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I think back to the days of listening to music on CDs and those duel-speaker stereos, and, man, as a ’90s kid, I feel like a fossil now.
Maho Film / Via giphy.com
For purely “nostalgia” reasons, I went searching down a YouTube rabbit hole for ’90s hits to see if there were any songs I had straight-up forgotten about. Here are the songs I forgot existed:
***NOTE*** I fail every BuzzFeed Music quiz I take, so if you are a music lover and recognize most of these songs, please remember to share a ’90s song you believe is a lost gem in the comments below!
Creepy man-babies in the music video aside, this song just screams ’90s. It triggers memories of beach outings and road trips.
The lyric that might jog your memory: “And look into your heart, pretty baby. / Is it aching with some nameless need?”
Mysta Cyric
Bizarre indeed. I have no clue what is happening with this song, but I love it.
The lyric that might jog your memory: “Every time I look around, it’s in my face.”
Universal Music New Zealand Limited
If you PAID me, I wouldn’t have been able to tell you this group’s name was All-4-One. That said, I feel like every millennial knows this song.
The lyric that might jog your memory: “And I swear by the moon and the stars in the sky.”
Atlantic 0191
I don’t know if anyone is like me, but I have never seen the music videos to some radio songs. This is one of them. I remember hearing this on rock radio stations constantly.
The lyric that might jog your memory: “And you just don’t get it. / You keep it copacetic. / And you learn to accept it. / You know you’re so pathetic.”
Universal Music Enterprises
Everyone remembers “Torn” by Imbruglia, but I totally forgot about her other single “Smoke,” released about a year after her big hit.
The lyric that might jog your memory: “What’s up with that?”
Sony BMG Music UK
Do you know that one song you don’t remember at all until the singer belts out: “WHY-EIEIEIE, YEAH!”? This is that song.
The lyric that might jog your memory: “Why-eieieie, yeah, is Superman dead?”
Sony BMG Music Entertainment
Another song that gave me an out-of-body experience because I have never watched the music video. I must’ve been watching too much Blues Clues as a kid and not enough MTV.
The lyric that might jog your memory: “You can get with this, or you can get with that.”
Universal Music
A fun little cover of Fleetwood Mac’s “Dreams.”
The lyric that might jog your memory: “Thunder only happens when it’s raining.”
East West Records UK Ltd
The Pumpkins had plenty of hits throughout the ’90s, but I totally forgot about this gem that makes you feel as light as a feather.
The lyric that might jog your memory: “The killer in me is the killer in you.”
CM ANGEL (A91)
“My Lovin'” comes to mind when I think of En Vogue, but this jam slipped through the cracks of my memory.
The lyric that might jog your memory: “Free your mind. / The rest will follow.”
Atlantic 0191
Trippy video…trippier song. This song was released in the first month of 1990, which explains it having such an ’80s feel. It was before my time, but played on alternative-rock stations through the ’90s and 2000s.
The lyric that might jog your memory: “You want it all, but you can’t have it.”
Slash Records
Get your slide whistles out!
The lyric that might jog your memory: “Groove is in the heart-art-art-art.”
Elektra 0591
The video is delightful, but the song is even more addicting. R.E.M. has such a unique sound, and I forgot how much this song rocks.
The lyric that might jog your memory: “Oh no, I’ve said too much.”
Concord Records
I hope the Cure fans aren’t too annoyed that I forgot this song, but radio stations had this song on loop every Friday.
The lyric that might jog your memory: “Thursday, I don’t care about you. / It’s Friday, I’m in love.”
New Line Records
Like many songs on this list, the beat might be more familiar than anything else. But what a voice!
The lyric that might jog your memory: “This is the rhythm of my life.”
Extravaganza Publishing
Jackson had many hits in the ’90s, but I feel like this song slides under the radar. How did I not realize she sang this song???
The lyric that might jog your memory: “Everywhere I go, every smile I see, I know you are there, smiling back at me.”
Virgin Records
It’s shocking to me that this was a ’90s song! As a kid, I had always assumed this song was from the ’70s or something. I just thought that radio stations played it a bunch as a classic hit.
The lyric that might jog your memory: “La da da dee da da da da.”
Sony BMG Music Entertainment
I debated adding this song to the list because I think it got a much higher profile after showing up in Jordan Peele’s Us; it normally goes under a lot of people’s radar!
The lyric that might jog your memory: “I got 5 on it.”
Universal Music On Demand
I feel like this or Santana’s “Smooth” is always playing in Publix. I’m not complaining.
The lyric that might jog your memory: “If it’s true don’t leave me all alone out here.”
Columbia
Proof that backup vocals can really elevate an already excellent song.
The lyric that might jog your memory: “Here I am. (Return of the Mack)”
Addictive Music
I remember hearing this in a commercial, and thinking, “I’m pretty sure I heard this A LOT as a kid.”
The lyric that might jog your memory: “Rhythm is a dancer.”
BMG Rights Management
When researching for this post, “Save Tonight” stuck out as my ultimate forgotten song. When I heard the lyrics, I knew the words well with no memory of the song, and it really took me back. I wouldn’t have been able to tell you the name of the song or group before yesterday, but now I’m glad I can!
The lyric that might jog your memory: “And fight the break of dawn. / Come tomorrow.”
Polydor Records
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