90 for 90s: Intro and B-Side

I remember a commercial for some deodorant or body spray (scam) or aftershave a few years back, and the tag-line was "Scent is the strongest sense tied to memory". Obviously I'm not going to dispute any factual scientific studies, but I've never walked into a room and said "Holy shit! This totally smells like my sophomore year of high school!" If you haven't figured it out already, I do have those types of reactions to music.

I have an unhealthy obsession  with the soundtrack of my life. (One of these days i'd like a healthy obsession with something like salad, or exercise.) For every event, or every period in my life, there's an album or a mix of songs that I mentally correspond to it. When I hear "Clint Eastwood" by the Gorillaz, I'm taken back to Labor Day Weekend, 2001 when my friends and I launched a pinstripe invasion on Fenway Park, less than a fortnight before our lives would change forever. When I hear the Black Crowes' "Wiser Time", I'm um, eating a sandwich in my buddy's dorm room while our roommates were out playing Dungeons and Dragons.

I'm 34 now. I hope my life isn't half over, but I know at least a third of it's in the books. Sure, that's a little macabre. But trust me, I wouldn't want to know what a 102 year old me is like. Nor would you. Recently I've been reflecting on where I am, where I'm going and most of all, who the hell I am. That's partially a moot point because if I believe anything, it's that one should constantly be open to change, but I always try to be mindful of the road that got me to the here and now. One thing that's getting clearer and clearer is that no decade has, or will, be more influential on my life than the good ol' 90s. 

I began, and finished high school and college from 1991-1999. In late 1999 I started the job I have today. I had my first date with my wife in 1994, the same year I saw the Rangers win the Stanley Cup for what will likely be the last time ever. I bought Bob Dylan's "Greatest Hits Volume 1" in 1993. I saw my first Dave Matthews concert in September of '99. In the spring of 1996, I sat in Pine Hall and watched a rookie shortstop named Derek Jeter knock one out of Jacobs Field on Opening Day.

As they were unfolding, I have to admit, I was thoroughly unimpressed with the decade of the 1990s. I went from a 12 year old bratty altar boy to a 22 year old agnostic and opinionated loudmouth with a slight but manageable drinking problem, yet it didn't seem like much had really transpired outside of your run of the mill Hall of Fame running back killing his wife and her boyfriend and then being acquitted.

Much like my initial opinions on the iPod though, I look back now through the lens of time and I realize how wrong I was. Sure, on a macro level, the 90s were rather serene, maybe too much so for our own good. But on a micro level, it didn't get any better. And to honor that wonderful decade where young ladies got their tongues pierced thanks to our President, I've put together what I call "90 for the 90s". The Top 90 songs of the decade.

Criteria is simple: Songs released in the 1990s. Only caveat was a limit of SIX songs per artist. Ranked based off their impact, quality and any ability to tie to memory.  But 90 was too hard. So I'd like to present you with the "B-Side". The "Next 90" if you will. Over the coming weeks I'll post the full list, so you can find out how embarrassingly white I really am...

180 . Blood Money - Jon Bon Jovi
179 . Slam - Onyx
178 . Mama Said Knock You Out - L.L Cool J
177 . Everybody Hurts - R.E.M.
176 . 1979 - Smashing Pumpkins
175 . Lump - The Presidents Of The United States Of America
174 . Pigs - Cypress Hill
173 . Nothing Else Matters - Metallica
172 . Bed Of Roses - Bon Jovi
171 . Wicked Game - Chris Isaak
170 . Tears In Heaven - Eric Clapton
169 . Friday I'm in Love - The Cure
168 . It's So Hard To Say Goodbye To Yesterday - Boyz II Men
167 . Right Now - Van Halen
166 . The Saga Begins - Weird Al Yankovic
165 . Ice Ice Baby - Vanilla Ice
164 . Country House - Blur
163 . Who Needs Sleep? - Barenaked Ladies
162 . Knockin' Boots - Candyman
161 . Woke Up This Morning (Chosen One Mix) - Alabama 3
160 . I Alone - Live
159 . Just A Friend - Biz Markie
158 . Wide Open Spaces - Dixie Chicks
157 . Sex And Candy - Marcy Playground
156 . Been Caught Stealing - Jane's Addiction
155 . Save Tonight - Eagle Eye Cherry
154 . Remedy - The Black Crowes
153 . Good - Better Than Ezra
152 . Self Esteem - The Offspring
151 . Mutt - Blink-182
150 . Breaking The Girl - Red Hot Chili Peppers
149 . Insane In The Brain - Cypress Hill
148 . Twice As Hard - The Black Crowes
147 . To Be With You - Mr. Big
146 . I Touch Myself - Divinyls
145 . Jump Around - House Of Pain
144 . Runaway Train - Soul Asylum
143 . Hook - Blues Traveler
142 . Tubthumping - Chumbawamba
141 . Shimmy Shimmy Ya - Ol' Dirty Bastard
140 . Cover Me - Candlebox
139 . Run-Around - Blues Traveler
138 . When I Come Around - Green Day
137 . Juicy - The Notorious B.I.G.
136 . On A Plain - Nirvana
135 . Today - Smashing Pumpkins
134 . High Hopes - Pink Floyd
133 . Drive [Live] - R.E.M.
132 . Are You Gonna Go My Way - Lenny Kravitz
131 . The Freshmen - The Verve Pipe
130 . What It's Like - Everlast
129 . Pepper - Butthole Surfers
128 . Round Here - Counting Crows
127 . Mmm, Mmm, Mmm, Mmm - Crash Test Dummies
126 . The Unforgiven - Metallica
125 . Mind Playin' Tricks - Geto Boys
124 . Bathtub Gin - Phish
123 . Stereotypes - Blur
122 . Apache Rose Peacock - Red Hot Chili Peppers
121 . All Star - Smash Mouth
120 . C.R.E.A.M - Wu-Tang Clan
119 . Wind Of Change - Scorpions
118 . Yesterdays - Guns N' Roses
117 . Into The Great Wide Open - Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers
116 . Right Here, Right Now - Jesus Jones
115 . Long View - Green Day
114 . Buddy Holly - Weezer
113 . Walking In Memphis (Remastered) - Marc Cohn
112 . Man On The Moon - R.E.M.
111 . Brick - Ben Folds Five
110 . She Talks To Angels - The Black Crowes
109 . Breakfast At Tiffany's - Deep Blue Somthing
108 . Creep - Stone Temple Pilots
107 . All the Small Things - Blink-182
106 . Pets - Porno For Pyros
105 . Gin and Juice - Snoop Dogg 
104 . Mysterious Ways - U2
103 . You Wanted More - Tonic
102 . Good Riddance (Time Of Your Life) - Green Day
101 . Hard Knock Life (Ghetto Anthem) - Jay-Z
100 . Breakdown - Guns N' Roses
99 . Nuthin' But A "G" Thang - Dr. Dre
98 . Trying To Get To Heaven - Bob Dylan
97 . Iris - Goo Goo Dolls
96 . Scarelet Begonias - Sublime
95 . Smooth - Santana & Rob Thomas
94 . Stay - Lisa Loeb & Nine Stories
93 . Plush - Stone Temple Pilots
92 . Send Me on My Way - Rusted Root
91 . My Name Is - Eminem