The 1990s saw a number of trends which emerged in the latter part of the 1980s continue. Most notably, teen pop, the “boy band,” and hip hop genres continued to thrive through the earlier part of the decade. At the same time, electronic and techno music enjoyed a rise in popularity, as did the genres of alternative rock, indie rock, and grunge.

Artists such as Michael Jackson continued to ride a wave of success, with Jackson’s 1991 album Dangerous selling nearly forty million copies and the 1995 follow-up, HIStory, faring even better. The decade also began with two powerhouse female performers—Whitney Houston and Mariah Carey—continuing their rise from the previous decade to become two of the best selling artists of the decade; Houston’s hit “I Will Always Love You,” from the 1992 film The Bodyguard, still remains the best selling single by a female act in music history. Carey rose to prominence on her 1990 breakthrough hit “Vision of Love” and, alongside Houston, continued to dominate the charts for the earlier part of the decade.  

“Boy band” acts of the late 1980s, such as New Kids on the Block, continued to enjoy success through the earlier part of the decade and even gave rise to competitors such as Backstreet Boys, *NSYNC, and 98 Degrees. The British “girl group” The Spice Girls also broke into the American market, paving the way for a number of female pop acts of the 1990s, including Destiny’s Child and solo artists such as Jessica Simpson and Mandy Moore. Of course, perhaps no single female pop performer enjoyed greater success than Britney Spears, whose breakthrough hit “…Baby One More Time” sparked her rise to fame in the earlier part of the decade.

In the edgier pop realm, artists such as Alanis Morissette and Sheryl Crow rose to fame on less “bubble gum” and more singer/songwriter talent; Morissette’s Jagged Little Pill reached multi-platinum status upon its release in 1995, and Crow’s self-titled 1996 album achieved equal success. Country “pop” also enjoyed an explosion in the earlier part of the decade, with hits crossing over into the mainstream often. Garth Brooks paved the way with mainstream hits such as “The Thunder Rolls” and “Friends in Low Places”; his success opened the doors for other country mainstream performers such as Shania Twain, Faith Hill, LeAnn Rimes, and Tim McGraw.

The early 1990s also saw the rise of artists such as Dr. Dre and a mainstream acceptance of what would become known as “gangsta rap.” Under the Death Row Records label, other rap artists such as Snoop Dogg and The Notorious B.I.G. also enjoyed significant commercial success. By the end of the decade, hip hop would become the best selling music genre of the 1990s, just slightly overpowering the newfound popularity of alternative, grunge, and indie rock, with artists such as Nirvana, Pearl Jam, Jane’s Addiction, and The Red Hot Chili Peppers all rising to mainstream success.

By the end of the decade, multiple new genres and subgenres had found their way into the mainstream. Nearly all of them would continue to enjoy success and popularity into the next decade, which would bring about radical cultural and political change launched with the new millennium and one of the century’s most terrifying tragedies.

 

90s Celebrity Musicians & Bands

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