Top 100 Songs of the ’90s
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It’s been almost 17 years since Kathleen Hanna of Bikini Kill (and later Le Tigre) told Kurt Cobain that he smelled like Teen Spirit. What a difference two decades makes: From Nirvana’s sulking, smarmy instruction, “Here we are now, entertain us,” to Generation MySpace’s inherent understanding that really, we’re all just here to entertain each other, is a gulf, a sea change in the way we think about culture and those who make it. (The Internet, by the way, makes a convenient scapegoat in case you’re looking for one.) VH1 returns to explore the innocent, mostly pre-digital age with The 100 Greatest Songs of the ’90s, a hits show that counts down the best of the best from the flannel decade. No. 1? You guessed it — “Smells Like Teen Spirit” by Nirvana (see the video above).
Other highlights include “Cannonball” by the Breeders and “Sabotage” by the Beastie Boys, but there’s plenty of non-college-dorm fare here, too. Like, do you remember “Informer” by Snow? How about “I Wanna Sex You Up” by Color Me Badd? Madonna’s “Vogue”? Guilty pleasures and desperate measures await. Check the show out next Monday, December 17th, at 10 p.m. (EST) on VH1. And if you can’t wait that long, see the full list of all 100 best songs after the jump.
1. Nirvana “Smells Like Teen Spirit”
2. U2 “One”
3. Backstreet Boys “I Want It That Way”
4. Whitney Houston “I Will Always Love You”
5. Madonna “Vogue”
6. Sir Mix-A-Lot “Baby Got Back”
7. Britney Spears “…Baby One More Time”
8. TLC “Waterfalls”
9. R.E.M. “Losing My Religion”
10. SinĂ©ad O’Connor “Nothing Compares 2 U”
11. Pearl Jam “Jeremy”
12. Alanis Morissette “You Oughta Know”
13. Dr. Dre (featuring Snoop Doggy Dogg) “Nuthin’ but a “G” Thang”
14. Mariah Carey “Vision of Love”
15. Red Hot Chili Peppers “Under the Bridge”
16. MC Hammer “U Can’t Touch This”
17. Destiny’s Child “Say My Name”
18. Metallica “Enter Sandman”
19. Beastie Boys “Sabotage”
20. Hanson “MMMBop”
21. Celine Dion “My Heart Will Go On”
22. Beck “Loser”
23. Salt-N-Pepa with En Vogue “Whatta Man”
24. House of Pain “Jump Around”
25. Soundgarden “Black Hole Sun”
26. Eminem “My Name Is”
27. Counting Crows “Mr. Jones”
28. Ricky Martin “Livin’ la Vida Loca”
29. Vanilla Ice “Ice Ice Baby”
30. *NSYNC “Tearin’ Up My Heart”
