- 7 months ago
Music from a decade of grunge, pop, and hip-hop continues to find new audiences and chart success, proving some tunes are truly timeless. Join us as we look back at the iconic tracks from the 1990s that were given an unexpected second wave of popularity, thanks to their memorable appearances in films, television shows, memes, and even video games. Prepare for a blast from the past that still resonates today, reminding us that a great song never truly fades away!
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00:08Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we're looking at 90s songs that made a comeback through memes,
00:13covers, and samples, or use in movies and TV. There may be spoilers.
00:25Number 16. Something in the Way, Nirvana. Though Something in the Way appeared on Nirvana's
00:31breakthrough album Nevermind, it was never one of the record's big mainstream hits.
00:42Unlike other songs, it wasn't released as a major single. Instead, it lingered as a
00:47quiet, haunting song cherished mostly by dedicated fans. It even popped up in movies like Jerry
00:52Maguire, but never exploded commercially. That changed when The Batman featured it prominently.
00:57Its dark, brooding tone perfectly matched Robert Pattinson's tortured Bruce Wayne,
01:02giving Nirvana's track an unexpected revival.
01:04I wish I could say I'm making a difference, but I don't know.
01:17After the film's theatrical release, the song saw a massive spike in streaming. It re-entered
01:23charts decades after its release, and even landed back on Billboard. Sometimes, timing makes all the
01:29difference.
01:29Number 15. What's Up? For Non Blondes.
01:32This funky anthem has shown remarkable staying power. When first released, it peaked at number
01:3714 on the Billboard Hot 100 in the U.S., and was the best-selling song of 1993 in Austria.
01:50Decades later, its popularity has not faded. The song appeared in series like Sense8 and The
01:56Handmaid's Tale, introducing it to new audiences. Ariana Grande even interpolated its melody in her debut
02:01single, proving its lasting influence. In the internet era, a TikTok mashup with Nicki Minaj's
02:07Bees in the Trap gave it a fresh boost, pushing it back to streaming charts. Its music video surpassing
02:122 billion views on YouTube shows how new generations keep rediscovering it. It doesn't seem like there
02:18will ever be an end to its popularity.
02:25Number 14. Istanbul, Not Constantinople. They Might Be Giants.
02:29Even though it's technically a cover, They Might Be Giants' version of Istanbul, Not Constantinople is the
02:35version most people recognize today.
02:37Istanbul, not Constantinople. Now it's Istanbul, not Constantinople.
02:41The song was originally recorded in 1953 by the four lads, but They Might Be Giants managed to make
02:46it far more culturally visible thanks to their quirky, fast-paced arrangements. Anyone who grew up
02:51watching Tiny Toon Adventures will instantly recognize it. Even in recent times, it's been
02:55featured in numerous shows, including The Simpsons and The Umbrella Academy.
02:59Why do you come to the noble get the works? That's nobody's business but the jerks.
03:04That donut shop fight scene works incredibly well with the song added to it. You just know that's
03:09bound to attract new listeners and increase streaming charts.
03:12Number 13. Barbie Girl, Aqua. Some songs fade, others wait for the right cultural moment to
03:18explode again. Aqua's Barbie Girl clearly belongs to the second category.
03:23I'm a Barbie girl in the Barbie world. Life is classic. It's fantastic.
03:30A defining bubblegum pop hit of the late 90s, it spent years living as a nostalgic throwback.
03:36Then the 2023 Barbie film happened and changed the conversation.
03:39While the song wasn't directly used due to tonal and licensing issues,
03:44Nicki Minaj and Ice Spice released Barbie World, which heavily sampled the song.
03:48That brought the melody back to the charts.
03:50And I'm bad like the Barbie. I'm a doll but I still wanna party.
03:53Pink bell like I'm ready to bend. I'm a ten so I pull in a can.
03:56As a result, streams for the original song spiked, it re-entered charts in some territories,
04:01and a new generation discovered it too. Barbie World even got two Grammy nominations,
04:06giving the Danish-Norwegian band renewed attention.
04:09Number 12. Sandstorm.
04:10DeRude.
04:11If you've ever asked for the name of a song on YouTube or Twitch,
04:15there's a good chance you've been redirected to this trance staple instead.
04:23DeRude's Sandstorm has been the internet troll song of choice since the 2000s,
04:28keeping thousands, if not millions, from discovering the song they actually wanted to hear.
04:33The number's renewed popularity eventually made its way onto the big screen,
04:37allowing Rowan Atkinson to show off his dance skills once more in 2018's Johnny English Strikes Again.
04:47In 2019, the Auckland Symphony Orchestra performed it in concert,
04:52creating one of the few raves to have a conductor.
04:59Even though most people didn't begin listening to Sandstorm voluntarily,
05:03it has built up quite the cult following.
05:06Number 11. Ocean Man.
05:08Ween.
05:09Isn't it amazing how pop culture can resurrect an old song years later?
05:13Ocean Man.
