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Well, even if nobody really asked for it, here it is anyway:
My Top 100 Singles of the 1990s. God bless unemployment.
1. Nirvana: “Smells Like Teen Spirit” (DGC 1991)
2. Beltram: “Energy Flash” (R&S/Transmat 1990)
3. Blackstreet: “No Diggity” (Arista 1996)
4. Everything But the Girl: “Missing (Todd Terry Club Mix)” (Atlantic 1995)
5. M People: “Excited” (Deconstruction 1994)
6. Acen: “Trip II the Moon” (Production House 1992)
7. Bikini Kill: “New Radio”/“Rebel Girl”/“Demirep” (Kill Rock Stars 1993)
8. Sugar: “Gee Angel” (Rykodisc 1994)
9. Fatboy Slim: “Michael Jackson” (Skint 1997)
10. Omni Trio: “Mystic Stepper (Feel Good)” (Movin Shadow 1993)
11. Fatboy Slim: “The Rockafeller Skank” (Skint 1998)
12. Aaliyah: “Are You That Somebody?” (Atlantic 1998)
13. Next: “Too Close” (Arista 1998)
14. The Dismemberment Plan: “The Ice of Boston” (DeSoto 1998)
15. Gang Starr with Nice & Smooth: “DWYCK” (Virgin 1992)
16. Sneaker Pimps: “Spin Spin Sugar (Armand’s Dark Garage Mix)” (Virgin 1997)
17. Moby: “Hymn (This is My Dream)"/"All That I Need is to Be Loved (H.O.S. Mix)"/"Hymn (European Edit)” (Mute 1994)
18. L.L. Cool J: “Jinglin’ Baby (Remixed But Still Jinglin’)” (Def Jam 1990)
19. Tori Amos: “Professional Widow (Armand’s Star Trunkin’ Funk Mix)” (Atlantic 1996)
20. Oasis: “Some Might Say” (Epic 1995)
21. Dub Narcotic Sound System featuring Lois: “Ship to Shore” (K 1997)
22. DJ Krome & Mr. Time: “The Slammer” (Suburban Base 1993)
23. A Tribe Called Quest: “Check the Rhime” (Jive 1991)
24. Moby: “Move (You Make Me Feel So Good)” (Elektra 1993)
25. De La Soul featuring Q-Tip: “A Roller Skating Jam Named ‘Saturdays’” (Tommy Boy 1991)
26. Daft Punk: “Around the World” (Virgin 1997)
27. The Smashing Pumpkins: “1979” (Virgin 1996)
28. Yo La Tengo: “Autumn Sweater” (Matador 1997)
29. Daft Punk: “Da Funk”/“Musique” (Virgin 1996)
30. Powerhouse featuring Duane Harden: “What You Need” (Strictly Rhythm 1999)
31. Fugees: “Fu-Gee-La”/“How Many Mics” (Ruffhouse/Columbia 1996)
32. Armand Van Helden featuring Roland Clark: “Flowerz” (Armed 1999)
33. Beck: “Loser”/“MTV Makes Me Want to Smoke Crack” (Bongload/DGC 1994)
34. Fatboy Slim: “Praise You”/“Sho’ Nuff” (Astralwerks 1999)
35. Basement Jaxx: “Red Alert”/“Miracles Keep on Playin’”/“Red Alert (Steve Gurley Mix)” (XL/Astralwerks 1999)
36. Mase: “Feel So Good” (Bad Boy 1997)
37. Tony! Toni! Tone!: “Feels Good” (Wing 1990)
38. My Bloody Valentine: “Soon” (Sire/Warner Bros. 1990)
39. Mary J. Blige: “Not Gon’ Cry” (MCA 1996)
40. Primal Scream: “Loaded” (Creation 1990)
41. TLC: “Waterfalls” (LaFace 1995)
42. Jeru the Damaja: “Come Clean” (Payday 1993)
43. R.E.M.: “Man on the Moon” (Warner Bros. 1993)
44. Coolio: “Fantastic Voyage” (Tommy Boy 1994)
45. U2: “One” (Island 1992)
46. Stardust: “Music Sounds Better with You” (Roule 1998)
47. Lyrics Born: “Send Them” (Solesides 1993)
48. Pulp: “Common People” (Island 1995)
49. OutKast: “Rosa Parks” (LaFace 1998)
50. Green Velvet: “Flash” (Relief 1995)
51. L.T.J Bukem: “Music”/“Atlantis (I Need You)” (Good Looking 1993)
52. Orbital: “Chime”/“Chime (Ray Keith Mutation)” (FFRR 1990)
53. Archers of Loaf: “Harnessed in Slums” (Alias 1995)
