GoGo Yubari's Top 100 Songs of the '90s

[GoGo Yubari]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vNn5unDNfGM

30. "The End of the Tour" by They Might Be Giants

Another tough field to win out in. Other top contenders for this list were "No One Knows My Plan," "I Palindrome I," and "Istanbul (Not Constantinople)." Like... jeez. Now I'm having a hard time deciding between this and "No One Knows My Plan" even as I type. But this wins. Just barely. Because I don't want go find another YouTube video. Hooray for laziness! I think both songs really display their songwriting at its strongest; "No One Knows My Plan" is wittier, but in spite of the claim that it's a song about nothing at all, "The End of the Tour" just feels like it has more weight to it.

29. "Breakadawn" by De La Soul

Here again is a really tough call, this time between "Breakadawn," "Eye Know," and "A Roller Skating Jam Called 'Saturday.'" Here the deciding factor is really the amazing beat on "Breakadown," right down to the backing vocals in the chorus, which I always quietly sing along to as the song goes on. (Aaaa~aaaah~AHHHH~ahhhh~ahhhh~ah~ah~!)

[Guest mr. potato head]

Does it make the decision a bit easier if I tell you "Istanbul (Not Constantinople)" was a cover?

[GoGo Yubari]

No, I know that. It wouldn't have been the first cover on this list.

[GoGo Yubari]

28. "Happy Sad" by Pizzicato Five

The next in a string of hard decisions. And in fact, fuck it. I'm just going to listen to more Pizzicato Five songs because everyone should be listening to Pizzicato Five. So listen to these songs;

and their excellent cover of

"Happy Sad" won out for a couple reasons; I love backing singers, as I've mentioned before, and this one has fun backing vocals, it's crazy catchy and uptempo, and I find it hilarious that they actually start the song with the band fucking up their own catchphrase. That's great.

27. "Eyes on Me" by Faye Wong

... yeah, um. So! This one's gonna earn me some mockery. And actually now that I look at it I think it's probably a few songs too high, but I won't budge further than that because this song is a vital part of my adolescence. As is Final Fantasy in general, I think, and VIII was kind of my favorite. And I will always be able to sing this song, like... not entirely from memory, but pretty darn close, and I was doing so absentmindedly as I was writing this. This song is a big damn sappy-as-fuck love ballad and I love it that way and it's my list so SCREW YOU okay

[SeanDMan]

35. "Tonight, Tonight" by Smashing Pumpkins

I love Smashing Pumpkins when they're like this and not all obnoxiously angsty and THE WOOOOOORLD IS A VAMPIIIIIRE/AND GOD IS EMPTY JUST LIKE ME/etc. I'll take wide-eyed, awestruck sentimentality over snotty teen bullshit any day of the week.

He says, speaking of a song off the album Mellon Collie And The Infinite Sadness.

[GoGo Yubari]

He says, speaking of a song off the album Mellon Collie And The Infinite Sadness.

INCONSEQUENTIAL.

And now, Best Opening Lines Ever edition before I go to bed.

26. "Serve the Servants" by Nirvana

Teenage angst has paid off well/Now I'm bored and old.

25. "Mama Said Knock You Out" by LL Cool J

Don't call it a comeback/I've been here for years/Rocking my peers/Putting suckers in fear/Making the tears rain down like a monsoon/Listen to the bass go boom/Explosion, overpowering/Over the competition I'm towering/Record shops, when I drop/These lyrics that'll make you call the cops/Don't you dare stare/You better move, don't ever compare/Me to the rest that'll all get sliced and diced/Competition's paying the price!/I'm gonna knock you out/Mama said knock you out/I'm gonna knock you out/Mama said knock you out --

... okay, I got a little carried away on that one.

[MalaCloudy Black]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sT6TK_sFY_A

This should've been your TMBG entry.

[GoGo Yubari]

Wrong decade. But speaking of songs prominently featured on Adult Swim...

24. "Say I Believe In It" by Isabelle Antena

No big shock what I discovered this song through. The moral is effective TV montage use = love from GoGo Yubari. This song is gorgeous, anyway.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zz8_aQY27dc

23. "Doo Wop (That Thing)" by Lauryn Hill

Highest-charting R&B song, for a very good reason (not the highest-charting hip-hop song, though). I remember the summer of '98 when this song was omnipresent and I think I didn't like it much, but I was young and dumb then and I'd go on to listen to fucking Limp Bizkit, so I didn't know shit at the time.