31. Radiohead “Creep”
32. BLACKstreet “No Diggity”
33. Spice Girls “Wannabe”
34. Third Eye Blind “Semi-Charmed Life”
35. Oasis “Wonderwall”
36. C+C Music Factory “Gonna Make You Sweat (Everybody Dance Now)”
37. Green Day “Good Riddance (Time of Your Life)”
38. Christina Aguilera “Genie In A Bottle”
39. Goo Goo Dolls “Iris”
40. Color Me Badd “I Wanna Sex You Up”
41. Spin Doctors “Two Princes”
42. Collective Soul “Shine”
43. En Vogue “My Lovin’ (You’re Never Gonna Get It)”
44. The Fugees “Killing Me Softly With His Song”
45. Hootie & the Blowfish “Only Wanna Be With You”
46. Shania Twain “You’re Still the One”
47. Marky Mark and The Funky Bunch “Good Vibrations”
48. Matchbox Twenty “3 AM”
49. Jewel “Who Will Save Your Soul”
50. Alice in Chains “Man in the Box”
51. Tupac (featuring Dr. Dre and Roger Troutman) “California Love”
52. Sugar Ray “Fly”
53. Naughty by Nature “O.P.P.”
54. Joan Osborne “One of Us”
55. Fiona Apple “Criminal”
56. L.L. Cool J “Mama Said Knock You Out”
57. Jay-Z featuring Amil and Ja Rule “Can I Get A…”
58. Sophie B. Hawkins “Damn, I Wish I Was Your Lover”
59. Weezer “Buddy Holly”
60. Bell Biv DeVoe “Poison”
61. Sheryl Crow “All I Wanna Do”
62. Live “I Alone”
63. The Notorious B.I.G. featuring Mase & Puff Daddy “Mo Money Mo Problems”
64. The Presidents of the United States of America “Peaches”
65. Digital Underground “The Humpty Dance”
66. Edwin McCain “I’ll Be”
67. Deee-Lite “Groove Is In The Heart”
68. Will Smith “Gettin’ Jiggy Wit It”
69. Korn “Freak on a Leash”
70. Jamiroquai “Virtual Insanity”
71. Arrested Development “Tennessee”
72. Barenaked Ladies “One Week”
73. Marcy Playground “Sex and Candy”
74. Cher “Believe”
75. Kris Kross “Jump”
76. Blues Traveler “Run-Around”
77. Ice Cube “It Was a Good Day”
78. Lenny Kravitz “Are You Gonna Go My Way”
79. Meredith Brooks “Bitch”
80. Right Said Fred “I’m Too Sexy”
81. Paula Cole “I Don’t Want to Wait”
82. Geto Boys “Mind Playing Tricks on Me”
83. The Breeders “Cannonball”
84. Snow “Informer”
85. Cypress Hill “Insane In The Brain”
86. The Cranberries “Linger”
87. Billy Ray Cyrus “Achy Breaky Heart”
88. Duncan Sheik “Barely Breathing”
89. Liz Phair “Never Said”
90. New Radicals “You Get What You Give”
91. Sarah McLachlan “Building a Mystery”
92. Public Enemy “911 Is A Joke”
93. Lisa Loeb & Nine Stories “Stay”
94. Fastball “The Way”
95. Montell Jordan “This is How We Do It”
96. Nelson “(Can’t Live Without Your) Love and Affection”
97. Prince & The New Power Generation “Gett Off”
98. EMF “Unbelievable”
99. Missy “Misdemeanor” Elliott “The Rain (Supa Dupa Fly)”
100. Gerardo “Rico Suave”
Related Content
100 Greatest Songs of the ’90s Show Info






May 5th, 2008 at 11:19 am
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May 23rd, 2008 at 4:37 pm
This lists sucks where the hell is Boyz II Men. I mean they had like 3 songs that were big. Hello End of the Road, I’ll Make Love to You, and Motownphilly coulda been on the list.
May 23rd, 2008 at 8:25 pm
Thank you for this show. I have shamelessly enjoyed it this afternoon. I agree that some of my favorites are missing, but there are so many here that I had forgotten about. These songs bring back so many memories from my teen years. Good times…
May 24th, 2008 at 2:49 pm
I see Billy Ray Cyrus, and I know not many people who watch VH1 are into country, but where the hell is Garth Brooks? He outsold everyone in the 90’s.
May 26th, 2008 at 1:02 am
[...] was your favorite song of the 90’s and what does it remind you of? You can go HERE to check out Vh-1’s list. Bookmark It Hide [...]
May 31st, 2008 at 7:14 pm
whatttttttttttt. why is “ice ice baby” like number 29? it should deff be higher. vanilla ice is amazing.
July 1st, 2008 at 1:57 am
wtf? where are sublime and no doubt and offspring?
