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Uncover the top 100 artists of the 1990s, featuring the decade's most influential musicians across pop, rock, hip-hop, and more, who shaped the era’s sound.
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- Nirvana. Nevermind, In Utero, MTV Unplugged in New York. 26,501 votes. See: The Best Nirvana Songs\ Pioneering the grunge movement with raw emotion and heavy guitar distortion, this iconic trio from Seattle pushed alternative rock into mainstream consciousness.
- Soundgarden. Superunknown, Badmotorfinger, Down on the Upside. 16,617 votes. See: The Best Soundgarden Songs. This powerhouse quartet hailing from Seattle played an integral role in shaping the grunge scene, blending heavy metal riffs with psychedelic undertones.
- Alice in Chains. Dirt, Alice in Chains, Facelift. 17,475 votes. See: The Best Alice in Chains Songs. By merging hauntingly dark lyrics with sludgy guitar riffs, this Seattle-based group created a distinctive sound that set them apart from their grunge contemporaries.
- Red Hot Chili Peppers. Californication, Blood Sugar Sex Magik, Stadium Arcadium. 21,806 votes. See: The Best Red Hot Chili Peppers Songs. Fusing funk-infused basslines with punk-rock energy, this Los Angeles quartet crafted a signature sound that defied genre boundaries.
- 20: The Corrs. Irish band The Corrs were one of the most surprising success stories of the 90s, winning listeners over with their knack for pop melodies and wistful Celtic influences.
- 19: Seal. British soul sensation Seal landed on the shores of a new decade with his self-titled debut album in 1991, after dive-bombing the pop scene with his timely Top 5 hit Crazy, a song he said was inspired by the fall of the Berlin Wall and the massacre in Tiananmen Square.
- 18: Alanis Morissette. Itching for generation-defining angst and in need of a prescription? You can’t go wrong with Alanis Morissette’s 1996 album, Jagged Little Pill.
- 17: Wu-Tang Clan. Nobody embodies the raw spirit of underground hip-hop better than Wu-Tang Clan. The Staten Island hardcore-rap group pioneered a cinematic production style with their 1994 debut album, Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers), while deploying viscerally powerful, no-hold-barred rhymes borne out of the streets.
Jun 15, 2024 · Explore the greatest bands of the '90s. Relive the decade's iconic music and discover the influential groups that defined the sound of the '90s.
- Nirvana: 'Smells Like Teen Spirit' (1991) The emergence of Nirvana's "Smells Like Teen Spirit" as a top-10 pop hit remains one of the most dramatic events in 1990s pop music.
- Los Del Rio: 'Macarena' (1993) Today, most people regard "Macarena" as having been ridiculously overplayed, a quirky relic for wedding reception dances only.
- Boyz II Men: 'End of the Road' (1992) While their swiftly growing group of adoring fans waited for a second album, Boyz II Men recorded this ballad for the soundtrack to the Eddie Murphy film "Boomerang."
- Elton John: 'Candle in the Wind 1997' (1997) The summer of 1997 came to a tragic close when Princess Diana died in a horrific car accident. The attention of the world was riveted on her funeral, and Elton John reworked his song "Candle in the Wind" for the occasion.
Mariah Carey amassed the most number-one hits (14 songs) and had the longest cumulative run atop the Billboard Hot 100 chart (60 weeks) during the 1990s. Carey is also the only artist to spend at least one week at the summit of the chart in each year of the decade.
Dec 19, 2023 · 41 Best 90s Musicians. The 90s were a magical time for many reasons, with music being amongst the biggest ones. From grunge early on to R&B dominating the charts to the rise of bubble gum pop in the latter part of the decade, the 90s had a unique blend that will be hard to match.
