187 Fun Facts About 90s Music

Which 1991 album featuring 'Smells Like Teen Spirit' helped popularize alternative rock?

Nevermind replaced Michael Jackson's Dangerous at number one on January 11, 1992, a result nobody at Geffen had planned for: the label had hoped to sell about 250,000 copies.

Which New York rapper released the landmark debut album 'Illmatic' in 1994?

Nas was 20 when Illmatic came out; it sold only 59,000 copies in its first week and was not certified gold until January 1996.

Which single replaced Boyz II Men's own 'I'll Make Love to You' at number one?

On Bended Knee made Boyz II Men the first act since the Beatles to replace itself at number one; it lost the top spot after two weeks, then won it back for four more.

'Firestarter' and 'Breathe' were singles from which 1997 album by The Prodigy?

The Fat of the Land topped both the UK chart and the US Billboard 200; MTV would air the video for its third single, 'Smack My Bitch Up', only late at night, then pulled it.

Which band's self-titled 1994 debut, known as the Blue Album, produced 'Buddy Holly' and 'Say It Ain't So'?

The Spike Jonze video for 'Buddy Holly' dropped Weezer into Arnold's diner from Happy Days and won four MTV Video Music Awards in 1995; 'Undone – The Sweater Song' had been the album's first single.

Which member of the Spice Girls was nicknamed Ginger Spice?

Geri Halliwell was Ginger Spice, nicknamed for her red hair; she left the group in May 1998, at the height of their fame.

Which 1994 Soundgarden album produced the Grammy-winning single 'Black Hole Sun'?

Superunknown debuted at number one on the Billboard 200; Chris Cornell took the title of 'Black Hole Sun' from a phrase he misheard a TV news anchor say.

Mariah Carey's 1993 album that produced the number-one singles 'Dreamlover' and 'Hero' was titled what?

Music Box, released in August 1993, produced the number-one singles 'Dreamlover' and 'Hero'; 'Hero' was first written for the Dustin Hoffman film of the same name.

Which British band's 1994 debut Definitely Maybe helped define the Britpop era?

Oasis recorded Definitely Maybe twice and were unhappy with both attempts, until Owen Morris rescued the tapes in the mix; it became Britain's fastest-selling debut album at the time.

Alice in Chains' 1992 album featuring 'Rooster' and 'Would?' was titled what?

Dirt, released in September 1992, contains 'Rooster', which Jerry Cantrell wrote for his father, a Vietnam veteran whose childhood nickname was Rooster, and 'Would?'.

The Spice Girls famously encouraged listeners to 'zig-a-zig-ah' in which debut single?

'Wannabe' was written in about 30 minutes, and Virgin's executives wanted a 'cooler' track as the Spice Girls' first single; the group held out for it.

What was the title of Dr. Dre's highly influential 1992 debut solo album?

'The Chronic' is considered a landmark album in West Coast hip-hop, not only launching Dr. Dre's solo career but also introducing the world to Snoop Dogg and popularizing the G-funk sound.

Which Athens, Georgia band had its biggest hit in 1991 with the mandolin-driven 'Losing My Religion'?

'Losing my religion' is a Southern expression for losing your temper, not a statement about faith. R.E.M. built the song on a mandolin riff Peter Buck wrote while teaching himself the instrument, and it won them two Grammys.

Boyz II Men topped the charts for an extended period with which 1992 ballad?

End of the Road, written for the Eddie Murphy film Boomerang, spent a then-record 13 weeks at number one, only for Whitney Houston to break that record a few months later.

Which Canadian singer's 1995 album Jagged Little Pill, featuring 'You Oughta Know', sold more than 33 million copies?

Alanis Morissette had been a teen dance-pop act in Canada before Jagged Little Pill; the album won Album of the Year at the 1996 Grammys and has sold more than 33 million copies.

Which band's 1994 major-label debut produced the hits 'Longview', 'Basket Case' and 'When I Come Around'?

Green Day recorded Dookie in three weeks; signing to a major label got them barred from 924 Gilman Street, the Berkeley punk club where they had started out.

TLC's 1994 album, which featured the hit singles 'Waterfalls' and 'Creep,' was titled what?

CrazySexyCool was selling by the million when TLC filed for bankruptcy in July 1995, citing $3.5 million in debts and a deal they called less than favorable.

Which electronic music duo released their debut album 'Homework' in 1997?

Daft Punk made Homework at home, in a studio set up in Thomas Bangalter's Paris bedroom, which is how the album got its title.

The hit song 'Gangsta's Paradise' by Coolio was famously featured in which 1995 film?

Dangerous Minds, the Michelle Pfeiffer film, led its soundtrack with 'Gangsta's Paradise'; Stevie Wonder approved the reworking of his 'Pastime Paradise' only after Coolio cut the profanity.

Which British band released the Britpop anthem 'Common People' in 1995?

Pulp's Jarvis Cocker based 'Common People' on a Greek art student he met at Central Saint Martins in London; the single reached number two in the UK.

Which rapper released his 1996 debut, Reasonable Doubt, on Roc-A-Fella, a label he co-founded?

Jay-Z co-founded Roc-A-Fella after major labels turned him down and he had sold CDs out of his car; Reasonable Doubt paired him with the Notorious B.I.G. on 'Brooklyn's Finest'.

Which country star released 'No Fences' (1990), featuring 'Friends in Low Places'?

Garth Brooks sang the demo of 'Friends in Low Places' as an unknown and asked its writers to hold the song for him; it became the first single from No Fences.

Which 1998 debut single launched Britney Spears?

...Baby One More Time was first offered to TLC, who turned it down; Max Martin's song then went to the 16-year-old Britney Spears and topped the Hot 100.

What was Pearl Jam's record-breaking second studio album, released in 1993, titled?