[GoGo Yubari]

22. "Sexx Laws" by Beck

Sorry, "Loser." I don't want to wallow in self-pity, I just wanna dance.

21. "Real Love" by The Beatles

Auuuuugh, picking the song to miss the top twenty was death. "Real Love" had to lose points, though, since it wasn't entirely recorded in/near the '90s, but I still count it since that's when the three Beatles who weren't... well, dead recorded their parts. "Real Love" is pretty easily the best of their three or so songs they released in this manner in the '90s. Of course, if there were a Top 100 Songs of the '60s that I ever did (I will almost certainly never do that), then The Beatles' chart placement would change drastically...

COMING UP, IN THE TOP TWENTY: Alternative godfathers! One-hit wonders! Songs from perhaps my two favorite soundtracks of all time! Songs from Europe! Stay tuned.

[GoGo Yubari]

20. "Philosophy in a Tea Cup" from Trigun

Trigun has the second-best TV soundtrack of all time. There's a lot of really strong background music to pull from (and a badass opening theme in "H.T.," which blew my mind when I first heard it), but none as brilliant as this one, which almost seems to overlap two songs over each other (or, really, take a light jazz song and add a chaotic drum beat and then watch amazing happen) to great effect. If I didn't get constantly harangued to not visibly use my mp3 player on planes, I would totally play this as the plane took off. Always.

19. "Intergalactic" by the Beastie Boys

Totally my favorite song of the '90s from like... 1997 to 2002? Definitely a long stretch of time. There is nothing I need to say about "Intergalactic." It's the best. Or, well, I guess it's the nineteenth-best in this case. Whatever, semantics.

[GoGo Yubari]

18. "Dig For Fire" by the Pixies

I think as time has progressed this has become my favorite Pixies song with greater and greater certainty. Like, I think the Favorite Pixies Song progression goes something like this:

2003 - 2006: "Here Comes Your Man"

2006 - 2008: I think it was "U-Mass?" Or maybe "Where Is My Mind?" Or, uh. "Velouria?" There were a bunch of songs contending in this period.

2008 - present: "Dig For Fire"

Apparently this song is a Talking Heads homage. I can sort of hear it like that when I frame it in that context, though the guitars are a lot heavier than they would've been in a hypothetical Talking Heads version of this song. I could totally hear David Byrne singing these lyrics. Anyway, moving on to...

17. "Cannonball" by the Breeders

Yes, it's a Kim Deal double feature in this update. Why does it feel like this song is only used to promote terrible things? I never see it in trailers for good movies. That needs to be fixed because this song deserves better. It's probably one of the greatest alternative singles of all time. Like, if I had to make that playlist/mixtape/mix CD/whatever this would be on there, probably as the second track.

[GoGo Yubari]

16. "Groove is in the Heart" by Deeee-Lite

Fuck yes. One of the best one-hit wonders of all time. I'm pretty sure I have never even heard a single other song by Deee-Lite, but this one's been in my music library for like eight years. It will probably always be there, too. Getting tired of this song would be like getting tired of... I don't know. Puppies?

15. "Porcelain" by Moby

There was this brief period in the early '00s where I was super-into Moby. I had albums, I followed his quaint little internet blog, all of that. There's no real big thematic reason for me to mention that, I'm just amused that I was that into Moby of all people. Like, he's really not that interesting. He makes pretty music a lot of the time, though! None moreso than "Porcelain," which has been a favorite of mine for like twelve years now. Probably the only song on this list that I've loved for longer is "Intergalactic."

[GoGo Yubari]

14. "My Drug Buddy" by The Lemonheads

I think The Lemonheads are probably best-known for their fairly solid cover of "Mrs. Robinson" by Simon and Garfunkel, and while I like that just fine, I think their strongest effort is by far "My Drug Buddy" (honorable mention to "Confetti," a song off the same album), which I grew to love through my current radio station of choice featuring it on its morning show on more than one occasion. This would be on, like... if I had a "it's Sunday morning and I'm only half-awake" playlist, it would be on it. I should make that playlist. Also, the music video for this is kind of hilarious. I love Evan Dando's Fabio hair.

13. "Virtual Insanity" by Jamiroquai

First real hard choice when it came to picking a song since... probably Pizzicato Five. Maybe Nirvana. Could have been this, could have been "Cosmic Girl," could have been "Falling," could have been "Runaway," could have been "Everyday." Jamiroquai's got a very deep bench when it comes to songs I really love. But I guess the most obvious one won out this time around (or is "Canned Heat" the most obvious?).

