Growing up listening to 90’s music meant bands like Madonna, George Michael, Silk, R Kelly, Shai, Michael Jackson, Nirvana, Pearl Jam, Backstreet Boys, *NSYC, Britney Spears, New Kids and many more.  If you went to high school in the nineties, these groups and their songs are probably burnt into your mind, and when they happen to play on the radio you’re taken back with nostalgia and memories.  If you’re like me, some of these songs remind you of old boyfriends or girlfriends, being out on Friday nights or all summer long, and singing along with songs that you wouldn’t necessarily brag about today.

The 90’s music scene seemed to go through cycles from the New Kids and Debbie Gibson’s bubble0gum pop sound, to a more rock based alternative sound in the mid-nineties, and then back to Pop with Justin Timberlake and the *NSYNC boys in the later years.  And who can forget getting “jiggy wit it” with Will Smith and other R&B groups like Boyz II Men, Seal and more.

The 1990’s was also the decade we saw MTV have a coming out party and be much more than just a block of videos non-stop. The best 90’s music videos were also mixed in with music news, interviews and reality shows like “Road Rules” which became a fan favorite during the nineties. But at its heart, MTV was still dedicated to music videos, and the popularity of Carson Daly was based on his daily music video countdown that teens could depend on each day around 4:00. Many major artists and bands had their videos debuted on what was known as “TRL”, including Christina Aguilera, Britney Spears and KJ-52.

Based on MTV airplay information and viewer requests, here are the top ten 90’s music videos:

10 – Busta Rhymes – Put Your Hands Where My Eyes Can See
9 – Pearl Jam – Jeremy
8 – George Michael – Freedom
7 – Nine Inch Nails – Closer
6 – Missy Elliott – The Rain (Supa Dupa Fly)
5 – REM – Losing My Religion
4 – 2Pac & Dr. Dre – Calfornia Love
3 – Beastie Boys – Sabotage
2 – Nirvana – Smells Like Teen Spirit
1 – Madonna – Vogue

90’s Music Hits

As we mentioned earlier, the 90’s music flavor seemed to change each few years, with the New Kids on the Block and other pop sensations bringing in the decade with a flurry of feel-good hits that led to sell out concerts and platinum CD’s.  Then in the mid-nineties, the Seattle grunge seem took the nation by storm, with bands like Nirvana, Pearl Jam, Korn and more being seen as mainstream.  But after a few years the alternative sound was relegated to just left of center with 90’s hit music once again being taken over by bubble gum pop.  With a strong side of R&B, the groups which took music lovers to, and through, Y2K included Backstreet Boys, Robyn, Wallflowers, Jessica Simpson and Will Smith.

Here are top ten songs that received radio airplay in 1999:

10 – Ricky Martin – Livin’ La Vida Loca
9 – Deborah Cox – Nobody’s Supposed To Be Here
8 – Sugar Ray – Every Morning
7 – Genie In A Bottle – Christina Aguilera
6 – Sixpence None The Richer – Kiss Me
5 – Baby One More Time – Britney Spears
4 – Whitney Houston – Heartbreak Hotel
3 – Monica – Angel Of Mine
2 – TLC – No Scrubs
1 – Cher – Believe

These super groups of the nineties each had multiple platinum CD’s and spawned a whole new category of music with the professionally made “mix tape”.  Multiple record companies, seeing the success o such projects, would create and release their own brand of compilation disc.  The most successful of all was the platinum selling “Now! That’s What I Call Music” series, that continues to be produced to this day.

Based on record sales, here are the top selling albums of the 90’s music era:

10 – Britney Spears – Baby One More Time
9 – Garth Brooks – Ropin The Wind
8 – Backstreet Boys – Backstreet Boys
7 – Santana – Super Natural
6 – Garth Brooks – Double Live
5 – Garth Brooks – No Fences
4 – Hottie & The Blowfish – Cracked Rear View
3 – Alanis Morrisette – Jagged Little Pill
2 – Whitney Houston – The Bodyguard Soundtrack
1 – Shania Twain – Come On Over

10. Nothing Compares To You - Sinead O'Connor
9.  Smells Like Teen Spirit - Nirvana
8.  Nuthin' But A G Thang - Dr. Dre
7.  Loser - Beck
6.  Waterfalls - TLC
5.  Gangsta's Paradise - Coolio
4.  Don't Speak - No Doubt
3.  Mo Money Mo Problems - Notorious B.I.G.
2.  One Week - Barenaked Ladies
1.  No Scrubs - TLC

No one could touch MC Hammer in the early 90's. The rapper, dancer and empire builder is originally from Oakland, California and spent his teenage years as a "batboy" for the Oakland Athletics. He now lives in Tracy, California with his wife and six children, although on daughter is in college fulltime.

His trademark style can bee seen in the video below, "Hammerpants" as they came to be known were stylish in the early 90's, but would fade out of fashion much like Hammer. Today MC Hammer runs his own dance music company and still performs at various concerts and events. He is a born-again Christian and shares his faith at several events annually.

 Smooth, silky, Boyz II Men wannabe, Shai.  One of the top R&B groups from the 90's, Shai scored multiple hits including "Comforter", "If I Ever Fall In Love" and "Baby I'm Yours".

The band started in the in Washington DC when a member of the band gave a demo CD to a disc jockey at WPGC featuring "If I Ever Fall In Love".  The DJ played the CD that week and some thereafter several other stations around the country played it.  Shai signed with Gasoline Alley records and continues to record music to this day.

Other songs from Shai that saw some charting success include "Together Forever", "Come With Me", and "I Don't Wanna Be Alone".

Enjoy the video below...and don't forget Shai!