90s Anthems

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Another of my favourite queer songs from the ’90s is this single from Tracy Chapman’s fourth album, A New Beginning (1995), and her first single since 1992. The music video shows Chapman playing the song in a bar with her band. An underrated song; I just love its simplicity about looking for a reason to stay with someone. Chapman did a duet version of the song with Eric Clapton, which was released on a compilation album in 1999.

Spiderbait enjoyed a brief moment of recognition in the US when “Calypso” was featured in the great teen comedy 10 Things I Hate About You, though fans of the spiky Aussie pop-punk band probably would’ve been more familiar with “Buy Me a Pony.” It’s amazing to think of how many hooks Spiderbait could cram into songs that weren’t even two minutes long. Saint Etienne – Only Love Can Break Your Heart (1990) I’m cheating with this one a bit, as it was actually released in November of 1989. However, it became a dance floor hit in early 1990 in the US, despite never being released there commercially. Additionally, it got to number 13 in the Irish charts. If only every song about unrequited love sounded as upbeat as Blues Traveler’s Grammy-winning smash. “Run-Around.” is a breezy, jammy gem of a pop song that scratches the same itch as Van Morrison’s “Brown Eyed Girl” and the Grateful Dead’s “Touch of Grey.” Blur – Song 2 (1997) No decade is a musical monolith, but seeing the best songs of the ‘90s listed all in one place, the era seems especially scattered. History has boiled it down to grunge and gangsta rap on one end, boy bands and Britney Spears at the other, but it’s the stuff in the middle and on the fringes that makes the period difficult to sum up. There is an excellent episode of Netflix’s Song Exploder featuring the band that discusses the song in detail. The single reached number 5 in Ireland.If OMC’s worldwide hit “ How Bizarre” sounded unlike anything else on the radio in the mid-90s, that’s because it came from New Zealand – thousands of miles away from the epicenters of grunge, Brit-pop, and gangsta rap. Brothers Phil and Pauly Fuemana fused Polynesian instrumentation with American elements of hip-hop and R&B to create the wholly unique Urban Pasifika sound. Pavement – Cut Your Hair (1994) Art Alexakis got personal on Everclear’s sophomore record, Sparkle and Fade, channeling his traumatic upbringing into tunes that were either explicitly autobiographical (“Heroin Girl”) or fictionalized versions that were detailed enough to be someone else’s truth (“Pale Green Stars”). Even “Santa Monica” can’t fully escape the drugs and death that haunt the album, but it at least offers the possibility of a life beyond them. Fastball – The Way (1998) Maybe you put this on a mixtape to your middle school crush or swayed to it at a dance, but this ballad is as serious as it gets. It was originally written for country music singer John Michael Montgomery but All-4-One made it a No.1 hit and won a Grammy for best pop performance in 1995. 57: Whitney Houston – Exhale (Shoop Shoop) Before Bey went solo there was Destiny’s Child. Produced by Rodney “Darkchild” Jerkins, this song demands to know if the man they love is cheating. This was Destiny’s Child’s breakthrough song, the one that put them on the map. 45: Brownstone – If You Love Me Unless I missed something, this is the first song on my list(s) that won an Academy Award. Unusually for Elton John, the lyricist is not Bernie Taupin but Tim Rice.