54. The Cardigans: “Carnival” (Trampolene 1995)
55. Pavement: “Spit on a Stranger”/“Harness Your Hopes” (Matador 1999)
56. Foul Play: “Open Your Mind” (Movin Shadow 1993)
57. Acen: “Close Your Eyes (Optikonfusion)” (Production House 1993)
58. Blur: “Song 2” (Virgin 1997)
59. Janet Jackson: “Together Again” (1998)
60. The Breeders: “Cannonball” (4AD/Elektra 1993)
61. Digital Underground: “The Humpty Dance” (Jive 1990)
62. Fatboy Slim: “Gangster Tripping” (Skint 1998)
63. Cornershop: “Brimful of Asha”/“Brimful of Asha (Norman Cook Remix)” (Wiija 1997)
64. Geto Boys: “Mind Playing Tricks on Me” (Rap-a-Lot 1991)
65. Londonbeat: “I’ve Been Thinking About You” (Radioactive 1991)
66. R.E.M.: “Losing My Religion” (Warner Bros. 1991)
67. Black Sheep: “The Choice is Yours” (Mercury 1992)
68. Tony! Toni! Tone!: “If I Had No Loot” (Wing 1993)
69. Pet Shop Boys: “New York City Boy” (EMI 1999)
70. Color Me Badd: “I Wanna Sex You Up” (Giant 1991)
71. L.L. Cool J: “Mama Said Knock You Out” (Def Jam 1991)
72. Armand Van Helden featuring Duane Harden: “U Don’t Know Me” (Armed 1999)
73. Monster Magnet: “Negasonic Teenage Warhead” (A&M 1996)
74. Le Tigre: “Hot Topic” (Wiija 1999)
75. Wink: “Higher State of Consciousness (DJ Wink’s Hardhouse Mix)”/“Higher State of Consciousness (Tweekin’ Acid Funk Mix)” (Strictly Rhythm 1995)
76. New Radicals: “You Get What You Give” (MCA 1998)
77. St. Germain: “Alabama Blues (Todd Edwards Vocal Mix)”/“Alabama Blues (Todd Edwards Dub Mix)” (1996)
78. Lauryn Hill: “Doo Wop (That Thing)”/“Lost Ones” (Ruffhouse 1998)
79. Deee-Lite: “Good Beat” (Elektra 1990)
80. Boogie Down Productions: “Love’s Gonna Get’cha (Material Love)” (Jive 1990)
81. A Tribe Called Quest featuring Freestyle Fellowship: “Scenario” (Jive 1993)
82. Papas Fritas: “Hey Hey You Say” (Minty Fresh 1997)
83. Second Phase: “Mentasm” (R&S 1991)
84. T99: “Anasthasia” (React 1991)
85. Chumbawamba: “Tubthumping” (Republic/Universal 1997)
86. Mary J. Blige: “All That I Can Say” (MCA 1999)
87. Ol’ Dirty Bastard: “Shimmy Shimmy Ya” (Elektra 1995)
88. Backstreet Boys: “I Want It That Way” (Jive 1999)
89. Sabrina Johnston: “I Wanna Sing” (1992)
90. PJ Harvey: “Sheela-Na-Gig” (Too Pure 1992)
91. Black Moon: “Who Got da Props?” (Nervous 1992)
92. Sinead O’Connor: “Nothing Compares 2 U” (Chrysalis 1990)
93. Nirvana: “All Apologies”/“Rape Me” (DGC 1994)
94. Wildchild: “Renegade Master (Fatboy Slim Old School Mix)” (Ultra 1998)
95. Pet Shop Boys: “Liberation” (EMI 1994)
96. Mantra: “Away (Todd Edwards Mix)” (1997)
97. Barbara Tucker: “Beautiful People” (Strictly Rhythm 1994)
98. Omni Trio: “Renegade Snares”/“Renegade Snares (Foul Play Mix)” (Movin Shadow 1994)
99. Pavement: “Give It a Day”/“Gangsters & Pranksters” (Matador 1996)
100. The Crystal Method: “Busy Child” (City of Angels 1996)
Longtime readers will note that the top ten is very similar to the one I posted a few weeks ago, with the exception of my dropping “Ship to Shore” from fourth to 21st (call it a combination of losing my nerve and coming to my senses) and adding Sugar's “Gee Angel,” at no. 8. Otherwise it’s about the same. The rest, of course, is a different story altogether.
