the top songs of the decade were inspired by personal experiences like drug addiction or divorce. Women began sharing their stories more freely with one another during this era; coupled with uptempo beats and catchy melodies of dance songs like “Wannabe”, this empowered young and older women alike to be themselves.
As the 1990s gave way to 2000s, new musical genres emerged such as neo soul – which mixed 1970s soul influences with hip hop and rap music – along with artists like D’Angelo, Erykah Badu and Lauryn Hill who combined R&B with hip hop in albums that topped charts; this resulted in an explosion of sounds into mainstream popular music that made the 1990s an unparalleled era for pop music.