July 11th, 2008 at 2:09 pm
Sunday, July 13th at 9 am EST – Only on A&E’s PRIVATE SESSIONS - in an in-depth interview, Adam Duritz of COUNTING CROWS sits down with host Lynn Hoffman to discuss the ups and downs of fame as well as the release of their new album Saturday Nights and Sunday Mornings. Plus, don’t miss COUNTING CROWS exclusive performances including “Cowboys” and “Washington Square” off of Saturday Nights & Sunday Mornings and their hit, “Roundhere”, all on this week’s PRIVATE SESSIONS.
July 17th, 2008 at 2:13 pm
Need more Mariah Carey in here….
July 17th, 2008 at 4:39 pm
um. dave matthews band? only one of the best selling bands ever. still kicking everyone’s _&@!_++~$~^+&@( in tours.
July 17th, 2008 at 7:51 pm
On the song list for Greatest 100 rock songs, you mis-spelled Jerry Lee Lewis as Jerry Lee Louis - Song 53 Great Balls of Fire.
You need a better copy editor who at least knows the artists.
July 21st, 2008 at 12:32 pm
where is tears in heaven? should’ve been in the top 10
July 22nd, 2008 at 5:54 pm
Wat about “Tha Crossroads” by Bone Thugs-N-Harmony??? That should’v been at least in tha top 10!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
July 24th, 2008 at 12:25 am
THANK YOU!!!
Smells Like Teen Spirit definitely deserves the number 1 spot. I watched the whole show JUST to see if Nirvana would come out on top, and they did. (:
I was a very satisfied girl at that moment. and I still am.
Kurt Cobain was an incredible man, and even though he might not want one of his least favorite songs ontop and mainstream, here it is.
I love it. and I love Nirvana.
July 24th, 2008 at 5:49 pm
So many good bands left off of here. “Smells Like Teen Spirit” as number one? Please. It’s OK, at best. Anyway, heres a list of bands that deserved to be on here, or bands that deserve more than just one spot.
Matchbox 20 (”Real World”, “Push”)
All-4-One (”I Can Love You Like That”, “I Swear”)
Sugar Ray (”Every Morning”, “When It’s Over”, “Someday”)
Boys II Men (”I Will Make Love To You”, “End of the Road”)
Sublime (”What I Got”, “Santeria”)
Miriah Carey (I’m not even going to list them because there are so many)
Smashmouth (”Allstar”, “Walking on the Sun”)
Goo Goo Dolls (”Slide”, “Name”, “Black Balloon”)
Puff Daddy (”Can’t Nobody Hold Me Down”, “I’ll Be Missing You”)
Those are just the artists with two or more hits that should’ve been included. There are many others that have one noteworthy hit that was not considered. By the way, “Smooth” by Santana and Rob Thomas should have been #1.
August 3rd, 2008 at 11:16 am
Smells Like Teen Sprit does diserve number 1. But I would of like to see a Nine Inch Nails song on there.
August 5th, 2008 at 2:52 pm
I agree that Smashmouth, Sugar Ray, and Nine Inch Nails should’ve been on there.
August 16th, 2008 at 7:42 pm
why wasn’t blink 182’s song dammit on there?
August 16th, 2008 at 7:47 pm
No Vertical Horizon? Whats going on here?
August 16th, 2008 at 8:47 pm
unfortunately…nirvana sounded the death knell for the hair bands and glam rock lol so yeah…that song should be number 1
August 18th, 2008 at 3:47 pm
This is absurd. You mean to tell mmbop is on a list of the best songs of the 90s and No Rain by Blind Melon is not even in the top100. WTH
August 19th, 2008 at 5:30 pm
Can we hear these songs for free once to remember them/recognize them? (Is there a link or something on here for us to access the music–not download, just hear? or sample? …There should be.)
August 28th, 2008 at 6:01 pm
why don^t see in the list the wilson phillips? they have a goog songs
tnks
October 6th, 2008 at 8:30 pm
there should be more backstreet boys and nsync AND britney spears songs that was their decade
October 6th, 2008 at 8:31 pm
and smashmouth
November 2nd, 2008 at 7:27 am
Dave Matthews Band deserve to be on this list,they are truly one of the best band’s ever of the 90’s, and they still continue to be my favorite band.
