DVDizzy Forum

There's some time to kill before October, so... why not talk music? (I know I skipped the 80's, but we'll get there soon enough- don't worry, I just thought this decade might be a bit more challenging for some)

I got this idea as a spin-off from Best Albums of the Decade. And did a search and though there are a couple of 80's threads, there's not a real Best Songs like we have a Best Albums. I hope to follow it up with another decade in a week or so, if this one gets some interest.

This is just a fun type thread and you don't have to think real hard, follow any specific rules to the letter, or get involved in a debate if you don't want to.

The idea: try to nominate the most memorable songs that either defined a spirit of the time it was made, were the best example of that kind of music, became an anthem for you or maybe your parents if they're older (like mine), or that you love a lot that really speak to you.

The only real rule: try to narrow down the amount of songs for one artist or band. Try to pick their best and try not to pick more than 2 songs from the same album.

Any and every kind of music is welcome (radio / pop, alternative / grunge, rap / hip-hop, country, electronica, rnb, metal, indie - anything).



Other Threads:
1960's
1970's
1980's
2000-2009
2010-2019

Again, some of these aren't necessarily the best, but rather the most important/iconic.

One - U2
Sweetest Thing - U2
Wannabe - Spice Girls
Parklife - Blur
Song 2 - Blur
Basket Case - Green Day
Common People - Pulp
Streets of Philidelphia - Bruce Springsteen
Everything I Do, I Do It For You - Bryan Adams
Groove Is In The Heart - Deee-Lite
The You and Me Song - The Wannadees
Vogue - Madonna
Ray of Light - Madonna
Fire Starter - The Prodigy
No Surprises - Radiohead
Karma Police - Radiohead
Exit Music (For a Film) - Radiohead
Just - Radiohead
Don't Speak - No Doubt
Don't Look Back in Anger - Oasis
Wonderwall - Oasis
Iris - Goo Goo Dolls
It's Oh So Quiet - Björk
Shiny Happy People - REM
Everybody Hurts - REM
Losing My Religion - REM
Man, I Feel Like a Woman - Shaniah Twain
Praise You - Fatboy Slim
Around the World - Daft Punk
Bittersweet Symphony - The Verve
Earth Song - Michael Jackson
Black or White - Michael Jackson
I Don't Wanna Miss a Thing - Aerosmith
Smells Like Teen Spirit - Nirvana
Tonight, Tonight - Smashing Pumpkins
Under the Bridge - Red Hot Chili Peppers
Give It Away - Red Hot Chili Peppers

The 1990's is indeed more of a challenge when it comes to naming good/important music. I grew up during that decade (being born in 1985) and therefore, the 1990's is mainly a landscape of nostalgia to me. When I think of the music from that period, I immediately think of the kind of songs I liked when I was a (pre-)teen, which (of course) was awful. The hit lists were mostly filled with nothing but junk, looking back on it.

The only *really* great, wonderful, meaningful, important music from that decade I can think of is -no surprise- Bob Dylan's album 'Time Out Of Mind', which marked his come-back at a very late point in his career. Although written as an old man looking back at his life, filled with melancholy, in a strange way I can relate to a lot of what he has to tell. I still get goosebumps listening to these songs. I didn't know music could be *this* beautiful. So beautiful it could make you cry.

I Touch Myself - Divinyls

Wonderlicious wrote:One - U2
Sweetest Thing - U2
Wannabe - Spice Girls
Streets of Philidelphia - Bruce Springsteen
Everything I Do, I Do It For You - Bryan Adams
Groove Is In The Heart - Deee-Lite
Vogue - Madonna
Ray of Light - Madonna
Don't Speak - No Doubt
Wonderwall - Oasis
Iris - Goo Goo Dolls
It's Oh So Quiet - Björk
Everybody Hurts - REM
Losing My Religion - REM
Man, I Feel Like a Woman - Shania Twain
Praise You - Fatboy Slim
Around the World - Daft Punk
Bittersweet Symphony - The Verve
Earth Song - Michael Jackson
Black or White - Michael Jackson
I Don't Wanna Miss a Thing - Aerosmith
Smells Like Teen Spirit - Nirvana
Tonight, Tonight - Smashing Pumpkins
Under the Bridge - Red Hot Chili Peppers
Give It Away - Red Hot Chili Peppers

