Slant Magazine

Been looking forward to this- and nice accompanying picture. :0 Does this mean that the underappreciated "Erotica" will make the cut? :) If I had to go with three 90s Madonna singles that I think would make the cut, they'd be "Vogue," "Frozen" and "Ray of Light." Beyond that, "Beautiful Stranger" was decently acclaimed, too. Then there's also "Justify My Love," though that was never a favorite of mine (at least compared to some others).

Nice kickoff at No. 100- that track was infectious. Also like 96-99. And nice to see "Roam" get a shout-out- will "Love Shack" follow?

"Deeper and Deeper" ftw!

Hopefully some Liz Phair and Hole in there too.

Can't wait for the rest of the list!

Wow, this list shames me- I've only owned a copy of "Personal Jesus" in my 80's mix for a couple years now. Wiki tells me it has an August '89 release. I also put Sinead O'Connor's "Nothing Compares 2 U" in my 80's mix. Don't look at me like that- one of those Time Life Sounds of the 70's sets went from 1970 to 1981. Or was it the 60's that went to '71? Either way, same dif. JRHG1- I also count "Love Shack" as an 80's song. Especially since "Cosmic Thing" was in Earth Girls Are Easy, and there is no way that will ever be considered a 90's movie.

I'm not surprised to see both "Hard Knock Life" and "If It Makes You Happy" on this list. I like both very much. I'm not a guitarist, I've never been in a band (as of yet), I'm not straight, never been a drinker or recreational drug user, and I've never been in a frat in my life- but "Come As You Are" at #85 is heresy! (By the by, your list has 2 #86's.) I freaking LOVE "Roam," always been one of my favorite songs. And "Scream" has always been one of my top 10 MJ favorites. I remember Zhane only about as far as "Sending My Love" (Mtv played this on at least 3 seasons of The Real World) and All That ("my Mom said if I don't sell enough lemonade, she'll sell my puppy!!"). And I don't remember Hill's "Lost Ones" at all. Just the unbelievable irritation of never being able to find an uncensored version of "Doo Wop (That Thing)" ANYWHERE. Same with Kelis's "Caught Out There."

My only hope is that, for all the Mary J. Blige bashing (which I don't disagree with), "All That I Can Say" might make an appearence somewhere. One of the most beautiful songs I have ever heard. In my life. I bought the CD because of it, and consequently didn't enjoy another song on it.

alexbwolf—I didn't want to jinx it by mentioning them, but I love Hole too. Either way, not holding my breath for them to make the count. You know Liz Phair has a good chance to get on there with something (I'm personally hoping, in vain I know, for my favorite Exile song, "Stratford-On-Guy"; great video too).

Yes- "Love Shack' hit in 1989, so peraps that will appear on a future 80s list. :)

Sinead O'Connor's I Do Not Want What I Haven't Got was released in 1990, so "Noting Compares 2 U" is a 90s track.

Nice list thus far, Sal. Could you tell how many entries Madonna has on the list? I didn't expect "Secret." For the 200s, Slant stated up front that Missy Elliott had the most (5) of any act. So far, for the ones you indicated who dominate the list, Nirvana has three, and Radiohead and Madonna each have one. If we know how many the dominant acts have, it's fun to try and guess which ones made the cut. :)

With two entries each thus far are Erykah Badu, Bjork, Michael Jackson, Public Enemy an d Smashing Pumpkins.

JRHG1—I'd never argue Sinead's song is 90's, it just feels 80's and so I guiltlessly put it in my 80's mix. That and the Go West and Roxette singles from Pretty Woman. I hope Missy makes this list as well. I love Madonna as well (and yo- Christina Aguilera fans and non alike, Madonna can sing). But I won't feel bad if she doesn't make this list more than once. She hardly pops up at all on my 80's mixes. She just defies the decade she's in, no matter which one it is. Stands out too much. Though I would be a little remissed if her "Secret" was being used as an RnB stand-in so that the likes of Brandy, Monica, or Toni Braxton don't have to be included. Not to mention I don't believe I've seen any Janet make the list yet ("If" blasts "Secret" every time).

