Bob Dylan wrote a song called “The Times They Are a-Changin'” in the 60s about social justice issues. In the 90s, the same type of statement could be made about pop rock music and the radio stations playing hit songs: “The times they were a changing.”
With this edition of my musical musings, I will be counting down what I consider to be the best rock hits of the 90s that were not released as singles in the United States. My selections are from the years 1994 through 1998.
Before getting to my countdown, I will give a brief history of Top 40 radio. Looking back to 1970, Top 40 radio played a wide variety of mass appeal hits in a variation of musical genres: pop, rock, soul, R&B, country, easy listening, and adult standards.
In the early 70s, radio station playlists featured the top-selling vinyl 45-rpm singles and airplay of the 40 biggest songs. These songs were tracked nationally by Billboard and Cash Box magazines, which both published weekly surveys of the 100 biggest hits.
When the debut American Top 40 show happened on July 4th weekend in 1970, Casey Kasem aired the 40 biggest singles on the Billboard Hot 100 (BH100) chart. Criteria for this once-a-week survey: Only songs released as a 45-rpm single were eligible for charting on the BH100.
The Billboard rule of charting only songs released as singles on their Hot 100 survey was adopted in 1958 and was maintained until being eliminated in November 1998.
From 1970 until 1991, AT40 used the BH100 chart on its national weekly broadcasts. Then in November 1991, AT40 stopped using the BH100 chart, switching first to Billboard’s “Hot 100 Airplay” chart and then finally to the “Mainstream Top 40” Billboard survey.
Both of these later Billboard charts were based solely on radio station airplay and the songs listed could be either a single or an album track.
On the weekend of January 28, 1995, the final episode of the original AT40 was broadcast. After a 3-year gap, American Top 40 returned with the second Casey Kasem era (1998-2004).
The evolution of Top 40 radio changed tremendously during the 70s and 80s. Stations went from being located primarily on the AM dial to high quality FM signals during this time period.
During the 80s, the Top 40 radio format became known as Contemporary Hit Radio (CHR). Stations utilizing the CHR format played current and recurrent popular hits that focused mostly on pop, rock, R&B and country crossover tunes.
By the 90s, newer sub-genres of pop-rock music became popular: Hip-Hop, Electronic, Urban, Grunge, Alternative and Modern Rock. This new diversity of music caused a large number of CHR stations to narrow their focus.
Instead of playing all the current top hits from the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart, many CHR formatted stations went away from playing mass appeal hits and splintered the songs they aired into smaller playlists.
The fractioning of the CHR format by the mid 90s had multiple stations in radio markets playing fewer songs and the music they aired tended to be mostly in a specific sub-genre of pop-rock music.
There were still successful traditional mainstream CHR stations functioning in radio markets that played a wide variety of hits in the 90s. One such station was in my hometown K92 (WXLK) 92.3 Roanoke, Virginia.
Above: A K92 Roanoke aircheck of David Lee Michaels: Summer 1981.
Photo inside of the K92 Roanoke studio in the early 90s courtesy of David Lee Michaels: From Left to Right: K92 DJ Eddie Haskell, English rock singer-songwriter and musician John Waite and K92 DJ David Lee Michaels.
K92 came on the air on New Year’s Day in 1980 with a Top 40 CHR format. This mainstream CHR outlet was the top-rated number one radio station in the Lynchburg/Roanoke market starting in 1980 and remained as the most listened to station into the early 90s.
Above: A K92 Roanoke audio clip of Ellis B Feaster: Summer 1989. Courtesy of Ellis B Feaster.
A photo I took of the K92 studio building on Electric Road in Roanoke County, Virginia. February 27, 2025.
Below is a listing of “main leaning” CHR formatted stations during the 90s and the music those outlets played:
- Mainstream/Traditional CHR
- Adult CHR
- Rhythmic/Dance CHR
- Urban CHR
- Rock CHR
All chart documentation that I have reference below came from my personal copy of, “The Billboard Book of Top 40 Hits” by Joel Whitburn (9th edition). I consider Whitburn’s book to be the “bible” of Top 40 music history and I bought my second copy of this superb music guide a few years ago.
Whitburn’s reference guide tabulates numeric positions for all Top 40 hits on multiple Billboard charts. When my countdown is viewed below, it may be surprising to some that these songs were not released as singles but actually album tracks that became radio hits.
In addition, my countdown of radio airplay hits is entirely based on my opinions: I consider those 20 rock songs as favorites from the 90s decade. My selections are songs that I deem to be culturally, historically, aesthetically significant, meaningful or relevant.
