Genres
- Grunge: The new rock n' roll of the nineties, literally. The "big four" are Nirvana, Pearl Jam, Alice in Chains and Soundgarden.
- Hip Hop Soul was a direct offshoot of New Jack Swing that was created in 1989 by R& B producer Teddy Riley, and quickly displaced its parent genre as the decade progressed.
- Nu Metal: The new (alternative) metal of the nineties. Coolly received by critics and traditionalists, but very successful with teens.
- New Jack Swing: continued to have popularity in the first half of the 90s though it would be seen as outdated by 1995 and gradually was replaced by other forms of R&B like Neo-Soul
- Alternative Hip Hop: Made hip-hop very chic among some white college kids.
- Boy Bands
- The "electronica" boom that crested in the mid-late '90s, including among others: Daft Punk and The Prodigy. On the other side, Trance also gained stride, with producers like Armin Van Buuren, Ferry Corsten and Markus Schulz starting out in this decade.
- Trip Hop: Originated in the early '90s in Bristol with bands Portishead and Massive Attack.
- Dancehall Reggae also crosses over during this decade
- Britpop: Britain's response to Grunge, including acts such as Blur, Oasis, Pulp and Suede.
- Riot Grrrl!
- Midwestern rap acts
- Gangsta Rap: The other new rock n' roll of the nineties.
- Third Wave Ska such as: Reel Big Fish and No Doubt.
- The Melodic Death Metal movement, which was started in 1996.
- Jungle/drum'n'bass, while we're at it: Goldie, Roni Size, UK Apachi, LTJ Bukem, Photek, Dillinja, DJ Krust, etc.
- Black Metal was codified in the early and mid-1990's in Northern Europe, both musically and aesthetically. This is also the time of the infamous "Black Circle" hijinks such as murders, suicides, and church-burnings that helped give the popular image of black metal today.
- Queercore began during the Nineties.
- Eurobeat: The Italian-made version's initial popularity was primarily experienced in this decade.
Musicians
- 2 Live Crew
- 311
- 8Ball & MJG
- Nine One One
- Aaliyah
- Paula Abdul
- Aborted
- Above the Law
- Accept
- AC/DC
- Ace of Base
- Acid Bath
- Adam Ant
- Bryan Adams
- Aerosmith
- Aesop Rock
- The Afghan Whigs
- Christina Aguilera. Debuted in 1999.
- Alice in Chains
- GG Allin: Batshit insane and controversial rock musician. Better known for his outrageously offensive stage acts than his music.
- All Saints
- American Football
- Amon Amarth
- Amorphis
- Tori Amos
- Little Earthquakes (1992)
- And One. German EBM group, started in 1989 and still going today.
- Annihilator
- Anthrax
- Aphex Twin
- Fiona Apple
- Aqua
- Arashi. Debuted in 1999.
- Ricardo Arjona
- A Tribe Called Quest
- The Low End Theory (1991)
- Al B. Sure!
- Arrested Development
- Ash
- At the Gates
- Emilie Autumn. Her debut album was released in 1997.
- Avantasia. Project started in 1999.
- Avenged Sevenfold. The band formed in 1999. Though their first album came out in 2001 and they would only achieve widespread recognition and success c. 2005.
- Axe Murder Boyz
- The B-52s, also from Athens Georgia, USA
- Bachelor Girl
- Backstreet Boys
- The Bangles: After breaking up in 1989, they reformed in 1998, recording a song for the soundtrack of Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me (directed by Jay Roach, frontwoman Susanna Hoffs' husband). Though, longtime bassist Michael Steele would leave the group in 2005.
- Barenaked Ladies
- Wild Willy Barrett. Released a pair of albums which saw him return to his genres' roots.
- Basehead
- Bathory
- Beastie Boys were just as big in the eighties, but the nineties saw them reinvent themselves. They also started to mature, with their humor being genuine instead of a Stealth Parody. Their two biggest hits, "Sabotage" and "Intergalactic", were released in this period.