Vs. sold more than 950,000 copies in its first week, a record that stood until 1998, even though Pearl Jam refused to make a video for any of its singles.

What was Tupac Shakur's 1996 double album, his last released in his lifetime?

All Eyez on Me came out of a deal with label boss Suge Knight, who helped post Tupac's bail in return for three albums; the double album counted as two of them.

Which Danish-Norwegian group's 1997 hit 'Barbie Girl' prompted toymaker Mattel to sue over its plastic-fantastic lyrics?

Mattel sued over 'Barbie Girl' and lost; the judge's opinion ended 'The parties are advised to chill.' Aqua's novelty hit topped charts across Europe and reached the US top ten.

Mariah Carey collaborated with Boyz II Men on which record-breaking 1995 single?

One Sweet Day joined two tributes: Carey had been writing about her late collaborator David Cole, and Boyz II Men about their late road manager; it then spent 16 weeks at number one.

Which Nine Inch Nails song did Johnny Cash cover in 2002?

Hurt closes The Downward Spiral; after watching the video for Cash's version, Trent Reznor said the song 'isn't mine anymore'.

Whose hit 'Killing Me Softly' did the Fugees cover?

Roberta Flack's hit kept its words only because the song's writers refused the Fugees' plan for anti-drug lyrics; it was never sold as a US single, so fans bought The Score.

Which 1996 Beck album produced the singles 'Where It's At' and 'Devils Haircut'?

Odelay began as a set of subdued acoustic recordings that Beck abandoned in favor of sample-based collages; 'Where It's At' went on to win him a Grammy.

Which band released 1995's Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness?

The Smashing Pumpkins' Billy Corgan felt the band's sound had run its course, so he told them to approach the 28-song set as if it were their last album; it debuted at number one.

Which 1997 Radiohead album includes 'Paranoid Android' and 'Karma Police'?

OK Computer was recorded largely in a mansion near Bath owned by actress Jane Seymour, where the band used the rooms for their sound: one vocal was taped on a stone staircase.

What was Madonna's Grammy-winning 1998 album, which marked a shift towards electronica?

Ray of Light took months to record, held up because the machines producer William Orbit worked on kept breaking down; it won the Grammy for Best Pop Album.

Which boy band had a major hit with 'I Want It That Way' in 1999?

The Backstreet Boys recorded a second version of 'I Want It That Way' with lyrics that made more sense, then released Max Martin's puzzling original anyway.

Which band's 1995 album Tragic Kingdom produced 'Just a Girl' and 'Don't Speak'?

No Doubt's 'Don't Speak' began as a love song; Gwen Stefani rewrote it after bassist Tony Kanal ended their seven-year relationship, and he stayed in the band.

Which singer released the 1993 album Debut, featuring 'Human Behaviour'?

Björk's Debut was not her first record: she had recorded an album in Iceland in 1977, aged 11, years before she fronted the Sugarcubes.

Seal's Grammy-winning power ballad 'Kiss from a Rose' was famously featured in which 1995 superhero film?

Batman Forever turned 'Kiss from a Rose' into a US number one a year after it first came out; Seal had written it in 1987 and, embarrassed by it, set the tape aside for years.

Hanson, the brothers behind 'MMMBop', come from which US city?

Tulsa's Hanson brothers topped the Hot 100 when drummer Zac was 11; he has said the cheery chorus is really about holding on to the things that matter.

Which British anarcho-punk collective had an unlikely 1997 hit with 'Tubthumping' and its 'I get knocked down' chorus?

Chumbawamba had spent fifteen years as an anarchist collective before signing to the major label EMI and scoring a worldwide hit with 'Tubthumping'.

Fatboy Slim's 1998 album that produced 'The Rockafeller Skank' and 'Praise You' was titled what?

You've Come a Long Way, Baby sent all four of its singles into the UK top ten; Spike Jonze shot the 'Praise You' video outside a cinema without permission, reportedly for $800.

Which English big-beat duo released Dig Your Own Hole in 1997, with 'Block Rockin' Beats' and 'Setting Sun'?

The Chemical Brothers changed their name in 1995 to avoid confusion with an American production duo; Dig Your Own Hole put Noel Gallagher on 'Setting Sun' and won 'Block Rockin' Beats' a Grammy.

Which band released 'August and Everything After,' featuring 'Mr. Jones,' in 1993?

Counting Crows' Adam Duritz wrote 'Mr. Jones' after a drunken night in a San Francisco bar with his friend Marty Jones, when both dreamed of becoming big stars.

Erykah Badu's 1997 debut Baduizm helped define which genre?

Neo-soul gained a leading voice after Erykah Badu's demo reached Kedar Massenburg, who paired her with D'Angelo for a duet and signed her; Baduizm won the Grammy for Best R&B Album.

Which singer's 1997 album The Velvet Rope produced the number-one hit 'Together Again'?

Janet Jackson wrote 'Together Again' as a joyful tribute to a friend she had lost to AIDS; it topped the Hot 100 for two weeks.

Which guitarist wrote 1992's 'Tears in Heaven' after the death of his four-year-old son?

Eric Clapton stopped performing 'Tears in Heaven' in 2004, saying he no longer felt the loss it was written from; the song had won Record and Song of the Year.

The Notorious B.I.G.'s second and final studio album, released posthumously in 1997, was titled what?

Life After Death came out sixteen days after the Notorious B.I.G. was shot dead in Los Angeles, where he had gone to promote it.

Whitney Houston's 1992 hit 'I Will Always Love You' featured in which film?

The Bodyguard's co-star Kevin Costner picked the Dolly Parton song for Houston and had her open it unaccompanied, though her producer thought the idea ridiculous.

Which band released 'Blood Sugar Sex Magik', featuring 'Under the Bridge' and 'Give It Away', in 1991?