YES!!! I'm about to do a little happy dance; "Your Woman" and "7" made the list! I really didn't expect "7" to make it, somehow but I love it. And "Fantasy" is by far and away my favorite Mariah song. In a way, I hope she doesn't make the list again (what could possibly top "Fantasy"?). I missed the boat on almost all techno in the 90's but "Little Fluffy Clouds" was one of the first to really rock my world. I will definitely appreciate "Smack"'s raucous groove- that track is a boxing match for your stereo. "Black Hole Sun" and "Wonderwall" are essentials as well and would definitely make my list (speaking of Elastica, I'm sure "Connection" won't be here but I just thought someone should mention that that track to them was as seminal as The Breeders' "Cannonball"). Smashing Pumpkins are one of my favorite bands, ever- the bottom of my copy of Siamese Dream looks like rodent rollerbladers have been using it as a rink. I don't exactly expect Garbage to make the list (below 41), but I love "Only Happy When it Rains." Never much cared for "Sour Times." Trying to look for one song to best sum up 90's misery? (There's always Nine Inch Nails.) I guess there's still room / time for Portishead to reappear ("Glory Box" is easily superior in my eyes). If the MJB song I mentioned doesn't make the list, Jeff Buckley's "Last Goodbye" will more than make up for that. Serious tear-jerker.

I actually bought The Score just for "Fu-Gee-La." I worshipped Bjork in the 90's but I've actually never lived-and-died for either version of "All is Full of Love" (or "Bachelorette," come to think) though the album version sometimes freaked my stereo out (volume and bass levels have to be perfect or else the mix doesn't work and it just sounds scratchy). Fully agreed on "Boys & Girls," although IN the 90's, I could never find out who did the song. I spent years searching CD-Now and Yahoo! trying to decipher what lyrics I could remember. Then in like 2003, Vh1 played it on a gay-themed special and I finally tracked it down. I think Alanis's JLP is one of the few perfect albums ever made, so there's nothing about Courtney Love's assessment that I can agree with. But- just as a thought, I wonder how many copies of "I Want You That Way" them Backstreet Boys were able to get the public to buy (there's just no accounting for popularity). I'm feeling particularly satisfied with the Michael Jackson entries- "Remember the Time" is probably my 2nd favorite MJ track from the 90's. Little surprised seeing the chosen Foo Fighters song- I would think "Everlong" (for whatever reason) more obscure than to choose either "Big Me" or "Monkey Wrench" (or anything by Bush or The Offspring). But the 2 Pumpkins' choices couldn't be more up front and center.

I don't know what the hell I meant to say with "remissed," but that's not what I meant. Maybe I was trying to say "riled up," IDK. By the way, if anyone's up, XM's 90's channel is actually playing "Hypnotize" right now. SPOOKY! (Or just refreshing, if it's uncensored.)

I don't know why, but lists like these are always fascinating.

"Wonderwall" is a classic, but my favorite Oasis track is "Live Forever" and I'm hoping it's on here somewhere.

"Everlong" is great; that drumming is indeed terrific.

I feel confident the heartbreaking "Nothing Compares 2 U" will show up.

Hole showing up would be nice. "Doll Parts" or "Violet" would be my pick, but nearly anything from LIVE THROUGH THIS is deserving. I don't know what songs were actually singles.

I love the inclusions of "If It Makes You Happy" and "Heart Shaped Box." Love.

"Fantasy" is a great single and I like the write-up about the sample. I think "Dreamlover" is a better example of 'escapism,' but "Fantasy" is a better track all-around. I'm hoping something from BUTTERFLY makes the list (or maybe "All I Want For Christmas Is You." ha).