All of these, plus I'll add:
Celine Dion - My Heart Will Go On
Whitney Houston - I Will Always Love You
Britney Spears - ...Baby One More Time
Mariah Carey - Vision Of Love
Shania Twain - You're Still The One
Cher - Believe
Backstreet Boys - I Want It That Way

Wonderlicious wrote:Again, some of these aren't necessarily the best, but rather the most important/iconic.

I try to hedge away from iconic a little, myself. For example, if I went with iconic- I'd have to include Smash Mouth's "All Star" (which, if I ever hear again, will send me on a homical rampage) and Lenny Kravitz's "Fly Away." Which... is actually a terrible song. I almost downloaded it twice in the last ten years when doing a "best of the 90's" mix-CD, both times I couldn't even finish listening to it- it's that bad.


I started my list. I'm going to need all-day tomorrow to continue it, but... it's coming.

my chicken is infected wrote:Britney Spears - ...Baby One More Time

Not really a good or important/iconic song, but I almost mentioned it. Whenever I think of the 90's with regard to music, I always think of that song first. Not that I particularly like the music, but the videoclip on the other hand...

I mean, it *is* about young women in school uniforms, which is something every man likes.

Part 1 - Rock (in all its' many incarnations):

Bikini Kill - "Reject All American"
Beck - "Loser"
Blind Melon - "No Rain"
Joan Osborne - "Crazy Baby"
Nirvana - "Come As You Are"
Jeff Buckley - "Last Goodbye"
Tori Amos - "Silent All These Years"
Nine Inch Nails - "Closer"
K.D. Lang - "Constant Craving"
U2 - "Staring At the Sun"
Alanis Morissette - "Head Over Feet"
Stone Temple Pilots - "Interstate Love Song"
Poe - "Trigger Happy Jack"
Metallica - "Enter Sandman"
Amy Grant - "Takes a Little Time"
Radiohead - "Paranoid Android"
Marilyn Manson - "Sweet Dreams"
Melissa Etheridge - "I'm the Only One"
Soundgarden - "Black Hole Sun"
Meredith Brooks - "Bitch"
Sublime - "What I Got"
No Doubt - "Just a Girl"
Live - "I Alone"
Jewel - "You Were Meant for Me" (radio version)
Squirrel Nut Zippers - "Hell"
Pearl Jam - "Jeremy"
Sheryl Crow - "All I Wanna Do"
Marilyn Manson - "The Beautiful People"
The Cranberries - "Zombie"
Cake - "The Distance"
Tracy Bonham - "Mother Mother"
Rob Zombie - "Living Dead Girl"
Mazzy Star - "Fade Into You"
Supergrass - "Alright"
K's Choice - "Not an Addict"
Blues Traveler - "Run Around" (it's this, Del Amitri, or Hanson- your choice; I think I made the right one)
The Breeders - "Cannonball"
Smashing Pumpkins - "1979"
Alice in Chains - "Again"
Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers - "Mary Jane's Last Dance"
Howlin' Maggie - "Alcohol"
Bikini Kill - "Rebel Girl" (Especially the version on The Singles album)
Imperial Teen - "Yoo Hoo"
Frank Black - "Los Angeles"
4 Non Blondes - "What's Up"
Marilyn Manson - "The Dope Show"
Liz Phair - "Fuck and Run"
Silverchair - "Freak"
Bis - "I'm a Slut"
Southern Culture on the Skids - "Camel Walk"
Babes in Toyland - "Handsome & Gretel"
April March - "Chick Habit"
Ben Lee - "Pop Queen"
Cake - "Frank Sinatra"
Butter 08 - "Butter of 69"
Collective Soul - "Heavy"
Julie Ruin - "Aerobicide"
Tori Amos - "Cornflake Girl"
Alanis Morissette - "You Oughta Know"
Beck - "Where It's At"
L7 - "Pretend We're Dead"
