Seal: Defying easy categorization, Seal has combined pop, rock, dance, and soul into a unique mixture. His debut, 1991's Seal, spun off the popular single "Crazy" (not to be confused with the Gnarls Barkley tune of the same name), a hard-hitting dance song that still held rock appeal.
Today, the entire album exemplifies intelligent dance music. His 1994 followup, Seal II, sold even more due to the huge hit, "Kiss from A Rose," also featured on the Batman Forever soundtrack. Like the first album, Seal II contained elements of dance, folk, and rock, all anchored by Seal's smooth yet soaring voice. 1997's Human Being did not fare as well, being widely panned by fans and critics for its uneven quality. But he returned to form in 2003 with Seal IV, an underrated collection of dance and rock that solidified his reputation as an original artist who possessed a broad appeal.
Lauryn Hill: Her 1998 solo debut, The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill, resounds today, with cuts such as "Ex- Factor," "Doo Wop (That Thing)," and "Nothing Even Matters" still receiving radio airplay. Fresh from the groundbreaking rap group The Fugees, Hill took on the daunting task of writing and producing much of the album herself. Her gospel-tinged voice, rap capabilities, and ability to combine a variety of musical elements into a fresh, modern sound made her a force in late-'90s music. She even produced other artists such as Aretha Franklin and Whitney Houston, giving them slight hip-hop makeovers that never overpowered their distinctive voices. Fans continue to wait for her followup, although she released Unplugged No. 2.0 in 2001.
Fiona Apple: Looking slightly dangerous yet fragile, Fiona Apple tantalized audiences with her haunting voice and provocative videos. Her 1996 CD Tidal yielded two memorable singles: "Sleep to Dream," an angry tirade against an unknown protagonist, and "Criminal," a creepy plea for forgiveness to her lover. Her singular singing style and deeply personal lyrics indicated a new type of singer-songwriter—one not afraid to show aggression and reveal her inner angst. 1999's When the Pawn... (shortened from the original title, which filled the entire cover) involved Apple expanding her sound, particularly on the intriguing "Fast as You Can." Rapidly changing tempos and mood, the track showed Apple pushing her voice to its emotional limits. After undergoing personal changes, Apple resurfaced in 2005 with the critically acclaimed Extraordinary Machine, reemerging as a creative force.
Article comments
1 - Donald Gibson
Great article, Kit. Off the top of my head, I'd add Radiohead, Tori Amos, the Counting Crows, Oasis, & Liz Phair.
And then Jeff Buckley is a curious case, as his output was so limited, but his music has only gained stature since Grace was released.
2 - Jordan Richardson
Well done.
I would also add Eminem, Snoop Dogg, Smashing Pumpkins, Rage Against the Machine, Boyz II Men, Toni Braxton, Destiny's Child, TLC, Missy Elliot, Moby, and Shakira. Those are just some of the more "mainstream" artists, too.
3 - Jaim
Elliot Smith, Ani Difranco, PJ Harvey to name a few.
4 - El Bicho
That referenced article really missed the boat on a lot of great music, and I don't get the reasoning behind limiting it to artists who started in 1990s.
Some who started earlier had very noteworthy releases during the decade. I can't imagine any article that covered the '90s or the following musicians' careers that would leave out: R.E.M.'s "Out of Time", U2's "Achtung Baby", Metallica's "Metallica", Eric Clapton's "Unplugged" Dylan's "Time Out of Mind"...I could keep going
5 - Kit O'Toole
All very true--I'll be discussing some artists you've all mentioned in my next "Cutout Bin" article. El Bicho, I totally agree that some incredible releases by "'80s artists" came out in the nineties. Perhaps that's a future column! In any case, I figured I'd abide by the writer's own rules, which proved to be an interesting exercise. Thanks for commenting, everyone!
6 - Jordan Richardson
Janet Jackson's janet and Madonna's Erotica come to mind.
Do they ever.
7 - Anna Creech
How about Lisa Loeb, Jill Sobule, Alanis Morissette, Ben Folds, Cake, The Breeders, Collective Soul, Counting Crows, Dar Williams, Dixie Chicks, Enya, Green Day, Luscious Jackson, Sarah McLachlan, Sixpence None the Richer, just to name a few of my favorites.
8 - Connie Phillips
Really nice article, Kit. I look forward to your future discussions on this topic.
9 - Dan
I'm not sure you can characterize long standing bands like U2 as a 90's band, but they did change their sound in the 90's. I thought Achtung Baby! was a fantastic new sound.
If you measured the 90's against U2, I'd say it was a disappointing decade though. Lemon? Zooropa and Pop were follow-up losers, I'd say.
10 - Christopher Rose
Although there was obviously some great music in the 90s, if you look at the six post war decades starting with the 50s, the 90s doesn't really compare that well to any of the others expect possibly the 50s.
11 - El Bicho
Artists: Black Crowes, Diana Krall, The White Stripes, Smashing Pumpkins, Madeleine Peyroux
Albums:
RHCP - Blood Sugar Sex Magic
Johnny Cash - American Recordings
12 - Michael
The 90s were still much better than the pirate-plagued '00s (and beyond, sadly), Christopher Rose. The Internet wasn't quite widespread yet in terms of promoting, and word of mouth was still the primary method (most people didn't get home Internet until 1998-99), so it was the last decade in which radio/television/word of mouth communication could market items. Not the best decade, but not the worst either. What good music you find by indies in the 21st Century is sadly obscure and easy to lose over time.
13 - Christopher Rose
Michael, I don't see the connection between the quality of music and music pirates or the internet and the rest of your point is similarly incoherent. This last decade has been a major resurgence of great music compared to its predecessor.