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25 Best Songs From 1994

If you’re making a playlist for 1994, you might want to know what some of the top tracks were from that year to bring back those memories and feelings of nostalgia. Continue reading to find out what’s on our list of the 25 best songs from 1994! 

1. Hallelujah – Jeff Buckley 

Jeff Buckley - Hallelujah (Official Video)

The first song on our list is the beloved cover Hallelujah by Jeff Buckley, which was originally performed by Leonard Cohen. Buckley recorded the track in 1994, but it wasn’t a huge hit when it was released, and he, unfortunately, died in 1997. The album didn’t hit gold status until 2002, which is around the time that people started to really pay attention to this version of the song. 

He had very haunting vocals in this track, which has both romantic and religious themes. Even though the song didn’t hit the charts until 2006, his version has resonated with people worldwide over the last 20 years and deserves to be number one on this list. 

2. I Swear – All-4-One

All-4-One - I Swear

Next on our list is I Swear by All-4-One, which is a cover song of the hit by John Michael Montgomery. The melody and smooth vocals by this group helped catapult this version to success, and it’s the most well-known version of it. You can feel the devotion, love, and loyalty in this track when they sing, and it hit the Billboard Hot 100 at the number one position and stayed there for 11 weeks! 

3. Lightning Crashes – Live 

Live - Lightning Crashes (Official Music Video)

Live is on our list with their hit Lightning Crashes, which is a song about the circle of life and death, and it’s one of the most tender and emotional tracks on our list. The lyrics describe an old woman who dies at the same time a baby is born, showing the contrast between the two moments we all experience in life. 

Lead singer Ed Kowalczyk has an amazing voice, and in this song, you can hear the emotion and passion within his voice. It is one of those tracks that you’ll keep coming back to, and it’s no wonder it made it to number one on the Alternative Airplay and Mainstream Rock charts. 

4. Stay (I Missed You) – Lisa Loeb 

Lisa Loeb "Stay (I Missed You)" Music Video

Next is the hit song Stay (I Missed You) by Lisa Loeb, which is all about a relationship that just failed, but she is trying to get another chance and hoping the guy will stay. Her vocal style is unique and distinctive, and you’ll recognize this track if you’ve seen the music video where she is standing inside the apartment. This was her biggest hit and is still one of those songs that get radio play even today.

5. I’ll Make Love To You – Boyz II Men 

Boyz II Men - I'll Make Love To You (Official Music Video)

Boyz II Men is one of the most iconic boy groups of the 90s, and the song I’ll Make Love To You is one of the sexiest and most romantic tracks you’ll ever hear. There is a desire heard in this song to both satisfy and please their lover, with it being sensual in nature and not nasty or vulgar. This track includes a saxophone and piano to create the perfect romantic ambiance, and it’s one of those R&B love ballads that you’ll keep coming back to when you’re feeling in the mood. 

6. Don’t Take The Girl – Tim McGraw 

Tim McGraw - Don't Take The Girl (Official Music Video)

Attention all country fans, you probably remember the song Don’t Take The Girl by Tim McGraw, which is on our list because it tells a wonderful yet sad story of a boy and a girl.

When you listen to this track, it’ll bring back nostalgia as it follows the journey of this boy and girl throughout their life, ending with the girl giving birth and the possibility that she may not make it while the boy who is now a man pleads to God to let her live. It peaked at number one on the Hot Country Songs chart and 17 on the Billboard Hot 100. 

7. Crazy – Aerosmith 

Aerosmith - Crazy (Official Music Video)

If you like Alicia Silverstone, make note of the fact she is in the Aerosmith Crazy video, and this song is on our list next. It helped bring them back into the spotlight, and the video was specifically made to lure in the young people watching MTV. Lead singer Steven Tyler also put his daughter Liv in the music video, and it is one of their most popular tracks to this day. 

8. I’d Do Anything For Love (But I Won’t Do That) – Meat Loaf 

Meat Loaf - I'd Do Anything For Love (But I Won't Do That) (Official Music Video)

Next is Meat Loaf with what is his most well-known song, which is I’d Do Anything For Love (But I Won’t Do That). This comes from Bat Out Of Hell II: Back Into Hell, and it is what made him a recognizable name and gave him street cred among metal fans. This track made it to number one on the Billboard Hot 100, and he even won a Grammy for Best Rock Vocal Performance since it was a defining song for 1994. 

9. Wild Night – John Mellencamp Feat. Me’Shell Ndegeocello

John Mellencamp - Wild Night ft. Me'Shell Ndegeocello

John Mellencamp makes our list with Wild Night, which is a rock song that is upbeat and catchy, while it has a rhythmic section that is energetic. The party-like vibe in this track makes you want to go out on the town for a night, and its lyrics are celebrating these wild nights out on the town, hence the title. 

10. Come Out and Play – The Offspring

The Offspring - "Come Out And Play"

Calling all fans of the movie Click, The Offspring makes our list with their hit song Come Out And Play, which is all about gang violence. In the lyrics, the track goes into other ways that you can solve problems that you have with someone besides being violent. The song went to number one on the Alternative Airplay chart, and it has a great beat with a chorus you can sing along to at any time. While the band has released several hit albums and tracks, this is one of their most popular. 

11. Baby, I Love Your Way – Big Mountain 

Big Mountain - Baby I Love Your Way (Live Music) | Sugarshack Sessions

Romantic power ballad Baby, I Love Your Way is next, and this song is by Big Mountain. There is a sense of devotion and love to a significant other in this track, and it contains very emotional and deep lyrics. If you haven’t heard it yet, check it out as it was one of the biggest songs of 1994, especially if you enjoy pop or reggae music. 

