Idolator

Wow, this is essentially one half of the "Best of the 90's! AND TODAY!" satellite radio playlist I used to have hammered into my head working at Ben & Jerry's. Would've liked to hear "Never Said," though, an oddly tasteful choice on an unfortunate but mostly unsurprising list.

Idolator, you guys need to step up and do a list like this, but you know, FOR REALSIES.

the world isn't ready for that much tevin campbell.

"All My Friends" is snubbed yet again...

How can they possibly have Lisa Loeb & Nine Stories ranked below Geto B...

wait, you're telling me that there's no way to justify any of this? You mean to tell me they analyzed radio station playlists and arbitrarily threw this together? You're telling me debating this is pointless? Why is their blood trickling out of my ears.

I <3 that the Backstreet Boys are #3!!

Then again, a list with Rico Suave on it is highly suspect...

Mo Money Mo Problems should be way higher.

I think it's time we make a list of these lists.

did they not already do this list?
or was it mtv?
or was it the top 100 alternative and/or pop songs of the 90s?

because this all looks very familiar...

This list has one of those stupid rules that only allows one song per artist. I hate when they do that.

@SomeSound-MostlyFury: Hypnotize is the far superior song in my opinion.

IIRC, the online vote on VH1's site only gave like 200 or 300 options, mostly only a couple token songs by each artist represented here and a few more one hit wonders that weren't. So the deck was stacked in such an uninteresting way that even though I kinda wanted to vote, I just couldn't.

@The Van Buren Boys:

Another rule is that the song is the initial hit for a new artist: NSYNC's "Bye, Bye, Bye" was much bigger than "Tearing up my heart." I mean, I think it was.

God, the 90s were such a long time ago.

No Cathy Dennis? No "Silent Lucidity?"

@Dead Air ummm Dead Air: Stylus already made a "list" list: [www.stylusmagazine.com] (I miss them so much!)

@Dead Air ummm Dead Air: are you suggesting a meta list? i think that's a little too much pomo effort for something so crappy.

"84. Snow - Informer"

instant disqualification.

no breakfast at tiffany's, no credibility

I remember trying to vote for this, but you couldn't write-in choices, you had to select from a list. I wasn't able to come up with a top 10 from their options.

How long until this list turns into "Solid Gold Hits of the '90s" and is sold via infomercials?

@maura: ...and how can they pick "(Can't Live Without Your) Love and Affection" over "More Than Ever" or "After the Rain?"

"Hey Jealousy" isn't on here? Fucking ridiculous.

I looked at this.

@rhythmchyc: I happen to like "Tearin'" better than "Bye^3" in the *N Sync oeuvre, but even if I agreed with you, "Bye^3" is from 2000, thereby disqualifying it from this list.

This whole list is very glass-half-full. The fact that the public voted and came up with Nirvana at No. 1 is actually a good thing, tired as it is to all of us, because they could've put, I dunno, Whitney there. And any list that includes prime-era Liz P. is impressive just for existing. OTOH, yeah, one-song-per-artist is bullshit, and the pre-seeding of a small list of songs is very suspect. I dunno, this could've been worse; as it stands, it's just...meh.

@maura: Seriously, so much fucking smug easy-listening alt rock (Sheryl Fucking Crow?!?) on this list and no "Runaway Train", "Hey Jealousy" (xpost) or "No Rain"? Maybe a by year breakdown of the songs would be revealing?

Also Wikipedia just told me this: In 1995, Blind Melon also contributed a version of the song "Out On The Tiles" to the Encomium tribute album to Led Zeppelin, as well as a promotional CD with a cover of the School House Rock song "Three is a Magic Number." WTFFFFFF

@Jon Williams: that 'three is a magic number' cover is actually not bad. the schoolhouse rock tribute cd is fairly decent overall, although my favorite track is man or astroman's 'interplanet janet' cover.

ah, blind melon, the patron saints of long island. how that came to be i will never know, since they are not from there at all. but i'll never forget the day when i got into the 'kurt cobain vs. shannon hoon: who's the bigger rock martyr?' argument at a record store in westbury.

@maura: I HATED that cover of "Three is Magic Number", but mainly because I thought Shannon Hoon had a really whiney voice.

