Thanks to "Derek06" for the Chart of Radio Airplay Hits, I have compiled the Top 100 Most Played Songs on the Radio in the '90s from the entire list (Based on the Total Points).  Here is the Top 100


1  Iris - Goo Goo Dolls  (1998)
2 Truly Madly Deeply - Savage Garden (1998)
3  Don't Speak - No Doubt  (1996)
4 I Love You Always Forever - Donna Lewis (1996)
5  Smooth - Santana w/ Rob Thomas  (1999)
6  Another Night - Real McCoy  (1994)
7 Torn - Natalie Imbruglia (1998)
8  You Were Meant For Me - Jewel  (1997)
9 Slide - Goo Goo Dolls (1999)
10 The Sign - Ace Of Base (1994)
11  Two Princes - Spin Doctors  (1993)
12 Stay -  Lisa Loeb & Nine Stories (1994)
13 ...Baby One More Time - Britney Spears (1999)
14  Name - Goo Goo Dolls  (1995)
15 I Know - Dionne Farris (1995)
16 Don't Turn Around - Ace Of Base (1994)
17 3 A.M. - Matchbox 20 (1998)
18 Semi Charmed Life - Third Eye Blind (1997)
19 All My Life - K Ci & JoJo (1998)
20 Lovefool - Cardigans (1997)
21 Give Me One Reason - Tracy Chapman (1996)
22 All Star - Smash Mouth (1999)
23 Kiss From A Rose - Seal (1995)
24 You Learn - Alanis Morissette (1996)
25 Missing - Everything But The Girl (1996)
26 I Don't Want To Miss A Thing - Aerosmith (1998)
27 Fly - Sugar Ray w/ Super Cat (1997)
28 Nobody Knows - Tony Rich Project (1996)
29 Every Morning - Sugar Ray (1999)
30 Don't Let Go -  En Vogue (1996)
31 As Long As You Love Me - Backstreet Boys (1998)
32 Genie In A Bottle - Christina Aguilera (1999)
33 Mr. Jones - Counting Crows (1994)
34 Ironic - Alanis Morissette (1996)
35 Because You Loved Me - Celine Dion (1996)
36 I Want It That Way - Backstreet Boys (1999)
37 Show Me Love - Robyn (1997)
38 Walkin' On The Sun - Smash Mouth (1998)
39 Quit Playin' Games With My Heart - Backstreet Boys (1997)
40 No Scrubs - TLC (1999)
41 Always - Bon Jovi (1994)
42 Kiss Me - Sixpence None The Richer (1999)
43 Crush - Jennifer Paige (1998)
44 Run Around - Blues Traveler (1995)
45 All I Wanna Do - Sheryl Crow (1994)
46 One Headlight - Wallflowers (1997)
47 Mouth - Merril Bainbridge (1996)
48 I Want You - Savage Garden (1997)
49 Only Wanna Be With You - Hootie & The Blowfish (1995)
50 I'll Make Love To You - Boyz II Men (1994)
51 Save Tonight - Eagle Eye Cherry (1999)
52 Foolish Games - Jewel (1997)
53 Dreamlover - Mariah Carey (1993)
54 On Bended Knee - Boyz II Men (1994)
55  It's All Coming Back To Me Now - Celine Dion  (1996)
56 All That She Wants - Ace Of Base (1993)
57 Take A Bow - Madonna (1995)
58 Runaway - Janet Jackson (1995)
59 Waterfalls - TLC (1995)
60 One Week - Barenaked Ladies (1998)
61  Real World - Matchbox 20  (1998)
62 Push - Matchbox 20 (1997)
63 Always Be My Baby - Mariah Carey (1996)
64 Fantasy - Mariah Carey (1995)
65 Let Her Cry - Hootie & The Blowfish (1995)
66  Tubthumping - Chumbawamba  (1997)
67 That's The Way Love Goes - Janet Jackson (1993)
68 Can't Help Falling In Love - UB40 (1993)
69 I'll Remember - Madonna (1994)
70  I'll Be There For You - Rembrandts  (1995)
71 Water Runs Dry - Boyz II Men (1995)
72  Livin' La Vida Loca - Ricky Martin  (1999)
73 Head Over Feet - Alanis Morissette (1996)
74 One Sweet Day - Mariah Carey w/ Boyz II Men (1995)
75 I Believe - Blessid Union Of Souls (1995)
76 Ordinary World - Duran Duran (1993)
77 Hold My Hand - Hootie & The Blowfish (1995)
78 Change The World - Eric Clapton (1996)
79 My Heart Will Go On - Celine Dion (1998)
80 Un-Break My Heart - Toni Braxton (1997)
81 How Bizarre - O.M.C. (1997)
82  I Swear - All 4 One  (1994)
83 Mmmbop - Hanson (1997)
84 Mambo No. 5 -  Lou Bega (1999)
85 Baby, I Love Your Way - Big Mountain (1994)
86 Looking Through Patient Eyes - P.M. Dawn (1993)
87 Come Undone - Duran Duran (1993)
88 I'm The Only One - Melissa Etheridge (1994)
89 Do You Know What It Takes -  Robyn (1997)
90 Jumper - Third Eye Blind (1998)
91 Someday - Sugar Ray (1999)
92 I Can Love You Like That - All 4 One (1995)
93 Shine - Collective Soul (1994)
94 Wild Night - John Mellencamp w/ Me'Shell NdegeOcello (1995)
95 Uninvited - Alanis Morissette (1998)
96 Together Again - Janet Jackson (1998)
97 Never Ever - All Saints (1998)
98 Lullaby - Shawn Mullins (1998)
99 Unpretty - TLC (1999)
100  Killing Me Softly - Fugees  (1996)

