Decade consensus · Indie & Adult Alternative · 0 year-end countdowns + 1 decade countdowns

The best indie rock songs of the 1990s

This ranking of the 1990s combines 0 year-end countdowns from 1990 through 1999 with one “songs of the decade” countdowns aired by The Current. The top song of the '90s is “Everlong” by Foo Fighters, which charted on 1 countdowns. The decade’s most-charted artists are Pearl Jam, Nirvana, Radiohead, The Smashing Pumpkins and R.E.M..

889songs charted

0year-end countdowns

1decade countdowns

Top 100 songs of the '90s

Top 1000 →

#	Song	Strength	Lists	Best	#1s	Year
1	Everlong Foo Fighters	156	1	#6	–	1997
2	7 Prince	143	1	#40	–	–
3	Ahead By A Century The Tragically Hip	132	1	#224	–	–
4	Smells Like Teen Spirit Nirvana	100	1	#1	1	1991
5	You Oughta Know Alanis Morissette	100	1	#2	–	1995
6	Sabotage Beastie Boys	100	1	#3	–	1994
7	Loser Beck	100	1	#4	–	1994
8	Zombie The Cranberries	100	1	#5	–	1994
9	Bitter Sweet Symphony The Verve	99	1	#7	–	1998
10	Losing My Religion R.E.M.	99	1	#8	–	1991
11	Criminal Fiona Apple	99	1	#9	–	1997
12	Fade Into You Mazzy Star	99	1	#10	–	1994
13	Wonderwall Oasis	99	1	#11	–	1995
14	Creep Radiohead	99	1	#12	–	1993
15	No Rain Blind Melon	99	1	#13	–	1993
16	One U2	99	1	#14	–	1992
17	Mr. Jones Counting Crows	98	1	#15	–	1994
18	Just A Girl No Doubt	98	1	#16	–	1996
19	Doo-Wop (That Thing) Lauryn Hill	98	1	#17	–	–
20	Nothing Compares 2 U Sinéad O'Connor	98	1	#18	–	1990
21	Nightswimming R.E.M.	98	1	#19	–	–
22	Cannonball The Breeders	98	1	#20	–	1993
23	Where It's At Beck	98	1	#21	–	1996
24	Closing Time Semisonic	98	1	#22	–	1998
25	Alive Pearl Jam	98	1	#23	–	1992
26	Paranoid Android Radiohead	97	1	#24	–	1997
27	Closer Nine Inch Nails	97	1	#25	–	1994
28	Groove Is In The Heart Dee-Lite	97	1	#26	–	1990
29	Baby One More Time Britney Spears	97	1	#27	–	–
30	1979 The Smashing Pumpkins	97	1	#28	–	1996
31	The Distance Cake	97	1	#29	–	1996
32	Galileo The Indigo Girls	97	1	#30	–	1992
33	Jeremy Pearl Jam	97	1	#31	–	1992
34	Ironic Alanis Morissette	97	1	#32	–	1996
35	Basket Case Green Day	96	1	#33	–	1994
36	Linger The Cranberries	96	1	#34	–	1993
37	Killing in the Name Rage Against the Machine	96	1	#35	–	1993
38	Black Hole Sun Soundgarden	96	1	#36	–	1994
39	Nuthin' But A "G" Thang Dr. Dre	96	1	#37	–	–
40	Friday I'm in Love The Cure	96	1	#38	–	1992
41	Dreams The Cranberries	96	1	#39	–	1993
42	Black Pearl Jam	96	1	#41	–	1992
43	So What'cha Want Beastie Boys	95	1	#42	–	1992
44	Blue The Jayhawks	95	1	#43	–	–
45	California Stars Billy Bragg & Wilco	95	1	#44	–	–
46	Enter Sandman Metallica	95	1	#45	–	1991
47	Common People Pulp	95	1	#46	–	1995
48	All the Small Things blink-182	95	1	#47	–	1999
49	Undone (The Sweater Song) Weezer	95	1	#48	–	1994
50	Runaway Train Soul Asylum	95	1	#49	–	1993
51	Birdhouse In Your Soul They Might Be Giants	95	1	#50	–	1990