[GoGo Yubari]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4rVFzCRQFrM

12. "Sugar Water" by Cibo Matto

Cibo Matto is like... I'm pretty sure I would be disqualified from being me if I didn't automatically love them. They're so great. Any band that can be quirky and eccentric without being irritatingly precious about it and shift from style to style the way Cibo Matto do is pretty fantastic. "Sugar Water," which is either their most famous or second-most famous song behind "Birthday Cake," sort of feels like their ode to shoegaze. This would also be on that playlist with "My Drug Buddy," most likely the leadoff track.

11. "Goldfinger" by Ash

You know what I love about this song? The way the singing and guitar sync up briefly and repeatedly at the tail end of most of the verses (ex. the first one at 0:55). That's beautiful. I love this song so much just for that.

[GoGo Yubari]

10. "Space Lion" from Cowboy Bebop

The best soundtrack of all time, in any form of media. Picking a single song from the Cowboy Bebop soundtrack is... well, it's not the hardest choice I've had to make. The hardest was for the artist that finishes fourth. But it's right up there for second place. I could have gone with the amazing opening theme, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n2rVnRwW0h8, which sold me on watching the show all the way through in about forty seconds. I could have gone with a song like

that further displays what talented jazz musicians The Seatbelts, the band that brought most of the songs to life, are. Or I could have made a more left field choice and showcased composer Yoko Kanno's versatility and ability to make great

and so on. Or I could have gone with

the series-ender. In fact, I almost did. But then I listened to "Space Lion" again, and it towered above the rest. The saxophone solo that it opens with in and of itself is fairly incredible, and that's just minute one of seven minutes of the most beautiful music ever.

9. "Hawthorne" by that dog.

that dog. are the single most underrated band of the '90s. Like, in a perfect world they have seven or eight albums by now or are embarking on a big reunion tour and it was some band like... I don't know, Bush that had a couple of songs that got a bit of radioplay but not that much and broke up in the late '90s instead. Retreat From the Sun, which this track comes from, is nearly flawless for what it is, and had I had confidence that anyone but me would have voted for it it on Fr34k's list.

(This update is officially the Hyperbole Edition of the countdown. Which is cool because now we're getting down to the songs that mostly just me and maybe four other EWBers listen to anyway.)

[GoGo Yubari]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VQuyFfu1QRQ

8. "Black Ego" by Digable Planets

Man, I have a lot of songs that are six minutes or longer in the top ten. Didn't notice that until now. Digable Planets are another act that should have gotten more than just being a one-hit wonder, but sadly the direction of popular music as a whole was going in the opposite direction of awesome, jazz-influenced socially conscious hip-hop and that was that. I was hoping they'd release a new album what with the comeback a few years ago, but that ship has now well and truly sailed. At least there'll always be the memories, and the undeniable awesomeness of songs like "Black Ego" which epitomizes the Digable Planets aesthetic almost as much as "Rebirth of Slick (Cool Like Dat)," their sole hit.

7. "Staralfur" by Sigur Ros

... well Hamster will probably be happy, at least. See what I mean about long songs popping up in the late stages? I think I first heard this in The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou and then continually ran into it in other places enough times until I became a huge fan of it and subsequently picked up Agaetis Byrjun, which is fucking fantastic. I just adore the string section in this song, it's so great. Plus I think this might be the most accessible Sigur Ros song for a first-time listener. Or at least, it certainly was for me.

[GoGo Yubari]

6. "Lovefool" by The Cardigans

My favorite pop single of the '90s. This was The Cardigans' formula for making First Band on the Moon; "abusive, dysfunctional, fucked-up relationships + upbeat pop music + adorable Swedish singer with a cute voice = great music." Seriously, how many people were there who danced to and sang along with this song without ever realizing that they were singing along to a song about a girl hopelessly obsessed with a callous guy who's no good for her and treats her like crap, which everyone can see but her? And the best part is that's not even remotely the most fucked-up song on First Band on the Moon. Exhibit A: "Happy Meal 2." Exhibit B and Most Triumphant Example:

It's such a brilliant, subversive record, it's crazy. And the best thing is pretty much their entire discography is like this, but especially the ones released in the '90s. Hamster's already given props to Gran Turismo, but Emmerdale and Life are also must-owns if you like pop music with fangs.