Red Hot Chili Peppers got 'Under the Bridge' from a private poem: producer Rick Rubin found it in Anthony Kiedis's notebook and persuaded the reluctant singer to show it to the band.

Which 1995 Mariah Carey album included 'Fantasy' and 'Always Be My Baby'?

Daydream opened with 'Fantasy', the first single by a female artist to debut at number one on the Hot 100; Carey had Ol' Dirty Bastard rap on its remix despite her label's doubts.

The Bayside Boys' English-lyric remix of 'Macarena' was made for a radio station in which US city?

Miami DJ Johnny Caride heard clubgoers asking for the Spanish original, and his station, Power 96, asked him for an English version; the remix spent 14 weeks at number one in 1996.

The original 'Macarena' was recorded in 1993 by which Spanish duo, already three decades into their career?

Los del Río had performed together since 1962; Antonio Romero improvised the chorus at a private party in Venezuela, in praise of a flamenco dancer.

Which composer wrote the music for Celine Dion's 'My Heart Will Go On'?

James Horner wrote 'My Heart Will Go On' although director James Cameron wanted no pop song in Titanic, then waited for him to be in a receptive mood before playing Celine Dion's demo.

Cher's 1998 hit 'Believe' pioneered which vocal effect, later dubbed the 'Cher effect'?

Auto-Tune, a pitch-correction program, was pushed to an extreme setting on 'Believe'; to protect the trick, the producers at first claimed they had used a vocoder.

Which former Menudo singer had a worldwide number one in 1999 with 'Livin' la Vida Loca'?

Ricky Martin's hit was co-written by Draco Rosa, his old Menudo bandmate, with Desmond Child; it took off after his performance of 'The Cup of Life' drew a standing ovation at the 1999 Grammys.

Which producer handled Elton John's 1997 tribute 'Candle in the Wind 1997'?

George Martin, the Beatles' producer, recorded 'Candle in the Wind 1997' with Elton John straight after the funeral where it was first sung; it became the UK's best-selling single.

Elton John's 'Candle in the Wind 1997' was rewritten as a tribute to whom?

Princess Diana had comforted Elton John at Gianni Versace's funeral weeks before her own death; Bernie Taupin then reworked his 1973 lyric about Marilyn Monroe, and John has sung that version live only once.

Which Swedish group's 'The Sign' was Billboard's number-one single of 1994?

Ace of Base got their break when a demo tape stuck in producer Denniz PoP's car stereo, forcing him to keep hearing a song he had disliked; 'The Sign' later spent six weeks at number one in the US.

Vanilla Ice's 'Ice Ice Baby' samples the bassline of which song?

'Ice Ice Baby' lifted the bassline of Queen and David Bowie's 1981 hit 'Under Pressure'; after an out-of-court settlement, Queen and Bowie received songwriting credit.

'Ice Ice Baby' was first released as the B-side to Vanilla Ice's cover of which song?

'Ice Ice Baby' was the B-side of Vanilla Ice's cover of Wild Cherry's 'Play That Funky Music'; a radio DJ played the flip side instead, and it went on to reach number one.

MC Hammer's 'U Can't Touch This' samples the opening riff of which Rick James single?

'U Can't Touch This' built its riff on Rick James's 1981 single 'Super Freak'; James sued and received a co-writing credit, and the song became the first rap record nominated for the Record of the Year Grammy.

Sinéad O'Connor's 1990 hit 'Nothing Compares 2 U' was written by which musician?

Prince wrote 'Nothing Compares 2 U' and first released it in 1985 with his side project The Family; Sinéad O'Connor's 1990 version topped the Billboard Hot 100 for four weeks.

Whose scrawled phrase gave Nirvana's 'Smells Like Teen Spirit' its title?

Kathleen Hanna of Bikini Kill wrote 'Kurt smells like Teen Spirit' on Cobain's wall, meaning a brand of deodorant; he took it for a revolutionary slogan.

Which band's soft-and-loud dynamics inspired 'Smells Like Teen Spirit'?

Cobain said he was basically trying to rip off the Pixies, whose quiet-verse, loud-chorus dynamics he admired, when he wrote 'Smells Like Teen Spirit'.

The 1995 hit 'Wonderwall' borrowed its title from a 1968 soundtrack album by which Beatle?

George Harrison's Wonderwall Music was his soundtrack to the film Wonderwall; Noel Gallagher first said the song was for his girlfriend, then, after their divorce, that it was about an imaginary friend.

Which 1995 album includes 'Wonderwall'?

(What's the Story) Morning Glory? spent ten weeks at number one in the UK, yet its biggest seller, 'Wonderwall', stalled at number two there; 'Don't Look Back in Anger' did reach the top.

The Verve's 'Bitter Sweet Symphony' samples an orchestral take of which Stones song?

The Last Time was sampled from an Andrew Oldham Orchestra version; a lawsuit cost the Verve the royalties and songwriting credit until Jagger and Richards handed them to Richard Ashcroft in 2019.

Which Radiohead album is the 1992 debut single 'Creep' taken from?

'Creep' appeared on Radiohead's 1993 debut Pablo Honey; the single flopped in 1992, then caught on via Israeli radio and became a hit when reissued in September 1993.

Which 1972 song earned Albert Hammond and Mike Hazlewood writing credits on Radiohead's 'Creep'?

The Air That I Breathe, later a hit for the Hollies, shares its chord progression and melody with 'Creep'; in 2018 Lana Del Rey said Radiohead's side was pursuing her in turn over 'Get Free'.

Which town's bombing inspired the Cranberries' 1994 protest song 'Zombie'?

Warrington lost two boys, aged 3 and 12, to IRA bombs in March 1993; the Cranberries were touring England at the time, and O'Riordan answered with a far heavier song than their earlier hits.

Which Beck single was first pressed as just 500 vinyl copies by the tiny label Bong Load in 1993?