The Stevie Wonder homage "Every Ghetto, Every City" is my favorite Lauryn Hill track, but I doubt it was a single. I don't know what was released from that apart from "Doo Wop."

No Person- Slant wrote that Madonna, Nirvana and Radiohead dominate the list- so, I take that to indicate that shew will appear once more, twice more, maybe three times more. :)

I'm thinking that "...Baby One More Time" will pop up somewhere, but that the No. 1 could be Nirvana or Radiohead. I'd also expect Lauryn Hill's "Doo Wop" to appear.

Jason E.- how are ya? :) The other two official singles from Miseducation were 'Ex-Factor" (another great one- but that album didn't have much wrong in it) and "Everything is Everything." "Lost Ones" appeared on the B-side of "Doo Wop," and did chart on R&B Airplay.

A lot of essential songs so far. A few I'm hoping for:

"Vogue," Madonna

"Ray of Light," Madonna

"Baby One More Time," Britney

"Creep" (or "Waterfalls"...hell, or "No Scrubs"), TLC

"Doo Wop (That Thing)," Lauryn Hill

"Don't Speak," No Doubt

"Say My Name," Destiny's Child

Not surprised by "Erotica" (given the accompanying pic), but "Deeper and Deeper" is a surprise. Will be disappointing if "Vogue" doesn't make the cut; also would be surprising if neither "Frozen" or "Ray of Light" didn't appear.

Janet Jackson's "If" is a fan favorite- but this is its first major best-of appearance. It recently was included in the 10,001 Songs addendum in the 1,001 Songs...book, though.

So, with 20 to go, Radiohead has four entries, while Madonna and Nirvana have three.

izbritneybytch—"Creep" is one of my top 15 favorite songs- ever. Of course, it has no hope of making the Top 20.

JRHG1—agreed on "Deeper and Deeper." I went crazy for it when I first got the album but now, I usually skip it (in favor of "Waiting" or "Secret Garden"- my 2nd favorite song of all-time, unquestionably).

Both ^—I actually feel like the inclusion of Robyn in this list means there's no need for Britney at all (and I'm not a fan, I'm one of those people who likes her crazy-years stuff much better than her teeny bopper stuff). If any Britney must, I really hope it's "(You Drive Me) Crazy." It's the only song of hers from the 90's I can stomach (wait...I just forgot about tracks 5 and 6 of her debut: "Born to Make You Happy" and "From the Bottom of My Broken Heart"- I actually liked them).

"Deeper and Deeper" is a good track, but it's not in my Madonna top 10 or anything. This actually is its first notable/big best-of citation.

RE Robyn- it's Robin S. included, not Robyn. :) Though Robyn's Max Martin-produced work did precede Britney Spears (as did Backstreet Boys and N Sync).

Acts with multiple entries thus far:

Radiohead: 4

Madonna: 3

Nirvana: 3

Bjork: 3

Lauryn Hill: 3 (one solo, two with Fugees)

U2: 2

Blur: 2

Massive Attack: 2

Portishead: 2

Michael Jackson: 2 (one solo, one duet)

Janet Jackson: 2 (one solo, one duet)

Pavement: 2

Public Enemy: 2

Smashing Pumpkins: 2

Notorious B.I.G.: 2

Erykah Badu: 2

I think I got them all. So, 13 acts comprise 37 of the top 100. (with more likely to add to their total)

Make that 16 acts.

SOOOOOO glad to see Janet Jackson and "If" here, but I sure hope you include more Janet, cause if she only has ONE song (two w/ scream) that gonna be a bit disappointing. "Love Will Never Do (Without You)", "That's the Way Love Goes", "Got 'til It's Gone" and even "Together Again" are surprises not to see so far. I guess I'll just have to see tomorrow!!!! :)

None of Janet's 90s singles, though, were big critical hits on best-of features. (her singles in general haven't fared GREAT compared to others- "Nasty" is her highest-ranked at the Acclaimed Music site). "Got Till It's Gone" was her best-received single of the 90s, followed by "That's the Way Love Goes."