52	Under the Bridge Red Hot Chili Peppers	94	1	#51	–	1992
53	Hallelujah Jeff Buckley	94	1	#52	–	–
54	Personal Jesus Depeche Mode	94	1	#53	–	1989
55	Tubthumping Chumbawamba	94	1	#54	–	1997
56	Enjoy the Silence Depeche Mode	94	1	#55	–	1990
57	Killing Me Softly With His Song The Fugees	94	1	#56	–	–
58	32 Flavors Ani DiFranco	94	1	#57	–	–
59	Intergalactic Beastie Boys	94	1	#58	–	1998
60	What's Up? 4 Non Blondes	94	1	#59	–	1993
61	Say It Ain't So Weezer	93	1	#60	–	1995
62	These Are Days 10,000 Maniacs	93	1	#61	–	1992
63	Can I Kick It? A Tribe Called Quest	93	1	#62	–	–
64	Karma Police Radiohead	93	1	#63	–	1998
65	I Will Always Love You Whitney Houston	93	1	#64	–	–
66	Brick Ben Folds Five	93	1	#65	–	1998
67	Cherub Rock The Smashing Pumpkins	93	1	#66	–	1993
68	Ants Marching Dave Matthews Band	93	1	#67	–	1995
69	Here's Where The Story Ends The Sundays	93	1	#68	–	1990
70	California Love 2Pac	92	1	#69	–	1996
71	Feed The Tree Belly	92	1	#70	–	1993
72	November Rain Guns N Roses	92	1	#71	–	1992
73	Even Flow Pearl Jam	92	1	#72	–	1992
74	Tonight, Tonight The Smashing Pumpkins	92	1	#73	–	1996
75	Shoop Salt n Pepa	92	1	#74	–	1993
76	Song 2 Blur	92	1	#75	–	1997
77	Lightning Crashes Live	92	1	#76	–	1995
78	Don't Look Back in Anger Oasis	91	1	#77	–	1996
79	Give It Away Red Hot Chili Peppers	91	1	#78	–	1991
80	Today The Smashing Pumpkins	91	1	#79	–	1993
81	Waterfall TLC	91	1	#80	–	1995
82	Hyperballad Björk	91	1	#81	–	1996
83	Come As You Are Nirvana	91	1	#82	–	1992
84	Flagpole Sitta Harvey Danger	91	1	#83	–	1998
85	In The Aeroplane Over The Sea Neutral Milk Hotel	91	1	#84	–	–
86	Vogue Madonna	91	1	#85	–	1990
87	All Apologies Nirvana	90	1	#86	–	1994
88	Wannabe Spice Girls	90	1	#87	–	–
89	Champagne Supernova Oasis	90	1	#88	–	1996
90	Devil's Haircut Beck	90	1	#89	–	1996
91	Tennessee Arrested Development	90	1	#90	–	–
92	Army of Me Björk	90	1	#91	–	1995
93	Wicked Game Chris Isaak	90	1	#92	–	1990
94	Waltz #2 (Xo) Elliott Smith	90	1	#93	–	1999
95	If I Can't Change Your Mind Sugar	90	1	#94	–	1993
96	Possession Sarah McLachlan	89	1	#95	–	1994
97	Good Riddance (Time of Your Life) Green Day	89	1	#96	–	1998
98	Buddy Holly Weezer	89	1	#97	–	1994
99	Lovefool The Cardigans	89	1	#98	–	1997
100	Only Happy When It Rains Garbage	89	1	#99	–	1996

Station countdowns of the '90s

Listener-voted “best of the decade” countdowns as broadcast.

The Current · 2023 The Current's 893 Essential Songs of the '90s 893 songs

About this ranking

The 1990s ranking adds together two kinds of evidence: the year-end countdowns from each year of the decade, and the retrospective “songs of the decade” countdowns that stations aired afterwards. Year-end lists capture what listeners loved at the time; decade countdowns capture what lasted. Every appearance earns percentile-based points, and the totals are ranked. See the methodology for details.