The 100 Greatest Songs of the 90s revealed

Following thousands of votes from our esteemed Absolute Radio listeners over the past few weeks, the 100 Greatest Songs of the 1990s have been revealed!

As Danielle Perry first announced on Absolute 90s this afternoon (28th August), Oasis’ timeless anthem ‘Don’t Look Back in Anger’ has been crowned the Greatest Song of the 90s by Absolute Radio listeners.

Penned by Noel Gallagher and lifted from Oasis’ second blockbuster studio album ‘(What's the Story) Morning Glory?’, ‘Don’t Look Back in Anger’ became Oasis’ second number one single when it was released in February 1996. It was also the first Oasis A-side single to feature Noel on vocals.

Speaking to Absolute Radio in 2019 about the enduring popularity of ‘Don’t Look Back In Anger’, Noel Gallagher said: “Well it never ceases to amaze me to be honest. I never thought it at the time when I wrote it (that it would be so popular), and if you did think it at the time, you’d never finish it.

“It’s amazing that it’s lived for so long and it will probably never die now.”

Oasis have two further songs inside Greatest Songs of the 90s Top 10 – ‘Wonderwall’ at Number 3 and ‘Live Forever’ at Number 5. ‘Champagne Supernova’ narrowly missed out on the Top 10 at Number 12.

‘Don’t Look Back in Anger’ beat Nirvana’s 1991 grunge masterpiece ‘Smells Like Teen Spirit’ to the top spot, with The Verve’s ‘Bittersweet Symphony’ (no.4), Robbie Williams’ ‘Angels’ (no.6), Pulp’s ‘Common People’ (no.7), Faithless’ ‘Insomnia’ (no.8), Bryan Adams’ ‘(Everything I Do) I Do It For You’ (no.9) and Massive Attack’s ‘Unfinished Sympathy’ (no.10) completing the Top 10.

If you missed the Top 100 Greatest Songs countdown on Absolute 90s throughout the week, Ben Burrell will be recapping the entire Top 40 from 7pm on Monday night (31st August) on Absolute Radio.

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You can check out images of the Top 10 below and videos for the ENTIRE Top 100 Greatest Songs of the 90s further down the page.

Other artists that feature in Absolute Radio's highly eclectic Top 100 Greatest Songs of the 90s countdown include Metallica, Dr Dre, Radiohead, Guns N' Roses, N Trance, Foo Fighters, Sinead O'Connor, Manic Street Preachers, Ace of Base, Skunk Anansie, No Doubt, The Stone Roses, 2Pac, Madonna, The La's, TLC, Blink-182, The Chemical Brothers, Fugees, Beastie Boys, Alanis Morissette, Jeff Buckley, The Cure, The Prodigy, U2, REM, Take That, The Cranberries, Soundgarden and The Spice Girls.

The Top 10 Greatest Songs of the 90s in photos:

If you fancy having a peruse, you can also check out our other Absolute 90s 10th anniversary features right here:

Absolute Radio presenters' favourite songs of the 1990s

The greatest female musicians of the 1990s

The 20 greatest one-hit wonders of the 1990s

The best movie soundtracks of the 1990s

What are the greatest songs of the 90s?

Here are the 100 best songs of the 1990s as voted for by listeners of Absolute Radio:

100) Edwyn Collins – 'A Girl Like You' (1994)

99) The Shamen - 'Ebeneezer Goode' (1992)

98) Babybird - 'You're Gorgeous' (1996)

97) Cornershop - 'Brimful of Asha' (Norman Cook remix) (1997)

96) They Might Be Giants - 'Birdhouse In Your Soul' (1990)

95) New Order - 'World In Motion' (1990)

94) The Charlatans - 'The Only One I Know' (1990)

93) Sixpence None The Richer - 'Kiss Me' (1997)

92) Skunk Anansie - 'Hedonism (Just Because You Feel Good)' (1996)

91) Madonna - 'Ray Of Light' (1998)

90) New Radicals - 'You Get What You Give' (1998)

89) The Divine Comedy - 'National Express' (1998)

88) TLC - 'Waterfalls' (1995)

87) Soundgarden - 'Black Hole Sun' (1994)

86) The KLF - '3 Am Eternal' (1991)

85) Puff Daddy + Faith Evans - 'I'll Be Missing You' (1997)

84) Happy Mondays - 'Step On' (1990)

83) Deee-Lite - 'Groove Is In The Heart' (1990)

82) Blink-182 - 'What's My Age Again?' (1999)

81) Ash - 'Girl From Mars' (1995)

80) Everything But The Girl - 'Missing' (Todd Terry Remix) (1995)

79) The Chemical Brothers - 'Hey Boy Hey Girl' (1999)

78) Blackstreet + Dr Dre - 'No Diggity' (1996)

