The 65 Best '90s Pop Songs

After graduating from the Mickey Mouse Club, Britney made pigtails and fluffy pom-poms all her own with this High School Girl Breaks Bad video.

I'm not sure what we did to deserve two of the greatest vocalists together on one track, but it's one of—if not THE—best duets music ever gave us, and that's the hill I'm willing to die on. Try not to cry when the choir joins in.

What's a zig-a-zig-ah? Who cares, when the girl group is this incomprehensibly effervescent?

This act may be a one-hit wonder, but their one hit is unforgettable. Thirty years have passed since the band released “Poison” and it’s still a cult-classic that’s always played at cookouts, weddings, and other festivities.

Arguably TLC’s best song (sorry, “Waterfalls”), this ‘90s banger tells a complicated story of infidelity — about a woman who “creeps” with other men to get her unfaithful partner’s attention. A truly heartbreaking song.

Who could forget this anthem from the gone-too-soon singer, Selena? It’s a tune you can dance to all night long.

The Queen of Hip-Hop Soul delivered some pop-tinged hits too. Mary J. Blige dominated the music scene in the ‘90s, so of course we had to include her on our list.

The young ones might remember this song from Pitch Perfect, but us ‘90s kids know better—this was a hit in 1996 for good reason. The background vocals plus the smooth voices of Blackstreet made “No Diggity” the perfect song to cruise too.

Not your typical pop song, but that probably explains why this 1995 single topped the Billboard charts. Between Nirvana’s rock anthems and pop boy bands dominating the ‘90s music scene, a fresh sound was needed and the West Coast rap legends were more than happy to deliver.

Before Queen Latifah was known for her roles in films like Girls Trip and Last Holiday, she got her start as a rapper. In fact, one of her most popular songs was this 1993 hit that brought awareness to domestic violence and abuse against women. And what’s even more telling about this track (and honestly, Queen Latifah’s talent as a whole) is that its theme is just as relevant today as it was almost three decades ago when it was first released.

We have Ricky Martin to thank for giving us this instant mood lifter, as well as a timeless Instagram caption for every situation.

You'd be hard pressed to find a single soul who doesn't know the lyrics to the Friends theme. You might not know who's singing it, but you do know when to do the four claps.

Add this to the list of songs I shouldn't have been singing when I was youngster.

This Brandy and Babyface team-up captured the thrill and anxiety one feels when they start falling for someone. From the outfits to the Waiting to Exhale snippets to the dance break, this video screamed the 1990s.

Name a more iconic duo than Aaliyah and Timbaland. The super producer is responsible for a lot of the songs in Aaliyah's catalog, one of her best being this cut from the Dr. Dolittle soundtrack. Only Timbaland can turn baby noises into a smash hit.

Ms. Lauryn Hill broke out on her own in 1998 with this R&B groove, which was the first debut single ever to enter the Billboard Hot 100 at #1.

You might've dismissed it as a novelty back in 1997, but this bubblegum pop hit still bangs.

If you developed your romantic sensibilities to this song, you now require every suitor to stand with you on top of a mountain. That's the bare minimum!

"Anything that’s self-destructive, that’s chasing a waterfall," Rozonda "Chilli" Thomas told The Guardian about this 1994 hit's central metaphor. And while "Waterfalls" was about life's perils, it also held a note of hope.

Whitney Houston's M.O. was to give your feelings full voice, and in this showstopper from The Bodyguard soundtrack, that's exactly what she did.