- The Beatles: The (then-)three surviving members released a new album trilogy in 1995 and 1996.
- The Beatles Anthology (1995/1996)
- Beat Happening. An influential indie pop band of the 1980s. Released some of their greatest hits in 1991 and 1992.
- The Beautiful South
- Beck
- Mellow Gold (1994)
- Odelay (1996)
- Behemoth
- Belle and Sebastian
- Belly
- Bi-2: A Russian Alternative Rock band that was originally formed in 1988 but only became popular in the late 1990s and throughout the 2000s.
- Big Big Train
- Big Pun
- Bikini Kill
- Billy Ray Cyrus
- The Black Crowes
- Björk
- The Black Eyed Peas
- Mary J. Blige
- Blind Melon
- Blink182
- Bloodhound Gang
- blur
- Parklife (1994)
- Body Count
- Body Count (1992)
- Bon Jovi
- Bone Thugs-n-Harmony. One of the most influential, and iconic rap groups in Hip-Hop history. And one of the best selling, if not THE best selling rap groups of all time. Their influence and style can be heard all the way into The New '10s with dozens of rappers utilizing their style to various degrees of success. Though their respect was hard to earn
- David Bowie
- Black Tie White Noise (1993)
- Outside (1995)
- Earthling (1997)
- Hours... (1999)
- Boys II Men, Kings of the prom anthem.
- Boyzone
- Brandy
- Toni Braxton
- Breaking Benjamin. Formed in 1998.
- The Breeders
- Garth Brooks:
- In the Life of Chris Gaines (1999)
- Meredith Brooks
- Brotha Lynch Hung
- James Brown
- Star Time (1991)
- Bobby Brown
- Jeff Buckley
- Grace (1994)
- Sketches for My Sweetheart the Drunk (1998)
- Buena Vista Social Club
- Buena Vista Social Club (1997)
- Built To Spill
- Burzum
- Bush
- Busta Rhymes
- Butthole Surfers: Debuted in the 80s, made their commercial breakthrough in this decade.
- Armin Van Buuren first found success with his 1995 track "Blue Fear" (though he didn't release a studio album until 2003).
- David Byrne
- Candlebox
- Cardiacs
- The Cardigans. The most successful of a 90s wave of Swedish alternative pop acts.
- Mariah Carey. One of the best selling artists of the decade. Debuting in 1990, she achieved the impressive feat of scoring a Billboard #1 hit in every calendar year of the decade. Her musical contributions included her 5-octave vocal range showcase, helping popularize rerecorded dance remixes (starting with "Dreamlover"), as well as the singer/rapper collaboration ("Fantasy" remix featuring O.D.B.). With her 6th studio album Butterfly, she switched her sound from adult contemporary to a more urban sound and it became a fan favorite. She also released a Christmas album in 1994 which boasts the holiday classic "All I Want For Christmas Is You."
- Wendy Carlos
- Johnny Cash. Made a significant comeback through his collaborations with Rick Rubin.
- Cat Power
- Nick Cave. A relatively successful lead singer of the 1980s. Reached the peak of his popularity by 1996.
- Let Love In (1994)
- Murder Ballads (1996)
- Catatonia
- C+ C Music Factory , and other Hi NRG dance groups
- Celtic Frost
- Choking Victim
- Chumbawamba
- Cibo Matto
- Gilby Clarke
- Pawnshop Guitars (1994)
- Eric Clapton
- From The Cradle (1994)
- cLOUDDEAD
- Coal Chamber, one of the earliest Nu Metal bands.
- Cocteau Twins. An influential Dream Pop band of the 1980s, they reached the peak of their popularity in the early to mid 1990s.
- Joe Cocker
- Leonard Cohen
- Cold187um
- Collective Soul
- Color Me Badd (yeah you know you liked 'em)
- Compton's Most Wanted
- Coroner
- The Corrs: An Irish band of siblings. While they achieved more mainstream success at the very beginning of the next decade, their run from the middle of this decade onwards is widely regarded as their best.