Hole - "Celebrity Skin"
Bratmobile - "Cool Schmool"
Tracy Bonham - "30 Seconds"
White Zombie - "Thunder Kiss '65"
Helium - "Pat's Trick"
Whale - "Kickin'"
Pansy Division - "I Really Wanted You"
The Cardigans - "Carnival"
Nine Inch Nails - "March of the Pigs"
Sheryl Crow - "Home"
Live - "Lightning Crashes"
Heather Nova - "Heart and Shoulder"
Dave Matthews Band - "So Much to Say"
Paula Cole - "Feelin' Love"
Alice in Chains - "Rooster"
Green Day - "Geek Stink Breath"
Elastica - "Connection"
The Dandy Warhols - "Good Morning"
Liz Phair - "Stratford-On-Guy"
Bis - "This is Fake D.I.Y."
Smashing Pumpkins - "Disarm"
Fiona Apple - "Across the Universe"
Marilyn Manson - "My Monkey"
Suzanne Vega - "Caramel"
Cake - "Never There"
Soul Asylum - "Runaway Train"
Bikini Kill - "R.I.P."
Body Count - "Cop Killer"
Shawn Colvin - "Sunny Came Home"
Our Lady Peace - "Superman's Dead"
Stone Temple Pilots - "Plush"
Imperial Teen - "You're One"
Boss Hog - "Ski Bunny"
The Chemical Brothers - "Let Forever Be"
Joan Osborne - "One of Us"
Blues Traveler - "Hook"
Tori Amos - "Crucify"
Julie Ruin - "Radical or Pro-Parental"
The Presidents of the United States of America - "Lump"
Merrie Amsterburg - "Walking on the Moon"
Beck - "Jack Ass" (Album Version)
Garbage - "Only Happy When it Rains"
Red Hot Chili Peppers - "Love Rollercoaster"
Sonic Youth - "Bull in the Heather"
Hole - "Doll Parts"
Marcy Playground - "Saint Joe on the School Bus"
Brendan Benson - "Cross eyed"
The Cranberries - "Dreams"
Green Day - "Brain Stew" (Either version)
Lisa Loeb & Nine Stories - "Stay"
The Dandy Warhols - "Not if You Were the Last Junkie on Earth"
Elastica - "Never Here"
Beck - "Steal My Body Home"
Bikini Kill - "Double Dare Ya"
Cake - "Rock'n'Roll Lifestyle"
The Wallflowers - "One Headlight"
Sarah McLachlan - "Elsewhere"
Aerosmith - "Pink"
Macy Gray - "I Try"
Toad the Wet Sprocket - "All I Want"
Veruca Salt - "All Hail Me"
Stone Temple Pilots - "Wicked Garden"
Incubus - "Stellar"
The Offspring - "Gone Away" (yeah, this guy's voice usually sucks and yet... the one time he gets serious, he shows better control than most of the Staind-era "pity me" scream-whiners)
Imperial Teen - "Lipstick"
Le Tigre - "Deceptacon"
Alanis Morissette - "All I Really Want"
Bush - "Glycerine"
The Cardigans - "Lovefool"
Silverchair - "Ana's Song (Open Fire)"
The Spin Doctors - "Two Princes" (Don't laugh- I could have chosen a song by The Rembrandts, The Proclaimers, or Deep Blue Something; consider the alternatives)
Eve's Plum - "I Want it All"
Harvey Danger - "Flagpole Sitta"
Kahimi Karie - "Elastic Girl"
Alice in Chains - "I Stay Away"
The Mavericks - "All You Ever Do is Bring Me Down" (one of the only country songs from the 90's that didn't drive me insane)
KoRn - "A.D.I.D.A.S." (I hate this band, but they were a huge part of 90's music, and this is probably their best song that got airplay, and really... it's either KoRn or Kid Rock- you decide)
Urge Overkill - "Girl, You'll Be a Woman Soon"
The Donnas - "Rock 'n Roll Machine"
Counting Crows - "A Long December"
Tonic - "If You Could Only See" (for my brother, one of his favorites)


EDIT!!January 9th 2011 & December 20th 2010

Can't believe I forgot the famous (and... controversial?) "Mmm Mmm Mmm Mmm" by The Crash Test Dummies!