November 20th, 2008 at 9:45 pm
i think that you guys messed up and forgot to add paperboy, “dity” for the best 100 90’s songs. everyone gets crazy in the club when it comes on!
November 20th, 2008 at 9:45 pm
How in the world is “November Rain” (G&R) and Right Here Right Now (VH) not on this list? Insane!! What were they smoking when the made this? Gosh even Bon Jovi had a few gems in the ’90s. “Bed of Roses”.
Give me a break with Nirvana already. The Metallica Black album came out the same year and crused it in sales and inpriation.
November 23rd, 2008 at 4:56 am
so dissapointed….vanilla ice is one of the 90’s best?! with a stupid copied song? where are the garbage and aerosmith and skunk anansie, no doubt, the cardinagns?
November 23rd, 2008 at 5:21 am
wehere are the guns&roses? depeche mode had some great songs in the 90’s. no george micahel? tom petty?manic street preachers? it’s good though the spice girls were not forgoten, indeed great talens(!!). how was this top made? by calculating the sales?
November 23rd, 2008 at 7:00 am
I would erase vanilla ice, spice girls, hanson, snow, criss cross, shania twain
I would add
Stakka Bo - great blondino
depeche mode - I feel you
texas - back eyed boy
suede - trash
pulp - disco 2000
garbage - I think I’m paranoid
blind melon - no rain
tracy chapman - give me one reason
deep blue something - breakfast at tiffany’s
bell book and candle- rescue me
sixpence non the richer - kiss me
December 2nd, 2008 at 1:19 am
I will say the friends’ theme song.. the rembrandts I’ll be there for you!!!! that was a great 90’s song!
January 4th, 2009 at 3:06 pm
Ok… too much crap on there. There are good songs like Man in the Box and Enter Sandman, Smells like Teen Spirit deserves #1 but wheres Basket Case by green day? or any of Green Days songs? Only 1 of their songs appeared and that was not on Dookie which remains the best selling punk album ever at 10 million. No GnR? Too much pop music not enough ligit music..
February 12th, 2009 at 9:13 pm
November Rain can’t crack the top 100? You people ought to be ashamed of yourselves.
May 17th, 2009 at 2:42 am
BUSH: Sixteen Stone Album (1994) Everything Zen, Machinehead, Glycerine, Little Things, Comedown
Not one song made it on the list
May 18th, 2009 at 10:51 pm
where is
sublime
offspring
rancid
May 21st, 2009 at 11:11 pm
no Guns N Roses, thats bs. at least november rain or dont cry
June 7th, 2009 at 1:31 am
It ruined it for me when I saw right said fred.
July 3rd, 2009 at 2:30 pm
where is stone temple pilots on this list, haven’t you ever heard of plush, creep, interstate love song. Nirvana should be on this list at least 3 times in the top 50. You need more Pearl Jam songs on there like Black and Alive. You should have nutshell, would, rooster, from alice in chains on the list. Take out a lot of the hip hop, rap and pop out of there the 90’s was about grunge music.
July 3rd, 2009 at 2:40 pm
where is stone temple pilots on this list, haven’t you ever heard of plush, creep, interstate love song. Nirvana should be on this list at least 3 times in the top 50. You need more Pearl Jam songs on there like Black and Alive. You should have nutshell, would, rooster, from alice in chains on the list. Take out a lot of the hip hop, rap and pop out of there the 90’s was about grunge music. I am also dissapointed that there wasn’t any sublime on the list what i got and santeria should be on there.
July 3rd, 2009 at 5:10 pm
where the hell is at the drive in or rage against the machine? how about harvey danger or possibly some other good political bands?
July 3rd, 2009 at 6:19 pm
Dave Matthews Band should have been on the list
July 4th, 2009 at 8:39 pm
WHERE IS DEAR MAMA TUPAC