- Ferry Corsten
- Counting Crows
- Cradle of Filth
- The Cranberries
- Creed
- Crosby, Stills, Nash (And Young)
- Sheryl Crow
- Crowded House Started in the 80s but released two successful albums in the 90s.
- Together Alone (1993)
- Crowsdell
- The Cure
- Cypress Hill
- DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince: Continued releasing material until 1994. Will Smith would go solo in 1997
- DMX
- Da Brat
- Daft Punk
- Homework (1997)
- The Darkest of the Hillside Thickets
- Darkthrone
- Dark Tranquillity
- Miles Davis: Finished recording Live In Montreux with Quincy Jones in 1991, but died during the recording sessions for his final studio album Doo-Bop. Doo Bop was posthumously released in 1992, and Monreux later in 1993.
- Dayton Family
- Dead Can Dance
- Deftones
- De La Soul
- Del Tha Funkee Homosapien
- Depeche Mode. A successful 1980s band, retained international stardom in 1990.
- Songs of Faith and Devotion (1993)
- Deicide
- Destiny's Child
- dEUS
- DJ Quik: After releasing a series of successful mixtapes, his debut album Quik Is The Name is released in 1991.
- Coolio
- Worst Case Scenario (1994)
- In a Bar, Under the Sea (1996)
- The Ideal Crash (1999)
- Devourment
- Dice
- Digiable Planets
- Digital Underground
- Dinosaur Jr.. A 1980s band which had released albums through independent labels. Switched to a major label early in the decade, releasing most of their hits between 1991 and 1994.
- Céline Dion. Her career started in the 1980s. But the 1990s was the height of her career.
- Disgorge
- The Dandy Warhols
- John Denver: Recorded his last studio albums this decade. Died in 1997.
- DJ Shadow
- Endtroducing..... (1996)
- Down
- Dr. Alban
- Dr. Dre
- Dream Theater hit success in the early 1990s, cementing them as the leaders of Progressive Metal.
- Images and Words (1992)
- Metropolis Pt. 2: Scenes from a Memory (1999)
- Dropkick Murphys
- Duran Duran – Though most identified with the '80s, they came back into prominence in mid-decade with...
- Duran Duran (1993) – More often known as The Wedding Album to distinguish it from the group's 1981 debut album.
- Dying Fetus
- Bob Dylan
- Good as I Been to You (1992)
- Time Out of Mind (1997)
- Eels
- Beautiful Freak (1996)
- Elastica
- Missy Elliott
- Eminem burst into the music scene with his commercial debut album, The Slim Shady LP, giving us all a reason to panic about rap again.
- The Slim Shady LP (1999)
- Emperor
- En Vogue
- Enslaved
- Entombed
- EPMD
- The Eraserheads
- Ultraelectromagneticpop (1993)
- Eric B. & Rakim
- Eric Levi, famed for his musical project, Era
.
- Esham
- Gloria Estefan.
- Eurythmics. The 1980s duo reunited in 1999, releasing a new album.
- The Evaporators
- Everclear
- Excuse17
- Extreme
- Faith No More, a band that would inspire countless bands to come.
- Falco: Died in 1998.
- Fat Boy Slim
- Fear Factory, an Industrial Metal band who served as one of the genre's Trope Codifiers.
- Fields Of The Nephilim
- The Fireman, an experimental duo consisting of Paul McCartney and music producer Youth, released their first two albums in 1993 and 1998, respectively.
- Five
- Flaming Lips
- The Soft Bulletin (1999)
- Ben Folds Five
- Five For Fighting
- Foo Fighters: Dave Grohl's band after Nirvana.
- Foo Fighters (1995)
- Fountains of Wayne
- Fugazi: Frontmen Ian and Guy trope-named "Emo" and "Straight Edge" before starting this Post-Punk band; were offered and refused the same major-label ticket as Nirvana, and fired Butch Vig after the success of Nevermind. Went on hiatus right around 9/11, marking the end of an era that began with their hit "Waiting Room" in 1989.