And Placebo - "Pure Morning"

AND Mighty Mighty Bosstones - "Where Did You Go"

Part 2 - Pop & Hip-Hop (in all its' many incarnations):

Air - "Sexy Boy"
En Vogue - "Free Your Mind"
Massive Attack - "Daydreaming"
TLC - "Waterfalls"
Cypress Hill - "Insane in the Brain"
Cibo Matto - "Sugar Water"
Jamiroquai - "Virtual Insanity"
Björk - "Venus As a Boy"
Ace of Base - "Beautiful Life" (annoying and overplayed though it is, it's still a damn good pop song)
Fatboy Slim - "The Rockafeller Skank"
Madonna - "Erotica"
Snoop (Doggy) Dogg - "Gin & Juice"
The Crystal Method - "Keep Hope Alive"
Salt-N-Pepa - "Shoop"
Mia-X - "Hoodlum Poetry"
Hooverphonic - "Someone"
Digable Planets - "Rebirth of Slick (Cool Like Dat)"
Jay-Z featuring Amil & Ja Rule - "Can I Get a..."
Jennifer Lopez - "Waiting for Tonight"
White Town - "Your Woman"
Des'ree - "You Gotta Be"
Moby - "Inside"
Seal - "Crazy"
2Pac featuring Dr. Dre - "California Love"
Cocteau Twins - "Cherry-Coloured Funk"
Tricky - "Overcome"
Mono - "Life in Mono"
LL Cool J featuring Total - "Loungin' (Remix)"
Wu Tang Clan - "C.R.E.A.M."
Everything but the Girl - "Missing"
Massive Attack - "Teardrop"
Eminem featuring Dr. Dre - "Guilty Conscience"
Tag Team - "Whoomp! There it Is"
Christina Aguilera - "Genie in a Bottle"
Sir Mix-a-Lot - "Baby Got Back"
Robbie Williams - "Millennium"
Monica - "Don't Take it Personal (Just One of Dem Days)"
Björk - "Hyper(-)ballad"
A Tribe Called Quest - "Jazz (We've Got)"
Sneaker Pimps - "6 Underground (Nellee Hooper Edit)"
Salt-N-Pepa - "Ain't Nuthin' but a She Thing"
Massive Attack - "Unfinished Sympathy"
La Bouche - "Be My Lover"
Toni Braxton - "You're Makin' Me High"
Pet Shop Boys - "Jealousy"
Loreena McKennitt - "The Mummers' Dance" (Single Version)
Mariah Carey - "Fantasy"
The Fugees - "Fu-Gee-La"
Mono - "Penguin Freud"
The Pharcyde - "Runnin'"
Lil' Kim featuring Angie Martinez, Lisa 'Left Eye' Lopez, Da Brat, & Missy Elliot - "Not Tonight (Ladies Night Remix)"
Skee Lo - "I Wish"
Portishead - "Only You"
Seal - "Kiss from a Rose"
Missy Elliot (featuring 702 and Magoo) - "Beep Me 911"
Nine Inch Nails - "A Warm Place"
Lords of Acid - "The Most Wonderful Girl"
Jay-Z - "Hard Knock Life"
Spice Girls - "Say You'll Be There"
Lauryn Hill - "Doo Wop (That Thing)"
Björk - "Army of Me"
Master P featuring Silkk the Shocker, Mia-X, & Mo B. Dick - "Mr. Ice Cream Man"
Gus Gus - "Is Jesus Your Pal?"
Robyn - "Do You Know (What it Takes)" (anyone remember this song? This is the reason my list has no Britney Spears)
Vengaboys - "Superfly Slick Dick"
Arrested Development - "Tennessee"
LL Cool J - "Ain't Nobody"
Cibo Matto - "Birthday Cake" (Viva La Woman album version)
Lucas - "Lucas with the Lid Off"
Janet Jackson - "If"
'Weird Al' Yankovic - "Amish Paradise"
Lamb - "Górecki"
Shaggy - "Boombastic" (Radio Remix)
Hooverphonic - "Inhaler"
Kylie Minogue - "Breathe"
TLC - "Creep"
Moloko - "Should've Been, Could've Been"
Mariah Carey - "Butterfly"
Björk - "Hunter"
Foxy Brown featuring Jay-Z - "I'll Be"
Geri Halliwell - "Look at Me"
Naughty by Nature - "Feel Me Flow"
Massive Attack - "Inertia Creeps"
Madonna - "Human Nature"
Ice Cube - "Friday"
Aqua - "Barbie Girl"
The Fugees - "Killing Me Softly"
Jay-Z - "Nigga What, Nigga Who"
The Prodigy - "Smack My Bitch Up"
Coolio - "Fantastic Voyage"
Enigma - "Carly's Song"
Imani Coppola - "Legend of a Cowgirl"
Carl Craig - "Frustration"
Lords of Acid - "Young Boys"
Timbaland & Magoo featuring Playa - "Luv 2 Luv Ya (Remix)"
Gus Gus - "Polyesterday"
Broadcast - "The Book Lovers"
Sneaker Pimps - "Spin Spin Sugar"
Blur - "Girls & Boys"
Ol' Dirty Bastard - "Brooklyn Zoo"
Freaknasty - "Da' Dip"
Madonna - "Rain"