77) The La's - 'There She Goes' (1990)

76) MC Hammer - 'U Can't Touch This' (1990)

75) Faith No More - 'Epic' (1990)

74) The Cranberries - 'Dreams' (1993)

73) The Smashing Pumpkins - 'Tonight, Tonight' (1995)

72) D:Ream - 'Things Can Only Get Better' (1993/1997)

71) Vanilla Ice - 'Ice Ice Baby' (1990)

70) Snap! - 'Rhythm Is A Dancer' (1992)

69) Radiohead - 'Karma Police' (1997)

68) Fugees - 'Killing Me Softly' (1996)

67) Chumbawumba - 'Tubthumping' (1997)

66) McAlmont & Butler - 'Yes' (1995)

65) Weezer - 'Buddy Holly' (1994)

64) Suede - 'Animal Nitrate' (1993)

63) Baby D - 'Let Me Be Your Fantasy' (1992)

62) Travis - 'Why Does It Always Rain On Me?' (1999)

61) N Trance - 'Set You Free' (1994/1995)

60) Fatboy Slim - 'Praise You' (1998)

59) Stereophonics - 'Just Looking' (1999)

58) Beastie Boys - 'Sabotage' (1994)

57) Shed Seven - 'Chasing Rainbows' (1998)

56) Blur - 'Girls and Boys' (1993)

55) Alanis Morissette - 'You Oughta Know' (1995)

54) Michael Jackson - 'Black or White' (1991)

53) Natalie Imbruglia - 'Torn' (1997)

52) Jeff Buckley - 'Hallelujah' (1994)

51) House of Pain - 'Jump Around' (1992)

50) Shakespears Sister - 'Stay' (1992)

49) Pulp - 'Disco 2000' (1995)

48) Pearl Jam - 'Alive' (1991)

47) 2Pac + Dr Dre - 'California Love' (1995)

46) George Michael - 'Freedom 90' (1990)

45) Coolio - 'Gangsta's Paradise' (1995)

44) Paul Weller - 'You Do Something To Me' (1995)

43) The Stone Roses - 'Love Spreads' (1994)

42) Take That - 'Back For Good' (1995)

41) No Doubt - 'Don't Speak' (1995)

40) Ocean Colour Scene - 'The Day We Caught The Train' (1996)

39) Bon Jovi - 'Keep The Faith' (1992)

38) Britney Spears - 'Baby, One More Time' (1998)

37) Green Day - 'Good Riddance (Time Of Your Life)' (1997)

36) James - 'Sit Down' (1990)

35) The Cure - 'Friday I'm In Love' (1992)

34) Adamski ft. Seal - 'Killer' (1990)

33) Goo Goo Dolls - 'Iris' (1998)

32) Green Day - 'Basket Case' (1994)

31) Blur - 'Song 2' (1997)

30) Spice Girls - 'Wannabe' (1996)

29) 4 Non Blondes - 'What's Up?' (1992)

28) Ace of Base - 'All That She Wants' (1992)

27) Baddiel + Skinner + Lightning Seeds - 'Three Lions' (1996)

26) Underworld - 'Born Slippy .Nuxx' (1996)

25) Depeche Mode - 'Enjoy The Silence' (1990)

24) Metallica - 'Enter Sandman' (1991)

23) Alanis Morissette - 'Ironic' (1995)

22) The Prodigy - 'Firestarter' (1996)

21) AC/DC - 'Thunderstruck' (1990)

20) U2 - 'One' (1992)

19) Radiohead - 'Creep' (1992)

18) REM - 'Losing My Religion' (1991)

17) B52's - 'Love Shack' (1990)

16) Foo Fighters - 'Everlong' (1997)

15) Manic Street Preachers - 'A Design For Life' (1996)

14) Guns N' Roses - 'November Rain' (1991)

13) Sinéad O'Connor - 'Nothing Compares 2U' (1990)

12) Oasis - 'Champagne Supernova' (1995)

11) Aerosmith - 'I Don't Want To Miss A Thing' (1998)

10) Massive Attack - 'Unfinished Sympathy' (1991)

9) Bryan Adams - '(Everything I Do) I Do It For You' (1991)

8) Faithless - 'Insomnia' (1995)

7) Pulp - 'Common People' (1995)

6) Robbie Williams - 'Angels' (1997)

5) Oasis - 'Live Forever' (1994)

4) The Verve - 'Bittersweet Symphony' (1997)

3) Oasis - 'Wonderwall' (1995)

2) Nirvana - 'Smells Like Teen Spirit' (1991)

1) Oasis - 'Don't Look Back In Anger' (1995)

Now read:

Liam and Noel Gallagher: Will an Oasis reunion happen?

Stereophonics: All your questions answered

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