I am enjoying the list thus far with a few MAJOR exceptions!

I appreciate the Radiohead mentions but feel it is all a bit much.

The lack of Tori Amos is tragic!

Madonna is a now faded 80's queen of Pop and the 90's absolutely belonged to Mariah Carey, easily and unquestionably the 90's queen of Pop! .

Her singles have defined Pop music for a specific generation and well beyond as have Madonna's but the 90's are what is in question here!

Give nods to Vogue and Ray of light, sure but Mariah had Vision of Love, Hero, Emotions, Dreamlover, Fantasy, My All, Breakdown, Fantasy, Make it Happen, I'll Be There, All I Want For Christmas Is You, Always Be My Baby and the list goes on......

The lack of Toni Braxton, TLC, Whitney Houston, Fiona Apple, Sheryl Crow etc....is also quite tragic....

I guess you can't please everyone, huh?!

Thanks for trying.

Actually, greek, to gen an idea of an act's level of acclaim, visit the Acclaimed Music site. You will see that Ms. Carey has not enjoyed a huge amount of critical success, whereas someone like Madonna has. Best-of/greatest lists are not about chart success. :)

Nice list, Slanters. Kudos. :)

@greekmenrule: Yes, success-wise Mariah was the 1990s queen, but that's hardly the issue here (I think). The only "problem" is, she released some of the best music of the decade, so that's what people should come to terms with.

@JRHG1: You present Acclaimed Music or "critics" as a (valid) argument for the inclusion or not of Mariah (or of any other artist for what matters)? Give me a break. Best-of lists are indeed not about charts, but neither are about "critics".

I have given up on "critics" honoring Mariah's catalogue, especially her 1990s albums, but (several) Slant people have shown that they get her as an artist (for the most part). "Fantasy" was an obvious choice, yet it is an epitome of 90s culture (as is the whole "Daydream" album). I only thought that Slant would have chosen "The Roof" in case they decided to include Mariah.

"Nothing Compares 2 U" totally deserves its place at #2 (#1 was so predictable), and is appropriately given its due.

PS: In case a 'best albums of the '90s' is on its way, "Butterfly" MUST be included. Hear this Slant? Come out of the closet already!

With love (!) :-D

Who cares who is normally acclaimed? If lists only recognized the same artists/songs over and over, what would be the point in doing new ones?

Was there really no TLC, Fiona Apple, or Toni Braxton on here? That combined with Mariah and Janet only having 2 songs from their solo work represented between them is a surprise when other acts have so many songs. Travesty, really.

And I guess I am one of the few who doesn't see "Smells Like Teen Spirit" as being the best Nirvana song, much less anywhere near the best song of the 90s. And Nirvana's influence is overstated. Grunge died out within a few years. Green Day has had more of a lasting impact on rock, and the rap/sung collaborations that came out of the 90s are still a major force in music 15-20 years later.

I somewhat agree that some of Janet's 90's singles aren't her biggest hits, but only TWO songs by her? A little disappointing for me :(

Great list for the most part but I agree with every one so far about this list missing some really great songs on it ("The Roof", "Da Crossroad", "Criminal", "Frozen", etc.) I somewhat wanted this list to be extended to more than 100 songs but I guess time restraint prevented that.

Any chance an honorable mention list could be posted later on.

It's pretty appalling that TLC was completely shut out. Spin ranked "Creep" the 3rd best single of the 90s; VH1 ranked "Waterfalls" 8th. Considering TLC's prolonged relevance, it's so surprising to me that neither of these classics would get acknowledged.

The really jarring omission for me, though—and granted, I'm biased—is absolutely "...Baby One More Time." It is pop perfection. It is the gold standard by which all other pop songs are judged, and it practically defines late 90s pop. The dark undercurrents under the bubblegum exterior are brilliant ("the reason I breathe is you," "when I'm not with you I lose my mind," etc.), the buildup of the penultimate chorus before Britney hits us with it one-more-time, even the first three notes are unstoppably infections. "...Baby One More Time" is one of the great pop songs of all time and one of the definitive singles of the 90s.