Statistically, I’m sure I’ll get a lot of shit for club and/or rave-oriented dance music’s lopsided presence on the list--32 of the top 100 fall under rubric of house and/or techno, with seven more jungle/drum & bass singles on top of that. 31 more are what I very loosely defined “alt-rock,” 17 are hip-hop, ten R&B and three (Backstreet Boys, Londonbeat, and Color Me Badd) I designated “pop” mainly because they were white or, in the case of the one-white-guy-three-black-guys Londonbeat, from England. Opinions of my selections aside, those categories are inherently problematic, since aside from hip-hop and R&B (both of which cast a pretty wide net by themselves) they tended to shift ground in haphazard--not to say willful--ways. For example, there are two Pet Shop Boys singles on the list (nos. 69 and 95); at the last minute I decided they were “alt-rock” rather than pop, owing to my perception of them as art-rockers a la KROQ stalwarts like New Order or Depeche Mode (except, of course, that they’re better--and I’m a big New Order fan); I also lumped Janet Jackson’s “Together Again” (no. 59) into “R&B” even though it’s a straight-up house track. Ostensibly-alt Tori Amos (no. 19) and Everything But the Girl (no. 4) are on by the grace of their remixers, not themselves (well, not totally themselves, anyway), so into “house/techno” they go. Many a postpunk would object to the New Radicals, whose “You Get What You Give” is the best Hall & Oates single ever, being lumped into “alt-rock” rather than “pop,” and I can’t say I’d disagree. And so on. But the categories aren’t meant to be definitive; they’re there to give an idea of what’s represented.
Which is to say, what I valued most in the 1990s. It would take a lot longer than I have right now to go into detailed comments on each song, etc., but it should be fairly obvious that these are very personal choices and rankings. Yeah, no shit, Sherlock. I’ll also no doubt wake up screaming in the middle of the night after I’ve posted this and remember a few things that should absolutely be in there. That’s one of be beauties of this project being online--I can change it pretty much anytime. But although I know it’s missing plenty--there’s no country or reggae, for instance--I’m pretty happy with it as it stands. And to give you some idea of how I chose them, below are the also-rans: the singles, ranked in order by year, that were considered for this list but not used. Arguments? You know where to find me.
1990
Madonna: “Justify My Love” (Sire)
CLS: “Can You Feel It”
Black Box: “Everybody Everybody” (Deconstruction)
Nirvana: “Sliver” (Sub Pop)
Lisa Stansfield: “This is the Right Time” (Arista)
Nightmares on Wax: “Aftermath” (Warp)
DNA featuring Suzanne Vega: “Tom’s Diner” (A&M)
Deee-Lite: “Groove is in the Heart”/“What is Love?” (Elektra)
The B-52’s: “Roam” (Reprise)
The Farm: “Groovy Train” (EMI)
Soho: “Hippychick” (Atco)
1991
Terrorize: “Feel the Rhythm”
Moby: “Go (Woodtick Mix)” (Instinct)
Color Me Badd: “All 4 Love” (Giant)
U2: “The Fly” (Island)
L.L. Cool J: “Around the Way Girl” (Def Jam)
Prince & the New Power Generation: “Cream” (Paisley Park)
Human Resource: “Dominator (the Beltram Mix)” (R&S)
Eric B. & Rakim: “Juice (Know the Ledge)” (MCA)
CeCe Peniston: “Finally”
My Bloody Valentine: “Swallow” (Sire)
R.E.M.: “Near Wild Heaven” (Warner Bros.)
