Dust off your CD collection and prepare for a nostalgic deep dive! Join us as we explore the hidden gems of 90s music that deserved way more radio play than they received. These overlooked tracks showcase the decade's musical diversity beyond the chart-toppers everyone remembers. Which of these forgotten classics will have you saying "How did I miss this?"
00:00Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we're counting down our picks for the top 10 underrated songs of the 90s.
00:1910. Never Be The Same Again – Melanie C. featuring Lisa Left Eye Lopez
00:25If the name Melanie C. doesn't ring a bell, what about Sporty Spice?
00:30When things started slowing down for the Spice Girls, the members began releasing solo material, and this song especially stands out.
00:43The layered production and Melanie's comforting vocals put us in a good place right away.
00:49As she sings about her hesitation and excitement about a potential relationship, Melanie taps into real truths about how nerve-wracking romance can be.
01:04To make things even better, Lisa Left Eye Lopez of TLC delivers an electrifying rap verse.
01:11But sometimes it seems completely forbidden to discover those feelings that we kept so well hidden.
01:17Oh, and while the song was released as a single in 2000, it first appeared on a 1999 album, so it qualifies as a 90s song.
01:26I thought that we would just be friends, things will never be the same.
01:31Number 9. Hyper Ballad – Bjork
01:35Bjork is one of the most acclaimed artists in modern music history.
01:39But it's still easy to overlook just how important she is and how well her music holds up, even material from more than 20 years ago.
01:47I go through all this before you wake me down.
01:54Hyper Ballad, from her album Post, captures everything we love about Bjork.
01:59The blend of genres like trip-hop and synth-pop still feels seamless.
02:04And her aching vocals make us feel things we didn't know we could.
02:08I wait, I'm back at my cliff.
02:12Listening to Hyper Ballad is like witnessing someone becoming awestruck by the world around them.
02:20And we're right there with her.
02:22We also can't forget about the gorgeous music video, which was directed by Michelle Gondry.
02:33Number 8. Tahitian Moon – Porno for Pyros
02:36When alt-rock legends Gene's Addiction first broke up in 1991, frontman Perry Farrell and drummer Steven Perkins soon formed their own band.
02:47The more psychedelic band was named Porno for Pyros, and they released two albums in the 90s.
02:52This song, off their final album Good God's Urge, deserves to be recognized as a 90s rock classic.
03:05The intense pulse of the drums and grind of guitar, along with dreamy layers of acoustic guitar and Farrell's hypnotic vocals,
03:19make it feel like a Pink Floyd song reimagined for the 90s.
03:30If you're looking for an alternative to the same old rock, give Tahitian Moon a listen.
03:34I don't know if I'll make it okay
03:40Number 7. Finally – CeCe Penniston
03:44Dance clubs in the 90s wouldn't be the same without the efforts of CeCe Penniston,
03:49and finally is the singer's greatest achievement.
03:58Penniston's debut single immediately establishes her as a true talent,
04:02with her vocals blending wonderfully with the rhythmic house production,
04:07as she sings about the thrill of falling in love.
04:09Finally, you come along
04:13The way I feel about it, just get me around
04:16While it was certainly a hit in the 90s, reaching number 5 on the Billboard Hot 100,
04:21finally deserves to be revisited and celebrated.
04:24If there's any song that'll make you want to fall in love over and over again, it's this one.
04:28Number 6.
04:36Galaxy – Blind Melon
04:38Every 90s music fan knows of Blind Melon from their hit single, No Rain,
04:44but they have plenty more great songs.
04:46One of the best is this one, off of Soup, their final album completed with original lead singer Shannon Hoon.
04:52Shannon Hoon.
04:59True to its name, the song sounds like something from outer space, but it also has plenty of
05:04hard-rocking energy.
05:09The vocal harmonies give it a bit of a dark Beach Boys vibe too.
05:13Sadly, Hoon, whose fight with addiction infuses this song, passed away two months after the
05:19album's release.
05:25Based on this song alone, we know he had plenty more to offer.
