Maybe it's just where I am, but has anyone else noticed the huge dropoff in songs from radio stations, at least compared to how it was back then? Mostly the "early Nineties era" from about 1989 to 1993/'94.

For awhile I thought it might just be more noticeable because there tended to be one hit wonders, or artists who weren't popular beyond a couple albums. But it seems to be true even for "superstars" like Michael Bolton or Boys II Men who were inescapable at the time. It does seem like the rock songs and some ballads have survived a little better (in terms of datedness and airplay), although this is probably true for every era.

I can't remember the last time I heard "Hey Jealousy", "Opposites Attract", "More Than Words Can Say", "Move This" or "How Do You Talk To An Angel" (among others), and they were all huge hits.

Overall you're probably right.  I think it depends on what area you're in though, and who's behind the stations you listen to.  I have a station that has a "90s at Noon" hour every weekday, which is pretty cool. 8)  But just on regular listening hours, I do hear some 90s songs from time to time, but it's not that often.

Well, considering that the only stations that I tend to listen to are: classic rock and oldies, and country (when I am in the car with Chris and forced to listen to it)...I don't think I would be able to fairly answer that question. ;)

I listen to a classic hits station, and the odd time they will play some 90s songs, and it's mostly CANCON songs, and alot of the same ones, wich I enjoy cause some o them I haven't really heard played on radio since they were popular in the 90s

Yeah, I think '90s songs have really started to disappear from radio over the last 4-5 years. Most rock stations that don't play exclusively classic rock still play alot of '90s alternative, but stations that play rock and pop hits have started to play alot less '90s music lately. I've also noticed that around here it's not just songs from the 1991-'96 era that are disappearing, but also alot of songs from 1998-2002 as well.

It was one thing when New Kids on the Block and MC Hammer starting receiving less radio airplay, but now the Backstreet Boys, and Creed are too, and it seems like just yesterday when those bands were big. Cant say i'm wild about the '90s suddenly becoming old :-\\

Yeah, I think '90s songs have really started to disappear from radio over the last 4-5 years. Most rock stations that don't play exclusively classic rock still play alot of '90s alternative, but stations that play rock and pop hits have started to play alot less '90s music lately. I've also noticed that around here it's not just songs from the 1991-'96 era that are disappearing, but also alot of songs from 1998-2002 as well.

It was one thing when New Kids on the Block and MC Hammer starting receiving less radio airplay, but now the Backstreet Boys, and Creed are too, and it seems like just yesterday when those bands were big. Cant say i'm wild about the '90s suddenly becoming old :-\\


Yeah, rock stations are less trendy than pop. I think the noticeable disappearance of early-mid '90s songs gives the era a little more of a mystique in that it doesn't feel worn out. At least not compared to how other times probably have. Maybe that's why it never really has provoked any true hate, even if some people don't remember it as well anymore?

I still hear boyband songs around here quite a bit, same with Smashmouth, country pop or songs like "Torn", but yeah, it probably is slightly less common. Rather than the actual passing of time, I think we can blame it on clear channel radio. Ever since that happened, more stations have been cutting songs off their playlist and repeating similar ones. I'm sure lots of those would still be around today if it weren't for that, just as '80s music was still very common to hear in, say 1995.

P.S. I like "U Can't Touch This". ;)

P.S. I like "U Can't Touch This". ;)



So do I. I'm not a huge Hammer fan, but I also like "2 Legit 2 Quit"  ;)

I wonder if within the next couple of years we will start hearing '90s music pop up on oldies stations? As scary a thought as it is, you gotta remember that it was about this time a decade ago that the '80s started to become retro. I can recall hearing some '80s music being called oldies as early as 1998 or 1999.

It probably wont be stuff from the late '90s, but I wonder if we'll start to hear early '90s alternative, like STP and Pearl Jam, or maybe R&B from the '90s like Boyz II Men, on oldies stations in say 2009 or 2010.

So do I. I'm not a hug Hammer fan, but I also like "2 Legit 2 Quit"  ;)

I wonder if within the next couple of years we will start hearing '90s music pop up on oldies stations? As scary a thought as it is, you gotta remember that it was about this time a decade ago that the '80s started to become retro. I can recall hearing some '80s music being called oldies as early as 1998 or 1999.

It probably wont be stuff from the late '90s, but I wonder if we'll start to hear early '90s alternative, like STP and Pearl Jam, or maybe R&B from the '90s like Boyz II Men, on oldies stations in say 2009 or 2010.



The thought of 90's music on oldies stations freak me out!  :o I haven't listened to the radio on a regular basis since the early part of this decade. When I do on a rare occasion, I still hear 90's music quite a bit, although less frequently than, say, 2002.

Alternative radio still plays plenty of '90s, I hear Nirvana, Pearl Jam, and other grunge bands on there regularily. Top 40 plays occasional late '90s hip-hop stuff and thats about it (usually ignoring the bubblegum backstreet boys and nsync stuff, I really never hear that on top 40 radio these days, I guess it's too "cheesy' for today's top 40 listeners. Hot A/C plays more '90s flashbacks than top 40 and they will sometimes play your backstreet boys or nsync, though they still focus mostly on the late '90s these days.