'Loser' first came out as 500 twelve-inch copies on Bong Load in March 1993; Los Angeles radio play set off a label bidding war, and Geffen's DGC reissued it in 1994.

Goo Goo Dolls wrote 'Iris' for the soundtrack of which 1998 film?

John Rzeznik wrote 'Iris' for City of Angels from the viewpoint of Nicolas Cage's angel, who is willing to give up immortality just to feel something human.

Which late-1990s hit was first released in 1993 in Danish, as Lis Sørensen's 'Brændt'?

'Torn' was first released in Danish by Lis Sørensen; its writers' band Ednaswap recorded it in English in 1995, and Natalie Imbruglia's 1997 cover became the worldwide hit.

Which actor starred with Brandy and Monica in the video for 'The Boy Is Mine'?

Mekhi Phifer played the two-timing boyfriend in the 'The Boy Is Mine' video; the duet spent 13 weeks at number one on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1998.

Blackstreet's 'No Diggity' samples which Bill Withers song?

'No Diggity' is built on a sample of Bill Withers's 1971 'Grandma's Hands'; Teddy Riley sang the first verse himself after the rest of Blackstreet passed on the track, and it hit number one in 1996.

'This Is How We Do It' knocked which Madonna song off the Hot 100 top spot in 1995?

'Take a Bow' gave Madonna her longest US number-one run at seven weeks, yet in Britain it stalled at number 16, her first single to miss the top ten there in a decade.

Haddaway's 'What Is Love' scores the head-bobbing in which SNL spin-off film?

A Night at the Roxbury stretched SNL's 'Roxbury Guys' sketches, in which Will Ferrell, Chris Kattan and guest hosts such as Jim Carrey bobbed their heads to 'What Is Love', into a 1998 feature film.

Which Cuban bandleader recorded the original 'Mambo No. 5' that Lou Bega sampled in 1999?

Pérez Prado, the Cuban-born 'King of the Mambo', simply numbered several of his instrumentals; Lou Bega added the roll call of women's names to No. 5 about half a century later.

Which 1999 superhero film's characters appear in the video for Smash Mouth's 'All Star'?

Mystery Men stars such as Ben Stiller and William H. Macy appear in character in the 'All Star' video because the song was on the 1999 superhero comedy's soundtrack.

Which 2001 animated film played Smash Mouth's 'All Star' over its opening credits?

Shrek's makers used 'All Star' only as a placeholder and commissioned a song to replace it, then kept the Smash Mouth hit, written by guitarist Greg Camp, after all.

Before 'Genie in a Bottle', Christina Aguilera recorded 'Reflection' for which 1998 Disney film?

Mulan's 'Reflection' was Aguilera's first single; her RCA album deal followed, and a year later 'Genie in a Bottle' spent five weeks at number one on the Hot 100.

Puff Daddy's 'I'll Be Missing You' samples which 1983 song by the Police?

'I'll Be Missing You' lifts the guitar figure and melody of the Police's 'Every Breath You Take'; Sting, its sole writer, received the songwriting royalties, and Faith Evans sang the adapted chorus.

Which R&B group is featured on Puff Daddy and Faith Evans's 'I'll Be Missing You'?

112, Bad Boy's R&B quartet, sang on 'I'll Be Missing You' with Faith Evans; Puff Daddy's verses for the tribute to the Notorious B.I.G. were ghostwritten by rapper Sauce Money.

Lauryn Hill moved the Miseducation sessions to which studio in Kingston, Jamaica?

Tuff Gong Studios, the Marley family's Kingston base, hosted Hill and the musicians' collective New Ark, who later sued her over writing and production credits.

Which singer fronted Santana's 12-week number one 'Smooth' in 1999?

Rob Thomas co-wrote 'Smooth' with Itaal Shur for someone else to sing and suggested George Michael; the label asked Thomas to sing it himself, and he copied Michael's style.

Which record executive, who had first signed Santana to Columbia, backed 1999's Supernatural?

Clive Davis, who had signed Santana to Columbia in the 1960s, brought the guitarist to Arista and teamed him with younger stars such as Lauryn Hill and Wyclef Jean so a new generation would notice.

Which producer, then her husband, made Shania Twain's 1997 album Come On Over?

Mutt Lange contacted Twain after hearing her debut album, and the two spent months on the phone before meeting in 1993; they married that December and co-wrote Come On Over.

Which producer clashed with Metallica while making the 1991 'Black Album'?

Bob Rock, hired after producing Mötley Crüe's Dr. Feelgood, pushed Metallica to record together live and rewrite songs; the resulting 1991 Black Album became the band's first Billboard 200 number one.

Which drummer replaced Steven Adler in Guns N' Roses before the Use Your Illusion albums?

Matt Sorum, poached from the Cult in 1990, drummed on both Use Your Illusion albums, which were released on the same day, September 17, 1991.

Which band took the stage at Woodstock '94 caked in mud?

Nine Inch Nails long told of a spontaneous mud fight just before their set, but a photographer who was with them and backstage footage released later show the look was planned.

Woodstock '99 took place on a former air force base in which New York city?

Woodstock '99 was staged on the former Griffiss Air Force Base in Rome, New York, in July 1999; rioting, fires and looting overshadowed its final night.

Which Canadian musician founded the all-female Lilith Fair tour in 1997?

Sarah McLachlan founded Lilith Fair in 1997 after promoters balked at booking two female acts on one bill; it was the top-grossing touring festival of that year.

Lollapalooza began in 1991 as a farewell tour for which band?

Jane's Addiction singer Perry Farrell built Lollapalooza as his band's farewell tour; he has said he took the name from a Three Stooges short.

Who wrote 'The Man Who Sold the World', which Nirvana covered in 1993?

David Bowie wrote 'The Man Who Sold the World' in 1970; after Nirvana's acoustic cover took off, young fans at his own concerts assumed he was the one covering Nirvana.

