90s Music Playlist - A Variety of Hits
It has been a long time since I made a playlist so I decided what better way to make a playlist then to have one with a little variety. '90s music is a topic that covers all genres and hopefully I got a good sample of the 1990s in this playlist. This playlist doesn't feature any hits that were that big in the '90s but does offer some pretty good songs and a couple of my favorites. No matter what type of music you enjoy, this should take you down memory lane, as there is sure to be at least one song you recognize. I hope you enjoy this selection of '90s music and be sure to tell me what you think of it. Feel free to check out my other playlists at the bottom of the post and I'll see you next time.
90s Music Variety Playlist
1. "Pardon Me" by Incubus
2. "Little Miss Can't Be Wrong" by Spin Doctors
3. "Interglatic" by Beastie Boys
4. "A Sorta Fairytale" by Tori Amos
5. "I'm Going Home" by Hootie And The Blowfish
6. "Pony" by Ginuwine
7. "Linger" by The Cranberries
8. "Down In A Hole" by Alice in Chains
9. "Otherside" by Red Hot Chilli Pepppers
10. "10 Days Late" by Third Eye Blind
Here's the link for the whole playlist: 90s Variety Hits
Looking for more playlists? We've got plenty.
Song #92: "Don't Go Away" by Oasis
After a fairly long hiatus, RizzoMusic is back with the countdown and one of my personal favorites, "Don't Go Away" by Oasis. "Don't Go Away" is just one song in a string of successful singles that Oasis released in the 1990s. It was the fourth single released off of one of the most highly anticipated albums in music history, Be Here Now. Although, Oasis' third studio album, sold over eight million copies worldwide, it is considered by many music enthusiasts as a disappointment and none of the tracks from the album are included on Oasis' best-of album, Stop the Clocks. "Don't Go Away" is just one of my favorites from an album full of some great songs: a song that features some of Liam's best vocals.
Oasis is really a band that needs no introduction: a band that has sold over 50 million albums worldwide. Releasing three albums that each sold over 7 million copies in one decade is truly remarkable and a testament to the great music that they produced. While their album sales of late have been no where near they were in their heyday, they are still very popular. They are doing a small tour in Canada this summer and also have a new album due out in September of this year. The new album is going to be a break away from their acoustic side and have more of a feel like Be Here Now. It will be exciting to see how Oasis will be received by fans this time around as they release their seventh studio album.
I really like the music video for "Don't Go Away". The tone of the video matches perfectly with the song: displaying the feelings of loneliness, helplessness, and frustration that are represented in the lyrics. The image that really stands out is the 2 large trees in the middle of a barren field. Add to that a little bit of rain and an orchestra dressed in black and you have a solid music video that will be remembered for years. Check it out!
Interested in other songs from the countdown? Check out the other Top Songs of the 1990s here
Counting Crows' New Album "Saturday Nights & Sunday Mornings"
One of my favorite bands, Counting Crows, is set to release their new album, Saturday Nights & Sunday Mornings on March 28, 2008. This is the band's first studio album since Hard Candy was released back in 2002. It has been about six years in between albums, but the Counting Crows still have a strong following since they first released "Mr. Jones" in 1993.
Adam Duritz had this to say about the new album, "Saturday night is when you sin and Sunday is when you regret. Sinning is often done very loudly, angrily, bitterly, violently." The album is split up in to two halves, the Saturday night half and the Sunday morning half.
The Counting Crows are allowing fans to get a little preview of the new album. They recently released two of their new songs, "1492" and "When I Dream About Michelangelo". You can visit their website countingcrows.com or you can click here to download these songs for free. This is a great treat to loyal fans. Neither of these songs are set to be their first single but it gives us a little taste of the album as a whole. "You Can"t Count On Me" will be their first single, set to be released on February 4th.
It is time to get excited about the Counting Crows again.
Song #93: "The Impression That I Get" by The Mighty Mighty Bosstones
It's back to the countdown of Rizzo Music's Top 100 Songs of the 1990s with "The Impression That I Get" by The Mighty Mighty Bosstones coming in at number 93. Another One Hit Wonder of the 1990s, The Mighty Mighty Bosstones hit it big with their single, "The Impression That I Get". Mixing heavy guitar riffs with the sounds of several different brass instruments is typical of the band, and it fell on welcoming ears in 1997. It hit #1 on the Modern Rock Charts and topped out at #23 on the Hot 100. The band will always be known for their one hit, "The Impression That I Get" but the success of that song enabled their next two singles, "Royal Oil" and "Rascal King" to crack the Top 10 of the Modern Rock Charts and put ska-punk back on the map for at least a little while.