- Repeater (1990)
- The Fugees
- The Score (1996)
- Which Spun off Wyclef Jean
- likewise Lauryn Hill
- Gang Starr
- Galaxie500. An influential Dream Pop band of the 1980s. Continued enjoying success to 1991.
- Garbage
- Leif Garrett: Had a brief Career Resurrection towards the end of this period, bleeding into the Turn of the Millennium.
- Geto Boys, which spun off Scarface as a solo artist.
- Die Goldenen Zitronen
- Goodie Mob
- The Goo Goo Dolls
- Gorgoroth
- Gravediggaz
- Macy Gray
- Green Day: in their original incarnation
- Green Jelly
- Guided By Voices. A rather obscure 1980s band, they gained critical acclaim and a notable fanbase in this decade.
- Guns N' Roses
- Use Your Illusion (1991)
- Pawnshop Guitars, guitarist Gilby Clarke's 1994 debut solo album.
- Haddaway: "What is love, baby don't hurt me...". Add him together with Dr. Alban, and you get this.
- Hanson
- Happy Mondays. A relatively successful 1980s band. Reached the peak of the popularity early in the decade.
- Hardline. A Hair Metal band that got a late start
- PJ Harvey
- Dry (1992)
- Rid of Me (1993)
- To Bring You My Love (1995)
- Is This Desire? (1998)
- Sophie B. Hawkins
- Heavy D, though debuting in 1987, his wave of success really took off in this decade.
- Hed PE
- Helium
- Faith Hill
- His Name Is Alive
- Hole
- Live Through This (1994)
- Hootie & the Blowfish
- House Of Krazees
- House of Pain
- Whitney Houston
- Ice-T
- Body Count - Ice-T's Thrash Metal band. Despite being fronted by a rapper, only a few of their songs have rapping.
- Billy Idol
- Enrique Iglesias debuted in '95 and hasn't stopped since.
- Natalie Imbruglia
- Immature
- Immortal
- Insane Clown Posse
- In Extremo
- In Flames
- J Dilla - Made his debut in 1995.
- Janet Jackson released her two most Critically acclaimed albums this decade. Janet., And The Velvet Rope
- Michael Jackson: Still a million seller at the start of the decade, his reputation began to suffer from 1993 onwards with allegations of sexual abuse of minors.
- Dangerous (1991)
- HIStory: Past, Present And Future, Book I (1995)
- Jamiroquai
- Jane's Addiction. A relatively successful band of the 1980s. Reached the peak of their career early in the decade.
- Jawbreaker
- Jay-Z also premiered with a classic album called Reasonable Doubt
- Jellyfish, and splinter acts Imperial Drag, The Grays and Jason Falkner.
- The Jesus Lizard. An obscure 1980s band. Achieved cult status in this decade.
- Jewel
- Jodeci
- Billy Joel (debuted in The '60s, became a successful solo artist in The '70s, remained popular through The '80s and into the first half of this decade)
- Elton John. Debuted in the 1960s, but managed to score major hits within this decade.
- Montell Jordan
- Juan Mutant
- Kamelot
- R. Kelly
- Kid Rock
- KISS
- Revenge (1992)
- Carnival of Souls: The Final Sessions (1997)
- Psycho Circus (1998)
- Kool Keith
- Kool Moe Dee
- Korn - The creators of Nu Metal, a controversial genre that defined rock music later in the decade.
- Korn (1994)
- Follow the Leader (1998)
- Kottonmouth Kings
- The Kovenant: A Norwegian melodic black metal band that shifted to Industrial Metal in 1999 after being forced to change their name from Covenant.
- In Times Before the Light (1997)
- Lenny Kravitz
- Kriss Kross
- KRS-One
- Fela Kuti. Still active until his death in 1997.
- Kyuss. Influential in the "Stoner Rock"/"Stoner Metal" sub-genre, a fusion of Doom Metal and Psychedelic Rock.
- Larc En Ciel
- L7
- Annie Lennox, the Eurythmics' singer, began her solo career in 1992.