@dennisobell:

That means it'll be #3 on the 2000s list.

Milli Vanilli didn't make the cut? I blame it on the rain..

How could anybody be mad at this list? Music from the 90s pretty much sucked a couple round hairy ones from beginning to end. Just be glad they didn't find a way to put Jennifer Lopez on there. AND Hey Jealousy blew, AND Soul Asylum were no-talent ass clowns.

Wow... history has been scrubbed clean of rap-metal--with the sole exception of Korn at 69. No Rage Against The Machine either.

I'm not saying that those songs were great (no, they were awful), but has VH1 just conveniently forgotten just how huge Limp Bizkit was at the end of the decade? Woodstock 99 anyone?

@iamlovebot:

A licky boom-boom down!

Best song of the 90's? Alice in Chains - Rain When I Die.

I am amazed the Spice Girls aren't higher.

Where is Crystal Waters' "Gypsy Woman (She's Homeless)"?

As those years recede it seems like that's the ONLY song I can remember from the '90s...

Bitches, we are so watching this. Don't front.

I used to love these lists but now that I'm old enough to remember the songs and such, they're not as entertaining. Nostalgia does not trump a lesson in pop culture. No matter how corny the puns are.

It's strange that while I don't _like_ the list, I do think the list got a lot of it right. The wisdom of crowds is giving us a feel for the Zeitgeist, without actually thinking about whether the songs are "good."

The inclusions of "Today was a Good Day" and "Never Said" however, make this list a little bit better than expected.

@Nicolars: For the record, Embrace's cover of "Three is a Magic Number" runs circles around Blind Melon's.

I find it odd that a band not listed on there from the 90's is still considered "A" list by Rolling Stone, still putting out albums and one of the highest in concert revenues for several years, Dave Matthews Band didn't have one memorable song from the 90's? "Ants Marching", "Crash Into Me", "What Would You Say?" all could have easily been somewhere on that list. Quite an overlook.

Third Eye Blind is the greates band of the 90's and ARGUABLY the greatest band of all time.

You're all bitching about Soul Asylum, but you're missing the bigger picture:

THE SMASHING PUMPKINS.

Or even, "Closing Time," by Semisonic?

I don't know if I would really say half of this list makes sense as "top" songs for the 90s, but I do think they are the songs that probably stood out for the 90s when it comes to mainstream music. I sort of wish certain songs were higher and certain songs even made but list but I guess I cannot complain. Every generated list, even if its based on on-line votes, will have some sort of flaw.

seriously. no stp - interstate love song?!?!? or fastball - the way? or fire escape?

and seriously, no closing time?

I think the only way the Geto Boys, Edwin McCain and Liz Phair songs are on this list is that they showed up to talk about them.

Yes, I just questioned your list's integrity, VH1. What are you gonna do about it?

I can't believe Smashing Pumpkins are not on the list but f-in Geraldo or whatever his name is, is on here. Smashing Pumpkins are my favorite group of the 90's and at least in the top 5-10 best groups of the 90's Doesn't make sense. I don't even like STP or Dave Matthews too much, but they should have definetely been on the list over at least half the songs. And No Rain by Blind Melon is not my favorite song or anything but it is a good song and represents the 90's more than almost any song.

NO mention of Boyz II Men?!

VH1 fails at life.

(I mean, if having the longest standing #1 single in Billboard history can't get you in anyone's top 100...)

I too cannot believe the Smashing Pumpkins are not on this list!! How can there be a list of top 100 songs of the '90's without including them??????

Also, there was no Seal, only one red hot chili peppers song, and no tumthumper. As pissed as i was, i believe some of them were good choices. Im overall pleased with the list

good list

i just dont understand why oasis is on it but not blur. does no one remember the battle of britpop?!?!?!

Honestly...
Just ONE Madonna song?
Are you kidding?
Smells Like Teen Spirit - No. 1?
This was an entertaining and nostolgic 5 hours, but I was truly disappointed in the placement of songs and d-list celebs talking for 3 1/2 of the 5 hours.
Still love the 90's though

Everybody got just one song, except Tool, they got none for some strange reason.