The success of Nirvana cleared a path for a highly concentrated wave of raw talent emerging directly out of Seattle:
What makes 90s music "interesting" thirty years later is its raw sincerity. Whether it was the confessional songwriting of or the cinematic storytelling of Lauryn Hill 90s music top 100
The decade also birthed hip-hop records that completely crossed over into the global pop stratosphere. Coolio's "Gangsta's Paradise," built around a brilliant Stevie Wonder sample, spent 12 weeks in the top two spots of the Billboard Hot 100. It finished as the number-one single of 1995 worldwide, winning a Grammy Award for Best Solo Rap Performance. The success of Nirvana cleared a path for
Punk pop exploded. Dookie changed the landscape for high school bands everywhere. It finished as the number-one single of 1995
Artists pushed the boundaries of what a "hit" could sound like, often with dark or political themes. "Firestarter," "Around the World," "Ray of Light"