05:14Take me by the high and lead me to the land that you understand.
05:19Before the SpongeBob SquarePants movie, Ocean Man was already a fan favorite.
05:23Indie fans truly loved it, but it wasn't a chart-dominating hit.
05:27Then, it played over the end credits of 2004's SpongeBob, exposing it to a newer audience.
05:33But the real explosion came around 2015 and 2016, when Ocean Man became a massive meme.
05:39It was used in ironic edits, absurd YouTube outros, and nostalgic SpongeBob throwbacks.
05:44The song's goofy energy made it perfect meme fuel, and that wave boosted streaming numbers.
05:54It became one of Ween's most streamed songs on Spotify, and helped them find their biggest audience decades later.
06:00Number 10. Push. Matchbox 20.
06:03If you were around in the 90s, you'd know Push wasn't just any song.
06:07Just yet, I don't know if I've ever been good enough.
06:11I'm a little bit rusty.
06:13It was literally everywhere. Radio. MTV. Emotional teenage bedrooms.
06:18It became one of those angsty alt-rock staples that defined the era.
06:21So, when an equally angsty Ken dramatically performs it in Barbie, it is genius.
06:26The scene didn't just spark nostalgia for 90s kids, it drove renewed streams.
06:30Thanks to this memorable scene, Push saw about 3 million U.S. streams in one tracking week,
06:36while sales of the track increased over 200%.
06:44Even Ryan Gosling's rendition gained traction.
06:47So, all thanks to Barbie, the song found a whole new audience long after its original 90s success.
06:52Guess we can all agree that the song is indeed timeless.
06:55Number 9. Two Princes. Spin Doctors.
06:58For those who don't know Two Princes, it might sound all made up in South Park.
07:02But it is 100% a real song.
07:05One, two.
07:06Princess near before you.
07:08That's what I said now.
07:09Not just that.
07:10It was literally everywhere during the early 90s.
07:13That goofy, upbeat,
07:14If you want to call me baby.
07:17Hook.
07:17Pure 90s radio energy.
07:19South Park uses it in the Tegrity Farms episode during the hemp hat moments with Stan and later with Randy.
07:24The combination of the song's cheesy, feel-good vibe and Randy's over-the-top Tegrity persona just works.
07:30Though it may not have revived the song as massively as Barbie did for Push,
07:34it probably nudged viewers back to streaming platforms.
07:37I know where the bridge and love our hearts could be.
07:39I know where the bridge and love our hearts could be.
07:41With South Park's large audience and strong meme culture,
07:44that kind of bump should not be surprising.
07:47Number 8. Canned Heat.
07:48Jamiroquai.
07:49Who can forget that legendary final dance in Napoleon Dynamite?
07:53During the talent show, Napoleon performs an awkward but confident dance routine to Canned Heat,
07:58instantly stealing the spotlight.
07:59I used to worry about the future.
08:02But then I threw my caution to the wind.
08:06The scene became endlessly replayed, quoted and memed,
08:10cementing both the moment and the song in pop culture history.
08:13It's not like the song or Jamiroquai weren't already known.
08:16In fact, the song was a solid hit in the UK where it reached number 4 on the UK singles
08:21chart.
08:21Plus, the band had international recognition for their slick funk disco sound.
08:25Dance!
08:26Whoa!
08:27Nothing else I need to do about dance!
08:30All these bad times I'm going through, just dance!
08:33Still, Napoleon's dance brought the song to the attention of many for the first time.
08:38Now, you cannot hear the song's opening beat without picturing moon boots sliding across the high school stage.
08:44Number 7.
08:45Tub Thumping.
08:45Chumbawamba.
08:46With its defiant message and chant-along vibe, it's no surprise Tub Thumping became Chumbawamba's biggest hit.
08:52I get knocked down, but I get up again.
08:55Baby, I'm gonna keep me down.
08:57The I get knocked down, but I get up again hook was easily relatable and almost impossible not to shout.
09:03The song wasn't just popular in the US and the UK.
09:06It exploded worldwide.
09:08Its relevance did not stop in the 90s, though.
09:10In 2003, They Might Be Giants covered it for the A.V. Club, and the song also stayed alive through
09:15TV nostalgia.
09:16Scream Queens uses it perfectly during a chaotic party scene, and Little Fires Everywhere features it, too, as an anchor
09:22for its 90s setting.
09:23It's like a movie.
09:25Yeah, hopefully we don't be drenched in pig's blood.
09:27If you want to make a one-hit wonder, make it like this one.
09:30Number 6.
09:31No Diggity.
09:32Blackstreet featuring Dr. Dre and Queen Penn.
09:34With its killer piano hook and a guest verse from a hip-hop legend, Blackstreet's biggest hit could not stay
09:41buried.
09:46It notably made a comeback in 2012 after appearing in an unlikely place, Pitch Perfect.