Which Nirvana release won the group its only Grammy, nearly two years after Kurt Cobain's death?

MTV Unplugged in New York won Best Alternative Music Performance in 1996; for the taping Cobain had the stage dressed with stargazer lilies and black candles.

Which two people founded the file-sharing service Napster, launched in June 1999?

Shawn Fanning wrote Napster as a Northeastern University student and launched it with Sean Parker in June 1999; it shut down in July 2001 after lawsuits from the RIAA and Metallica.

Selena, killed in March 1995, was known as the queen of which music genre?

Selena, the Queen of Tejano, grew up speaking English; her father taught her to sing in Spanish, and she learned her early lyrics phonetically before winning a Grammy for Live! in 1994.

Which member of Wu-Tang Clan produced their 1993 debut Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers)?

RZA produced every track on Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers), released in November 1993; its title borrows from the films Enter the Dragon and The 36th Chamber of Shaolin.

Snoop Doggy Dogg's Doggystyle, a record-breaking debut in 1993, was released on which label?

Death Row Records, co-founded by Dr. Dre, released Doggystyle after Snoop's guest verses on Dre's records had built huge anticipation; it sold 806,858 copies in its first week.

Which two bands' August 1995 chart rivalry was dubbed 'The Battle of Britpop'?

Blur and Oasis released 'Country House' and 'Roll with It' on the same day in August 1995; Blur's single won the race to number one, and the press dubbed it the Battle of Britpop.

Which Spice Girls ballad was the UK's Christmas number one in 1996?

2 Become 1 was the first of three Christmas number ones in a row for the group, who slipped a line urging safe sex into the love song's lyric.

Which manager did the Backstreet Boys sue in 1998, saying he had kept most of their earnings?

Lou Pearlman, who also created NSYNC, was paid as a 'sixth Backstreet Boy' on top of his manager's and producer's cuts, while the group had received about $300,000 for years of work.

'All the Small Things' was a single from which 1999 Blink-182 album?

Enema of the State was Blink-182's first album with drummer Travis Barker and producer Jerry Finn; in the video for its lead single, the trio run naked through Los Angeles.

Which independent label released the Offspring's 1994 breakthrough album Smash?

Epitaph, the label owned by Bad Religion's Brett Gurewitz, released Smash in April 1994; it sold more than 11 million copies, then the best-selling album ever on an independent label.

Madonna's 'Vogue' appeared on I'm Breathless, an album tied to which 1990 film?

Dick Tracy cast Madonna as singer Breathless Mahoney; 'Vogue' was written as a B-side until label executives judged it too good to waste and made it a single.

Which film director made Michael Jackson's 1991 video for 'Black or White'?

John Landis, who had directed Thriller, shot 'Black or White'; its last four minutes, in which Jackson smashes car windows, were cut after complaints that followed the 1991 premiere.

Bryan Adams's '(Everything I Do) I Do It for You' was the theme for which 1991 film?

Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves got its theme to order: Bryan Adams finished the song in about an hour from a melody in Michael Kamen's score, and it then spent 16 weeks at UK number one.

Toni Braxton's 'Un-Break My Heart' was written by which songwriter?

Diane Warren wrote 'Un-Break My Heart', but Toni Braxton disliked it and had to be talked into recording it; it then spent eleven weeks at number one on the Hot 100.

Which director shot TLC's video for 'Waterfalls'?

F. Gary Gray, later the director of Straight Outta Compton, acted out the song's verses about drug dealing and AIDS in his 'Waterfalls' video, which won four MTV Video Music Awards in 1995.

Bone Thugs-n-Harmony's 1996 hit 'Tha Crossroads' is dedicated to which late rapper?

'Tha Crossroads' was dedicated to Eazy-E, the Ruthless Records founder who had signed Bone Thugs-n-Harmony and died of AIDS in March 1995; it spent eight weeks at number one.

Which musician supplied the talk-box vocals on 2Pac's 'California Love'?

Roger Troutman of Zapp supplied the talk-box hook on 'California Love'; Dr. Dre produced the track, and Hype Williams's video was modeled on Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome.

Which producer made Kris Kross's 1992 chart-topper 'Jump'?

Jermaine Dupri was 18 when he spotted Kris Kross at an Atlanta mall; he wrote and produced 'Jump', which spent eight weeks at number one on the Hot 100 in 1992.

Which rapper performs the rap on Deee-Lite's 1990 hit 'Groove Is in the Heart'?

Q-Tip of A Tribe Called Quest raps the verse on 'Groove Is in the Heart'; guest Bootsy Collins only sings, because the famous bassline is sampled from Herbie Hancock's 'Bring Down the Birds'.

Semisonic's singer wrote which 1998 hit partly about his child's impending birth?

'Closing Time' began as the new set-closer Dan Wilson's bandmates had demanded; partway through writing it, with his wife pregnant, he realised the bar song was also about being born.

Which 1997 single did Blur record as a joke on their record label?

'Song 2' began as a slow acoustic demo by Damon Albarn; Graham Coxon suggested playing it fast and loud as a joke on the record company, yet it reached number two in the UK.

Sixpence None the Richer's 'Kiss Me' featured in which 1999 teen film?

She's All That used 'Kiss Me' as its theme in January 1999; the film's box-office success helped carry the single, written by guitarist Matt Slocum, to number two on the Hot 100.

Which production duo reworked Hanson's slow original 'MMMBop' into the upbeat hit?

The Dust Brothers reworked a song that began, by Zac Hanson's account, as a background part for another track: the 'MMMBop' hook stuck in the brothers' heads until they built a song around it.

Mark Morrison's 'Return of the Mack' samples the beat of which Tom Tom Club song?

'Genius of Love', Tom Tom Club's 1981 single, supplies the beat of 'Return of the Mack', which topped the UK chart in April 1996, after a 1995 jail term for a nightclub brawl convinced Morrison to commit to music.