I should also add Destiny's Child—"Say My Name" is CLASSIC, not to mention "Jumpin' Jumpin'" and "Bills, Bills, Bills."

Jason E—totally agreed on "Smells Like Teen Spirit." I personally would go with "Come As You Are." My biggest problem with that, though I understand why it was chosen (it was seen as an anthem of its' time, probably the only one, and it was the first "different" thing to come into music as seen by the mainstream / though trip-hop was also coming into pop culture as well at about the same time), is that the song is actually more identified with the video. Slant chooses it as one of the 100 best 90's singles and 100 best music videos. A lot of other music video list bests ended up right here and in the best Aughts singles list. As for Toni Braxton, I was thinking about it after I mentioned her and...what single would you choose as a decade's best? I think her best chance was probably "You're Makin' Me High" (another of my all-time favorite songs). And then, compared to Mary J. Blige's "All I Have to Say," I don't think she had much of a chance to make the list after all. My personal Top 100 might have included both, but I think the Slant Forums are down- so we'll never really be able to do our own in response to each other.

Was TLC robbed? Well, yes if we can all agree on the 1 song that should have made the list. But I'll tell you who was really robbed: Salt-n-Pepa!! There is no 90's without "Shoop." Let's just get that clear! That is to (what I call) hip-RnB (where En Vogue meets Missy Elliot, Blackstreet meets Snoop Dogg: artists who can both sing and rap) what Pearl Jam is to grunge and alternative!! "Shoop" to the 90's is exactly what any given Nirvana single was to the decade: inextricable. This is perhaps the one instance where I don't believe "you can't please everyone" covers it. As for Destiny's Child, as much as I enjoyed "Jumpin', Jumpin'" and "Bills, Bills, Bills," (and the Wyclef remix of "No, No, No") I don't believe they would make my Top 100 either (they were little more than the En Vogue of 1998 anyway; I'd have sacrificed all those singles in favor of either of the following: Monifah—"Touch It," Monica—"Don't Take it Personal (Just One of Dem Days)," Brandy—"Sittin' Up in My Room," or En Vogue's "Free Your Mind," which also might have been my replacement for Whitney Houston, whose 80's work wasn't exactly surpassed by her stuff from The Bodyguard).

"Lovefool" and "Show Me Love" were the "...Baby One More Time"s (or, to bring up the very early 90's: the "The Power"—Snap!) of their years: no matter where you went, you couldn't escape them. They played everywhere. So, because of them, I feel the ultimate pop mandate was definitely served (there isn't a beat on Britney's debut that someone else hadn't already done- Robyn's tracks were Britney and Peach Union put together, just listen to "Do You Know (What It Takes)" ...she also beat the hell out of The Backstreet Boys too; I'm not calling her anything but Robyn- she's still Robyn). I never liked "Baby" anyway. The only enjoyable thing about it was watching my female friends perform their own renditions of it (my best friend was actually deep into all that Slipknot, Papa Roach, Disturbed shit at the time). More than perhaps any other decade in music, 100 just doesn't seem like it would ever be enough to get all the most important tracks in. (And by the way, Slant staff- that intro was bogus...Does anyone even remember Michael Bolton? The charts never dictated our memories of the music of that decade and if they did yours, find some random person on the street and make them apologize to you.)