- LFO
- Lifter Puller, "The last band before the internet."
- Lightning Bolt. Released their first recordings in 1999.
- Lil Kim
- Lighthouse Family
- Limp Bizkit
- Live. A relatively obscure 1980s band. Released most of their hits in this decade.
- LL Cool J
- Lisa Loeb
- Jennifer Lopez. Debuted in 1999.
- Los del Rio
- Courtney Love. Hole's debut, Pretty on the Inside, was released in 1991.
- Arjen Anthony Lucassen
- 1995/1996/1998 - Ayreon (the first three albums of this eight part series)
- Lucifer Luscious Violenoue
- Luna Sea
- Manic Street Preachers
- Madonna may have gotten her start in the 1980s but her contribution to the 1990s music scene was also very important: she brought an underground dance craze to the forefront in 1990 with "Vogue," released one of the riskiest and most socially conscious albums of her career with Erotica, which dealt with topics including HIV/AIDS, homosexuality, sex and fetishes... and then near the end of the decade she reinvented her self yet again by releasing an album of electronica music that quickly cemented her status in the industry as an icon: Ray Of Light. The album touched on everything from death to rebirth to love to breakups to motherhood to religion and spirituality.
- I'm Breathless (1990)
- The Immaculate Collection (1990)
- Erotica (1992)
- Bedtime Stories (1994)
- Ray of Light (1998)
- Craig Mack started in the 1980s, but he made his mark in 1994 with the Platinum single "Flava In ya Ear".
- The Magnetic Fields
- Ricky Martin
- Malice Mizer
- Man or Astro-man?
- Marilyn Manson, the ultimate nemesis of the 1990's Moral Guardians
- Portrait of an American Family (1994)
- Smells Like Children (1995)
- Antichrist Superstar (1996)
- Mechanical Animals (1998)
- Massive Attack
- Mezzanine (1998)
- Marky Mark and the Funky Bunch
- Master P
- Matchbox Twenty
- Hideto Matsumoto
- Dave Matthews Band
- Maxwell
- Brian May
- Curtis Mayfield. Still active until his death in 1999.
- Mayhem
- MC Hammer, though he started recording and making hits in the late 1980s.
- Paul McCartney
- Sarah McLachlan
- John McLaughlin
- Freddie Mercury: Died in 1991, but still had some posthumous hits.
- Melt-Banana, Yasuko Onuki's musical project, formed in 1991-1992
- Melvins
- Menudo
- Mercury Rev. Formed in the late 1980s. Achieved cult status during this decade.
- Metallica reinvented themselves in the early 1990s with the proto-grunge Black Album, followed by cutting their hair.
- Michael Learns To Rock: Formed in 1988 and debut their first album in 1991. The danish band was notoriously popular among South East Asians to this very day.
- Michael Learns To Rock (1991) - Debut album
- Colours (1993)
- Played on Pepper (1995)
- Nothing To Loose (1997)
- George Michael
- Listen Without Prejudice, Volume 1 (1990)
- Older (1996)
- The Mighty Mighty Bosstones
- MilkCan from Um Jammer Lammy
- Kylie Minogue
- 1997 - Impossible Princess
- Miyavi
- Mr. Bungle
- Moby
- 1999 - Play
- The Moffats
- Monica
- John Michael Montgomery
- Mandy Moore
- Morcheeba
- Alanis Morissette
- Jagged Little Pill (1995)
- Morphine
- Morrissey. A popular 1980s singer. Continued releasing hit albums to 1997.
- Mortiis. Debut album released in 1993.
- Mudhoney
- The Muppets
- Muppet Beach Party (1993)
- Kermit Unpigged (1994)
- Sesame Street Platinum All Time Favorites (1995)
- Muse. Formed in 1994. Their first album came out in 1999.
- My Bloody Valentine. 1980s band, released their last hits in 1991.
- 1991 - Loveless
- Myzery
- N.W.A. Formed in 1986.
