KEXP DJs Top Songs of the '90s

Fundraising Drives
09/09/2026
KEXP

Ahead of KEXP's 2026 Fall Fundraising Drive, we’re asking you to vote for your favorite songs of the '90s! To help give you some inspiration, we asked a few of our KEXP DJs to share some of their favorite songs from the '90s. From grunge to hip-hop, alt. country to jazz, these lists show the wide range of great music from this decade. Check out their full lists below.

Voting is open now, but you only have until Friday, September 18th at 7PM to get in your list!

Vote now.

John Richards

John Richards
  1. Massive Attack - "Teardrop"
  2. Mazzy Star - "Fade Into You"
  3. Radiohead - "Let Down"
  4. R.E.M. - "Belong"
  5. Catherine Wheel - "Black Metallic"
  6. New Radicals - "You Get What You Give"
  7. Sugar - "Hoover Dam"
  8. Bikini Kill - "Rebel Girl"
  9. A Tribe Called Quest - "Check the Rhime"
  10. Tricky - "Black Steel"
  11. My Bloody Valentine - "Only Shallow"
  12. The Verve - "Lucky Man"
  13. Hum - "Stars"
  14. Ride - "Vapour Trail"
  15. Sunny Day Real Estate - "In Circles"

Riz Rollins

Riz Rollins
  1. Paris - "Guerilla Funk"
  2. Black Box - "Everybody Everybody"
  3. A Tribe Called Quest - "Award Tour"
  4. Deee-Lite - "Groove Is In The Heart"
  5. Prince - "Erotic City"
  6. De La Soul - "Me Myself and I"
  7. Erykah Badu - "On and On"
  8. Massive Attack - "Sly"
  9. Ministry - "Jesus Built My Hot Rod"
  10. Roni Size - "Brown Paper Bag"

Larry Rose

Remembers playing these on KCMU!!

  • A Tribe Called Quest - “Award Tour”
  • Beastie Boys - “Sabotage”
  • Deee-Lite - “Groove Is In The Heart”
  • Magnetic Fields - “I Think I Need A New Heart”
  • MC Solaar - “Nouveau Western”
  • Modest Mouse - “Dramamine”
  • Pizzicato Five - "Twiggy Twiggy / Twiggy vs. James Bond"
  • Portishead - “Sour Times”
  • Elliott Smith - “Waltz #2 (XO)”
  • The Sundays - “Here’s Where the Story Ends”

Stas THEE Boss

Stas THEE Boss
  1. A Tribe Called Quest - "Bonita Applebum" (1990)
  2. LL Cool J - "Around The Way Girl" (1991)
  3. Arrested Development - "Tennessee" (1992)
  4. Digable Planets - "Rebirth of Slick (Cool Like Dat)" (1993)
  5. Craig Mack - "Flava in Ya Ear" (1994)
  6. Skee-Lo - "I Wish" (1995)
  7. Busta Rhymes - "Woo-Hah!!! Got You All in Check" (1996)
  8. Missy Elliott - "The Rain (Supa Dupa Fly)" (1997)
  9. Lauryn Hill - "Doo Wop (That Thing)" (1998)
  10. JT Money feat. Sole - "Who Dat" (1999)

Kennady

Top Ten Local Songs from the '90s That Weren’t Nirvana

Kennady
  1. Screaming Trees - “Nearly Lost You”
  2. Sir Mix-a-Lot - “Baby Got Back”
  3. Quasi - “The Poisoned Well”
  4. 7 Year Bitch - “The Scratch”
  5. Sunny Day Real Estate - “In Circles”
  6. Built to Spill - “Distopian Dream Girl”
  7. Soundgarden - “Spoonman”
  8. Bratmobile - “Cool Schmool”
  9. Melvins - “Honey Bucket”
  10. The Softies - “Hello Rain”

Evie Stokes

Top 10 Trip-Hop Songs of the '90s

Evie Stokes
  • Portishead - “Wandering Star”
  • DJ Shadow - “In/Flux”
  • Hooverphonic - “2 Wicky”
  • Morcheeba - “Trigger Hippie”
  • Bjork - “Army of Me”
  • Sneaker Pimps - “6 Underground” (Nellee Hooper's Edit)
  • Massive Attack - “Angel”
  • Lamb - “Trans Fatty Acid”
  • UNKLE - “Be There”
  • Olive - “Killing”

Greg Vandy

Greg Vandy
  • Sliver Jews - “Rebel Jew”
  • Mazzy Star - “Fade Into You”
  • Uncle Tupelo - “No Sense In Lovin’”
  • Son Volt - “Tear Stained Eye”
  • Wilco - “Someday Soon”
  • Whiskeytown - “Excuse Me While I Break My Own Heart”
  • Lucinda Williams - “Can’t Let Go / Jackson”
  • Beck - “Lord Only Knows”
  • Fred Eaglesmith - “Time To Get A Gun”
  • Freakwater - “Waitress Song”

Honorable Mentions

  • 16 Horsepower - “Heel On The Shovel”
  • Robbie Fulks - “She Took A lot Of Pills And Died”
  • Tarnation - “Stranger In The Mirror”
  • Nick Lowe - ‘Lonesome Reverie”
  • Bonnie Prince Billy - “I See A Darkness”

Eva Walker

Eva Walker
  • Blind Melon - "No Rain" (1992)
  • Alanis Morissette - "Ironic" (1995)
  • Mark Morrison - "Return of the Mack" (1996)
  • Bone Thugz-N-Harmony - "Crossroads" (1996)
  • Adina Howard - "Freak Like Me" (1995)
  • Haddaway - "What Is Love" (1993)
  • P.M. Dawn - "Set Adrift on Memory Bliss" (1991)
  • Coolio - "Gangsta's Paradise" (1995)
  • Depeche Mode - "Enjoy the Silence" (1990)
  • Skee-Lo - "I Wish" (1995)

Goyri

Goyri
  • Caifanes - “La Célula Que Explota”
  • Soda Stereo - “En La Ciudad de La Furia”
  • Cafe Tacvba - “El Baile y el Salon”
  • Tijuana No! - “Probre de Ti”
  • Los Prisioneros - “Tren al Sur”
  • Mano Negra - “Señor Matanza”
  • Control Machete - “Comprendes, Mendes?”
  • Manu Chao - “Clandestino”
  • Aterciopelados - “Bolero Falaz”
  • Plastilina Mosh - “Mr. P Mosh”

Darek Mazzone

Darek Mazzone
  • Maleem Mahmoud Ghania & Pharoah Sanders - “La Allah Dayim Moulenah”
  • Kruder & Dorfmeister - “High Noon”
  • Underworld - “Born Slippy .NUXX”
  • Goran Bregović - “Kalashnikov”
  • Moloko - “Sing It Back” (Boris Dlugosch Remix)
  • Buena Vista Social Club - “Chan Chan”
  • Enigma - “Return to Innocence”
  • Blind Melon - “No Rain”
  • Biosphere - “Kobresia”
  • Bran Van 3000 - “Drinking in L.A.”
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