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The Best Music of the 1990s

In the ’90s, music exploded with innovation. Hip-hop had entered its golden age, a tidal wave of alternative rock dominated radio, and new subgenres of electronic music seemed to take over the underground every year. If you spent a few hours watching MTV, you would have seen superstars breaking the boundaries of pop just as frequently as the latest up-and-coming grunge band or rising emcee. Three decades later, this music feels as exciting, important, and relevant as ever, with contemporary artists referencing genre-specific sounds more and more. In this series of lists, Pitchfork takes a deep dive into the songs, albums, genres, and artists of the 1990s, mining through thousands of songs and albums to make a curated guide of what you need to hear.

The 30 Best Southern Rap Songs of the ’90s

From Miami to Memphis, Atlanta to Houston, these are the songs that turned the South into the center of hip-hop.

The 53 Best R&B Songs of the ’90s

From the throwback thump of Erykah Badu and D’Angelo to the freaky futurism of Aaliyah and Ginuwine to the unbridled horniness of Jodeci and Janet Jackson

The 25 Best Indie Pop Albums of the ’90s

While alternative rock raged in the 1990s, the softhearted sound of bands like Heavenly, Tiger Trap, and the Pastels welcomed listeners into their own secret world.

“The Anti-Woodstock ’99”: An Oral History of the Tibetan Freedom Concert

Co-organized by Beastie Boy Adam Yauch and featuring Björk, Rage Against the Machine, Fugees, Sonic Youth, and many more, the 1996 San Francisco concert set the template for combining music and activism in the 1990s.

The 100 Best Songs and Albums of the 1990s, According to Pitchfork Readers

The best records released between 1990 and 1999, according to you

The 30 Best House Tracks of the ’90s

Including classics by divas like CeCe Peniston and Crystal Waters, foundational producers like Theo Parrish and Masters at Work, and playful pranksters like Basement Jaxx and Daft Punk

The 25 Best Grunge Albums of the ’90s

These are the records—by Nirvana, Pearl Jam, Hole, PJ Harvey, Melvins, and more—that defined the decade’s most influential genre.

18 Musicians on Their Favorite Albums of the ’90s

Jewel, Beth Orton, Maxwell, American Football’s Mike Kinsella, and more share the ’90s album that they cherish most.

The Pitchfork Staff’s Favorite One-Hit Wonders of the ’90s

From B*Witched’s surprisingly horny “C’est La Vie” to Tom Green’s blissfully idiotic “Bum Bum Song” to Arrested Development’s gorgeously bittersweet “Tennessee,” these onetime flashes are worth revisiting.

Babyface on the Music That Made Him

The incomparable R&B producer details the artists and songs of his life, from a velvety classic by Al B. Sure! to Lorde’s cultural breakthrough, five years at a time.

This or That? Play Pitchfork’s 1990s Music Battle Game

Choose your favorites in head-to-head matchups of songs and albums from the 1990s.

The 150 Best Albums of the 1990s

From Lauryn Hill to Radiohead, My Bloody Valentine to Janet Jackson, Nirvana to Wu-Tang Clan, and so many more, these are the albums that changed music forever.

Introducing Pitchfork’s Best Music of the 1990s

A note from Pitchfork Editor-in-Chief Puja Patel on revisiting a formative decade in music

The 250 Best Songs of the 1990s

The tracks that defined the ’90s, including Björk, Biggie, Mariah, Bikini Kill, Aaliyah, 2Pac, and many, many more.

Pitchfork Announces the 1990s Karaoke Party

Join us at the Woods in Brooklyn on September 27

Vote Now for Your Favorite 1990s Albums and Songs

Help us celebrate this monumental decade in music by voting in our readers’ poll