Like the decade that preceded it, the 1990’s was a dazzling mosaic of invention, the last before technology punched a hole in the music industry’s business model so deep it would take 20 years to recover from. With music television enjoying the peak of it’s influence, style triumphed sometimes over substance, whilst an American invasion was repelled in Britain by a movement in thrall to the Kings Roads of 1967 and 1977 respectively.
Pleasing everyone is impossible and the incredible diversity of the 1990’s means that like no other time period in music history, a comprehensive list giving the right profile to every epic song that deserves it is a fool’s errand. Instead, enjoy a sliver of what it had to offer.
Get the playlist here.
The list:
100. The Orb – Little Fluffy Clouds
99. Blind Melon – No Rain
98. Eels – Novocaine For The Soul
97. Paris Angels – Perfume (Loved Up)
96. L7 – Pretend We’re Dead
95. Lamb – Gorecki
94. Sepultra – Refuse/Resist
93. Ice Cube – It Was A Good Day
92. LFO – LFO (Leeds Warehouse Mix)
91. The Chills – Heavenly Pop Hit
90. Death In Vegas – Dirge
89. Sugar – Tilted
88. DJ Shadow – Building Steam With a Grain of Salt
87. Elastica – Connection
86. Trashcan Sinatras – Obscurity Knocks
85. Nine Inch Nails – March of the Pigs
84. Joey Beltram – Energy Flash
83. Teenage Fanclub – Star Sign
82. Gus Gus – Believe (16B remix)
81. TLC – Creep
80. Jane’s Addiction – Three Days
79. Luscious Jackson – Naked Eye
78. The Verve – A Man Called Sun
77. The Cardigans – Erase/Rewind
76. David Holmes – Rodney Yates
75. Everything But The Girl – Missing (Todd Terry remix)
74. Autechre – 444
73. The Cure – Friday I’m In Love
72. Alice In Chains – Got Me Wrong
71. St.Etienne – Only Love Can Break Your Heart
70. Future Sound of London – Papua New Guinea
69. The Beta Band – Dry the Rain
68. The KLF – What Time Is Love?
67. Spiritualized – Ladies and Gentlemen, We Are Floating In Space
66. Mobb Deep – Shook Ones, Pt. II
65. My Bloody Valentine – Only Shallow
64. Shack – Comedy
63. The Breeders – Cannonball
62. GZA, Method Man – Shadowboxin’
61. The Stone Roses – Love Spreads
60. Orbital – Chime
59. Beck – Devil’s Haircut
58. Suede – Animal Nitrate
57. Portishead – Glory Box
56. Hole – Violet
55. Bjork – Venus As a Boy
54. Xpansions – Move Your Body
53. Green Day – Good Riddance (Time of Your Life)
52. Air – La femme d’argent
51. Geto Boys – Mind Playing Tricks on Me
50. The La’s – Feelin‘
49. Ride – Twisterella
48. The Prodigy – Firestarter
47. Catherine Wheel – Black Metallic
46. Nightmares on Wax – Les Nuits
45. Happy Mondays – Kinky Afro
44. Gene – Olympian
43. Da Hool – Meet Her At The Love Parade
42. Daft Punk – Da Funk
41. Lauryn Hill – Doo Wop (That Thing)
40. Supergrass – Caught By The Fuzz
39. Pavement – Cut Your Hair
38. The Pharcyde – Soul Flower
37. PJ Harvey – 50ft Queenie
36. The Smashing Pumpkins – 1979
35. Slowdive – Souvlaki Space Station
34. The Sundays – Here’s Where The Story Ends
33. Depeche Mode – Enjoy The Silence
32. Underworld – Cowgirl
31. Pearl Jam – Jeremy
30. Stereolab – French Disko
29. Super Furry Animals – Something 4 The Weekend
28. Tricky – Hell Is Around The Corner
27.The Lemonheads – Rockin’ Stroll
26. James – Born of Frustration
25. The Chemical Brothers – Setting Sun
24. Rage Against The Machine – Killing In The Name Of
23. Goldie – Angel
22. Primal Scream – Loaded
21. Deee-Lite – Groove Is In the Heart
20. R.E.M – Man On The Moon
19. The Shamen – Pro Gen (Move Any Mountain)
18. Global Communication – 14:31
17. Dr Dre ft. Snoop Dogg – Nothin’ But A G Thang
16. Leftfied – Song of Life
15. Blur – Chemical World
14. Massive Attack – Unfinished Sympathy
13. Manic Street Preachers – If You Tolerate This Your Children Will Be Next
12. Wu-Tang Clan – Protect Ya Neck
11. Metallica – Enter Sandman
10. Pulp – Common People
9. Boards of Canada – Aquarius
8. Nas – N.Y. State of Mind
7. Aphex Twin – Ptolemy
6. Beastie Boys – Sure Shot
5. Radiohead – Street Spirit (Fade Out)
4. Nirvana – All of Nevermind.
3. Jeff Buckley – Hallelujah
2. Oasis – Rock N’ Roll Star
1. Mazzy Star – Fade Into You
Pic: Nogales, Mexico, October 1994.
The Voice Of Unreason 