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the internet was at our fingertips
Playstations were in our living rooms
friends was on TV and these were on the
radio welcome to watchmojo.com and today
we're counting down our picks for the
top ten decade defining songs of the
1990s for this list we've looked at a
combination of the decades most
commercially successful songs as well as
the most influential records and the
tracks that best reflect the period
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number ten basket case Green Day do you
have the time to listen to me whine our
first track needs no introduction which
is handy because it doesn't have one
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skipping an instrumental opening and
getting right to the lyrical point Green
Day asks for our time and we're more
than happy to oblige
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the song carried punk rock into the 90s
and gate the charts something to really
think about
[Applause]
it could have gone for their softer good
riddens time of your life approach you
have the dime
but instead basket-case is our brash and
brilliant opening pic
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number nine Wonderwall oasis today is
gonna be the day that the gonna throw it
back to you by now you should've somehow
realized but he gotta do
Britpop staged a major assault on
popular music throughout the 90s and it
was led into battle by this ban among
others
for Oasis Wonderwall was wonderful a
song about a life-saving make-believe
friend
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so there's continued speculation that
romantic interests were its influence it
became a crowd-pleasing anthem
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written by Noel Gallagher and delivered
with distinction by his brother Liam
Oasis was a family business and Masson
was their jingle
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number eight right now Van Halen
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van Halen brought their big 80s hairdos
into the next decade and they laid down
a song that really had us listening
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right now has a simple message live for
the moment breathe for now because one
day will be your last
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it's an uplifting motivational statement
that has often been adopted by political
parties and sports teams
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the video accompaniment won three awards
at the 1992 MTV VMAs and rightly so
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scrapbook of life it's as
thought-provoking as the music
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number seven I'll be missing you Puff
Daddy
featuring Faith Evans and 112 a tribute
to puff daddy's friend and Faith Evans
husband the notorious b.i.g this record
soared to the top of music charts
worldwide real name Christopher Wallace
the rapper was killed in a drive-by
shooting in LA and four Puff Daddy this
track was all about memorializing him
and gaining closure the single heavily
samples every breath you take by the
police and sting has been known to
perform it alongside the rapper
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extremely sentimental it's our number
seven
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number six California love Tupac
featuring dr. Dre and Roger Troutman hip
hop music really came to the forefront
of popular culture during the 90s Snoop
Dogg's ain't nothin but a G thang and
cream by the wu-tang clan were
significant but Tupac's California Love
was a real rap game changer dr. Dre's
production had innovations and most
notably intensity
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girls gangs and money where it's subject
matter it's a contemporary cautionary
tale it enjoyed considerable chart
success and put the Westside rap scene
firmly on the map
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number five baby one more time Britney
Spears music got girly in the 90s and to
top the charts you needed the woman's
touch the Spice Girls want to be proved
the real thing but it's the teenage
schoolgirl who really stole the show
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the Britney Spears became the biggest
name in all of showbiz when she debuted
with baby one more time the song is pop
perfection and the video was instantly
iconic
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we just wouldn't leave Britney alone as
she scored a number one in every single
country she charted it number four
Enter Sandman Metallica
the first single from their fifth album
with Enter Sandman Metallica plays out
our worst nightmares in the best way
possible
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a song that deals in bad dreams it has
an eerie opening a killer guitar solo
and some demonic vocals
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it's the heaviest of metal and was a
major influence over all of 90s rock
with an accompanying music video that
practically inhibits rapid eye movement
it's the sound of spooky sleepless
nights
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number three loser back fresh from
living rough Beck wrote this song with a
whole world of experience upon his young
shoulders
some critics cast loser off as senseless
stoner up that would never catch on how
wrong they were
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a self-confessed unskilled rapper Beck
was able to combine his folk music
origins with a slightly psychedelic vibe
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the result was a piece of splendid
self-mockery a song that's real and
relatable things you're gonna change I
can feel it
baby
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number two one sweet day Mariah Carey
and boys to mess
a further example of female dominance
Mariah Carey enjoyed huge success during
the 1990s
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Mercia Lee her collaboration with R&B
act boys to men was her greatest triumph
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spending a staggering 16 weeks atop the
US Hot 100
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an emotional ballot it's a reminder of
the temporality of life and a tribute to
those that have passed
it's a record breaker it's a tearjerker
and it's proof that pop music can
sometimes really strike a chord before
we unveil our top pick here are a few
honorable mentions
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[Applause]
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ha
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there was a problem yo I'll solve it
check out the hook while my DJ boss
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number one smells like teen spirit
nirvana
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if the 90s are responsible for
popularizing one music genre in
particular its grunge Pearl Jam's Jeremy
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and Radiohead's creep for among other
moody magnificent tracks
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but teen spirit was the trailblazer
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Nirvana's smashed into the mainstream
with awesome apathy and a record that
rings in your ears for days
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inspired by graffiti left by a
girlfriend on Kurt Cobain's bedroom wall
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it's a typically nirvana combination of
loud and quiet subdued and severe
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[Applause]
it didn't hold back and now it holds our
top spot
do you agree with our list what's your
favorite 90s song for more triumphant
top 10s published every day be sure to
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you
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