Last week, I did a post entitled WHAT WERE WE THINKING?!? QUESTIONABLE 80′S HITS, where I took a look at some of the hits from the 80’s that will never make it to the hall of fame, and yet were probably song that at one point in time, we all would have to admit to humming when they came on the radio. Well, I thought I would apply that same criteria to the 90’s, to see what I could come up with.

The 90’s were a pretty decent decade for music…not as good as the 80’s, of course, but at least for a few years, the alternative, underground scene busted wide open and acts that had been ignored a few years earlier were enjoyed by the masses. But not everything that came out was great. In fact, there was a lot of crap that came out in the 90’s that still managed to make it to the top of the charts….fueled in large part, I suspect, by that bastion of good taste know an MTV.

Of all the groups in the 90’s, the worst group to gain mass stardom was Hootie & the Blowfish. I swear, a worse band never existed, and I struggle to come up with one redeeming thing about them. Their music was pop at it’s worst…simplistic melodies and inane lyrics combined to make crap songs, yet from some reason, they were the biggest thing on the planet for a couple years. Go figure. But even I, in my moments of insanity, will catch myself singing along to I Only Wanna Be With You. Can any song with the lyrics “I’m such a baby, the Dolphins make me cry” ever be considered good?

The irony of this list is that I actually have Paula Cole’s album, and I’ve seen Counting Crows in concert. I guess in the 90’s I must have had more money laying around than brains. But then again, that’s not really fair…Counting Crows was opening up for Live when I saw them, and Paula Cole…well, OK, I was an idiot on that one. But the CD cover look nice.

The rest of the list…well, it’s packed with real winners. I liked Friend in the mid to late 90’s just as much as anyone else, but was the theme song really that good? Of course not. In fact it sucked released as a single. But people ate it up. Talk about coat tails. And Ace of Base. Another band right up there with Hootie, albeit not as popular. Then the list gets to the plain old sad and pathetic…Spin Doctors and Deep Blue Something. I can forgive Spin Doctors…I’ve had friends who’ve seen them live in small clubs tell me their actually a great show. So they get a little break. But Deep Blue Something? Not a chance in hell. Breakfast at Tiffany’s was the worst song EVAH! And yet, if it comes on, I find myself singing along. In those moments, I know the true meaning of self-loathing. I really do. Enjoy!

1. Counting Crows - Mr. Jones
2. Deep Blue Something - Breakfast At Tiffany’s
3. Spin Doctors - Two Princes
4. Eagle Eyed Cherry - Save Tonight
5. Hootie & The Blowfish - Only Wanna Be With You
6. Paula Cole - Where Have All The Cowboys Gone
7. Barenaked Ladies - One Week
8. The Rembrandts - I’ll Be There For You
9. Everlast - What It’s Like
10. Ace Of Bass - The Sign