The Mighty Mighty Bosstones are a ska-punk band from Boston, Massachusetts. They have released seven albums since forming in 1985, Let's Face It being the only one that reached mainstream success. If you are a fan of Jimmy Kimmel Live, you might have noticed that lead vocalist Dicky Barret is the announcer. The band went on a short hiatus from 2004-2006 but have since reunited and released a new EP about month ago. The future of the band is still uncertain at this point but it seems that something is drawing them back. They haven't released a full length album since 2002 but now that they have reunited, there's a good possibility that we could hear news of a new album in the near future.
The music video is pretty good. It's again fairly formulaic, but it's got a lot of energy just like the song. It features all eight band members performing in front of a standard white background. They use some special effects to make it seem as if they are appearing out of no where, and through most of the video some sort of precipitation, likely snow, is falling from the sky. It's a feel-good video for a feel-good song. Check it out!
Interested in other songs from the countdown? Check out the other Top Songs of the 1990s here
90s Grunge Hits
It is hard to believe that we are 22 weeks in to this ongoing set of posts and I haven't had a themed playlist on grunge music. This is not going to feature the most popular grunge music of the decade but more the foot tapping, head nodding, personal favorites of mine. Just pure flannel shirt Seattle grunge music at it's finest. I think I might be hard pressed to find ten different pure grunge artists for this list so I am going to break the rules a little bit for this one, and allow myself to include multiple songs from the same artist.
'90s Grunge Playlist:
1. Nirvana - About A Girl
2. Pearl Jam - Better Man
3. Alice in Chains - Rooster
4. Nirvana - Come As You Are
5. Stone Temple Pilots - Wicked Garden
6. Pearl Jam - Jeremy
7. Alice in Chains - Man In The Box
8. Soundgarden - Spoonman
9. Nirvana - In Bloom
10. Pearl Jam - Yellow Ledbetter
Here's the link for the whole playlist: 90s Grunge Hits
Looking for more playlists? We've got plenty.
Song #94: "Greedy Fly" by Bush
Next up is Bush with "Greedy Fly", coming in at #94 on the countdown. "Greedy Fly" is not as famous as some of Bush's other songs but did do very well on the charts. The second single off of their sophomore album, Razorblade Suitcase, "Greedy Fly" topped out at #3 on the Modern Rock Charts and #22 on the Hot 100. It was the follow up to their most successful single to date, "Swallowed", in terms of position on the charts. These two singles bolstered the album and Razorblade Suitcase was able to reach #1 on Billboard's Top 200 albums. In terms of sales, it fell short of their debut album, Sixteen Stone, but nevertheless went triple platinum.
Bush is a British alternative rock band that was intensely popular in the '90s. Their first four albums reached platinum status in the US, and they had three #1 singles on the Modern Rock Charts. Their fifth and final album was Golden State which was their least successful album to date. That was released in 2001 and soon after Bush disbanded. Lead singer Gavin Rosedale has moved on to a new band called, Institute.
Bush seems like it was the forgotten band of the '90s. When you look at what people listen to these days, you see Nirvana, Pearl Jam, and even Third Eye Blind, all of which are past their hay days. Bush is no where to be found. For being such a big act in the '90s you would think that they would have a decent following today, but that is not the case.
As for the music video, it is quite a doozey. To say that this is a dark video, would be an understatement. Like the song, it is very intense. To be honest, I am not positive on what exactly is going on but I can tell you that the main character of this video, played by Gavin Rosedale, has lost his "mind". It appears that he murdered someone and the music video attempts to tells the story. Starting out in the interrogation room after he has been arrested and ending in the same room after the story has been told. The imagery is staggering, as I assume they are trying to let you into the eye of a murder. Coming in at over seven minutes, it might leave you scratching your head. It is very interesting to say the least. Check it out and let me what you think!
Interested in other songs from the countdown? Check out the other Top Songs of the 1990s here
Song #95: "Found Out About You" by Gin Blossoms
Rizzo Music continues with the countdown of the Top 100 Songs of the 1990s, with "Found Out About You" by Gin Blossoms. A radio friendly hit with mass appeal, "Found Out About You" was Gin Blossoms fourth single off of New Miserable Experience. Although this was the only single to hit #1 on the Modern Rock Charts, they released 5 singles off of their sophomore album - all of which cracked the Top 40 on the Mainstream Rock Chart. "Found Out About You", which was released in 1994, may not be their most popular or famous song to date but was one of those songs that defined their sound as a band.