As I do with all of my countdowns, I document tracks that I considered but fell outside my top 20 selections. These album track hits are not ranked and are placed in a random order:
- When I Come Around—Green Day
- Crash into Me—Dave Matthews Band
- Hand in My Pocket—Alanis Morissette
- Push—Matchbox 20
- Buddy Holly—Weezer
- A Long December—The Counting Crows
- What I Got—Sublime
- Champagne Supernova—Oasis
- Spiderwebs—No Doubt
- Daughter—Pearl Jam
- Takes a Little Time—Amy Grant
- 3 AM–Matchbox 20
- Santa Monica (Watch the World Die)—Everclear
- If You Could Only See—Tonic
- Standing Outside a Broken Phone Booth with Money in My Hand—Primitive Radio Gods
Without further ado, my Top 20 countdown of the best non-singles radio hits begins:
20. Zombie—The Cranberries 1995
Peak Positions on Billboard Charts: #1 Mainstream Rock, #18 Hot 100 Airplay
The Cranberries, an Irish alternative rock band, had a world-wide smash hit with “Zombie.” Written by band member/lead singer Dolores O’Riordan, her powerful lyrics are a furious anti-terrorism lament, protesting bombs exploding in England by the Irish Republican Army that killed two children.
19. Closing Time—Semisonic 1998
Peak Positions on Billboard Charts: #1 Mainstream Rock, #4 Hot 100 Airplay
Rock band trio from, Minneapolis, Minnesota. This ballad has multiple meanings according to Semisonic’s songwriter Dan Wilson: 1. Imagery of bouncers yelling “closing time” and people leaving bars. 2. About childbirth, with a pun on being “bounced from the womb”. Tune was nominated for a Grammy Award (Best Rock Song).
18. Black Hole Sun—Soundgarden 1994
Peak Positions on Billboard Charts: #1 Modern Rock (7 weeks) #9 Hot 100 Airplay
Grunge Rock band from Seattle, Washington. Penned by Soundgarden’s singer-songwriter and guitarist Chris Cornell. Signature song by the band was the number 1 biggest album track on Billboard’s Modern Rock chart in 1994.
17. Mr. Jones—The Counting Crows 1994
Peak Positions on Billboard Charts: #1 Modern Rock, #2 Hot 100 Airplay
Breakthrough hit by San Francisco, California rock band. From the album “August and Everything After.” Received a MTV Video Music Award for “Best New Artist” category with their hit.
16. Walking on the Sun—Smash Mouth 1997
Peak positions on Billboard Charts: #1 mainstream Rock, #2 Hot 100 Airplay
Power pop rock band from San Jose, California. Debut hit was written by Smashmouth’s Greg Camp, after learning about Rodney King as a victim of police brutality in Los Angeles, California. A catchy, infectious track.
15. Lightning Crashes—Live. 1994
Peak Positions on Billboard Charts: #1 Modern Rock (9 weeks), #1 Rock Tracks (10 weeks), #12 Hot 100 Airplay
York, Pennsylvania alternative rock band. Primarily written by lead singer Ed Kowalczyk but is credited to all 4 members of Live. The band dedicated this hit to a mutual high school friend, 19 year old Barbara Lewis who was killed by a drunk driver in 1993.
14. Love Will Keep Us Alive—Eagles. 1994
Peak Positions on Billboard Charts: #1 Adult Contemporary (3 weeks), #22 Hot 100 Airplay
The Southern California rock band had been on hiatus since 1980 and formally reunited in 1994. This soft rock hit introduced a new generation to Eagles music. Bassist Timothy B. Schmidt is on lead vocals with a song nominated for a Grammy Award in 1995.
13. How Bizarre—OMC. 1996
Peak Positions on Billboard Charts: #1 Mainstream Rock, #4 Hot 100 Airplay
OMC: aka (Otara Millionaires Club) was a New Zealand band. Started as a trio, then became a duo. When “How Bizarre” reached the top spot on Billboard’s Mainstream Rock survey, ONC became the first New Zealand artist ever to reach the a number 1 position with any Billboard chart. Received a MTV Video Music Award.
12. Good Riddance (Time of Your Life)—Green Day. 1998
Peak Positions on Billboard Charts: #7 Mainstream Rock, #11 Hot 100 Airplay
Alternative California rock band switched things up for this ballad. The track was an unusual composition for Green Day: it had sparse instrumentation. Songwriter Billie Joe Armstrong plays acoustic guitar while a string arrangement was added into the mix. It has become a classic 90s folk-rock tune.
11. Lovefool—The Cardigans. 1997
Peak Positions on Billboard Charts: #3 Hot 100 Airplay, #4 Mainstream Rock
Swedish rock band provided a pure pop song with “Lovefool.” Written by band members Nina Persson and Peter Svensson. Musically upbeat and lyrics that are sad, bittersweet and a little quirky. Billboard rates it as the 4th best hit with their “100 Best Pop Songs of 1997” listing.
