50 Memorable Songs Of The Late 1990s That Apparently Only You Remember, Even Though They Were Totally On The Radio And Stuff

When I saw Carnival Art in London they were giving out unused VHS tapes with this video on. About 20 people at the gig as I recall...

More also-ran trip-hop: "Failure" by Skinny

This has made my day because I had completely forgotten about it but as soon as I read the title I could hear it in my head.

Not quite sure where to draw the line of too obscure to mention on this thread. S'pose "token dance track on the Evening Session every night for a fortnight, sold approx. 3 copies, never heard of again" is probably not it and I should take my vague nostalgia for Deejay Punkroc or the Ecologist to This is the thread where we reminisce over not particularly good Evening Session bands from the late 90s or the big beat thread or somewhere

Dunno how memorable it really is, but I do rather fondly remember the UK Eurovision entry from 1999, "Say It Again", which was quite nice and surely much better than Charlotte Nilsson's winning song.

Yea Matt, I saw them on the saem (probably only) tour in Glasgow, there were about 15 people there tops.

Too weird for the mainstream, too mainstream for the weirdos (apart from me)!

I've mentioned the Thrumdrone record on other threads, it still stands up pretty well imho.

Too weird for the mainstream, too mainstream for the weirdos

XTC and Thomas Dolby. :)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g92vl5lsWVM

John Mellencamp - Just Another Day (aka "the Big Jim Picato song")

ha. that one and "fire escape" are pretty much the only ones i remember.

"fire escape" is pretty grebt though.

dopey, but grebt. nice hook.

Yeah, it's a nicely done song! A drag at karaoke though, it turns out there's a few too many repetitions of the chorus IIRC.

and now on youtube...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0jMyjjeSWak

"fire escape" came up on Pandora for me just yesterday!

Not on YouTube, but: 1,000 Clowns, "(Not The) Greatest Rapper."

From the comments for 1000 Clowns:

"i wonder how many chicks he picked up with that song?

I am thinking 0"

― Dom Passantino (Dom Passantino), Saturday, July 15, 2006 3:59 PM Bookmark

Robbie Williams - "Millenium". Really great pop tune, I thought it was big but nobody really remembers it anymore. Was stunned to find out that he was like a multi-billionaire with a castle...I thought this was his debut. I guess in America we never really heard much of him.

Moxy Fruvous - "King of Spain". Fun and gimmicky, actually this band turned out to be pretty decent if a little grating.

Janet Jackson - "Runaway". I hear it a lot in grocery stores and the like. I'm not really a fan but the vocal overdubs in this song were incredible. I always thought the song sounded unfinished and could have been a lot better. I still enjoy it (believe it or not)

Merril Bainbridge - "Mouth". Remember this cute little aussie girl? Kind of what I called "Mom Rock", catchy and quirky, and very friendly. If you don't remember it's the one that goes "would it be so bad/if I could turn you on?" She had another single "Under the Water" that got stuck in my head for like 10 years. I also remember that she did a Pet Shop Boys cover that was pretty interesting. Wonder what happened to her...?

Little T and One Track Mike - "Shaniqua". Classic!! Looking back this tune was even more bizarre than I remembered! "She's busy milking her purple cow and talkin' to the Easter Bunny!" Really bizarre rhymes but altogether this came together quite well.

Bad Ronald - "Shoot the Shit". Saw it on MTV a few times, had no idea what to think. Catchy tune but the bad clearly wanted to have more of an edge. Somehow I may be the only one who remembers "Bad Ronald".

Aqua - "Doctor Jones". Yes, they DID have another single! If I recall correctly this was a #1 in their home country and generally very big in Europe. In fact, Aquarium technically had 7 singles! "Doctor Jones" is easily their best, one of the few perfect pop songs in existance (really!)

Doctor Casino - I do remember Everclear's "One Hit Wonder"...IMO it was the best single off that album, maybe because it actually kind of sounded different from the rest? I went back and listened to the Everclear disc I bought when I was 12 and wow do they recycle their chord progressions a lot. Sounds great when you're 12 though.

I also thought "Fire Escape" was pretty great. Just pure and perfect power-pop. Sadly the band wasn't really that great. They still kick around but from what I've heard never really made a good album.

"Millenium" is the only Robbie Williams song I know!

I think the reason you never hear it anymore is like "Will 2k," it has a built in expiration date. "Millenium" does get some play on adult contempo radio sometimes.

