101 Greatest Non-Rap Singles of the 90s

When Rap guru and #1 Neighbours fan The Martorialist unveiled his 101 best non-Rap singles of the 1990s list, it had awoken stuff in the basement for me. The nineties was a pivotal decade for many a Gen X'er; going from school, to college, to university and then onto career - that would leave a mental imprint on anyone. The music of the era became a soundtrack to a particular time in my life; some songs I remember fondly, while other tunes make me cringe with regret.

The task of compiling a list of 101 singles was arduous to begin with: for one, Rap music was way more prominent to me than any other genre, so selecting other music was much tougher than I initially realised; secondly, a lot of songs which I may have liked back then, have either aged poorly, or have been played to death. Always loathed the term 'guilty pleasure', but I'm not sure whether that's hypocritical, or not with some of my picks. I do love the songs, regardless. Blame nostalgia, I guess.

Been tinkering with this list for a far too significant amount of time, to the point I'm dizzy. It hasn't changed too drastically from its earliest incarnation; a few new songs here or there, I did find myself swapping song, but keeping the same artist more than just a couple of times, however. Think it's more than about time to just let it go now.

 Julee Cruise - Falling (1990)

Adamski - Killer (1990)

The Family Stand - Ghetto Heaven (Soul II Soul Remix) (1990)

Young Disciples - Apparently Nothin' (Soul River Mix) (1990)

En Vogue - Hold On (1990)

DNA feat. Suzanne Vega - Tom's Diner (1990)

Saint Etienne - Only Love Can Break Your Heart (1990)

Beats International - Dub Be Good To Me (1990)

Bell Biv DeVoe - Poison (1990)

AC/DC - Thunderstruck (1990)

Prince & The New Power Generation - Gett Off (1990)

Danzig - Long Way Back From Hell (1990)

Jane's Addiction - Been Caught Stealing (1990)

INXS - Suicide Blonde (1990)

The Charlatans - The Only One I Know (1990)

Divinyls - I Touch Myself (1990)

Deee-Lite - Groove Is In The Heart (1990)

Primal Scream - Loaded (1990)

Happy Mondays - Step On (1990)

Guns N' Roses - You Could Be Mine (1991)

Metallica - Enter Sandman (1991)

R.E.M. - Losing My Religion (1991)

Red Hot Chilli Peppers - Give It Away (1991)

Bomb The Bass - Winter In July (1991)

The Future Sound Of London - Papua New Guinea (1991)

Massive Attack - Unfinished Sympathy (1991)

Nicolette - Waking Up (1991)

The Source & Candi Staton - You Got The Love (Original Bootleg Mix) (1991)

Audio Deluxe - 60 Seconds (George James Original Instrumental Mix) (1991)

Liquid - Sweet Harmony (1991)

Sonz Of A Loop Da Loop Era - Far Out (1991)

M.A.N.I.C. - I'm Comin' Hardcore (1991)

SL2 - On A Ragga Tip (1992)

The Cure - Friday I'm In Love (1992)

Motörhead - Hellraiser (1992)

Iron Maiden - Fear Of The Dark (1992)

Ragga Twins feat. Junior Reed - Shine Eye (1992)

The Criminal Minds - Baptised By Dub (1992)

Black Sabbath - TV Crimes (1992)

The Prodigy - Out Of Space (1992)

Baby D - Let Me Be Your Fanatasy (1992)

The Beloved - Sweet Harmony (1992)

Sade - No Ordinary Love (1992)

S.W.V. - Right Here (Remix) (1992)

Mary J. Blige - Real Love (1992)

Stereo MC's - Connected (1992)

The Brand New Heavies - Dream On Dreamer (1993)

Sting - Shape Of My Heart (1993)

Lenny Kravitz - Are You Gonna Go My Way (1993)

Therapy? - Screamager (1993)

Björk & David Arnold - Play Dead (1993)

Soundgarden - Black Hole Sun (1993)

Janet Jackson - That's The Way Love Goes (1993)

M-Beat feat. General Levy - Incredible (1994)

Ini Kamoze - Here Comes The Hotstepper (1994)

Leviticus - Burial (1994)

TLC - Creep (1994)

Portishead - Sour Times (1994)

Kylie Minogue - Confide In Me (1994)

Weezer - Buddy Holly (1994)

Oasis - Whatever (1994)

Elastica - Connection (1994)

Rocket From The Crypt - On A Rope (1994)

Adina Howard - Freak Like Me (1994)

Alex Reece - Pulp Fiction (1995)

Dubstar - Stars (1995)

Groove Theory - Tell Me (1995)

Adam F - Circles (1995)

PJ Harvey - Down By The Water (1995)

Garbage - Only Happy When It Rains (1995)

Rob Dougan - Clubbed To Death (Kurayamino Variation) (1995)

Radiohead - Street Spirit (Fade Out) (1996)

DJ Shadow - Midnight In A Perfect World (1996)

Oribital - The Box Part 2 (1996)

Sneaker Pimps - 6 Underground (1996)

Daft Punk - Around The World (1996)

Mark Morrison - Return Of The Mack (1996)

Mansun - Wide Open Space (1996) 

No Doubt - Don't Speak (1996)

Erykah Badu - On & On (1996) 

Blackstreet feat. Dr. Dre & Queen Pen - No Diggity (1996)

The Dandy Warhols - Not If You Were The Last Junkie On Earth (1996)

White Town - Your Woman (1997)

Lamb - Gorecki (1997)

Smoke City - Underwater Love (1997)

Love Corporation - Cathedrals Of Glitter (Monkey Mafia Mix) (1997)

The Chemical Brothers - Elektrobank (1997)

Roni Size Reprazent - Brown Paper Bag (1997)

Air - All I Need (1998)

Eagle-Eye Cherry - Save Tonight (1998)

The Cardigans - My Favourite Game (1998)

The Karminsky Experience Inc. - Exploration (1998)

Stardust - Music Sounds Better With You (1998)

Armand Van Helden feat. Duane Harden - You Don't Know Me (1998)

Moloko - Sing It Back (Boris Dlugosch Mix) (1998)

Artful Dodger & Romina Johnson - Movin' Too Fast (1998)

Jamiroquai - King For A Day (1999)

Leftfield - Phat Planet (1999)

Fatboy Slim - Right Here, Right Now (1999)

DJ Luck & MC Neat - A Little Bit Of Luck (1999)

Death In Vegas - Dirge (1999)

Nightmares On Wax - Les Nuits (1999)

Kind of broke the fundamental rule of 'singles' by including Iron Maiden's Fear of the Dark, since it was never released officially as a single, at least, not the studio version, but it is perhaps one of their best songs, IMO. They were always an album band, anyway. A last hurrah for traditional metal, by my reckoning.

Hated Britpop with a passion back in the day, but I've certainly mellowed to it over the years. Elastica and Oasis wouldn't have even gotten a look-in by my younger self back then, but I genuinely feel some of the Britpop has aged better in comparison to some of the non-listed songs I used to bump back in the day. 

Soundgarden's Black Hole Sun is probably one of the few songs out of Seattle I like that isn't by Jimi Hendrix or Sir-Mix-Alot. Still loathe Grunge to the nth degree, though.