Which artist topped the Hot 100 for seven weeks in 1993 with the patois-heavy 'Informer'?

Snow wrote 'Informer' while in jail awaiting a trial that ended in his acquittal; rapper MC Shan produced the track and added a verse of his own.

Which party-rap hit was road-tested at Atlanta's Magic City club, where its co-creator was DJ?

'Whoomp! (There It Is)' got the biggest crowd reaction DC the Brain Supreme had seen when he played it at Magic City the day it was mixed; it went on to peak at number two in 1993.

Which 1992 hit did Snap! record with singer Thea Austin?

'Rhythm Is a Dancer' came from Snap!, a studio project run by two German producers; Austin was recruited from America, sang the hit and then left the group.

Which Robbie Williams hit did Irish songwriter Ray Heffernan say he began?

'Angels' is credited to Williams and Guy Chambers; Heffernan says he played Williams an unfinished version after they met in a Dublin pub in 1996, and Williams later bought out his rights for £7,500.

Portishead's 1994 debut Dummy won which British album award in 1995?

Dummy won the 1995 Mercury Prize; Portishead got its crackly sound by recording their own playing, pressing it to vinyl and then sampling the worn records.

Jeff Buckley's Grace features a cover of which Leonard Cohen song?

Grace includes Buckley's cover of Leonard Cohen's 'Hallelujah', modelled on John Cale's 1991 version; the album peaked at only 149 on the Billboard 200 and found its audience after his 1997 death.

Which Hole album was released in April 1994, four days after Kurt Cobain's body was found?

Live Through This arrived on April 12, 1994; Courtney Love took its title from Scarlett O'Hara's vow in Gone with the Wind.

Which Sheryl Crow hit is based on Wyn Cooper's little-known poem 'Fun'?

'All I Wanna Do' took shape after producer Bill Bottrell found Cooper's book in a used bookshop in Pasadena; its first printing was 500 copies, and the hit earned Cooper royalties and reprints.

Ament and Gossard formed Pearl Jam after which band lost singer Andrew Wood in 1990?

Mother Love Bone ended when singer Andrew Wood died of a heroin overdose in March 1990; Jeff Ament and Stone Gossard then recruited Eddie Vedder and formed Pearl Jam, whose debut Ten came out in 1991.

Which Stone Temple Pilots single from Core won a Grammy for Best Hard Rock Performance?

'Plush' won Best Hard Rock Performance at the 1994 Grammys and topped Billboard's Album Rock Tracks chart; critics initially dismissed Stone Temple Pilots as Pearl Jam imitators.

Which two singles from Bush's Sixteen Stone both topped the US Modern Rock chart?

'Comedown' and 'Glycerine' each reached number one on Billboard's Modern Rock Tracks chart; Sixteen Stone went six times platinum in the US but was far less successful in Bush's native Britain.

Which teenage trio were all 15 when their grunge debut Frogstomp came out in 1995?

Silverchair, from Newcastle in Australia, got their break when a demo of 'Tomorrow' won a national contest run by a TV music show and the radio station Triple J.

Which band began in 1994 as an album one musician recorded almost alone in a week?

Foo Fighters was at first Dave Grohl alone, racing from drums to bass to guitar; the one outside part came when he handed a guitar to the Afghan Whigs' Greg Dulli, who was watching.

Which Bakersfield nu metal band made its 1994 self-titled debut with producer Ross Robinson?

Korn recorded it at Indigo Ranch in Malibu, where Robinson coaxed singer Jonathan Davis through 'Daddy', a closing track on which he can be heard breaking down in tears.

Which Canadian band's rapid-fire 'One Week' spent one week atop the Hot 100?

Barenaked Ladies' Ed Robertson was stuck on the verses until Steven Page told him to freestyle; he improvised in front of a video camera, and much of that take became the lyrics.

Which 1999 hit by a Canadian brother-and-sister act loops the disco single 'More, More, More'?

'Steal My Sunshine' is built on a loop from the Andrea True Connection's 1976 hit, so that song's writer shares the credit with Len's Marc Costanzo, who trades verses with his sister Sharon.

'Semi-Charmed Life' was intended as an answer song to which Lou Reed track?

Stephan Jenkins described 'Semi-Charmed Life' as an answer to Lou Reed's 'Walk on the Wild Side'; beneath the 'doo doo doo' hook, the lyrics describe a crystal meth addiction.

Which producer co-wrote every song on Jagged Little Pill, including 'Ironic'?

Glen Ballard and the singer aimed to write and record a song a day at his home studio, and many of her first-take demo vocals survive on Jagged Little Pill.

Which vocal technique did Mariah Carey's 1990 debut 'Vision of Love' help popularise?

Melisma stretches one syllable over a run of notes; The New Yorker called 'Vision of Love' the 'Magna Carta of melisma' for its influence on pop, R&B and American Idol singers.

Which Wu-Tang Clan member guests on the Notorious B.I.G.'s Ready to Die?

Method Man is the only guest rapper on Ready to Die, trading verses with Biggie on 'The What'; the album came out in September 1994 on Bad Boy.

Which pop duo lost the 1990 Best New Artist Grammy after it emerged that other singers made their records?

Milli Vanilli fronted records actually sung by session vocalists hired by German producer Frank Farian. Their label deleted the album and refunded buyers after class action lawsuits.

Which 1992 comedy film sent Queen's 'Bohemian Rhapsody' back up the American chart to number two?

Wayne's World lifted the 1975 single seven places above its original American peak of number nine. A video cut with clips from the film won Queen its only MTV Video Music Award.

Whose photograph did Sinéad O'Connor tear up live on Saturday Night Live in October 1992?

Pope John Paul II was her target in a protest against child abuse in the Catholic Church. The picture had hung on her mother's bedroom wall.