Gin Blossoms is a jangle pop alternative rock band that formed in the late 80s, but didn't hit it big until 1993 when they released, "Hey Jealousy". They not only had five successful singles off of New Miserable Experience, but they also went on to release 3 more singles that charted on the Billboard Hot 100 Chart, two of which broke into the top 10. The band split up in 1997 but started to regroup after 2002. They released their latest album, Major Lodge Victory in 2006 and have been touring ever since. Nearly ten years after Congratulations I'm Sorry, "Major Lodge Victory" put the band from Tempe, Arizona, made it back onto the Billboard 200 Chart, topping out at 159.
The music video for "Found Out About You" is pretty much just classic '90s. They make good use of their strobe light as they show shots of the band playing the song as well as what appears to be a hotel. The strobe light is a perfect fit for this foot-tapping '90s rock classic but at the same time it probably won't invoke you to go watch it again. Great song, pretty good video. Check it out!
Interested in other songs from the countdown? Check out the other Top Songs of the 1990s here
Song #96: "Down" by 311
Today we continue with the countdown of the Top Songs of the 1990s with number 96, "Down" by 311. "Down" was released in 1996 and was the first single from 311 with widespread mainstream success. With heavy guitar riffs and rap style lyrics, 311's "Down" garnered a lot of attention. Coming off their self-title (blue) album, "Down" stayed at #1 on the modern rock charts for 4 weeks and topped out on the Hot 100 at #37. With the help of "All Mixed Up", the blue album went on to sell over three million copies.
311 is alternative rock back from Omaha, Nebraska. With their rebel attitude and mix of several different styles of music, they were able to maintain continued success over the years. They have released five albums since the blue album and have charted fourteen more singles on the Modern Rock Charts as well as another #1 hit with their cover of The Cure's "Love Song". They seem like they are constantly touring around the US and are known for being a great live band. They are planning a spring tour scheduled for this year, and are currently working on their next album. As long as they maintain their loyal fan base, there is no telling how long they will stick around.
The music video for this one is pretty simple. It features all the members of the band just performing the song. They play around with some special effects, including distorting the picture. It also features the band in some sort of mediating state when the lyrics "Keep my feet on the ground / Keep my head in the clouds" are sung. It is a fairly formulaic video and understandably as their first big single. Check it out and be stay tuned for the next song on the countdown.
Interested in other songs from the countdown? Check out the other Top Songs of the 1990s here
90's Rap Hits
First of it's kind on Rizzo Music, this week I am here to introduce our '90s rap music playlist.
Although I grew up mostly on '90s alternative rock, I do have some rap favorites that I would like to share with you. These hits are about as good as rap singles go. My favorite from this group of songs would have to be "It Was A Good Day" by Ice Cube. I can't find a better rap song to stroll through town with the windows down. It will have you head bobbing up and down from beginning to end.
Enjoy this one and be sure to let me know if I missed any classics.
'90s Rap Hits Playlist:
1. Master P - Burbons and Lacs
2. DMX - What's My Name?
3. The Notorious B.I.G. - Hypnotize
4. Ice Cube - It Was A Good Day
5. Snoop Dogg - Gin and Juice
6. Mobb Deep - Shook Ones Pt. II
7. Luniz - I Got 5 On It
8. Bone Thugs-n-Harmony - Foe tha Love of $
9. Dr. Dre - Nuthin' but a "G" Thang
10. 2pac - Hail Mary
Here's the link for the whole playlist: 90's Rap Hits Playlist
UPDATE: 90's Rap Hits Playlist Part II
Looking for more playlists? We've got plenty.
Song #97: "Meet Virginia" by Train
Rizzo Music's Top 100 Songs Of The 1990s continues today with number 97, "Meet Virginia" by Train. "Meet Virginia" came out at the tail end of the 1990s, eventually topping out at #15 on the Hot 100 chart in 1999. This song's catchy intro and fun lyrics fell on welcoming ears and put Train on the road to instant stardom. The song took a while to become popular since most people had not heard of the band at the time, but after their first single, "Free", was featured on the popular TV show Party of Five, it wasn't long before "Meet Virginia" lead their self-titled album to platinum status.
Train is a band that didn't just peak after their first hit. In 2001, they scored their biggest hit to date, "Drops of Jupiter". "Ordinary" was featured in the ever-popular movie, Spiderman 2, in 2004 and certainly helped them stay in the forefront of mainstream music. Still a very popular band, Train released their newest album, For Me, It's You in 2006, which peaked at #10 on the Billboard charts in the US. Now with Columbia records, they do not show any signs of slowing down.
The music video features Rebecca Gayheart, who recently starred in the TV show "Vanished", who plays the role of Virginia as a new waitress at a diner. It has shots of the band playing as well as lead singer Patrick Monahan eating in the dinner. It's a fairly plain music video but it gets the job done. Here it is:
Interested in other songs from the countdown? Check out the other Top Songs of the 1990s.