As for the rest of the list, I think my greatest expectations were met (2 songs I was going to say were robbed were "Shoop" and "Closer," but "Closer" made the list and very much deserved a Top 5 slot). In fact, to see "Loser" and "Unfinished Sympathy" (which probably makes up for no "All I Have to Say") rank in the top 25, is enough to forgive the very 80's "Pictures of You" and "Personal Jesus" (this is the sign to me that there'll be no Best of 80's list), the obvious Radiohead and Bjork worship, and the almost annoying cross-overs from Best Music Videos to Best Singles. ("Freedom 90" on both? That's almost as cliched as choosing anything by Britney or Cher's "Believe," to say nothing of the fact that you recognize that Michael's bids for freedom allowed him to be anything but. He was a laughing stock and a target of cheap leftovers from Paul Reuben's public indecency scandal.) Not to menion that I didn't know of all the songs that made it. Or am again hearing ones that deserve another listen (it's amazing how electronic songs kinda stole Sophie B. Hawkins' sound years later: Enigma's crappy "Return to Innocence," which I know for a fact played at the close of Disney's Man of the House- don't ask me how I know).

I also expected "...Baby One More Time," as it was one of the most acclaimed singles of the 90s- but, its exclusion does give the list a difference than others- as does the inclusion of a single like "Fantasy."

I was not using AM or critics as an argument for why someone should or should not be included- just showing that one's lack of appearances/inclusion on these things should not be surprising. If an act has appeared on loads of these things and then does not, then it should be a surprise if they do not appear. Slant has been a major outlet that has given Mimi more due than others- but, again, note that she did not place in the top 100 of either the 2000s albums or tracks lists. For a 90s albums list? Perhaps, as Butterfly was included in its 50 Pop Albums feature. if it had not, though, then I wouldn't expect it, given the critical history.

izbritney- that VH1 90s list was determined by VH1 coming up with a list of 125 songs or so and then website visitors voting on the results. "Macarena" was on the initial list- and as you can see by some of the results, some of the choices were rather bad for a "greatest" list (i.e. "Rico Suave," Nelson's "Love and Affection," etc. etc.) II agree that "Waterfalls" should have made the cut, though.

On a final note- since "best-of" lists are compiled by critics and industry people, how is it not about critics? :-)

I'm really surprised that only 1 Mariah song made the list. What about Hero, One Sweet Day, or even All I Want for Christmas is You? :/ She was the hottest thing in the 90s...oh well.

No Personality—My personal choice for Toni would have been "Breathe Again." In terms of the vocal, lyric/song structure, and production, I don't think there's a better example of the adult R&B that was so prevalent in the early part of the 90s. It would have been a good representation of that, which would also represent Toni and Babyface. I consider it an R&B classic. Having said that, "Another Sad Love Song," "You're Makin Me High," or "He Wasn't Man Enough" are all good enough to make a top 100 like this.

At the same time, no list will ever make everyone happy, and even if we all did our own list, we wouldn't have room for every song we'd want to include. I guess more than anything I wish artists had been limited to 2-3 songs each to make room for others.

What a ridiculous list.

No R. Kelly

No Mary J. Blige

No TLC

R&B artists who shaped the 90's music climate. Especially, R. Kelly.

Just ridiculous but of course, the overrated Madonna would pop on the list more than 4 times!

hm. I prefer the Pitchfork list, although they stupidly ignored Madonna. I suspected this list was created because of Pitchfork's Madonna snub, but it seems the voters got so caught up in making sure she was well-represented that they missed out on a lot of music. I was pretty surprised not to see Liz Phair and Hole, who recorded more than enough singles that were at LEAST top 20-worthy ("Fuck and Run," "Divorce Song," "6'1," "Doll Parts," "Violet," "Softer, Softest" ...even "Supernova" and "Malibu" are great). Salt n Peppa, Yo La Tengo, and PJ Harvey also made some great music in the 90's. I could do without all of the Radiohead.

Yes, Pitchfork is one outlet that only has given Madonna mild notices (it gave her one spot in its Top 500 of the 2000s- in the 400s- and two spots in its Pitchfork 500, that covered 30 years or however long). I suppose Madonna's multiple appearances on this list is no different than any other list where an act dominates (i.e. The Beatles, Bob Dylan, etc. etc.). For me, "Vogue" and "Ray of Light" were essential- the other three were surprising. I'd have thought "Frozen" and "Beautiful Stranger" would make the cut over those- but, the Erotica era usually gets overlooked, so it's nice to see those cuts noticed here.

fluff, it has nothing to do with who was the "hottest" of an era. Some acts' music just isn't as well-regarded as others'. Carey's never enjoyed big critical success.