05:33While Liz Phair's debut album, Exile in Guyville, is rightfully regarded by many as one of the
05:45very best albums of the 90s, its follow-up, 1994's Whip Smart, deserves a lot more love.
05:59This hard-charging and groovy song shows that even lo-fi indie rock can have some swagger.
06:11Just listen to that bass line and try not to bob your head.
06:15And Phair sounds so much cooler talking to her crush than we could ever even dream of.
06:27Like a supernova, this song is a beautiful thing, one that doesn't come along every day or even
06:33every decade.
06:404.
06:42Nobody – Keith Sweat featuring Athena Cage
06:45New Jack Swing and 90s R&B wouldn't be the same without the efforts of Keith Sweat, and
06:51nobody is the definition of smooth.
07:00Over his own buttery production, Sweat and Athena Cage sing of their undying devotion to
07:05one another with so much passion, it gives us goosebumps.
07:10And as a bonus, the music video was an early starring role for Meki Pfeiffer.
07:21If you're looking to set a romantic mood with your sweetie, put on this song and see just
07:25where the night takes you.
07:31This song truly gives us everything we need, and it's another hit that deserves greater appreciation.
07:453.
07:46Singing In My Sleep – Semisonic We know you've heard Closing Time more than
07:51enough times for one lifetime, but that's not the only Semisonic song worth knowing.
08:03Singing In My Sleep – sequenced right after Closing Time on their second album Feeling
08:07Strangely Fine – is arguably the superior track.
08:11I can hear you sing it to me in my sleep.
08:17Listening to it brings us right back to the 90s, with its lyrics about sharing mixtapes
08:22on actual cassettes with crushes.
08:24In the city the lion sleeps, pray the sound in my soul to keep.
08:31The peppy keyboard melody keeps the infatuated energy going, and lead singer Dan Wilson puts
08:37his heart into every last word, especially during the anthemic chorus.
08:42How many mixtapes do you think this song ended up on?
08:44I can hear you sing it to me in my sleep.
08:502.
08:51Red Alert – Basement Jacks
08:53No matter where you hear it, listening to Red Alert is like being transported to a dance
08:58club.
09:06London electronic music duo Basement Jacks' first single from their first album, Remedy,
09:11might be more than 20 years old at this point.
09:13But it feels like a glimpse into the future of music, with its mix of funky rhythms and
09:18electronic production, and other surprises holding up great.
09:23Anchoring it all is singer Blue James, who performs like it's her mission to keep us
09:32dancing until we literally drop.
09:33Put this song on anywhere, and we're definitely going to be on the floor.
09:44Before we unveil our number one pick, here are a few honorable mentions.
09:48Love Fool – The Cardigans
09:50Can we say that we love this song?
09:59Girlfriend – Matthew Sweet
10:01A rockin' love song that truly makes our hearts sing.
10:04Don't you need to get back in the arms of a good friend?
10:11Pretend We're Dead – L7
10:13A classic ode to apathy.
10:15When we pretend that we're dead
10:19When we pretend that we're dead
10:22Touch It – Monifa
10:24We salute Monifa and her amazing song.
10:27Set Adrift on Memory Bliss – PM Dawn
10:36We know this much is true.
10:38This song is great.
10:40Careless whisper from a careless man
10:42A neutron dance for a neutron fan
10:44Marionette strings are dangerous
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11:021. Take Me There – Blackstreet and Maya
11:06Featuring Blinky Blink and Mace
11:14You might not expect one of the best R&B songs of the 90s to also be the theme song to the Rugrats movie.
11:20But the endlessly fun Take Me There turned out to be the perfect fit for the animated adaptation.
11:32I see the magic in your eyes
11:36Incorporating the show's main melody into the bubbly production and giving Blackstreet, Maya, and rappers Mace and Blinky Blink all a chance to show off their talents.
11:53How can you not love a song that has rap verses about Rugrats characters like Angelica and Chucky?
11:59This song makes us want to go back to that special place – the 90s.
12:10What overlooked 90s gem do you love the most?
12:13Let us know in the comments.
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