Michael Jackson: “Black or White” (Epic)
Bonnie Raitt: “Something to Talk About” (Capitol)
Messiah: “Temple of Dreams” (Kickin)
Prince & the New Power Generation: “Gett Off” (Paisley Park)
Public Enemy: “Can’t Truss It” (Def Jam)
Metallica: “Enter Sandman” (Elektra)
1992
Naughty by Nature: “Everything’s Gonna Be Alright (Ghetto Bastard)” (Tommy Boy)
Mary J. Blige: “Real Love” (MCA)
Del tha Funkee Homosapien: “Mistadobalina” (Jive)
Utah Saints: “Something Good” (London)
Kris Kross: “Jump” (Ruffhouse)
The Prodigy: “Out of Space” (XL)
Mixrace: “Mixrace Outahand” (Movin Shadow)
Kris Kross: “Warm It Up” (Ruffhouse)
P.M. Dawn: “I’d Die without You” (Gee Street)
Suede: “The Drowners” (Nude)
The Age of Love: “The Age of Love” (Radikal)
Tim Dog: “Fuck Compton” (Ruffhouse/Columbia)
Lenny Kravitz: “It Ain’t Over ’Til It’s Over” (Virgin)
Pavement: “Summer Babe” (Matador)
Open Skies: “Deep in Your Eyes”
The KLF featuring Miss Tammy Wynette: “Justified and Ancient” (Arista)
Naughty by Nature: “Uptown Anthem” (MCA)
Arrested Development: “Tennessee” (Chrysalis)
En Vogue: “Free Your Mind” (EastWest)
House of Pain: “Jump Around” (Tommy Boy)
1993
Salt-n-Pepa: “Shoop” (Next Plateau)
M People: “How Can I Love You More” (Deconstruction)
Robin S: “Show Me Love” (Atlantic)
Pet Shop Boys: “Go West” (EMI)
Aerosmith: “Cryin’” (Geffen)
Mescalinum United: “We Have Arrived” (PCP)
Moby: “Next is the E”/“Next is the E (I Feel It Mix)” (Instinct)
PJ Harvey: “50 Ft. Queenie” (Island)
Wu-Tang Clan: “Protect Ya Neck” (Loud)
Paperclip People: “Throw” (Planet E)
Origin Unknown: “Valley of the Shadows”
Jaydee: “Plastic Dreams”
Aphex Twin: “Analogue Bubblebath I” (Rephlex)
Salt-n-Pepa featuring En Vogue: “Whatta Man” (Next Plateau)
The House Crew: “Euphoria (Nino’s Dream)” (Production House)
The Cranberries: “Dream” (Island)
Garth Brooks: “Unanswered Prayers” (Liberty)
Phuture Assassins: “Roots ’n Future” (Reinforced)
Smashing Pumpkins: “Today” (Virgin)
Cypress Hill: “Insane in the Brain” (Ruffhouse)
EQ: “Total Ecstasy” (Production House)
Dr. Dre featuring Snoop Doggy Dogg: “Nuthin’ But a ‘G’ Thang” (Death Row/Interscope)
1994
Elastica: “Stutter” (DGC)
Dawn Penn: “You Don’t Love Me (No, No, No)”
Tricky: “Aftermath” (Island)
UK Apachi/Shy FX: “Original Nuttah” (SOUR)
Renegade featuring Ray Keith: “Terrorist”
DJ Shadow: “Lost & Found (S.F.L.)”/DJ Krush: “Kemuri” (Mo’ Wax)
Paris: “Guerilla Funk” (Priority)
Veruca Salt: “Seether” (Minty Fresh/DGC)
Beck: “Beercan” (DGC)
Soundgarden: “Black Hole Sun” (A&M)
Pavement: “Cut Your Hair” (Matador)
Elastica: “Connection”/“Spastica” (Deception)
Digable Planets: “9th Wonder” (Pendulum)
TLC: “Creep” (LaFace)
Pavement: “Gold Soundz” (Matador)
Beastie Boys: “Get It Together”/“Sabotage” (Grand Royal)
1995
Cornershop: “6am Jullandar Shere” (Wiija)
Sonic Youth: “The Diamond Sea” (DGC)