I would never have thought "The Roof" one of Mariah's best. What am I missing? ("Breakdown" is more vocally impressive, "My All" more dramatic, "Honey" more danceable, and "Butterfly" more apt to produce tears.) To me, "Hero" is completely forgettable and "One Sweet Day" is hideous.

lopq—I love R&B too but Madonna is not overrated, R. Kelly is, and well...just check out "Unfinished Sympathy." As much as I really love TLC (though, for all: "Waterfalls" was more a memorable video than a song, I think) and Blige's "Everything," "Love is All We Need," and "All That I Can Say" (which I'm only bringing up again because I noticed too late that I got the song title wrong twice above), Shara Nelson on that song just puts all the others to shame. They never stood a chance.

Jason E—I was thinking (you would choose) "Breathe Again" as well. Other than "Unbreak My Heart" (for perhaps the wrong reasons), I think it's her most memorable song.

As for this Pitchfork list, I'm checking that out right now. Here's what I especially like seeing: "Flagpole Sitta," "Motownphilly," "Red Right Hand," "Interstate Love Song" (I FORGOT about that one somehow...; that's essential!), "Pat's Trick," "Falling" (Julee Cruise is the best thing about David Lynch), "The Humpty Dance," "In the Meantime," "Creep" (of course, but...#114??), "Pony" (still prefer it to "Try Again"), "Rebel Girl," and any A Tribe Called Quest (who I believe are missing from Slant's list). Overall though, I give Slant the win. There's less deadweight on their list. And Pf still forgot "All That I Can Say," "Connection," "Shoop," ...and Air's "Sexy Boy" (which I remembered JUST NOW that I wanted to give Slant hell for forgetting). (Oh, and- what's up with them choosing Fatboy Slim's remix of "Brimful of Asha" over the original? That's a bad joke.)

I would go with "Creep" over "Waterfalls" too. "Waterfalls" is catchy enough but "Creep" is daring and durable, too.

MJB..."Real Love" would have been nice.

Yeah, "Sexy Boy" is a big miss too.

I still stand by "...Baby One More Time" as the biggest miss. (Robin S. is on the list, not Robyn, and the Cardigans are no Britney.) 90's pop is sorely underrepresented in general—even "Tearin' Up My Heart" or "I Want It That Way" would have been nice. (Note to Slant—we're sufficiently beyond that era to make those songs legitimate again.)

Well, to be fair, Pitchfork included only one track per artist, which allowed for a more diverse and cohesive list. It was a smart approach because nobody really needs to be reminded of how many great singles Nirvana put out.

As far as Madonna goes, I actually prefer "Frozen" and "Bedtime Story" to "Ray of Light" and "Erotica," but "Vogue" is definitely her best of the '90s. I would've put it in the top 5 of this list.

I disagree, I think the Backstreet Boys were a lowpoint in 90's pop (maybe one day I'll download "We've Got it Goin' On," "Larger Than Life," and "Everybody," but so long as I agree with my friends that I'd rather be naked in public than be caught with them on my MP3 or iPod, them chances be slim).

To me, the same woman will get the same name. She's still Robyn, that's what I'm calling her. I don't care who says otherwise and if she's embarrassed by her 90's pop origins, that's a shame. Glad we're agreed on Air but saying (any artist) is no Britney is only using her popularity to justify her work as a performer. William Hung was pretty popular too I hear.

Britney Spears herself isn't a very acclaimed artist, but "...Baby One More Time" (and "Toxic") are tracks that critics have given decent love to. So I was surprised that the former was not on the list.