The Rembrandts' 1995 radio hit 'I'll Be There for You' began as the theme song of which sitcom?

Friends used a version under a minute long until a Nashville radio station turned it into a hit. The duo then added two new verses for the full-length single.

Which dance craze did the video for Billy Ray Cyrus's 1992 hit 'Achy Breaky Heart' push into the mainstream?

Line dancing took off with a song the Marcy Brothers had released a year earlier as 'Don't Tell My Heart'. The Cyrus version became the first country single certified platinum since 1983.

Which Irish dance show began as a seven-minute interval act at the 1994 Eurovision Song Contest in Dublin?

Riverdance starred Jean Butler and Michael Flatley that night. Within a year it had grown into a full stage show, which opened in Dublin in February 1995.

Which animated MTV duo, created by Mike Judge, spent the mid-1990s mocking music videos from a couch?

Beavis and Butt-Head became MTV's most popular program over seven seasons. The pair had first been seen in a short film called Frog Baseball.

Tupac Shakur was fatally shot in 1996 shortly after watching which boxer fight at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas?

Mike Tyson knocked out Bruce Seldon in the first round that night. Shakur was shot in a car driven by label boss Suge Knight and died in hospital days later.

The Three Tenors first sang together in 1990 on the eve of the final of which sporting event?

The FIFA World Cup concert welcomed José Carreras back to the stage after treatment for leukaemia. Its recording became the best-selling classical album of all time.

Which band's 1995 single 'Free as a Bird' was built on a home demo taped by a late member in 1977?

The Beatles finished a John Lennon cassette that Yoko Ono had passed to Paul McCartney. The single arrived 25 years after the group broke up.

Which Hollywood actor does Shania Twain name while shrugging off good looks in 'That Don't Impress Me Much'?

Brad Pitt got the mention after nude photos of him ran in Playgirl. Twain said she was left unimpressed by the fuss, since seeing naked people seemed normal to her.

Roxette's 'It Must Have Been Love' lost its references to which holiday before appearing in Pretty Woman?

Christmas was the theme of the 1987 original, written after EMI Germany asked the duo for an intelligent seasonal single. The film version was lightly edited and overdubbed.

Eric Clapton co-wrote his 1992 ballad 'Tears in Heaven' about the death of which family member?

His young son Conor had died at the age of four. The ballad first appeared on the soundtrack of the film Rush and went on to win three Grammy Awards.

Coolio's 'Gangsta's Paradise' opens with a line adapted from which passage of the Bible?

Psalm 23, the shepherd psalm, supplies the opening image. The track reworks Stevie Wonder's 'Pastime Paradise', and it carries no profanity because he objected to any.

Which whistled 1991 Scorpions ballad opens beside Moscow's river, with the singer heading for Gorky Park?

Wind of Change came to singer Klaus Meine after the band played the Moscow Music Peace Festival at Lenin Stadium in August 1989, as the Cold War was thawing.

Which Audrey Hepburn film do the drifting couple in Deep Blue Something's 1995 hit remember both liking?

Breakfast at Tiffany's only got the nod because it made a better title. Songwriter Todd Pipes actually took his inspiration from another of her films, Roman Holiday.

Which 1999 TLC number one spread its title's slang insult for a man with no money around the world?

No Scrubs began as lines Kandi Burruss scribbled on an envelope while sitting in her car. Its put-downs provoked answer songs, among them 'No Pigeons' by Sporty Thievz.

Which Japanese filmmaker is name-checked in the rapid-fire verses of Barenaked Ladies' 1998 hit 'One Week'?

Akira Kurosawa shares the verses with Aquaman, LeAnn Rimes, Harrison Ford, Sailor Moon and The X-Files, in one of pop's densest runs of cultural references.

Which classic car does Skee-Lo wish he owned instead of his Ford Pinto in the 1995 rap hit 'I Wish'?

A Chevrolet Impala from 1964 tops a wish list that also includes being taller and better at basketball. The track lost the Grammy for Best Rap Solo Performance to Coolio.

During the breakdown of Metallica's 1991 single 'Enter Sandman', James Hetfield teaches a child to recite what?

A bedtime prayer anchors the song's nightmare imagery. Hetfield's first lyrics dealt with crib death, until his drummer and producer told him he could do better.

Baz Luhrmann's spoken-word hit about wearing sunscreen used words long misattributed to which novelist?

Kurt Vonnegut was said to have given the text as a commencement speech at MIT. It was really a 1997 Chicago Tribune column by Mary Schmich, imagining the speech she would give.

Which shock rocker is mocked beside Beck, Hanson and Courtney Love as New Radicals' 'You Get What You Give' ends?

Marilyn Manson said he minded only being named in the same sentence as Courtney Love. Writer Gregg Alexander called the insults a test of whether the media would notice his political lines.

Which soul singer turned preacher did Marc Cohn hear at a Sunday service before writing 'Walking in Memphis'?

Al Green was preaching at the Full Gospel Tabernacle Church, and Cohn called the service one of the great experiences of his life. The song's lyrics are autobiographical.

Semisonic's 'Closing Time' sounds like last call at a bar, but its writer realised it was also about what?

Being born was on the songwriter's mind because his girlfriend was pregnant. Drummer Jacob Slichter likened it to being sent from the womb by a bouncer clearing out a bar.

Dolly Parton wrote 'I Will Always Love You', later a Whitney Houston smash, as a farewell to which mentor?

Porter Wagoner had been her business partner for seven years when she left to pursue a solo career. Her own 1974 recording topped the country chart.

'Killing Me Softly', a 1996 Fugees hit, grew out of Lori Lieberman's reaction to a concert by which singer?

Don McLean was the performer who moved her in late 1971. Roberta Flack took the song to number one in 1973, long before Lauryn Hill sang lead on the hip-hop remake.

