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- Smells Like Teen Spirit – Nirvana. In the early 90s, Nirvana shattered the music scene with ‘Smells Like Teen Spirit.’ The title was inspired by a deodorant brand, Teen Spirit, which Kurt Cobain’s friend jokingly wrote on his wall, saying Kurt smelled like it.
- Waterfalls – TLC. TLC’s ‘Waterfalls’ was one of the first songs to address HIV/AIDS and the illegal drug trade. Its groundbreaking music video was one of the most expensive at the time, costing over a million dollars.
- Baby One More Time – Britney Spears. This iconic debut single from Britney Spears almost went to TLC, but they passed on it. It became a defining song of the late 90s and launched Spears into superstardom.
- Enter Sandman – Metallica. Metallica’s ‘Enter Sandman’ was a departure from their earlier thrash metal style, marking a shift to a slower tempo that helped the band reach a wider audience.
‘60 Songs That Explain the ’90s’: The Rebirth of Cher, via Auto-Tune. "Believe" always sounded like the future—even today. By Rob Harvilla January 17. Lenny Kravitz and the Fear of a Black Rock...
- “Smells Like Teen Spirit” by Nirvana, 1991. The album “Nevermind” became a guiding star for all other bands coming out of the Northwest to emulate, as well as a style sheet for everything grunge.
- “MMM Bop “ by Hanson, 1997. A band of teenage brothers created a song that was an absolute shocker—and not even English, or a common saying at the time.
- "1979” by Smashing Pumpkins, 1996. Billy Corgan was fronting the American alternative rock band Smashing Pumpkins, which originated in Chicago. Their sound was different—a blend of gothic rock, heavy metal, and dream-pop infused with electronica; not unlike Oasis at the time.
- “U Can’t Touch This” by MC Hammer, 1990. The first rap entry on this list, MC Hammer came out swinging in 1990 with a signature dance and a look that was unlike anything anyone had ever seen before.
- “Friends in Low Places”—Garth Brooks. March 6, 2024 • 100 mins. In the penultimate episode of 60 Songs, Rob takes it way back. Listen as he recalls the first song he remembers consciously hearing as a baby before diving into the world of Garth Brooks and 90’s country music.
- “Give Me One Reason”—Tracy Chapman. February 28, 2024 • 92 mins. Rob ranks the books he was forced to read in high school before turning his focus on the greatness of Tracy Chapman’s “Give Me One Reason” from her 1995 album ‘New Beginning.’
- The Songs We Didn’t Do (Everyone Yells At Rob) February 21, 2024 • 106 mins. Hello friends, and thank you for stopping by for a very special episode of 60 Songs.
- “Hard Knock Life”—JAY-Z. February 14, 2024 • 93 mins. Rob looks at JAY-Z’s career backwards this week before reaching the rap legend’s 90’s pop crossover hit, “Hard Knock Life.”
60 Songs That Explain the '90s. The 1990s were a turning point in music: with the increasingly connected world enabling an unprecedented coalescence of various styles and genres, the decade featured the rapid evolution of sonic artistry — and subsequently shaped the soundscape of eras that followed.
Nov 14, 2023 · Music reporter, Rob Harvilla, hosts a podcast titled 60 Songs that Explain the '90s. Now that podcast has been turned into a book of the same name. He uses adjectives like chaotic, gritty, and magical to describe the '90s while illustrating the music scene and sifting through major pop culture moments.
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Jan 13, 2024 · The best 90s songs reflect music in transition: From alternative to hip-hop to electronic and beyond, we count down the best from a wild musical decade.