- Napalm Death. Debuted in the 1980s, but became the kings of Grindcore in the 1990s.
- Nas debuted with his classic album Illmatic
- Also introduced us to AZ
- Natas
- Natasja
- Naughty by Nature
- Nautilus Pompilius
- Necro
- Nerf Herder
- Neurosis. Debuted in the 1980s, but did their most important work pioneering post-metal in the 1990s.
- Neutral Milk Hotel
- On Avery Island (1996)
- In the Aeroplane Over the Sea (1998)
- New Kids on the Block
- Nightwish
- Nine Inch Nails — Trent Reznor's one-man doomfest that John McCain famously pretended to like.
- The Downward Spiral (1994)
- The Fragile (1999)
- Nirvana: Founded in the late 80s, they helped define the decade's sound in the early 90s.
- Nevermind (1991)
- Incesticide (1992)
- In Utero (1993)
- MTV Unplugged in New York (1994)
- Kurt Cobain
- NOFX
- No Doubt
- No Limit
- The Notorious B.I.G.
- Ready to Die (1994)
- Life After Death (1997)
- NOW That's What I Call Music! released albums throughout the 1990's.
- Nujabes
- Nsync
- Oasis
- Sinéad O'Connor
- OLIVIA
- Operation Re-Information
- The Orb
- Orbital
- Joan Osborne
- Our Lady Peace
- Outkast
- Jennifer Paige
- Pain
- Pantera
- Panthalassa (1998), an ambient album based on the work of Miles Davis
- Pansy Division
- Pavement
- Pearl Jam
- Liz Phair
- 1993 - Exile in Guyville
- The Pharcyde
- Phish
- The Pillows
- Pink Floyd: Continued under the leadership of David Gilmour until their break-up in 1995.
- The Division Bell (1994)
- The Pixies. A popular 1980s band, released a number of hits in 1991.
- PM Dawn
- Poe
- Iggy Pop
- Portishead
- Dummy (1994)
- The Posies: Power Pop revivalists from the land of grunge who put out a series of Alternative Rock hits through the decade.
- The Presidents of the United States of America
- Primal Scream. A relatively minor 1980s band, achieved first major hit in 1991.
- Screamadelica (1991)
- Vanishing Point (1997)
- Primus. A relatively obscure 1980s band, achieved first major hit in 1991.
- Prince
- The Proclaimers: Popular in 1980s UK, achieved first major US hit in 1993.
- The Prodigy
- The Fat of the Land (1997)
- Prozzak - Debuted in 1998.
- Psychopathic Rydas
- Public Enemy
- Fear of a Black Planet (1990)
- Tito Puente
- Pulp
- Queen: Split after their lead singer Freddie Mercury died in 1991.
- Innuendo (1991) – The group's final album during Mercury's lifetime.
- Queen Latifah
- R.E.M. — perennial musical innovator through the 1980s, kicked off the rise of Alternative Rock at the start of the 1990s. After suffering a near-fatal brain aneurysm in 1995, drummer Bill Berry left the group in 1997 for personal reasons, but urged bandmates Michael Stipe, Peter Buck, and Mike Mills to carry on as a 3-man ensemble.
- Radiohead hit it big in the mid-late 1990s, as britpop and electronica took over from grunge.
- The Bends (1995)
- OK Computer (1997)
- Rage Against the Machine
- Gerry Rafferty
- Bonnie Raitt
- Les Rallizes Dénudés
- Rammstein
- Rancid
- Red Hot Chili Peppers, Been around since The '80s but exploded in the 1990s.
- Blood Sugar Sex Magik (1991) (their breakout album)
- Californication (1999) (their comeback album)
- Red House Painters
- Songs for a Blue Guitar (1996)
- Reel Big Fish
- The Residents: Still going strong since the 1970s.
- The Revolutionary Hydra
- Ride
- LeAnn Rimes
- The Rippingtons
- Robyn
- ROC
- The Rolling Stones: Still going strong since the 1960s, with one line-up change (Bill Wyman quitting in 1993).