No-Personality- the Robyn you are referring to is the one is the one who recorded 'Show Me Love," "Do You Know What it Takes," etc. etc. Robin S. is a totally different woman, whose one big hit also was called "Show Me Love." Just a coincidence that they had similar names and the same-titled song. :)

Yeah, Robin S. is a COMPLETELY different artist. This is her "Show Me Love": http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ps2Jc28tQrw. (It's a fabulous song and was worth including.) This came out in 1992 or 1993. Robyn (always her name..."Show Me Love" 1997 or 1998) is great, but is not on this list. (Her work in this decade is infinitely better anyway.)

No, I'm not using Britney's popularity to justify her as an artist at all. You basically claimed the Cardigans were a Britney replacement, and I was just articulating that they are completely different artists, and saying "Well, we didn't need one because we had the other" is comparing apples and oranges. "Lovefool" is pleasant enough, but it doesn't hit that 90s high pop category that was SO inescapable for the last 2-3 years of the 90s.

Nonetheless, "...Baby One More Time" and "Toxic" ARE critically acclaimed ("Toxic" is #4 on one Pitchfork list or another, "...Baby One More Time" is in the top 10 of a Blender list of best songs of the last 25 years or so, and these are the people LEAST likely to go for Britney) anyway, as is "Blackout" and some of her other stuff. The girl has positively killer singles, even if her album tracks are not always art.

Ah. I see my error. (*crawls under rock, sobbing violently*)

In my defense on the Britney vs. Cardigans issue, a lot of serious music fans feel she's one of the most overrated performers of her time. And from around 1999-2007, I was one of them. This is the first moment I even had the notion to go re-listen to "...Baby One More Time" since maybe 2003 but, against my better judgment, I did. I've actually heard "Lovefool" at least 3 dozen times over the years- I know how good that song is. "Baby" reeks. I didn't like it when it first came out and time hasn't changed a thing. Not sure how Slant feels, but "Baby" wouldn't make my Top 500 of the 90's, let alone 100. "Lovefool" deserved to make Slant's. As for other critics, I already shared my thoughts on Pitchfork's list and Blender? Anyone with something nice to say about them doesn't want to hear what I think. Last thought on Britney: if it weren't for "Toxic" and her Blackout album (a masterpiece, in my opinion), I would see her as an artist the way most people see Vanilla Ice (dancers only given music careers because of their looks).

The thing with Spears is, that ..."Baby" and "Toxic" received a lot of best-of acclaim between the two of them. Other than that, the "...Baby" Xerox "Oops..." got mild acclaim. And, none of her albums have scored big critical success- Blackout did fare the best for her among all of her albums, but it's still not a top 3000 albums at the AM site. And judging by her latest single- which is fun and catchy- she's not looking to be a grand artiste (her recent all-lip-synched concert tour also supports that).- but she never claimed she was. She serves her purpose of making light, fun music fine enough. ....

I still say that "(You Drive Me) Crazy" is easily the most tolerable of her 90's singles.

Where is Tori Amos? Caught a Lite Sneeze... Spark...God... Silent All These Years.... just to name a few. I can't imagine how she was completely overlooked!

A lot of the "Lilith Fair" (type) women were left off this list. I know that it wasn't any kind of disrespect to Tori. Maybe they felt in the 90's she made stronger albums, pull one "Crucify" or "Jackie's Strength" out of the house of cards and it's naked. Dunno.

Oh, and, all I was saying before was:

90's Robyn > 90's Britney

Well besides leaving out NSYNC and the Backstreet Boys, I failed to see Tal Bachman's She's So High, a definite one hit wonder. Though I was happily surprised to see a lot of underrated bands given credit here, I don't think so many bands should've been used more than once. I like Nirvana too, but every single didn't have to have a place, how bout leaving some room for the rest of the decade?

Still, good list. I'll be looking up some of these songs.

What about The Cranberries number 1 hit "Dreams"? If "Linger" is on this list, so should "Dreams."