09:52During a riff-off with rival acapella group The Troublemakers, the Barden Bellas whip out their cover of No Diggity,
09:59and it ends up being their greatest weapon.
10:01Getting paid is a forte.
10:03Kitchen every day.
10:04To play away.
10:06I can't get out of my mind.
10:08Oh, wow.
10:08Okay.
10:09Although Anna Kendrick's take on the opening rap is a little awkward, she quickly finds her footing once the singing
10:15starts.
10:16Emily Blunt also took a stab at the track on Lip Sync Battle, and Ed Sheeran often covers it live.
10:22I like the way you're working.
10:23No Diggity.
10:24I'm about to back it up.
10:26Even among people who don't normally listen to rap, No Diggity seems to be one of those songs they just
10:31can't resist.
10:32Number 5.
10:33Butterfly, Smile DK.
10:35With a Japanese-influenced melody and lyrics about samurais, you might not realize this dance hit actually came from Europe.
10:50While Butterfly was popular in Smile DK's native Sweden, it wasn't until its inclusion in Dance Dance Revolution that the
10:57rest of the world took note.
10:58Today, it's known as one of the game's most recognizable tracks, with remixes included in many editions throughout the franchise's
11:05history.
11:06In 2021, it even received a Blink and You'll Miss It cameo in WandaVision as Billy and Tommy played the
11:13iconic game.
11:16There's also apparently a strange phenomenon of butterfly being used in toy cell phones made in China.
11:22Nobody can explain it.
11:23And we might never know how it started.
11:26But we are happy to sing along.
11:38Originally released in 1990, Hold On became a massive hit, even reaching number one on the Billboard Hot 100.
11:44Just open your heart and your mind.
11:49But more than two decades later, it got a major pop culture revival thanks to Bridesmaids.
11:54If you can recall in the film's wedding reception scene, the band makes a surprise appearance and performs Hold On.
12:00This oddly campy but heartfelt moment managed to turn what starts as an awkward moment into a full-blown emotional
12:06sing-along.
12:12All thanks to this, Hold On saw a spike in downloads and streaming 21 years later after it hit number
12:18one.
12:19Isn't that amazing?
12:20Yep.
12:20It's just as impressive how Closer to Find found renewed relevance after being featured in the 2023 film Barbie.
12:27Number 3.
12:27Pony.
12:28Genuine.
12:29All the way from 1996, Pony proved it had serious staying power by making a comeback in the 21st century.
12:41It wasn't as if it was unknown in the 90s.
12:43In fact, it was a major R&B hit that helped Genuine top charts.
12:47But its revival came when it featured in Magic Mike in 2012.
12:51Mind you, it wasn't the only song featured in the film.
12:54But unlike some others, the song surged in streams, digital downloads, and sales.
12:59After watching Magic Mike's electrifying performance to the song, who wouldn't want to listen to Pony more than a few
13:04times?
13:04Its legacy didn't even stop there.
13:06The song returned in Magic Mike XXL and the 2023 sequel.
13:17It's safe to say it's the franchise's unofficial anthem.
13:21Number 2.
13:22What is love?
13:23Hathaway.
13:23It's a question as old as time.
13:26Hathaway's Eurodance classic never actually answers its title quandary, leaving it up to the listener's interpretation.
13:38With just the right amount of cheese, what is love became meme fodder in later years, while still being considered
13:45a good song.
13:46It also appeared in 2018's Black Panther, thanks to Andy Serkis' character Claw singing it during an interrogation.
13:53What is love?
13:54Baby, don't hurt me.
13:57Don't hurt me.
13:59No more.
14:00Plus, it made its way into Saints Row 4.
14:02Who knew Hathaway's number was so versatile?
14:05Even when people are poking fun at it, there's no denying the staying power of What is Love.
14:10What is love?
14:11Baby, don't hurt me.
14:14Don't hurt me.
14:16No more.
14:17It's distinctive beat makes it ripe for sampling, and there is no doubt that we'll hear it again in a
14:23future hit.
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14:40Number 1.
14:41All Star.
14:42Smash Mouth.
14:43The years start coming and they don't stop coming, but this song will never die.
14:55It's impossible to discuss All Star's legacy without mentioning Shrek, which famously used it in the opening credits.
15:02The song's underdog message made it a perfect match for the title ogre's swamp life,
15:06to the point that it's now synonymous with the film.
15:09Hey now, you're an All Star.
15:11Get your game on.
15:13Go play.
15:14Smash Mouth seemingly embraced their new status as the Shrek band.
15:17Indeed.
15:18It's them you hear singing a cover of the Monkees' I'm a Believer at the end.
15:22Shockingly, Shrek is now almost as old as All Star.
15:26But the film's continued relevance and popularity has cemented the song as one of the most timeless works of the
15:3390s.
15:34Hey now, you're a rock star.
15:36Get the show on.
15:37Get paid.
15:41Did your favorite 90s song make it to the list?
15:44Let us know in the comments.
15:51Did your favorite 90s song make it to the list?