Summer is almost here, which means you need to get your playlists in order. You never know when you are going to have to throw on some music at a barbeque or when you will be taking a long summer drive. Maybe we didn’t grow up with the best music compared to other generations, but we still had a killer music scene. We will never be too old to blast the songs from our pasts.
As a 90’s baby I feel like it is our responsibility to pay homage to the music of our childhood. As I began writing this list, I did not realize the seriousness that picking the most iconic songs from the first 15 years of our lives was. Sure, our generation will always remember Furbies, Overalls, Baby Bottle Pops and jelly sandals, but there is TOO MUCH good music to pick from and some of these may have been too easily forgotten. I wasn’t able to even skim the surface of what should be included in this list.
1. Any and all things by the Backstreet Boys, but especially “Now That You Love Me, Quit Playing Games with My Heart.”
2. “All Star” by Smash Mouth never gets old. It may remind you of Shrek but is also one of the most prime songs from a 90’s kid’s childhood.
3. One of the greatest, underrated songs is “Peaches and Cream” by 112. This song probably doesn’t even sound familiar, but when you listen to it you will have a blast from the past.
4. I feel like most people don’t know who Harvey Danger is… but you would definitely know “Flagpole Sitta,” which is a great song to yell at the top of your lungs and bang your head to.
5. If there is one artist that will remind you of growing up in the 1990’s, it’s Aqua. “Barbie Girl” is always a prime song to have fun to and is still popular among millennials 19 years later.
6. You probably forgot about S Club 7, and that’s okay because I did too. “Everybody Wants Ya” was so catchy then and when you resurrect this song on your playlist, you won’t ever forget them again.
7. To this day, Aaron Carter (Who made an appearance at the Chi Omega house on campus last year) is the epitome of 1990’s artists. “Aaron’s Party” and “I Want Candy” are still some of my faves.
8. For me, when my friends and I don’t know what to listen to, we play Hillary Duff. “Why Not,” “Wake Up,” “So Yesterday”… they’re all golden. You will still remember every word.
9. Christina Aguilera, who still has the voice of an angel, sings “Genie in a Bottle.” This was the first CD I ever owned, so I personally really love it.
10. “Hollaback Girl” and “Sweet Escape” played on iPod Nano’s all across the country through elementary and middle schools. Gwen Stefani’s music is probably one of the most memorized by 90’s kids everywhere.
11. Fergie’s album The Duchess, is full of some of the greatest hits. “Fergalicious,” “Glamorous,” “London Bridge”… they’re all fun and great.
12. Black Eyed Peas continue to be completely relevant in the music scene and have been killing it since Day 1. I recently have become re-obsessed with “My Humps” and “Pump it.”
13. “Too Little Too Late,” but not for Jojo. This song is always going to be one of my favorites, and I’m sure I’m not the only one.
14. Vitamin C was probably one of the first artists that ever made you cry. At 6th grade promotion, “Graduation” probably accompanied a slide show that featured pictures of you and your friends, when you thought you were never going to see each other again-despite going to the same junior high.
15. “Buy U a Drank” was more than likely one of the first songs that my friends and I listened to that was more “explicit” than we’d listened to before. This T Pain song will never get old.
16. Soulja Boi– again probably one of the first artists that you listened to not in the world of pop. “Crank That,” “Pretty Boy Swag,” “Kiss Me Through the Phone” were definitely blasted at your first junior high dances.
17. I could list like 20 songs by Britney Spears that we all would go crazy over, but “Oops I Did it Again,” “Crazy,” “Lucky,” “Stronger,” and “Toxic” are ALWAYS included in my playlists.
18. Lenny Kravitz’s “American Woman” gives the other 90’s throwbacks a bit of variety, and I love it.
19. “Lovebug” was probably one of the first songs that created any expectations that you have now for boys. As little kids this Jonas Brothers hit is still too cute. “Year 3000,” “Hold On,” and “Kids of the Future” are also great songs by the brother trio.
20. Still 100% completely Obsessed with “Obsessed” by Mariah Carey.
Didn’t get enough and craving more? Here are more artists that contributed to the numerous awesome soundtracks we listened to growing up.
- Jessie McCartney
- Ashley Tisdale
- Howie Day
- James Blunt
- Hannah Montana
- Kelly Clarkson
- The Veronicas
- Prima J
- Click 5
- Avril Lavigne
- Ray Jay
- Jewel
- Beyonce
- Spice Girls
- Vanessa Carlton
- Pussycat Dolls
- Akon
- Sean Kingston
- Maroon 5 (the old stuff like Sunday Morning)
- Cute is What We Aim For
- Cash Cash
- Destiney’s Child
- Evanesence
- Feist
- Yael Naim
- Fuel
- Green Day
- Matchbox 20
- Blink-182
- Gym Class Heroes
- He is We
- Smashing Pumpkins
- Incubus
- KT Tunstle
- Missy Elliot
- Nelly Furtado
- 50 Cent
- Coolio
- Fountains of Wayne
- Shaggy
- Outkast
- Lindsay Lohan
- Bowling for Soup
- Cheetah Girls
- Jessica Simpson
- Lincoln Park
- Weezer
- The Killers
- All American Rejects