R&B meets bubblegum pop in Soul IV Real’s bouncy debut single “Candy Rain.” Powered by the youthful voice of the youngest brother Jason “Jase” Dalyrimple of their family band, the single still slapped thanks to production by their mentor and Uptown labelmate Heavy D. 25: Usher – You Make Me Wanna A hot song with an equally hot video, Toni Braxton’s runaway No.1 from her sophomore album was the hit of the summer of ’96, and more than earns its place among the best 90s R&B songs. Rumored to be about everything from weed to masturbation, the suggestive lyrics were cleverly buried under a poppy, danceable, uptempo beat that borrowed from the burgeoning electronica movement. 17: Boyz II Men – On Bended Knee Two R&B divas are better than one, and “The Boy Is Mine” combined the powerhouse vocal stylings of Brandy and Monica. The iconic duet completely dominated the charts (and culture) the summer of 1998, topping the Billboard Hot 100 for 13 weeks, selling over 3 million copies, and earning them both a Grammy Award. 26: Soul IV Real – Candy Rain The second single of their debut album Bigger, Better, Faster, More!, ‘What’s Up?’, actually originates from before the group started, with Linda Perry having written it before then. The title does not appear in the lyrics, but the phrase “What’s going on?” features heavily in the chorus. Linda Perry fought to get her version of the song released as she disliked the reworked version that featured different lyrics. When he wasn’t stewarding Nirvana’s Nevermind, enigmatic producer Butch Vig spent the first half of the ’90s stripping pop for parts, reworking songs by Nine Inch Nails, EMF, and Depeche Mode and leaving just their core vocals intact. Perhaps it’s unsurprising that when Vig endeavored to condense his pop philosophies into a new venture, he had everything he needed for a hit with “Stupid Girl”—a drum sample ripped from the Clash, guitars pumped through a grab bag of effects, a bassline that flirted with the blues—except a vocalist.If you missed the Top 100 Greatest Songs countdown on Absolute 90s throughout the week, Ben Burrell will be recapping the entire Top 40 from 7pm on Monday night (31st August) on Absolute Radio. Listen to Absolute Radio The music video features a police helicopter flying around Los Angeles, catching people, gay and straight, kissing or having sex in public. George Michael is dressed as a police officer and dances in a public toilet that looks more like a nightclub. Oasis have two further songs inside Greatest Songs of the 90s Top 10 – ‘Wonderwall’ at Number 3 and ‘Live Forever’ at Number 5. ‘Champagne Supernova’ narrowly missed out on the Top 10 at Number 12.

One of the most unforgettable videos of the decade, Keith Sweat’s “Twisted” was a three-minute murder-mystery-romance that helped to launch the second wave of the R&B impresario’s career. A runaway hit, “Twisted” is infectious and danceable, and Sweat’s distinctive vocal style makes it a song only he could have pulled off. 36: Erykah Badu – On & On The very idea of a dance rendition of a Neil Young ballad sounds like it shouldn’t work. But Saint Etienne pull off their cover of “Only Love Can Break Your Heart” by staying true to the original’s emotional tenor – a melancholy, homespun charm that’s better suited for dancing on your own in your bedroom than in the club. Stereolab – French Disko (1993) More than 20 years after its initial release, “It’s Friday night and the weekend’s here, I need to unwind” remain some of the most resonant words in R&B history. With a swinging beat and soft, lush production, Zhané’s “Hey Mr. DJ,” from the duo’s debut album, Pronounced Jah-Nay, is the perfect representation of R&B’s prime objective: to be the sonic expression of the soul of the everyman and everywoman. 4: Montell Jordan: This Is How We Do It Lauryn Hill initially penned “Ex-Factor” for another group but felt it was too personal to give away. This beautiful, heart-wrenching, breakup song was on repeat on many a Discman due to its relatability and stirring vocal performance. 29: Aaliyah – One In A Million You could say that That Dog had talent in their blood: Singer, songwriter, and guitarist Anna Waronker is the daughter of producer-turned-executive Lenny Waronker, while legendary jazz bassist Charlie Haden was the father of two of her bandmates. Their pedigree no doubt opened doors, but it was Waronker’s songcraft that enabled so many people to form a connection with the band. In the case of “Minneapolis,” it’s the details, like the Low concert at Jabberjaw and the embarrassment Waronker feels when she tells her friends she wants to leave, that pull you into the story. Toadies – Possum Kingdom (1994)The chart success of Sublime’s “What I Got” (and its parent album) was without a doubt bittersweet for the band and its fans, as frontman Bradley Nowell died of a heroin overdose just months before the single was released. But it would be reductive to tie that success to Nowell’s passing, as the tune’s loping guitar melody and warm synthesizers would’ve almost certainly made “What I Got” a hit – think of it as a Grateful Dead mantra for skate-punks and frat boys. The Sundays – Here’s Where the Story Ends (1990) One of the essential Y2K R&B cuts, Blaque learned a lot about making sing-a-long jams under the tutelage of Lisa “Left Eye” Lopes of TLC. And thanks to the remix, you get to hear J.C. Chasez from N’Sync sing about his “Timbs, baggy jeans and thug appeal.” 53: INOJ – Love You Down