Best of the '90s and early '00s

I truly believe that the '90s and the early 2000s was the best era in music. It was a time when ALL music dominated the charts, and no one really stuck to listening to one genre. This list includes songs that were released anywhere from 1990 to 2004. Here's my personal list of the best songs this era had to offer.

"Good Riddance (Time Of Your Life) by Greenday - While this song sounds like a farewell song, saying that you had some good times but it's time to move on to another chapter in your life, this song is actually quite the contrary. This song is a big, huge, enormous FUCK YOU to whomever the song was written about. Still, I never think "Fuck you" when I hear this song. I always think of the good times and how many people in my life have moved on to another chapter in their life, or will soon be moving on, and I truly, truly hope they have the time of their life.

"Crucify" by Tori Amos - If you haven't heard this song (and it's my guess that a lot of people, at least around my age, haven't) you MUST hear it. I listened to this song the morning I went to sign the papers so I could, to put it nicely, pardon myself from my public education studies (*cough* drop out *cough*) because to me, anyway, this song truly represents the fact that we as humans torture ourselves to be good enough for the world, and this song is about finally accepting that we are human and that we don't have to "crucify" ourselves anymore.

"Hemorrhage (In My Hands)" by Fuel - I love this song for a lot of reasons. I'm sure everybody can relate to it in one way or another, though. I really can't describe what this song makes me feel, though, because it causes a lot of emotions in me. I still just think this was a great fucking song.

"Changes" by Tupac - I truly believe Tupac was one of the first people in the rap world to open eyes (and ears) the more political side of rap, and this song says it all. Everything from fighting back against the thug life and rising above it, to how (AND YES, THIS IS TRUE, I DON'T CARE WHO YOU ARE) it seems like black people are often the target of the law, because of the stereotypes. ("Cops give a damn about negro, pull a trigga, kill a n***a, he's a HERO," anyone???) Tupac was one of the first rappers to stand up for the ghetto, but also say that things need to CHANGE. He gets a lot of props from me for that, and this song does too.

"Deliverance" by Bubba Sparxxx - I remember the first time I ever heard this song. Life sucked and it seemed like there was no way out. "No instructions when I was handed this device." You go through life just taking things in and never really knowing where you're going, you just gotta buckle up and go for the ride. The lyric seems to fit for ANYONE who's ever been in that desperate of a situation - no matter what, "One way or another I shall have deliverance."

"Stay" by Lisa Loeb & Nine Stories - Lisa Loeb wrote the song that can sum up any relationship with this song. People magazine's 90s nostalgia issue said she wrote the song that summed up a generation - now, I don't think that's the case, because another song on this list will get that title from me - but she did write the song that seems to sum up a lot of things for me and many other people.

"Ray Of Light" by Madonna - This song exhibited Madonna's experimentation into the world of dance/techno music - and the ability to do it well! I can never hear this song without wanting to get up and dance, and the lyrics are amazing. The video is even better! I honestly don't believe Madonna ever released a bad song, but this is definitely one of her best songs ever!

"Wonderwall" by Oasis - Once again, another song that could sum up any relationship. This song seems to talk about a complicated relationship, or a potential relationship that some little thing stands in the way of. But, as the song says, "After all, you're my wonderwall."

"Angel" by Sarah McLachlan - First off, this woman has one of the most beautiful voices I've ever heard. This song not only showcases her sweet, TRUE soprano voice, but it also showcases her amazing songwriting abilities. It's such a sweet song too.

"Wannabe" by the Spice Girls - Come on, did you really expect me to make a list of the best songs of the '90s & early '00s and NOT put the Spice Girls here?!?! This song launched an INTERNATIONAL PHENOMENON. This song is EXTREMELY nostalgic for me. I remember being like, seven years old and blasting my Spice Girls CD into my ears. Yes, I've come a long way, but I'll sing to a Spice Girls track ANYTIME!

"The Way I Am" by Eminem - This song completely represents Eminem, I think. After being blasted for his language and tendency to blast EVERYONE in his music, he busted back with a track of his own, basically telling the world that he doesn't CARE what you think of him, and in fact, he will agree to it.