10. Interstate Love Song—Stone Temple Pilots. 1994
Peak Positions on Billboard Charts: #1 Mainstream Rock (15 Weeks), #18 Hot 100 Airplay
San Diego Grunge rock band. Track is from the album “Purple.” Written by Stone Temple Pilots singer-songwriter Scott Weiland. The signature song by the band is considered one of the best rock hits of the 90s by many music historians.
9. Until I Fall Away—Gin Blossoms
Peak positions on Billboard Charts: #13 Mainstream Rock, #13 Hot 100 Airplay
Throwback power pop rock band from Tempe, Arizona. Musically, Gin Blossoms’ music featured chiming guitars, superb harmonies and catchy melodies. The band achieved 3 other hit songs during the 90s decade.
8. What Would You Say—Dave Matthews Band 1994
Peak Positions on Billboard Charts: #5 Mainstream Rock, #9 Hot 100 Airplay
The first of two Dave Matthews Band songs on my countdown. Track from the “Under the Table and Dreaming” album. This track lifted the Charlottesville, Virginia rock/jazz/jam group into national prominence. Blues Traveler member John Popper plays harmonica on this tune.
7. Torn—Natalie Imbruglia. 1998
Peak Positions on Billboard Charts: #1 Hot 100 Airplay, #1 Mainstream Rock
Natalie Imbruglia is an Australian and British singer-songwriter and actress. “Torn” was a huge international hit. It is considered a perfect acoustic pop rock track of the 90s. It received a Grammy nomination in 1999 and won a MTV Video Music Award (Best New Artist).
6. A Change Would Do You Good—Sheryl Crow 1997
Peak Positions on Billboard Charts: #1 Mainstream Rock, #5 Hot 100 Airplay
Singer-songwriter and musician Sheryl Crow flowed easily into multiple genres of music during her career: rock, pop, folk and country. The artist plays bass and organ on this straight up, toe-tapping rock track. Additional guitars by Jeff Trott and Todd Wolfe fill out this outstanding tune.
5. You Oughta Know—Alanis Morissette 1995
Peak Positions on Billboard Charts: #2 Mainstream Rock, #3 Hot 100 Airplay
In the mid-90s, Canadian singer-songwriter Alanis Morissette was the queen of angst rock. The track’s hard hitting confessional lyrics about an ex-boyfriend is performed with passion. It won two Grammy Awards for “Best Rock Song” and “Best Female Rock Vocal performance.” Rolling Stone magazine rates “You Oughta Know” at #103 on their “500 Greatest Songs of All Time” listing.
4. Ants Marching—Dave Matthews Band 1995
Peak Positions on Billboard Charts: #19 Hot 100 Airplay, #21 Mainstream Rock
Virginia’s most prominent rock band of the 20th century has their second hit on my countdown. Written by Dave Matthews, the singer-songwriter considers “Ants Marching” as the official anthem for his band. The music mix of guitar, saxophone and violin is superb on this uptempo jam.
3. Don’t Speak—No Doubt 1996
Peak Positions on Billboard Charts: #1 Hot 100 Airplay (16 Weeks), #2 Modern Rock
No Doubt was a hybrid rock band that played a combination of pop, rock, new wave, ska and alternative musical genres. Siblings Gwen and Eric Stafani wrote “Don’t Speak” which was a breakup song. It was nominated for 2 Grammy Awards and became the signature song for the California band.
2. One Headlight—The Wallflowers 1997
Peak positions on Billboard Charts: #1 Hot 100 Airplay, #1 Mainstream Rock, #1 Adult Album Alternative
Jakob Dylan is a co-founder, lead vocalist, guitarist, and principal songwriter of the Wallflowers. His father is the legendary music icon Bob Dylan. “One Headlight” became the first song to reach #1 on all three of Billboard’s rock charts. The track won 2 Grammy Awards: for “Best Rock Song” and “Best Rock Performance.”
1. Iris—Goo Goo Dolls. 1998
Peak Positions on Billboard Charts: #1 Hot 100 Airplay (17 Weeks), #1 Mainstream Rock (5 Weeks)
My #1 selection is “Iris” by Goo Goo Dolls. Formed in Buffalo, New York, during 1986, the alternative rock group still is a functioning as a band here in 2025. Their 1998 track is their signature song.
“Iris” is a power ballad and was featured in the film, “City of Angels.” It received 2 Grammy nominations and in 2012 Billboard ranked the track as #1 on the chart listing “Top Pop Songs: 1992-2012.”
Anyone that listened to CHR or rock formatted radio stations in 1998, would have heard this song on a regular basis. Without a doubt, “Iris” by the Goo Goo Dolls” is my #1 greatest rock hit of the 90s not released as a single.
That wraps up my countdown of what I consider to be the best rock radio hits in the 90s not released as singles.
If you have any thoughts about CHR radio and the music played on those stations during the 90s decade, please submit your comments on this topic. I look forward reading your opinions.
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