Samantha Mumba

Robin S - Show Me Love & Robyn S - Show Me Love

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ia2OkrWNmzE
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lwaxy3KCfgQ

Robyn* ;)

Yvette Michele - I'm Not Feelin You

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Opgllgc_lOw

Horace Brown - One For the Money

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QB-VTA9nw2U

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mXbldxnQgy8

Jennifer Trynin, "Better Than Nothing"

She later wrote one of those "alternative rock, what was THAT about?" memoirs like the drummer from Semisonic

da croupier -- where the hell were you living in the 90's and why did this song show up on the radio?

Haha, the "Alternative" station in State College, PA actually played shit like Chavez' "The Guard Attacks" and Sebadoh's "The Ocean" as Buzz Tracks!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kHtVvq4I_S0&ob=av2e

Veruca Salt - "Shutterbug"

A friend had this on his tumblr the other day, couldn't remember how it went at ALL until I played it even though I owned the cassette and recognized the video from multiple views on 120 Minutes

Janet Jackson - "Runaway". I hear it a lot in grocery stores and the like. I'm not really a fan but the vocal overdubs in this song were incredible. I always thought the song sounded unfinished and could have been a lot better. I still enjoy it (believe it or not)

i am a fan and this has long been my favorite song by her

The Firm "Phone Tap"

Did Veruca Salt use those novelty tall dresses in another video, or am I just thinking of the novelty bungee cord harnesses in "Volcano Girls"?

wtf Nas Escobar? I'm so confused about what the name of this group was supposed to be... So I guess it's not The Firm..

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HM9zpTTZirk

32. The Offspring - "All I Want" (the last alt-rock semi-hit to clock less than 2:00?)

up until "United States Of Whatever" & "Fell In Love with A Girl"

"she's all i ever had" ricky martin

literally i think i am the only person on earth who remembers this song (including ricky martin) and i'm probably the only one who enjoys it too

I was just talking w/my friend on the phone and had to remind him Marcy Playground had a hit after "Sex and Candy" (albeit a smaller one)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QPWZZ4QaSQ0

Wasn't 'Coming up from behind' also sort of popular after appearing on the Cruel Intentions OST?

Aqua - "Doctor Jones". Yes, they DID have another single! If I recall correctly this was a #1 in their home country and generally very big in Europe. In fact, Aquarium technically had 7 singles! "Doctor Jones" is easily their best, one of the few perfect pop songs in existance (really!)

― frogbs

Also big in Latin America. Song got played almost as much as 'Barbie Girl' over here. Most people only remember the latter tho.

What about:

Janet Jackson - Got Till It's Gone

J Dilla on production credits, Joni Mitchell sample, charted ok on international charts and yet few people from my generation and downward seem to remember it at all.

Maybe I am totally wrong about this; they played "Doctor Jones" at my cousin's bat mitzvah and a lot of the teenage girls loved it!! They were even singing along to the "wake up now!" part!! When did this happen??

"Saint Joe" is a great one. I once started Marcy Playground: Classic or dud? in an attempt to raise awareness of his non-"Sex and Candy" material, but it...didn't really take.

Listening to "Doctor Jones" now - have DEFINITELY never heard this before but it ain't bad. Would love to hear a cover that liberates the chorus from the dinky club beat, which was never my favorite sound of the decade.

"St. Joe" had a video?! Sweet!!!

Wasn't 'Coming up from behind' also sort of popular after appearing on the Cruel Intentions OST?

Not sure. "St. Joe..." was a top ten Modern Rock Hit but didn't cross over like "Sex & Candy" did. I seem to recal "Poppies" & the lead single from the second lp "It's Saturday" getting airplay in my neck of the woods as well.

Lately I've been thinking alot about things pertaining to this thread subject because for the last 6 months, we've had a "Classic Alternative" station on the dial down here and I've been mentally noting huge songs that have escaped their net. For example, in the case of a group like Marcy Playground, we get stuck with their one big song.

yeah otm "St. Joe" won't ever get radio airplay again, unless ppl sign a petition or something...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IoT7nTT8kLc

Still pissed off to be reminded of "Mungo City" every time this thread is revived

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D2SRrUGW5Gw

INXS - Elegantly Wasted (not good, but I remember this getting tons of airplay for a short time and then totally vanishing from the record)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=053b3GKPzYU

Bif Naked - Daddy's Getting Married

Convinced Semisonic owe her a check for "Closing Time," or maybe it's just a really generic chord progression. But it don't get much grungier than this. Drowning dreams like puppies in ACIIIIID!

Anyone up in this bitch remember Patti Rothberg?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uJSt3ZPGJPg

Nope! Not a bad tune although sort of...generic maybe? Or that might just be the video doing that.

(She's cute though!)