Some vocal-driven songs from the 1990s had the right kind of lyricism and vibe that defined a whole decade of music. And if you're a 90s kid or a Gen Xer who loved music from that era, you definitely know each of these three songs by heart.
"Load up on guns, bring your friends / It's fun to lose and to pretend."
There was no avoiding this one. When it came to grunge and rock, this massive hit from Nirvana was one of the most defining songs of the 90s. With lyrics that can be interpreted as everything from a call to youthful revolution to a lament about drug abuse and depression, "Smells Like Teen Spirit" really does seem to touch on the emotions that many apathetic youths were experiencing at the time. It's no surprise that this song made it to No. 6 on the Billboard Hot 100 and the Top 10 just about everywhere else.
"But I'm a creep / I'm a weirdo / What the hell am I doin' here? / I don't belong here."
Like Nirvana's "Smells Like Teen Spirit", Radiohead's "Creep" made a lot of people feel seen and heard in the 1990s. This song details what it feels like to deal with unrequited love (or just attraction) and the waves of self-loathing that often come with it. "Creep" got under a lot of listeners' skin, so much so that it became a Top 40 hit in the US, UK, and numerous other countries.
"Bittersweet memories / That is all I'm taking with me / So goodbye, please, don't cry / We both know I'm not what you, you need."
The notion of the superstar vocalist was definitely not a new one in the 1990s. But there was something about Whitney Houston's absolutely insane delivery of the vocals on "I Will Always Love You" that marked a new era, one of the turn-of-the-millennium pop crooner diva. Houston will always reign supreme in that department. And even after listening to this entry on our list of vocal-driven songs from the 1990s on repeat, I still cannot figure out how a human being can sound that magical. "I Will Always Love You" was a No. 1 hit in almost every country where it charted, including the US and UK.