It's a mystery how some of those made the list  :o

Notice how no songs from 1990-1992 are on that list.

That's becuase songs used to rise fast and fall fast.  You never saw a song stay at #1 for more than 3 weeks in the 80s (radio play wise).

Some of the years are wrong:

10- "The Sign" by Ace of Base come out in early 1993(same time as the Knicks/Hornets NBA playoff series)
20- "Lovefool" by the Cardigans came out the Tuesday before WWE In Your House: Mind Games(9/96)
23- "Kiss From a Rose" by Seal came out in 1994
33- "Mr. Jones" by Counting Crows came out in 1993
34- "Ironic" by Alanis Morrissette came out in 1995
45- "All I Wanna Do" by Sheryl Crow came out in 1993
51- "Save Tonight" by Eagle Eye Cherry came out in 1998
59- "Waterfalls" by TLC came out in 1994
93- "Shine" by Colective Soul came out in 1993
94- "Wild Night" by John Mellencamp came out in 1994

I was very surprised that even with the errors on the years, there will still no 1990-1992 songs.  There were songs from those few years that should have made the list.

-"After the Rain" by Nelson(1990)
-"Do Anything" by Natural Selection(1991)
-"Good Vibrations" by Marky Mark(1991)
-"Hey Jealousy" by Gin Blossoms(that band went downhill when Doug Hopkins killed himself)(1992)
-"Enter Sandman" by Metallica(1991)

Some of the years are wrong:

10- "The Sign" by Ace of Base come out in early 1993(same time as the Knicks/Hornets NBA playoff series)
20- "Lovefool" by the Cardigans came out the Tuesday before WWE In Your House: Mind Games(9/96)
23- "Kiss From a Rose" by Seal came out in 1994
33- "Mr. Jones" by Counting Crows came out in 1993
34- "Ironic" by Alanis Morrissette came out in 1995
45- "All I Wanna Do" by Sheryl Crow came out in 1993
51- "Save Tonight" by Eagle Eye Cherry came out in 1998
59- "Waterfalls" by TLC came out in 1994
93- "Shine" by Colective Soul came out in 1993
94- "Wild Night" by John Mellencamp came out in 1994

I was very surprised that even with the errors on the years, there will still no 1990-1992 songs.  There were songs from those few years that should have made the list.

-"After the Rain" by Nelson(1990)
-"Do Anything" by Natural Selection(1991)
-"Good Vibrations" by Marky Mark(1991)
-"Hey Jealousy" by Gin Blossoms(that band went downhill when Doug Hopkins killed himself)(1992)
-"Enter Sandman" by Metallica(1991)


Those are not "Errors" with the song years, those Years are the actual years that each song peaked on the charts in america.  You can even look on the actual charts yourself, the proof is right there.  You probably live in another country or something

"The Sign" by Ace of Base wasn't released in America until January 1994 and hit #1 on the Charts in March and May of 1994
"Lovefool" was released in December 1996, but peaked in February 1997
"Kiss From A Rose" was a #1 Hit in August 1995
"Mr. Jones" was a Hit around March/April 1994
"Ironic" was a Hit around March/April 1996
"All I Wanna Do" was a Hit in October 1994
"Save Tonight" was indeed a Hit in 1998 (Late 1998) but I assume it peaked in 1999 (Says so on the Chart)
"Waterfalls" was a #1 Hit in July 1995
"Shine" was a Hit in the Summer of 1994

I don't know where you are getting your info from...