Master P featuring Fiend, Silkk the Shocker, Mia-X, & Mystikal - "Make 'Em Say Uhh!"
Sarah Brightman - "Deliver Me"
Duran Duran - "Come Undone"
BT & Tori Amos - "Blue Skies"
Mariah Carey - "I Still Believe"
Pet Shop Boys - "So Hard"
Jay-Z & Jermaine Dupri - "Money Ain't a Thang"
Esthero - "That Girl"
Salt-N-Pepa - "None of Your Business"
Jayo Felony featuring Method Man & DMX - "Whatcha Gonna Do?"
Björk - "Isobel"
The Beloved - "The Sun Rising"
Cibo Matto - "Know Your Chicken"
RuPaul - "Supermodel (You Better Work)"
Naughty by Nature - "Hip Hop Hooray"
Bis - "Eurodisco"
Foxy Brown - "Hot Spot"
Moloko - "Where is the What if the What is in Why?"
Hooverphonic - "2Wicky"
'Weird Al' Yankovic - "It's All About the Pentiums"
Moby - "Porcelain"
Jay-Z - "Girl's Best Friend"
Massive Attack - "Angel"
SWV - "Right Here (Human Nature Mix)"
Prince and the New Power Generation - "7"
Lords of Acid - "LSD=Truth"
Portishead - "Humming"
Madonna - "Frozen"
Björk - "Jóga"
George Michael - "Freedom '90"
Poe - "Hello" (Album Version)
Siouxsie and the Banshees - "Face to Face"
Ace of Base - "Dancer in a Daydream"
Garbage - "Milk"
En Vogue - "My Lovin' (You're Never Gonna Get It)"
Traci Lords - "Control"
Mary J. Blige - "All That I Can Say"
Ginuwine - "Pony"
The Pharcyde - "Passin' Me By"
Chris Rock - "Champagne" (Video Version)
Mariah Carey - "Honey"
Timbaland & Magoo featuring Missy Elliot & Aaliyah - "Up Jumps the Boogie"
Beastie Boys - "Intergalactic"
Portishead - "Biscuit"
Boy George - "The Crying Game" (SHUT UP! )
Shabba Ranks - "Mr. Loverman"
Broadcast - "Accidentals"
Groove Armada - "I See You Baby (Fatboy Slim Remix)"
Björk - "Human Behaviour"
Mystikal - "Not That Nigga"
Brandy - "Sittin' Up in My Room"
Massive Attack - "Sly"
Vengaboys - "Paradise"
RuPaul - "Snapshot"
The Fugees - "Ready or Not"
Jay-Z featuring Foxy Brown & Babyface - "(Always Be My) Sunshine"
Leftfield - "Original"
Hooverphonic - "Renaissance Affair"
Aaliyah - "If Your Girl Only Knew"
Cocteau Twins - "Iceblink Luck"
Gus Gus - "Believe"
Imani Coppola - "Soon (I Like It)"
Destiny's Child - "Bills, Bills, Bills"
Monifah - "Touch It"
David Bowie - "Cool World"
Mariah Carey - "Heartbreaker"
Lamb - "Cotton Wool"
Pet Shop Boys - "Absolutely Fabulous"
Soul 4 Real - "Every Little Thing I Do"
Björk - "Possibly Maybe"
Mary J. Blige - "Everything"
Portishead - "Glory Box"
Mandy Moore - "Candy"
Kylie Minogue - "What Do I Have to Do?"
Missy Elliot - "The Rain (Supa Dupa Fly)"
Mono - "The Outsider"
Timbaland & Magoo - "Clock Strikes" (Remix)
Janet Jackson - "(We) Go Deep"
'Weird Al' Yankovic - "The Night Santa Went Crazy"
Tina Arena - "Chains"
Bone Thugs-n-Harmony - "Tha Crossroads"
Culture Beat - "Mr. Vain" (yes: annoying... but good, chosen over Right Said Fred's "I'm Too Sexy")
Salt-N-Pepa & En Vogue - "Whatta Man"
Sneaker Pimps - "How Do"
George Michael - "Too Funky"
Massive Attack - "Protection"
David Bowie - "Dead Man Walking"
Lamb - "Softly"
Björk - "All is Full of Love" (Radio Mix)
Dr. Dre - "Been There Done That"
Chemical Brothers - "Setting Sun"
Montell Jordan - "This is How We Do It"
Notorious B.I.G. - "Hypnotize"
Toni Braxton - "You Mean the World to Me"
The Wiseguys - "Start the Commotion"
Ol' Dirty Bastard - "Shimmy Shimmy Ya"
The Crystal Method - "Comin' Back"
Neneh Cherry - "Move with Me"
Stardust - "Music Sounds Better with You"
Meredith Brooks - "What Would Happen"
Snow - "Informer" (I chose this over the obligatory Vanilla Ice inclusion, or hell; any recognition of Insane Clown Posse)
Fatboy Slim - "Gangster Trippin'"
Salt-N-Pepa - "Let's Talk About Sex"
Crush - "Jellyhead" ("Jock Jams" Remix)
Quad City DJ's - "C'mon N' Ride It (The Train)" (it was a choice: either this or 2 Unlimited's "Get Ready for This")