5. "Aurora" by the Foo Fighters

So I was torn for a while on whether this spot was going to "Aurora" or "Everlong." Either song would have been a lock for top five, honestly, and each are about as amazing as the other. But "Aurora" wins because it's already practically alternative rock canon that "Everlong" is a fantastic song, and "Aurora" has never quite gotten the same amount of praise. So here, "Aurora!" You're on a list posted by a 23 year-old drama student and data entry worker on a wrestling message board, and like fifteen people will read this! I hope you're happy! But seriously, this song is great, and it means that I'm willing to give the Foo Fighters a pass for honestly more or less boring me for the last six or seven years now.

[ChrisSteeleAteMyHamster]

Ash, Sigur Ros and Cardigans make this a very successful final run-in.

[GoGo Yubari]

4. "Selfless, Cold and Composed" by Ben Folds Five

Picking a favorite Ben Folds Five song is possibly the toughest call on this entire list (the other toughest call is the one immediately after this). It's pretty much an even battle between this and "Lullabye." "Lullabye" probably gets me more emotionally invested, but more often than not "Selfless, Cold and Composed" is the one that I'm going to go out of my way to listen to because it's a song I can constantly get lost in. There's so much interesting stuff going on in it; between the lighter drumming and Folds' piano, it sort of sounds like a Vince Guaraldi song set to lyrics, and then the string section kicks in and adds yet another dimension to the song, and then everything crescendos, the drumming shifts, the bells kick in... half of the time when I hear this song at bare minimum I discover something new or rediscover something I forgot was there, and that's amazing that a song I've listened to frequently for five years can still do that.

3. "I think I can" by the pillows

HEY GUYS, DID YOU KNOW THERE'S THIS ONE JAPANESE BAND I REALLY LIKE? Yeah, uh. If you know me and music at all you're probably not surprised by this. And if I had done a list like this where I didn't limit it to one song per band, I'm not sure if there's any band that could have challenged the pillows for most songs that would have ended up on it, and picking a favorite here was also, as they say, difficult difficult lemon difficult. But "I think I can" is my favorite because it's, like... this, to me, is what triumph sounds like in song form. This song is victory. The opening guitar riff, the blaring guitars, the way Sawao Yamanaka sings throughout, and of course that fucking chorus, that gloriously infectious chorus. As much as I wish the pillows would shy away from playing the same songs from their late '90s period every time they play in the US, I'm seeing them next month and I hope like hell I get to hear this live for the third time. This is just a beautiful fucking song.

[GoGo Yubari]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f1uvECNUYRE

2. "Coffee & TV" by Blur

First time I heard this was when I watched the music video in... what, 1999? And I was like "oh, that was weird. I guess the milk carton's cute. Huh." Fast-forward to 2002, and I can't remember for the life of me how I heard it again (I was really into Gorillaz by then, so maybe that has something to do with it?) but when I did, I suddenly became obsessed with the song. I think I literally listened to it for hours, late at night. Like, I skipped school the next day because I was too tired from staying up and bumming around online so I could justify listening to "Coffee & TV" on an endless loop. I think this song was part of the bridge between me as a pre-teen listening to Japanese anime themes and Final Fantasy soundtracks and whatever was on alternative rock radio and my developing something resembling my current taste in music, and so I'm forever in its debt. It was very, very close in the running for #1, but I think ultimately I'm going with...

1. "Only in Dreams" by Weezer

This song is how I learned to love songs over six minutes. I remember being bewildered by this longer track that only has lyrics for the first couple minutes and not really being that into it and sort of wanting to go a few tracks back and listen to "Holiday" or "Surf Wax America" or "In the Garage," and I was like "this is good but man, why can't it have a couple more verses?" But it doesn't need that, and I see that now. "Only in Dreams" escalates so perfectly; the solos are wonderful, the drumming is the best you'll probably ever hear on a Weezer song, and I really like Pinkerton and all but I can't help but feel that this is where Weezer peaked as a band. This is the high-mark, Pinkerton is just an inch or two below, The Green Album and Maladroit are quite a few feet down but still respectable, and then it all goes to hell in a handbasket. But in eight days I'll finally see Weezer live with 100% assurance that they're going to play this song (they're playing their first two albums in full), and I'm going to do everything I can to properly take in the moment. "Only in Dreams" is a triumph, a rock epic disguised in shy high school geek affectations, and it's my favorite song of the '90s.

And that's it, it's finally done! I'd like to thank everyone who read this, and extra thanks to everyone who posted in the thread. My next music forum project will be coming up sometime after YI finishes his band list, so until then, I guess?