60 of the Best ‘90s Songs for the Ultimate Throwback Playlist

Whenever you're blessed with hearing this Spice Girls hit, you can't help but stop (see what I did there?) and sing along, preferably with the iconic hand action choreography to really tie it all together. This song, from the Spice Girls' second album, Spiceworld, is like the epitome of '90s girlie pop and the second you hear it, it brings you right back to wishing you had Baby's platforms or Scary's space buns.

The goddess that is J.Lo may reign supreme in everything from music to rom-coms now, but back in 1999, she'd just dropped her first-ever studio album after starring in a small handful of movies. Let's Get Loud was the fifth and final single for the album, and let's just say she ended that release streak on a hell of a banger.

There is possibly no other song in existence that encapsulates the feeling of a comfy '90s rom com quite like this one, and yes, this is a hill I will die on. I mean, it was used in the soundtrack for The Parent Trap, Fever Pitch, and the pilot episode of Gilmore Girls. That's a whole lot of nostalgia for just one song! Throw it on the next time you're out and about walking around the city and tell me you don't feel like the main character.

No Doubt are so '90s, and this song was kind of a big deal at the time—its perfectly sarcastic lyrics were the foundation of a new feminist anthem that helped put the band on the music map. The song (which BTW is about being a woman in a patriarchal) society, is still super relevant almost 30 years later so that's a cool (lack of?) development.

Fun fact: after the Spice Girls' fired their manager Simon Fuller in the late '90s so that they could manage themselves, he went on to put together S Club 7. Although the pop group didn't exactly reach the same level of fame as the Spice Girls, they put out a bunch of catchy bops, the most iconic of which, IMHO, is "S Club Party."

If you weren't spending 1999 singing this with your friends and seeing who could do the most convincing emotional air grabs, then what were you even doing? Now, if someone can just tell me why we're not listening to this more in the 2020s, that'd be great, thank you very much!

Sure, this might be one of the best songs across all genres to come out of the '90s, but its real super power is getting those "doo doo doos" stuck in your head for hours after listening to it. It's inevitable, but oh-so worth it!

Did any of us actually know the words to the chorus back in the '90s? Nope! Have any of us tried to figure it out since? Unlikely! But will that stop us from trying to sing along anyway? Certainly not! MMMBop IS '90s pop, and it'll always have a special little piece of our hearts—understanding WTF they're saying is totally secondary.

Remember B*Witched!? This may have been their only big hit, but my god was it iconic—especially that music video. Like, where else are you going to find matching denim outfits, random Irish dancing, out-of-sync lip syncing, and a weird AF plot line about catching a boy and tying him up to a tree and then spraying him with a hose? Oh and there's a dog running around too?? Videos these days just can't compare *sigh*.

The tidal wave of fun pop songs that came out in the '90s is great and all, but sometimes you've gotta throw an iconic power ballad into the mix to really get yourself into your feels. And I don't care how many times you've listened to this song, when Celine comes in with that crescendoing "baby baby" it can't not move you.

The song of a generation. The Halloween costume inspiration of a lifetime. It's kinda hard to believe this was Britney Spears' debut single, especially since it basically helped define late '90s music (and gave every person who watched it the compulsive desire to wear a pink crop top and white pants. Just me? Cool.). Actually, the school concept (and "schoolgirl but make it sexy") was also Britney's idea!

Ofc, it's Kurt Cobain with arguably the *most* '90s song (and, according to lots of ppl, one of the best songs of all time). This title can also be used as a line to describe the stench of an Axe-filled boys' locker room, but I digress. With Dave Grohl writing and on drums, and the lyrics contradictory and confusing—and fascinating—you could probably listen to it a thousand times without getting bored. Trust me bc I'm pretty sure I have.

Guys! We don’t want no scrubs! Literally none! No time! Seriously, though, of the amazing TLC songs—yes, "Waterfalls" is incredible, we don't have to fight about it—this lead single has the coolest music video style of all time (along with some terrrrrible CGI). Some ppl (probably scrubs) were irritated about the new word to describe an unambitious, broke male, and it inspired several not as good answer songs.

The Queen of Pop has to be on here, right? And even though many of her biggest hits were from the '80s (before she came roaring back in '98 with "Frozen" and "Nothing Really Matters"), "Vogue" snuck into the decade with a 1990 release. Fun fact: her inspo for the video came from the Harlem "House Ball" community, and she helped take it mainstream (and also, this song and its moves have been incredibly influential on music in general). Also, go watch her live performance of the song at the VMAs.

...anyway, here’s Wonderwall. Another candidate for "best song ever" that also makes singer Liam Gallagher want to "gag," lol, the song is apparently about an imaginary friend who'll do the hard work of saving you from yourself. A dream! The song went sextuple platinum, which is something I didn't know was even a thing.

Fans of Gilmore Girls may recognize this timeless '90s favorite from an episode early on in the WB series when Rory and Dean attend a dance together. And if you take one listen, you'll understand why this lovestruck ballad really is the ultimate soundtrack for a high school slow dance. Soon enough, all those angsty teenage feels will come flooding right back. Sigh.

Further proof Gwen Stefani is a Vampiress who does not age. Like, are you kidding me?? Also, the fact that, after a long evolution, the song ended up being about a breakup between two of the actual band members (Gwen and Tony Kanal) has me absolutely dying inside. Like, do you think they thought of their relationship every time they sang it?? I have to know!! Also, this part: "I know you're good / I know you're good / I know you're real good." (Dies)

Back when the Bey Hive was a mere honeycomb. Also, the color blocking in this video! Fashion repeats itself, ppl! Both Queen Bey and Kelly Rowland were co-writers on this. Also, can we appreciate that the album, The Writing's on the Wall, also had the insta-classic "Bills, Bills, Bills," "Bug A Boo," and "Jumpin, Jumpin" on it?? But, ofc, this was the most successful single, because it absolutely rocks.

The Night at the Roxbury one (neck brace not included). The actual music video is a lot artsier—with vampires!—and the song was deservedly a worldwide hit. This is another one of those "but what do the lyrics even mean?" songs, and singer Nestor Alexander Haddaway says it's open to interpretation. Just put it on after "Torn" for your breakup playlist.

Sweet, innocent X-tina! This was also a "battle" between the girl pop stars, both of whom starred in The New Mickey Mouse Club (with Mandy Moore, among others, hopping into the "who is the best '90s female artist" debate later) but I say there's enough room on the stage for both ladies. This video might not have had the wild cultural impact of Britney's, but it established Christina as a legit artist with the *most* impressive pipes.