12. Interstate Love Song – Stone Temple Pilots 

Stone Temple Pilots - Interstate Love Song (Official Music Video) [HD]

Coming in at number one on the Mainstream Rock chart is the next track, which is Interstate Love Song by Stone Temple Pilots. This track is all about a relationship that is toxic and a bit tumultuous, which is partially brought on by arguing and fighting. There is a feeling of restlessness in the song, and it’s one of their biggest hits to date. 

13. Let Her Cry – Hootie & The Blowfish 

Hootie & The Blowfish - Let Her Cry (Official Music Video)

Hootie & The Blowfish released Let Her Cry, which went to number nine on the Billboard Hot 100 and deserves a spot on our list. The hooks are catchy, but this song is a sad and gut-wrenching love ballad about addiction and seeing the person you love go through the battle while you feel helpless and confused. There is a raw element to this track that’ll resonate with you if you’ve ever known someone or been in that situation yourself. 

14. Breathe Again – Toni Braxton 

Toni Braxton - Breathe Again (Official Video)

Toni Braxton makes our list with her song Breathe Again, which is all about after a relationship ends and you’re starting over. This track is all about reliving the memories but feeling free to move on with her life and start over, allowing her to breathe once again. It remains one of her most well-known songs, and it’s beloved by her fans. 

15. Zombie – The Cranberries 

The Cranberries - Zombie (Official Music Video)

Next is Zombie by The Cranberries, which is a rock band out of Ireland, and the unique vocal styling of lead singer Dolores O’Riordan helps make this song as haunting and amazing as it is. This track is all about Ireland and the Warrington IRA Bombing, and her tone is both reflective and somber as she remembers what was going on and the destruction that happened that day.

16. Whatta Man – En Vogue And Salt-N-Pepa

En Vogue (with Salt-N-Pepa) - Whatta Man (Official Music Video)

A song about praising men that work hard and are great catches is up next, and we’re talking about Whatta Man by Salt-N-Pepa. This track was on Very Necessary, and it was a duet with the female group En Vogue. The original version was released in 1968 and performed by Linda Lyndell, but Salt-N-Pepa lent their own style and mood to the song, making it more rap instead of soul. Now, we have a classic that’s stood the test of time. 

17. Can You Feel The Love Tonight – Elton John 

Elton John - Can You Feel the Love Tonight (From "The Lion King"/Official Video)

Made famous by the Disney movie The Lion King, Can You Feel The Love Tonight by Elton John was a huge hit in 1994. This song hit number four on the Billboard Hot 100, and it’s one of his most famous tracks that fans have requested in concert ever since it was released.

18. The Sign – Ace Of Base 

Ace of Base - The Sign (Official Music Video)

Ace Of Base makes the list with the song The Sign, which is about seeing all of the signs that a relationship is over and ending it. It topped the Billboard Hot 100 chart and Mainstream Top 40 chart while hitting two on the Adult Contemporary chart. There is reggae and pop mixed together in this track by one of the biggest Swedish groups of the decade, and it was famously featured in an episode of Full House. 

19. Spoonman – Soundgarden 

Soundgarden - Spoonman

Grunge band Soundgarden had a ton of hits in the 90s, but in 1994, it was Spoonman that ended up becoming one of their biggest hits ever. The lyrics are all about a performer who was known all around Seattle as Spoonman, and he would use spoons as percussion instruments. The Spoonman himself actually was in the track to make this Soundgarden classic stand out and helped them become one of the biggest grunge acts of the decade. 

20. Endless Love – Luther Vandross Feat. Mariah Carey 

Luther Vandross - Endless Love ft. Mariah Carey

Mariah Carey and Luther Vandross make our list with Endless Love, which is a remake of the Diana Ross and Lionel Richie song from 1981. This track is just as powerful and emotional as the original and is a timeless love song that is perfect for anyone who appreciates their partner. 

21. Buddy Holly – Weezer

Weezer - Buddy Holly (Official Music Video)

Buddy Holly by Weezer makes the list because this song is a tribute to Buddy Holly, as the title implies. There are references to the style and tracks of Holly within this song, and this is one of the band’s most recognizable and beloved tracks to this day. 

22. Loser – Beck 

Beck - Loser (Official Music Video)

Next is Beck with the song Loser, which is a mix of hip hop and folk, and it’s a unique-sounding track that is likely their signature song. It’s used as an anthem by those who slack off or who think of themselves as losers, and it’s sung in a self-deprecating tone. 

23. What Is Love – Haddaway 

Haddaway - What Is Love [Official]

Haddaway is on our list next with the track What Is Love, which is his signature song as it’s one of his most recognizable. The beat in the track is thumping, and it has been used repeatedly in Saturday Night Live sketches over the years. It was also featured in the movie A Night At The Roxbury.

24. Regulate – Warren G Feat. Nate Dogg 

Warren G - Regulate (Official Music Video) ft. Nate Dogg

Rappers Warren G and Nate Dogg are next with Regulate, which is one of the most well-known hip hop songs of the 90s. The track is all about the two of them and how they’ve had obstacles in their life that they’ve overcome. It made it to number two on the Billboard Hot 100. 

25. I’ll Remember – Madonna 

Madonna - I'll Remember (Official Video)

Last on our list is I’ll Remember by Madonna, which made it to number two on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. This track was featured in the movie With Honors, and it’s one of her many hits from the 90s.

Recommended Next:

Best songs of the 90s

Best songs of 1996

Best songs of 1991

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