Buju Banton: “Untold Stories” (Loose Cannon)
The Bucketheads: “The Bomb! (These Sounds Fall into My Mind)” (Henry Street)
Busta Rhymes: “Woo Hah!! Got You All in Check” (Elektra)
Real McCoy: “Another Night” (Arista)
Rancid: “Time Bomb” (Epitaph)
Air: “Modulor Mix” (Source)
DJ Zinc: “Super Sharp Shooter”
Real McCoy: “Come and Get Your Love” (Arista)
Brooks & Dunn: “My Maria” (Arista)
Alex Reece: “Pulp Fiction” (Metalheadz)
1996
Nearly God: “Poems” (Durban Poison)
Everclear: “Santa Monica” (Capitol)
Fugees: “Killing Me Softly” (Ruffhouse/Columbia)
Ghostface Killah: “All That I Got is You” (Razor Sharp)
Quad City DJ’s: “C’mon and Ride It (the Train)” (Big Beat/Atlantic)
DJ Kool: “Let Me Clear My Throat” (American)
Imperial Teen: “Butch” (Slash)
The Chemical Brothers: “Loops of Fury”/“Get Up on It Like This” (Astralwerks)
Toni Braxton: “You’re Makin’ Me High” (LaFace)
Fugees: “Ready or Not” (Ruffhouse/Columbia)
Imperial Teen: “You’re One” (Slash)
DJ Tonka: “Old Skool” (Force Inc.)
Aphex Twin: “Girl/Boy Song” (Rephlex)
Faze Action: “In the Trees” (Nuphonic)
1997
Missy ‘Misdemeanor’ Elliott: “Sock It 2 Me” (The Gold Mind, Inc./EastWest)
Freak Nasty: “Da Dip” (HardHood)
Tricky: “Makes Me Wanna Die” (Island)
Hanson: “MMMBop” (Mercury)
Wyclef Jean: “Gone ’Til November”/“Gone ’Til November (Remix)” (Ruffhouse/Columbia)
Will Smith: “Getting’ Jiggy wit’ It” (Columbia)
The Verve: “Bitter Sweet Symphony” (Vernon Yard)
Janet Jackson: “Got ’Til It’s Gone” (Virgin)
Missy ‘Misdemeanor’ Elliott: “The Rain (Supa Dupa Fly)” (The Gold Mind, Inc./EastWest)
Dandy Warhols: “Not If You Were the Last Junkie on Earth” (Capitol)
Prince: “Face Down”/“Sleep Around” (NPG)
Erykah Badu: “Tyrone” (Universal)
The Heartists: “Belo Horozonti” (Atlantic Jaxx)
Dr. Octagon: “Blue Flowers”/“Blue Flowers (DJ Hype Remix)” (Mo’ Wax)
1998
Local H: “All the Kids Are Right” (Island)
Jhelisa: “Friendly Pressure (Into the Sunshine Edit)”
Shy FX: “Bambaataa” (Ebony)
Whirlpool Productions: “From: Disco to: Disco” (Ladomat 2000)
187 Lockdown: “Kung-Fu”
Kristine Blond: “Loveshy (Tuff Jam Undavybe Mix)” (Fifty First)
Beastie Boys: “Body Movin’”/“Body Movin’ (Fatboy Slim Mix)” (Grand Royal)
Brandy & Monica: “The Boy is Mine” (Atlantic)
Black Box Recorder: “Child Psychology” (Virgin)
1999
Michael Watford: “Reach on Up” (Fifty First)
John Prine and Iris DeMent: “In Spite of Ourselves” (Oh Boy)
Monster Magnet: “See You in Hell” (A&M)
Q-Tip: “Vivrant Thing” (Arista)
Spring Heel Jack: “My Favourite Things”/“Climb Ev’ry Mountain” (Tugboat)
Eminem: “My Name Is” (Aftermath/Interscope)
The Chemical Brothers: “Out of Control”/“Out of Control (Sasha Remix)” (Astralwerks)
DJ Zinc: “138 Trek”
Lauryn Hill: “Ex-Factor” (Ruffhouse)
Eminem: “Any Man” (Rawkus)
Macy Gray: “I Try” (Epic)
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