Ahead of KEXP's 2026 Fall Fundraising Drive, we asked you to vote for your favorite songs of the '90s! We wanted to know what songs you put on your mixtapes, burned to CD, and watched on MTV. The '90s was an incredible time for music — with the emergence of genres like trip-hop and grunge, and explosion of others like hip-hop and electronic. Check out the results below to see if your favorites made the list!
Countdowns like this are only possible with your support. Consider supporting listener-powered KEXP by making a donation today.
| RANKING | ARTIST | SONG |
|---|---|---|
| 99 | Jeff Buckley | Last Goodbye |
| 98 | Jane's Addiction | Been Caught Stealing |
| 97 | Sonic Youth | Kool Thing |
| 96 | Sunny Day Real Estate | In Circles |
| 95 | Cake | The Distance |
| 94 | Presidents of the United States of America | Peaches |
| 93 | Nirvana | All Apologies |
| 92 | Modest Mouse | Dramamine |
| 91 | Soundgarden | Jesus Christ Pose |
| RANKING | ARTIST | SONG |
|---|---|---|
| 90 | Beastie Boys | Sure Shot |
| 89 | Pavement | Summer Babe (Winter Version) |
| 88 | Beastie Boys | Intergalactic |
| 87 | Green Day | Basket Case |
| 86 | Beck | Where It's At |
| 85 | Public Enemy | Fight the Power |
| 84 | Elliott Smith | Waltz #2 (XO) |
| 83 | A Tribe Called Quest | Scenario |
| 82 | Soundgarden | Rusty Cage |
| RANKING | ARTIST | SONG |
|---|---|---|
| 81 | Pearl Jam | Even Flow |
| 80 | Fugees | Killing Me Softly |
| 79 | They Might Be Giants | Birdhouse in Your Soul |
| 78 | Weezer | Undone (The Sweater Song) |
| 77 | The Cardigans | Lovefool |
| 76 | TLC | Waterfalls |
| 75 | Toadies | Possum Kingdom |
| 74 | Daft Punk | Around the World |
| 73 | Digable Planets | Rebirth of Slick (Cool Like Dat) |
| RANKING | ARTIST | SONG |
|---|---|---|
| 72 | Blur | Song 2 |
| 71 | Catherine Wheel | Black Metallic |
| 70 | The Smashing Pumpkins | Cherub Rock |
| 69 | Oasis | Don't Look Back In Anger |
| 68 | Wu-Tang Clan | C.R.E.A.M. |
| 67 | Bjork | Human Behaviour |
| 66 | The Smashing Pumpkins | Today |
| 65 | Weezer | Say it Ain't So |
| 64 | Jane's Addiction | Three Days |
| RANKING | ARTIST | SONG |
|---|---|---|
| 63 | Nirvana | Heart-Shaped Box |
| 62 | Garbage | Only Happy When it Rains |
| 61 | Sneaker Pimps | 6 Underground |
| 60 | New Radicals | You Get What You Give |
| 59 | Tori Amos | Cornflake Girl |
| 58 | Built to Spill | Carry the Zero |
| 57 | Temple of the Dog | Hunger Strike |
| 56 | Nirvana | Come as You Are |
| 55 | The Sundays | Here's Where the Story Ends |
| RANKING | ARTIST | SONG |
|---|---|---|
| 54 | Harvey Danger | Flagpole Sitta |
| 53 | My Bloody Valentine | Only Shallow |
| 52 | Nirvana | Lithium |
| 51 | A Tribe Called Quest | Can I Kick It? |
| 50 | The Smashing Pumpkins | Mayonaise |
| 49 | George Michael | Freedom 90 |
| 48 | PJ Harvey | Down by the Water |
| 47 | Screaming Trees | Nearly Lost You |
| 46 | Lauryn Hill | Doo Wop (That Thing) |
| RANKING | ARTIST | SONG |
|---|---|---|
| 45 | Bjork | Hyperballad |
| 44 | James | Laid |
| 43 | Beastie Boys | So What'cha Want |
| 42 | Underworld | Born Slippy (Nuxx) |
| 41 | U2 | One |
| 40 | Foo Fighters | Everlong |
| 39 | Portishead | Sour Times |
| 38 | Hum | Stars |
| 37 | The Cure | Friday I'm In Love |
| RANKING | ARTIST | SONG |
|---|---|---|
| 36 | Hole | Violet |
| 35 | Radiohead | Karma Police |
| 34 | Radiohead | Let Down |
| 33 | Bjork | Army of Me |
| 32 | Alice in Chains | Would? |
| 31 | Radiohead | Fake Plastic Trees |
| 30 | The Cranberries | Linger |
| 29 | Bikini Kill | Rebel Girl |
| 28 | Sinead O Connor | Nothing Compares 2 U |
| RANKING | ARTIST | SONG |
|---|---|---|
| 27 | Blind Melon | No Rain |
| 26 | Fiona Apple | Criminal |
| 25 | The Cranberries | Dreams |
| 24 | REM | Nightswimming |
| 23 | Pearl Jam | Alive |
| 22 | Oasis | Wonderwall |
| 21 | Pulp | Common People |
| 20 | The Smashing Pumpkins | 1979 |
| 19 | Rage Against the Machine | Killing in the Name Of |
| RANKING | ARTIST | SONG |
|---|---|---|
| 18 | The Cranberries | Zombie |
| 17 | Alanis Morissette | You Oughta Know |
| 16 | Portishead | Glory Box |
| 15 | REM | Losing My Religion |
| 14 | Pearl Jam | Black |
| 13 | The Verve | Bitter Sweet Symphony |
| 12 | Nine Inch Nails | Closer |
| 11 | Depeche Mode | Enjoy the Silence |
| 10 | Beck | Loser |
| RANKING | ARTIST | SONG |
|---|---|---|
| 9 | Soundgarden | Black Hole Sun |
| 8 | Radiohead | Creep |
| 7 | Deee-Lite | Groove is in the Heart |
| 6 | Massive Attack | Teardrop |
| 5 | Radiohead | Paranoid Android |
| 4 | The Breeders | Cannonball |
| 3 | Beastie Boys | Sabotage |
| 2 | Mazzy Star | Fade Into You |
| 1 | Nirvana | Smells Like Teen Spirit |