^ I agree. I do not remember hearing "All I Wanna Do" by Sheryl Crow playing in 1993 one bit. If you own her album or know someone who does, you'll see that the album came out in 1994, not 1993. I remember going to school in the Autumn of '94 and first hearing this song, so it's definetly from 1994, not 1993.

"Ironic" was not a hit until 1996, although the album came out in 1995. That's the case with a lot of songs. If you really "lived" during this time, you would know this to be a fact.

Those are not "Errors" with the song years, those Years are the actual years that each song peaked on the charts in america.  You can even look on the actual charts yourself, the proof is right there.  You probably live in another country or something

"The Sign" by Ace of Base wasn't released in America until January 1994 and hit #1 on the Charts in March and May of 1994
"Lovefool" was released in December 1996, but peaked in February 1997
"Kiss From A Rose" was a #1 Hit in August 1995
"Mr. Jones" was a Hit around March/April 1994
"Ironic" was a Hit around March/April 1996
"All I Wanna Do" was a Hit in October 1994
"Save Tonight" was indeed a Hit in 1998 (Late 1998) but I assume it peaked in 1999 (Says so on the Chart)
"Waterfalls" was a #1 Hit in July 1995
"Shine" was a Hit in the Summer of 1994

I don't know where you are getting your info from...



I do live in the U.S.  I watch Music Choice, which has about 40 music channels on Time Warner cable and I took the years from there.  I assumed they were correct. 

music choice generally shows the year of the Album the song is from, instead of when the song was getting airplay.

Wow... some good songs on the list, a few that I actually forgot about! :)

^ I agree. I do not remember hearing "All I Wanna Do" by Sheryl Crow playing in 1993 one bit. If you own her album or know someone who does, you'll see that the album came out in 1994, not 1993. I remember going to school in the Autumn of '94 and first hearing this song, so it's definetly from 1994, not 1993.

"Ironic" was not a hit until 1996, although the album came out in 1995. That's the case with a lot of songs. If you really "lived" during this time, you would know this to be a fact.


According to all sources, Sheryl Crow's album Tuesday Night Music Club which contained the radio hit 'All I Wanna Do'/Santa Monica Boulevarde, was released in the U.S. on 3rd August 1993 , though I can't remember when I first heard it on the radio, I'm pretty sure it was sometime in 1994.

Also, I'm surprised Nirvana's SLTS isn't high up on the list. But other than that, I'm glad to see the Aussies represent in the top 5 or so.

Thank you so much for this list!! I have been searching for the last few years for a song from the 90's that i could not remember with clarity any of the lyrics or the name of the group.  I knew it was a romantic song and had a catchy R&B/soft rock sound and it was a men's groups.  Tried different groups looking through all their songs, and lists of romantic songs from the 90's and could not find it.  Finally I thought I knew they played this song a lot on 96.5 KOIT in the SF Bay Area maybe there is a list related to radio play and wallah your list! There it was almost at the end and I almost cried I recognized the title right away "I Can Love You Like That" by All 4 One.  I almost cried and thanked God when I found it.  It meant a lot to me as I was far away from the woman I loved at the time and when I would hear it I always dedicated it to her in my heart.  She had moved on but not me.  Now years later we have started talking again and there is hope for a reunion.  I just sent her the song as she is still far away geographically but always close to my heart.  Thanks for contributing by putting this list together.  It meant the world to me. 

No mention of the top selling single of the 1990s, "Candle In The Wind 1997" by Elton John?

No mention of the top selling single of the 1990s, "Candle In The Wind 1997" by Elton John?


It's a totally subjective list.  It's the same as if I wrote a list of the 20 best baseball players I have seen.  It doesn't mean much.

^ I agree. I do not remember hearing "All I Wanna Do" by Sheryl Crow playing in 1993 one bit. If you own her album or know someone who does, you'll see that the album came out in 1994, not 1993. I remember going to school in the Autumn of '94 and first hearing this song, so it's definetly from 1994, not 1993.

"Ironic" was not a hit until 1996, although the album came out in 1995. That's the case with a lot of songs. If you really "lived" during this time, you would know this to be a fact.


That was Crow's debut album...it did however come out in 1993 but she wasn't a household name then and I like you have no recollection of that song until 1994 or so. It took some time for that song to gain legs but it became a pretty big hit.

not sure how accurate this list is. The absence of Nirvana and Pearl Jam is pretty suspicious. I mean even the singles from Nirvana unplugged got HUGE airplay from 1994 onward