Throughout the 1990s, girl solo singers like Mariah Carey, Gloria Estefan and Shania Twain take over the top of the most-requested hit single charts.
Women singers dominated pop music during the nineties, their way paved by Madonna during the previous decade.
While male bands outnumber the Spice Girls by 9 to 1 among top 1990s musical groups, 6 of the 10 most popular solo singers are women.
For all years during the 1990s, female solo artists accounted for 70% of the most requested songs on the top 50 charts.
Consolidating Pop Culture Madness data for the 50 most requested songs from 1980 to 1989, the lists below show the most requested bands and solo artists from that era.
Top Ten Pop Music Groups from the 90s
The bands listed below generated 51 of the top 50 requested songs for all years in the 1990s, as well as 11 of the top 10 in-demand songs.
Boys II Men … 9 hits with 4 in top 10 (average song in top 12)
Dave Matthews Band … 7 hits with 1 in top 10 (average in top 21)
Aerosmith … 5 hits with 2 in top 10 (average in top 16)
Pearl Jam … 5 hits none in top 10 (average in top 21)
Spice Girls … 5 hits with 1 in top 10 (average in top 26)
Nirvana … 4 hits with 2 in top 10 (average in top 13)
Backstreet Boys … 4 hits none in top 10 (average in top 18)
U2 … 4 hits none in top 10 (average in top 24)
Savage Garden … 4 hits with 1 in top 10 (average in top 30)
Sublime … 4 hits none in top 10 (average in top 31).
Highest-Placing 90s Song For Each Top Ten Music Group
Of the top ten bands below, Aerosmith and Pearly Jam had number one songs during the nineties. Boys II Men and Backstreet Boys each captured number two hits.
I'll Make Love To You (Boys II Men) – number 2 from 1994
Crash Into Me (Dave Matthews Band) – number 9 from 1997
I Don't Want To Miss a Thing (Aerosmith) – number 1 from 1998
Better Man (Pearl Jam) – number 1 from 1995
Wannabe (Spice Girls) – number 3 from 1997
Smells Like Teen Spirit (Nirvana) – number 6 from 1992
Everybody (Backstreet Boys) – number 2 from 1998
Mysterious Ways (U2) – number 12 from 1992
To The Moon and Back (Savage Garden) – number 5 from 1997
What I Got (Sublime) – number 13 from 1996.
Top Ten Solo Singers from the 1990s
The following individual singers accounted for 53 of the top 50 requested songs for all years in the 1990s. In addition, these solo performers recorded 8 of the top 10 in-demand songs.
Mariah Carey … 12 hits with 2 in top 10 (average song in top 28)
Gloria Estefan … 7 hits with 1 in top 10 (average in top 25)
Shania Twain … 6 hits with 2 in top 10 (average in top 18)
Bryan Adams … 4 hits with 1 in top 10 (average in top 18)
Seal … 4 hits none in top 10 (average in top 21)
Whitney Houston … 4 hits with 1 in top 10 (average in top 22)
Sarah McLachlan … 4 hits with 1 in top 10 (average in top 26)
Will Smith … 4 hits none in top 10 (average in top 28)
Aaliyah … 4 hits none in top 10 (average in top 31)
Prince … 4 hits none in top 10 (average in top 40).
Highest-Placing 90s Song For Each Top Ten Solo Singer
Perhaps appropriately, the highest placing solo artist song for the 1990s was Shania Twain’s Man! I Feel Like A Woman.
Hero (Mariah Carey) – number 3 from 1993
Turn The Beat Around (Gloria Estefan) – number 3 from 1994
Man! I Feel Like A Woman (Shania Twain) – number 2 from 1999
(Everything I Do) I Do It For You (Bryan Adams) – number 3 from 1991
Crazy (Seal) – number 14 from 1991
I Will Always Love You (Whitney Houston) – number 10 from 1992
I Will Remember You (Sarah McLachlan) – number 7 from 1996
Just The Two of Us (Will Smith) – number 21 from 1998
At Your Best (Aaliyah) – number 15 from 1994
Betcha By Golly Wow (Prince) – number 31 from 1996.
Sources for this Article
This article presents independent calculations and insights based on Pop Music Charts song data presented by Pop Culture Madness.
The copyright of the article Top 90s Pop Music Groups, Singers and Hit Songs in 90s Pop Music is owned by Daniel Workman. Permission to republish Top 90s Pop Music Groups, Singers and Hit Songs in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.