Alternative radio still plays plenty of '90s, I hear Nirvana, Pearl Jam, and other grunge bands on there regularily. Top 40 plays occasional late '90s hip-hop stuff and thats about it (usually ignoring the bubblegum backstreet boys and nsync stuff, I really never hear that on top 40 radio these days, I guess it's too "cheesy' for today's top 40 listeners. Hot A/C plays more '90s flashbacks than top 40 and they will sometimes play your backstreet boys or nsync, though they still focus mostly on the late '90s these days.
I really don;t hear older N'Sync songs from the late 90's but I do hear the Backstreet Boys's song "As Long As You Love Me" playing sometimemes on the radio.

Yeah, I think '90s songs have really started to disappear from radio over the last 4-5 years. Most rock stations that don't play exclusively classic rock still play alot of '90s alternative, but stations that play rock and pop hits have started to play alot less '90s music lately. I've also noticed that around here it's not just songs from the 1991-'96 era that are disappearing, but also alot of songs from 1998-2002 as well.

It was one thing when New Kids on the Block and MC Hammer starting receiving less radio airplay, but now the Backstreet Boys, and Creed are too, and it seems like just yesterday when those bands were big. Cant say i'm wild about the '90s suddenly becoming old :-\\
Yeah but Creed was a trendy band that people loved to hate back in the day when they were having success because they were tagged a Pearl Jam rip-off and taking heavy influences from the early to mid 90's grunge eras and watering it down. Creed does fit the 1997-2002 era along with R&B influenced hip-hop.

90s songs are still popular on classic hits style "80s, 90s & Whatever" type stations as well as Adult Contemporary stations over here. Modern rock & classic rock play a fair bit to (the former more than the latter). Contemporary Hit Radio (top 40) stations don't touch anything released earlier than 12 months ago. That's about it. And the latter half (1997-1999) gets more play than the earlier years, particularly on Modern rock and AC stations.

Something else interesting that I forgot to mention, regarding different cities...here in San Jose and all over the South Bay Area, I've noticed lots of stations have a similar playlist. So much so that I've kinda tended to pick up on which songs they will or won't play (it hasn't much changed over the last 3-5 years).

However, when I went up to the Sacramento area for a mini Summer vacation in 2005 (I lived there from late 1990 to '96...pretty much the Nineties ;) ), I heard a bigger variety of songs than I would back here. Lots of '80s and earlier '90s songs too. I wonder if bigger cities are actually more restrictive since they want to appeal to the masses? I know that's just one example, but it's a possibility.

Something else interesting that I forgot to mention, regarding different cities...here in San Jose and all over the South Bay Area, I've noticed lots of stations have a similar playlist. So much so that I've kinda tended to pick up on which songs they will or won't play (it hasn't much changed over the last 3-5 years).

However, when I went up to the Sacramento area for a mini Summer vacation in 2005 (I lived there from late 1990 to '96...pretty much the Nineties ;) ), I heard a bigger variety of songs than I would back here. Lots of '80s and earlier '90s songs too. I wonder if bigger cities are actually more restrictive since they want to appeal to the masses? I know that's just one example, but it's a possibility.



I've noticed something similar to that as well. Around here they still play a decent amount of songs from the '80s and '90s, but when we went up to Atlanta a couple of months ago, I didn't hear any at all. That could just be a coincidence but I don't know.

I've noticed something similar to that as well. Around here they still play a decent amount of songs from the '80s and '90s, but when we went up to Atlanta a couple of months ago, I didn't hear any at all. That could just be a coincidence but I don't know.


Yeah, there's also a bigger turnover in large cities. The formats are always switching around with certain stations around here. Sacramento on the other hand, isn't a small city (around 400,000 people and its suburbs), but is still kinda desolate-ish compared to the San Francisco Bay Area. Yet almost every station felt almost the exact same as when I'd actually lived there. Even the two morning guys on the one pop station I listened to were still there. It was kinda old-school comforting in a way.

In Chicago at least, there's been an increase in '90s tunes as of late thanks to the trend of "Jack FM", and other radio stations who say they "play anything" or are "in the shuffle".

I couldn't believe it...the other day I was flipping through stations and I heard the song,  "U Can't Touch This"....it's just not a typical song that you hear everyday now. :D

Something else interesting that I forgot to mention, regarding different cities...here in San Jose and all over the South Bay Area, I've noticed lots of stations have a similar playlist. So much so that I've kinda tended to pick up on which songs they will or won't play (it hasn't much changed over the last 3-5 years).

However, when I went up to the Sacramento area for a mini Summer vacation in 2005 (I lived there from late 1990 to '96...pretty much the Nineties ;) ), I heard a bigger variety of songs than I would back here. Lots of '80s and earlier '90s songs too. I wonder if bigger cities are actually more restrictive since they want to appeal to the masses? I know that's just one example, but it's a possibility.


That's quite correct...and each big city has their own "tastes" so you will hear certain songs or artists exclusively in that area, as opposed to another area. Chicago has their own hometown kids like R Kelly, Common, Cheap Trick, and Smashing Pumpkins played more often than not for those reasons.

There's a hip hop/RnB radio station where I live that plays 90's songs once in a while during the morning hours.

I couldn't believe it...the other day I was flipping through stations and I heard the song,  "U Can't Touch This"....it's just not a typical song that you hear everyday now. :D


We have a new station here in the Bay Area called Movin' 99.7 (Jeff also has one down in L.A.), and although they play a lot of recent pop, Rn'B and some rock aimed at people who grew up between the mid-70s-mid-90s, they do whip out "U Can't Touch This" which really brings back memories, especially since it was done by a local artist (MCHammer is from Oakland) and the whole Baggy pants style/dances. I always have to listen to it and go, "Stop - hammertime!"  ;D