Laz, this is an awesome list! I was actually thinking about editing and replacing some songs and making this into a mixed CD for my car, if you don't mind.

PeterPanfan wrote:Laz, this is an awesome list! I was actually thinking about editing and replacing some songs and making this into a mixed CD for my car, if you don't mind.

I might actually do this myself!

90's music is pretty nostalgic for me, since that's when I was a teen and when I first *really* started listening to music that my parents didn't like. While there was a lot of crap, I think there was also a lot of great stuff (which is really true for me with any decade).

PeterPanfan wrote:Laz, this is an awesome list! I was actually thinking about editing and replacing some songs and making this into a mixed CD for my car, if you don't mind.

Yes I do mind. My list is God.

A mixed CD? Try a series of 20-something. (And, thanks.)

As for the 90's, that was really my decade- musically. I think it has some of the finest music I've ever heard.

Haha, yes, I'm aware that not even close to this many songs will fit on one 80 min. maximum CD.

Lazario wrote:Amy Grant - "Takes a Little Time"

I love that I can play mp3 discs in my car stereo, I can really load up a ton of songs on one disc.

enigmawing wrote:I love that I can play mp3 discs in my car stereo, I can really load up a ton of songs on one disc.

And close your eyes, it's almost like you're there.

Yeah- I've always liked that song, Aaron.


DAMN IT! Forgot another essential for the Rock List:

Red Hot Chili Peppers - "Soul to Squeeze"

And forgot yet another:

Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds - "Red Right Hand"