In Crash Test Dummies' 'Mmm Mmm Mmm Mmm', what happens to the hair of a boy hurt in a car crash?

It turns white in the first verse, which singer Brad Roberts based on serious car crashes he was in as a child. A later verse draws on his own birthmark.

Alannah Myles's 1990 hit 'Black Velvet' honours which late singer, an idea sparked on a fan bus to Memphis?

Elvis Presley fans were riding to Graceland for the tenth anniversary of his death when co-writer Christopher Ward, then Myles's boyfriend, got the idea.

Right Said Fred's 'I'm Too Sexy' was inspired by the posing regulars at which kind of business the brothers ran?

A gym in London gave Fred and Richard Fairbrass a daily view of what Richard called narcissism and posing. The video swapped the weights for models on a catwalk.

Scatman John's 1994 dance hit 'Scatman' turned which lifelong speech condition of the singer into its message?

A stutter had made John Larkin's childhood traumatic, and he feared listeners would notice it. His wife Judy suggested he address it directly in his music.

Which British boy band's 1996 split so upset fans that the Samaritans charity set up telephone hotlines?

Take That announced the split on 13 February 1996, having already lost Robbie Williams the year before. Their farewell single was a cover of the Bee Gees' 'How Deep Is Your Love'.

Which South Carolina group, fronted by Darius Rucker, had America's best-selling album of 1995 with its debut?

Hootie & the Blowfish sold seven million copies of Cracked Rear View that year, even though it had entered the Billboard 200 at a lowly number 127.

Which long-running California jam band disbanded in 1995 after the death of guitarist Jerry Garcia?

Grateful Dead had played together for 30 years, building a following so devoted that its fans earned a name of their own, Deadheads.

Sub Pop Records and bands such as Mudhoney and Green River made which American city the home of grunge?

Seattle gave the style its first name, the Seattle Sound. Sub Pop then shrewdly encouraged the press to call it grunge instead.

Which Houston girl group scored its first American number one in 1999 with 'Bills, Bills, Bills'?

Destiny's Child knocked Jennifer Lopez's debut single off the top spot. The video was shot in a beauty salon as a tribute to Beyoncé's mother, Tina Knowles.

Which Orlando boy band built its name from the last letters of its founding members' first names?

NSYNC takes a letter each from Justin, Chris, Joey, Jason and JC. The idea came when Justin Timberlake's mother, Lynn, remarked on how in sync their voices sounded.

Which 1991 U2 album, home of 'One' and 'Mysterious Ways', launched the band's ironic 1990s reinvention?

Achtung Baby was begun at Hansa Studios in Berlin in October 1990, where the band went looking for inspiration in German reunification.

Which band named its 1994 reunion album after Don Henley's quip about when the group would play again?

The Eagles had split in 1980, when Henley said they would reunite when hell freezes over. The tour that went with the album ran from 1994 to 1996.

Which veteran rock band scored its first American number one in 1998 with a ballad from the film Armageddon?

Aerosmith got the job after Liv Tyler, daughter of singer Steven Tyler, was cast in the film. 'I Don't Want to Miss a Thing' debuted at number one and stayed there for four weeks.

Which 1990 trio was formed by daughters of members of the Beach Boys and the Mamas & the Papas?

Wilson Phillips united Carnie and Wendy Wilson, daughters of Brian Wilson, with Chynna Phillips. Their debut single 'Hold On' was Billboard's Hot 100 Single of the Year for 1990.

Which Swedish band's 'Lovefool' went global after appearing in Baz Luhrmann's film Romeo + Juliet?

The Cardigans had only a modest hit with it at home, where it peaked at number 15, before the film carried it around the world a few months later.

Which ticketing giant did Pearl Jam challenge in 1994, accusing it of monopolising the concert market?

Ticketmaster had angered the band by adding a service charge to tickets for two charity shows in Chicago. The Justice Department later dropped its investigation.

Which Long Beach ska-punk trio's self-titled breakthrough came out two months after singer Bradley Nowell died?

Sublime had sold only modestly with two earlier albums before the 1996 record took off. Nowell's dalmatian, Lou Dog, served as the band's mascot.

Which band's 1993 video for 'No Rain' made a star of a young tap dancer in a homemade bee costume?

Blind Melon modelled the Bee Girl, played by Heather DeLoach, on their album cover, a family photo of the drummer's younger sister.

Which Minneapolis band's 1993 video for 'Runaway Train' showed photographs of real missing children?

Soul Asylum singer Dave Pirner first wrote the lyrics about his own depression. The song went on to win the Grammy for Best Rock Song in 1994.

Which Australian duo took its name from a phrase in Anne Rice's Vampire Chronicles novels?

Savage Garden were known as Bliss when Darren Hayes and Daniel Jones cut their first demo tape. Under the new name they scored hits such as 'Truly Madly Deeply'.

Which band did producer Butch Vig form in Madison, Wisconsin, in 1993, fronted by a Scottish singer?

Garbage grew out of Smart Studios, which Vig had co-founded in Madison a decade earlier. The Scottish singer auditioned for the group there.

Which New York rap trio organised the first Tibetan Freedom Concert in San Francisco in 1996?

Beastie Boys had set up the Milarepa Fund to pay royalties to Tibetan monks sampled on their 1994 album Ill Communication. The fund then co-organised the concerts.

Which British band carried on as a trio after lyricist Richey Edwards disappeared in February 1995?

Manic Street Preachers took a six-month break, then returned with the blessing of his family. Their comeback album Everything Must Go reached number two in Britain.

Which trio, formed by three members of New Edition, reached number three in 1990 with the single 'Poison'?

Bell Biv DeVoe are Ricky Bell, Michael Bivins and Ronnie DeVoe, whose debut album helped define new jack swing by mixing soul and R&B with hip hop.