Take a big whiff- "mmmbop", it smells like the '90s in here! An incredibly eclectic decade for music, the 1990s saw the rise in popularity of new genres and sounds never heard before (and rarely heard better). Bands of the '90s created a unique sound and catchy lyrics in a way that captured the enthusiasm and disillusionment of the era. The '90s bands and solo artists that populate this list cover all musical categories. If you're still feeling nostalgic, check out the best fictional '90s songs and the greatest one hit wonders of the '90s.
From the East Coast/West Coast rap wars, to the grunge era, to low-fi garage rock, to '90s rock bands, the Lilith Fair sound, and the teen pop takeover - 1990s music was rich with experimentation and style. Where else but in the MTV in your head can you find top artists like Nirvana, Wu-Tang Clan, No Doubt, A Tribe Called Quest, Oasis, Bikini Kill and Britney Spears in one place? Whether you were a fan of 90s alternative bands like Blind Melon, you were more dark and brooding and loved grunge music, or you couldn't get enough of popular, mainstream pop names like the Backstreet Boys, take a moment now and give some of your favorite '90s music artists some love! Who are the most famous '90s bands? Which '90s singers led their groups to become the among best of the decade?
Vote-Up your favorite '90s artists and make sure to add any of your favorites that we left out!
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9,1625,364Soundgarden
Rock music, GrungeAlbums: Superunknown, Badmotorfinger, Down on the Upside, Louder Than Love, Black Hole Sun
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9,4635,747Alice in Chains
Rock music, GrungeAlbums: Dirt, Alice in Chains, Facelift, Jar of Flies, Black Gives Way to Blue
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13,9168,441Nirvana
Rock music, GrungeAlbums: Nevermind, In Utero, MTV Unplugged in New York, Bleach, Heart‐Shaped Box
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8,9145,935Foo Fighters
Alternative rock, Post-grungeAlbums: Wasting Light, The Colour and the Shape, Foo Fighters, One by One, There Is Nothing Left to Lose
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11,2927,547Pearl Jam
Rock music, GrungeAlbums: Ten, Vs., Vitalogy, Binaural, No Code
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11,2947,519Red Hot Chili Peppers
Alternative Rock, Funk MetalAlbums: Californication, Blood Sugar Sex Magik, Stadium Arcadium, Mother's Milk, By the Way
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8,1404,824Rage Against the Machine
Crossover thrash, Nu metalAlbums: Rage Against the Machine, Evil Empire, The Battle of Los Angeles, Renegades, Live at the Grand Olympic Auditorium
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7,6235,035Stone Temple Pilots
Rock music, GrungeAlbums: Purple, Core, Tiny Music… Songs From the Vatican Gift Shop, №4, Interstate Love Song
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8,4485,696Metallica
Thrash metal, Rock musicAlbums: Master of Puppets, Ride the Lightning, Metallica, …and Justice for All, Kill 'Em All
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6,8614,693Beastie Boys
Hip hop music, Pop punkAlbums: Paul's Boutique, Licensed to Ill, Check Your Head, Hot Sauce Committee Part Two, Hello Nasty
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9,3537,214Green Day
Pop punk, Rock musicAlbums: American Idiot, Dookie, 21st Century Breakdown, ¡Dos!, Insomniac
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6,3834,787Tool
Post-metal, MetalAlbums: Ænima, Lateralus, 10,000 Days, Undertow
See: The Best Tool Songs
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9,0116,904The Smashing Pumpkins
Shoegazing, Gothic rockAlbums: Siamese Dream, Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness, Oceania, Gish, Adore
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6,5905,059Nine Inch Nails
Dark ambient, Industrial metalAlbums: The Downward Spiral, The Fragile, With Teeth, Pretty Hate Machine, Year Zero
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7,0635,508Guns N' Roses
Glam metal, Blues-rockAlbums: Appetite for Destruction, G N' R Lies, Use Your Illusion I, Chinese Democracy, Use Your Illusion II
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5,0423,857Sublime
Hip hop music, Alternative hip hopAlbums: Sublime: 10th Anniversary Deluxe Edition, 40oz. to Freedom, Sublime Acoustic: Bradley Nowell & Friends, Robbin' the Hood, Second-Hand Smoke
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6,2895,248Weezer
Pop punk, Rock musicAlbums: Pinkerton, Weezer, Weezer, Weezer, Raditude
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5,5584,286The Offspring
Pop punk, Ska punkAlbums: Smash, Americana, The Offspring, Hit That, Pretty Fly (For a White Guy)
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7,4416,268Oasis
Rock music, BritpopAlbums: (What's the Story) Morning Glory?, Definitely Maybe, Don’t Believe the Truth, Dig Out Your Soul, Be Here Now
See: The Best Oasis Songs
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3,3172,481AC/DC
Blues-rock, Boogie rockAlbums: Back in Black, Highway to Hell, Let There Be Rock, The Razors Edge, Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap
See: The Best AC/DC Songs
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6,7555,650R.E.M.
Jangle pop, Alternative rockAlbums: Murmur, Green, Automatic for the People, Out of Time, Reckoning
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3,1402,317System of a Down
Nu metal, Progressive metalAlbums: Toxicity, Hypnotize, Mezmerize, System of a Down, Steal This Album!
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4,7293,763The Cranberries
Jangle pop, New WaveAlbums: Everybody Else Is Doing It, So Why Can’t We?, Everybody Else Is Doing It, So Why Can’t We? / No Need to Argue, Bury the Hatchet
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4,3483,567David Bowie
Rock music, Psychedelic popAlbums: The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders From Mars, Hunky Dory, Diamond Dogs, Aladdin Sane, "Heroes"
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5,9195,169Eminem
Hip hopAlbums: The Marshall Mathers LP, The Slim Shady LP, The Eminem Show, Infinite, Recovery
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