You would’ve been foolish to dismiss Cibo Matto as a mere novelty act for their food-centric lyrics. Their debut Viva! La Woman is kitschy, sure, but it’s also vivid and inventive, and nowhere were they more kitschy, vivid, or inventive than they were on “Sugar Water,” a hypnotic hybrid of trip-hop and pop. Cocteau Twins – Cherry-Coloured Funk” (1990) Played during the closing credits of The Lion King, the song was originally to be performed by characters from the movie , but John objected to its comical nature. He wanted it to follow “Disney’s tradition of great love songs” and said it had the potential to be used to “express the lions’ feelings for each other far better than dialogue could”. One In A Million’ was the fruit of Aaliyah’s first collaboration with Missy Elliott and Timbaland. A club ballad that fused elements of funk, electronica, and trip-hop, and put Aaliyah’s ethereal vocals on full display, it was the perfect distillation of all the pervasive sounds of the era. As one of the best 90s R&B songs, it would turn Aaliyah into the decade’s patron saint of R&B. 28: Selena – Dreaming Of You

This feel-good love song came out in 1998 and remains Tamia’s most recognizable hit. Over the years the song has been covered by Brandy, Fabolous (with Tamia singing the hook), and in 2015 Childish Gambino. 61: K-Ci & JoJo – All My Life Neneh Cherry’s feminist credentials were never in doubt – quaint as it seems now, her performance on Top of the Pops while seven months pregnant raised some eyebrows – and “Woman” was her sharpest statement of female empowerment. “Woman” flips James Brown’s “It’s a Man’s Man’s Man’s World” on its head, boasting “This is a woman’s world… / There ain’t a woman in this world, not a woman or a little girl / That can’t deliver love in a man’s world.” New Radicals – You Get What You Give (1998)

Shanice: “I Love Your Smile” (1991)

Originally a song by The Village People from their 1979 album Go West, Chris Lowe of the Pet Shop Boys chose it for the duo to perform at an AIDS benefit at the Haçienda nightclub in Manchester in 1992. The duo then decided to record it, and it appeared on their highly regarded 1993 album, Very. The album was called their “coming-out” album due to its content, including this bizarrely moving cover, and Neil Tennant discussing his long-rumoured homosexuality. What song makes you want to get on the dance floor even when you hear it today? "What Is Love" by Haddaway was such a hit it was played consistently on Saturday Night Live during the infamous Night at the Roxbury sketches. "Barbie Girl" is so infectious that anyone who hears it can't help but sing along. And then of course, there's "Wannabe" by Spice Girls, which was the girl anthem to end all girl anthems. You could say that That Dog had talent in their blood: Singer, songwriter, and guitarist Anna Waronker is the daughter of producer-turned-executive Lenny Waronker, while legendary jazz bassist Charlie Haden was the father of two of her bandmates. Their pedigree no doubt opened doors, but it was Waronker’s songcraft that enabled so many people to form a connection with the band. In the case of “Minneapolis,” it’s the details, like the Low concert at Jabberjaw and the embarrassment Waronker feels when she tells her friends she wants to leave, that pull you into the story. Toadies – Possum Kingdom (1994) Two R&B divas are better than one, and “The Boy Is Mine” combined the powerhouse vocal stylings of Brandy and Monica. The iconic duet completely dominated the charts (and culture) the summer of 1998, topping the Billboard Hot 100 for 13 weeks, selling over 3 million copies, and earning them both a Grammy Award. 26: Soul IV Real – Candy Rain The second single of their debut album Bigger, Better, Faster, More!, ‘What’s Up?’, actually originates from before the group started, with Linda Perry having written it before then. The title does not appear in the lyrics, but the phrase “What’s going on?” features heavily in the chorus. Linda Perry fought to get her version of the song released as she disliked the reworked version that featured different lyrics.

Joey” sounds like a holdover from the 80s in the best way possible, with its booming drums and gothic guitar that inexplicably gives way to a hair metal-worthy solo. (Right up until that solo, it could pass as a Jesus and Mary Chain song.) It’s a catchy song with darkness at its core, as Concrete Blonde frontwoman Johnette Napolitano wrote the lyrics about a romantic partner and their losing battle with alcoholism. Cornershop – Brimful of Asha (1997)Songs mean a lot when songs are bought / And so are you,” Stephen Malkmus snipes on “Cut Your Hair,” a sarcastic shot at an unscrupulous music industry and the fame-hungry bands willing to play ball with it. Ironically, “Cut Your Hair” was the closest Pavement would get to a hit, peaking in the Top 10 of Billboard’s US Alternative Airplay chart. Perhaps that’s why Malkmus steered Pavement toward shaggier, less commercially-friendly sounds on the subsequent Wowee Zowee. Pearl Jam – Alive (1991) In England, Oasis and the rest of the Britpop lot left nearly as big a mark as Nirvana and the other Seattleites. Hip-hop took over the world, and seemed to change shape every few months. Remember when electronica looked like the future? Where do mischief makers like Pavement, Beastie Boys and A Tribe Called Quest fit in? And that’s to say nothing of the totally random ska and swing revivals…although that’s all you’ll hear about it here.