"So Far Away" by Staind - Awww, a pretty song. :) When I was 13, this song was played on the radio, like, literally, at least five times an hour. It was one of my favorite songs from the first time I ever heard it, because it was a song about hope and being able to live with "the person that I am today". This song went on to become my number one favorite song of all time, simply because when I listen to it, it offers me hope that maybe things do turn out, no matter what.

"Fly" by Sugar Ray - This is the ultimate laid-back, have-a-good-time song. Plus, it's fun to sing along to! And yes, this song is on this list because to this day, I think Mark McGrath is HOT. ;p

"Kiss Me" by Sixpence None The Richer - WHO DOESN'T LOVE THIS SONG?!?! This song was played on the radio so much, it's not even funny. I'm sure a lot of people got sick of it, but I never did! I know that this song is pretty much the ONLY song people will ever remember Sixpence None The Richer for, but it's such a good song - and, it's pretty too!

"Smooth" by Santana featuring Rob Thomas - Haha, I remember once I was in my grandparents' room and my Pappaw was sitting there, and I was trying to tune the radio to a station with GOOD music, and I found this song on the radio, and I was like, "I love this song!" My Pappaw was like, "I can't even understand what he's SAYING..." and I'm sitting there singing, "You got the kinda lovin' that can be so smooth, yeah, gimme your heart, make it real, or let's FORGET about it." I love Carlos Santana's music anyway, and this song is what got me into it. Plus, if I hear this song, it's 99.9% guaranteed I will get up and start dancing to it.

"It's My Life" by Bon Jovi - I'm ALL for a song about going your own way, regardless of what others think. This song is most definitely one of those songs. Everytime I hear it, I know what I have to do - pretty much just say "Fuck what the world wants, I'm going to do it my way." Even if there are mistakes made in the process, who cares? At least "I DID IT MY WAY!"

"Numb" by Linkin Park - This song completely described me at the age I was when it came out - thirteen. Twelve/thirteen-ish is when a lot of the shit that I've gotten myself into over the years started, and this song completely fits how I felt back then - and how I sometimes still do feel. This is one of Linkin Park's BEST songs, I do believe, because is sums up how so many people my age feel. We get so "tired of being what you want me to be" and we feel like "every step that I take is another mistake to you," mostly toward our parents but to society in general. This song is still up there on my list of favorite songs.

"Falls On Me" by Fuel - Who cares if my sister hates this song (and this band in general)? This is a REALLY good song. I love it. This song came out when I was 13, and I simply LOVED it from the get-go.

"For You" by Staind - This song is THE ANTHEM for basically any teenager who is screaming out for their parents to see them. Instead of digging for the answers, parents simply sit there and don't say anything. "The silence gets us nowhere," that really says a lot. The silence that exists between so many kids and their parents today is the reason that so many kids are fucked up today. There's no communication, and that's why we pull out all the stops to passive-aggressively say to our mothers and fathers, in the words of the song, "All your insults and your curses make me feel like I'm not a person, and I feel like I am nothing, but YOU MADE ME, SO DO SOMETHING!!!"

"Hero" by Chad Kroeger featuring Josey Scott - This song came out in 2003 I believe. I remember a lot of songs from that year, probably because the only thing I ever did back then was sit in my room, write, and listen to the radio. I remember hearing this song, and just loving it. The music, the lyrics, the way it was sung - everything. Definitely a good song.

"Smells Like Teen Spirit" by Nirvana - HELLO?!?!?!?!?! What good would this list have been if it didn't include this song?! THIS IS THE SONG THAT SUMMED UP A GENERATION. Although I obviously wasn't a teen in the '90s, I know that teens in the '90s were apathetic creatures who didn't care about ANYTHING (unlike teens today, today it's considered COOL to know what's going on in the world and actually help DO SOMETHING about it) and this song was all about the carelessness, apathy, and boredom of Generation X. Gen X was pretty much, as the song says, "Oh well, whatever, nevermind..." This song, I truly believe, was the BEST song of this era.