The best songs from 1995: the definitive list

Let me start out by being honest, 1995 was not as epic of a year in music. By 1995 we’d all already started to figure out that we shouldn’t spend all of our time watching music videos. We didn’t know what we wanted yet instead, but somewhere, deep inside of all of us, was someone who wanted to watch and star on an episode of the Real World. Despite this, and the fact that Meatloaf wasn’t riding motorcycles into our heart and Lisa Loeb wasn’t using the bridge to perfectly describe the emptiness that we felt was at the core of any human relationship, it was still a pretty good year.

And now, the definitive list of the best songs from 1995. As always, done in reverse order to build suspense. 

6. Strong Enough by Sheryl Crow

When Sheryl Crow released this album and everyone loved it we all went through a period confusion. Is it okay to like country music? Is this country music? Is she a female singer who isn’t part of a trio? Man, I miss En Vogue. And then we started listening to this song about a woman who was breaking down and just needed some support. Isn’t that what men were supposed to do? Break down and drink and need support. What is this notion of a man who needs to be strong enough to be with a woman? Sheryl Crow, I’m too young to assimilate all that you’re throwing at me right now, but I’m going to try. I’m going to try and be strong. What do you need?

5. On Bended Knee by Boyz II Men

In the mid-nineties you couldn’t turn on the radio or VH-1 or MTV without tripping over a Boyz II Men song. But they were always beautiful, and way back in the 1990’s a man would get down his knee and ask a woman to help him put things back together. They were simpler times, perhaps too narrowly defined by gender stereotypes but damn if you can’t hear the pleading in the voices of all those beautiful men. Please say yes, honey. I know they’ll make you happy.

4 Fantasy by Mariah Carey

This was way before we had to confusingly decide if Mariah Cary was hot, too old to be hot, or just someone’s mom who was dressing too young. This was just a pure explosion of music and dance. I mean, I wouldn’t have been caught dead dancing in 1995 and would have been happy to live in the city from Footloose, but it’s hard to resist Mariah, and that voice, oh that lovely voice. There is nothing more masculine in 1995 than singing at the top of your vocal range about being with your loving boyfriend. There just wasn’t. They were great times.

3 This is How Do it by Montell Jordan

Obviously if we’re re-ranking songs from 1995 this one would be at the top because every time they bang this in a club or bar that I’m dancing at I’m just really pumped and then later, when the music fades, slightly depressed at how old I am. However, this song will always be great. In 1995, it wasn’t cool to sing about getting rich and laid. It was cool to sing about tossing your keys to a designated driver. They were more innocent times. The past is always more innocent. Back then, people partied on Friday nights. People didn’t use it to rest up as the day you take it easy after going out on Thursday and looking forward to Saturday. No, Friday used to be the day and Montell Jordan is here to remind us that Friday night is still Friday night. The bills were only 100’s and everyone in your neighborhood was good to you and they all had flavor. Don’t worry, we’ll get the chance to dance at the bar to this one.

2. Run Around by Blues Traveler

A weird thing happened at some point in my life that I kind of missed out on. Apparently it was decided that Blues Traveler sucks. As far as I can tell it was the beginning of what would later come to be defined as hipsterism. Thank God I have this song on an LP or I’d be in real trouble. Because, guess what? In 1995 Blues Traveler was awesome and played the harmonica and other instruments that weren’t the guitar in a song that was popular and the lead singer didn’t look hip or cool or anything just obese, and he had lines like, “and there’s nothing I can rhyme,” and we loved it.

What I’m realizing in writing up 1995 is that it was a happy year. A year when we were done with the Cold War after we’d all seen reruns of Rocky 4 on TBS enough times to know that cheaters never prosper. We were full of ourselves as a nation and as young people listening to the radio and we had Blues Traveler to remind us that everything was always going to be upbeat and fun and like a speakeasy.

1.     Let Her Cry by Hootie and The Blowfish

In 1995 you couldn’t throw a rock without hitting Hootie, because he was omnipresent and enjoyed rocks. Now he’s a country singer because life is a strange and complex journey. However, back in 1995, still years before I’d even go on a date, Hootie was tearing out our hearts out with tales of addiction and sadness. Is this what it was like to be an adult? Did you run hands through dark hair and get extremely sad but, like deep down knowing that you really can’t do anything about it because life is a strange and complex journey that may lead you to being a country singer? I think so. “She went in the back to get high.” You deserve better, man. You do. What about that nice girl who sits next to you in O-chem? I feel like she’d treat you well. But, no, I get it. The crazy ones are always harder to leave behind. Let’s just sit down and have a beer and maybe cry together like a couple of very sad bros. There, now I feel better. Thanks for that cry.