The 90s had its fair share of one-hit wonders. Every time I thought I was done with the list a new song would pop up! It's crazy - but these songs will forever be remembered in my mind as quintessential 90s.
Gin Blossoms - "Hey Jealousy" - If you can't sing along to this song, you had no business in the 90s.
Semisonic - "Closing Time" - This song was overplayed (as most of these one-hit songs were), but I can at least listen to it now. I vaguely remember hearing this on the radio almost every time I was closing at my first job. Poignant.
The Mighty Mighty Bosstones - "The Impression That I Get" - This was probably the peak of the ska takeover during the nineties. I had a lot of ska albums and swing was into full effect thanks to one of my favorite movies, Swingers. This song is still good today, despite the genre's fade into obscurity.
Bone Thugs N Harmony - "Crossroads" - Ahh, Christian Thug Rap. There's a niche genre if there ever was one.
Eagle Eye Cherry - "Save Tonight" - I don't think I liked this song when it came out, but it has grown on me and it's held up pretty well.
The Proclaimers - "I'm Gonna Be (500 Miles)" - This song got a bit of a revival courtesy of How I Met Your Mother (the funniest show on TV right now!). The Proclaimer's only hit can get you through a 10 plus hour road trip for sure.
Elastica - "Connection" - I always thought this song was super cool and Elastica was going to be the best band ever. I can admit when I'm wrong. That doesn't make this song any less awesome.
Deep Blue Something - "Breakfast at Tiffany's" - I can honestly say that I thought Tiffany's was a friend the singer knew and they had breakfast there and both him and the girl hit it off there. Boy I really didn't listen to the lyrics very well. Plus, I had no idea that a movie was called Breakfast at Tiffany's. I was 12, give me a break!
Natalie Imbruglia - "Torn" - I remember hearing this song all the time and I couldn't stand it. But, I'm a huge softie now, so this song gets me sometimes.
Nada Surf - "Popular" - Oh man this song was great! It was the anthem for high school social rules. "I'm a quarterback. I'm popular. My mom says I'm a catch. I'm popular. I'm never last picked. I'm popular. I got a cheerleading chick." still ranks as one of the greatest lyrics ever.
The Toadies - "Possum Kingdom" - Such a great guitar riff and haunting lyrics. This song always gets stuck in my head after I hear it.
Sponge - "Plowed" - This song sounds so much like Social Distortion, but that doesn't make it a bad song. In fact, it's great and you'll never feel as happy singing the chorus, "In a world of human wreckage" as you would in this song!
Primitive Radio Gods - "Standing Outside a Broken Phone Booth" - I recently re-discovered this song and it has such a beautiful sound. It's reminiscent of Moby, but without all the white guilt.
White Town - "Your Woman" - Barely anybody remembers this song - but it's still a great head bopping tune. I still can't figure out if a man or woman is singing, and I had the album!
Filter - "Hey Man Nice Shot" - These guys were the shit and then they decided to get all pussied-out and start making pop music. Jerks. No, I'm not bitter and this song still kicks ass, BTW.
OMC - "How Bizarre" - I always liked this scene from Undeclared (not the highest quality) where her roommate is blasting this song. It's not a great song, but I will occasionally get it stuck in my head and won't mind. As a bonus, the scene also has a lot of great one hit wonders from the 90s!
Enigma - "The Return to Innocence" - I remember everyone saying this music video was so awesome. Yeah, I can play things backwards and make tons of money too! I still love this song, though. It's just utterly cheesy and awful that it's so good!
Better Than Ezra - "Good" - This song sounds like a lot of other 90s hits, but the lead singers voice and that "Ah-wa-uh" makes it a classic.
Mazzy Star - "Fade Into You" - I was a little too young for this song when it came out, but this one was always heard at dances in high school. Such a classic slow dance song.
Buffalo Tom - "Late at Night" - I love Buffalo Tom simply for this song. They have a bunch of other great ones, but this song was the best when it was on My So-Called Life. Which was such a great show, although I wasn't into it when it first came on, my brother's obsession for it spilled into my daily life. So I remember bits and pieces and when Maggie showed me the scene where Jared Leto takes Claire Danes hand - it's just perfect.
Ugly Kid Joe - "Cats in the Cradle" - I remember my brother getting this album when I was in fifth grade and listening to it all the time. It was even cooler because he bought the album before they had to change the cover. It had the Statue of Liberty flipping you off. So awesome!
Danzig - "Mother" - This song was probably the most badass to come out of the 90s. Danzig was a scary dude and you didn't want to meet him an a dark alley. Hell, even a brightly lit park would still be menacing. But his voice is just amazing and this song showcases it for all its glory and probably helped Danzig get through all his mommy issues.
Cracker - "Low" - This song demands to be played loud and preferably in the company of booze. Plus the singer fights Sandra Bernhard (at least that's who I think it is!) in the music video. Awesome.
Crash Test Dummies - "Mmmm Mmmm Mmmm Mmmm" - Okay, this song is kind of a joke, but it really showcased how crazy the 90s were. This was a top 10 hit and there were always weird songs that everybody embraced, because, hey, that MTV campaign to Free Your Mind worked.
Hum - "Stars" - More of an indie hit, this song was what the emo bands worshiped. It's so ethereal and pretty amazing. An unforgettable song.
Local H - "Bound for the Floor" - I loved this song and was another example of 90s alternative rock. Nirvana had so much influence in the 90s that it's never more apparent than in this song.
Stabbing Westward - "Shame" - I bought this album after a friend suggested it to me. He solely liked this band simply because their first single tanked and nobody like them. But then they came out with this song and that cool video where some crazy creepy dude stalks a pretty hot lady. And then my friend stopped liking them but I still love that album.
Soul Asylum - "Runaway Train" - Who could forget this sad song? The video was pretty memorable and actually helped reunite kids with their families. Some were happy endings, some not so much. It's an interesting Wikipedia page.
Green Jelly - "Three Little Pigs" - These guys were originally called Green Jello until they were threatened by the makers of Jell-O. Now they're known as Green Jelly, but they still rock. This was probably one of the cooler music videos. In fact, the whole album was a soundtrack to a movie they made. It's really trippy and kind of awesome if you love funny, weird songs and metal. Once again, a testament to the 90s for embracing weird ass stuff.
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