- Voodoo Lounge (1994)
- Bridges to Babylon (1997)
- The Roots
- Roxette
- Joyride (1991)
- Santana — The veteran band experienced a resurgence of popularity and critical acclaim, scoring brand new hits by the end of the decade.
- Savage Garden
- Savatage
- Streets: A Rock Opera (1991)
- Handful of Rain (1994)
- Dead Winter Dead (1995)
- The Wake of Magellan (1998)
- Saves the Day
- Scarface
- Markus Schulz: First began DJing in 1990, with much of his early portfolio consisting of remixes of other artists on this page. Released his first singe, "You Won't See Me Cry", in 1998.
- S Club 7
- Seal
- Selena
- Sepultura
- Roots (1996)
- The Servotron Robot Allegiance
- Sesame Street
- Shaggy
- Shakira. Debuted in 1991. First hit album in 1996.
- Pies Descalzos (1995)
- "Pies Descalzos, Sueños Blancos" (1996)
- Dónde Están los Ladrones? (1998)
- Tupac Shakur
- 2Pacalypse Now (1991)
- Strictly 4 My N.I.G.G.A.Z... (1993)
- Me Against The World (1995)
- Shanice
- Ravi Shankar
- SHAZNA
- Sia has been active in the music industry since 1993, but she was effectively ignored in the mainstream until 2012.
- Sigh
- Silverchair
- Jessica Simpson. Debuted in 1999.
- Siouxsie and the Banshees. 1970s group. Released some of their greatest hits in this decade.
- Simple Minds. Started in 1977 and peaked in the '80s. Still popular in Europe.
- Sir Mix-a-Lot liked Big Butts and could not lie.
- The Sisters of Mercy. An influential Goth Rock band of the 1980s. Released another well-received album in 1990.
- Sleater-Kinney
- Slint. An 1980s band which released their greatest hit in 1991. Influenced the Post-Rock sub-genre.
- 1991 - Spiderland
- Slipknot
- Slowdive
- Smash Mouth
- The Smashing Pumpkins
- Siamese Dream (1993)
- Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness (1995)
- Adore (1998)
- Will Smith — Offically went solo in 1997 after the dissolution of DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince.
- Smoking Popes
- Sneaker Pimps
- Snoop Dogg
- Sonic Youth. A relatively successful Alternative Rock band of the 1980s. Switched to a major record label in 1990, reaching a much larger audience than before.
- Jill Sobule
- Soulwax
- Soundgarden: 1994's Superunknown was their biggest album. They broke up in 1997 due to creative differences, and eventually reformed in 2011; however, frontman Chris Cornell would commit suicide in 2017.
- South Central Cartel
- Space
- Spawn of Possession
- Britney Spears
- Spice Girls
- Ringo Starr
- Steps
- St Germain
- Sting. Continued the successful solo career he started in the 1980s.
- Stone Temple Pilots
- Sublime
- Suede
- Sugababes
- Sugar Ray
- The Sugarhill Gang
- Sun Ra
- Space Is the Place (1993) (soundtrack album)
- Sunny Day Real Estate. Considered the Trope Codifier for Emo Music
- Diary (1994)
- Supergrass
- Matthew Sweet. Released his greatest hit album in 1991.
- SWV
- System of a Down. Another influential 1980s band that survived into the 1990s (and to the present day as well).
- John Tabacco
- Take That
- Takeo Ischi
- Talk Talk. 1980s band, released an influential album in 1991 before disbanding. Their work influenced the Post-Rock subgenre.
- Laughing Stock (1991)
- TechN9ne
- They Might Be Giants. A relatively successful 1980s band, achieved their greatest popularity early in the decade.
- Flood (1990)
- John Henry (1994)
- TISM
- Thievery Corporation
- Third Eye Blind
- This Mortal Coil
- Blood (1991)
- Three Six Mafia (aka Triple 6 Mafia)
- Thrush Hermit
- Timbaland
- TLC
- T.M.Revolution
- Toad the Wet Sprocket
- Tool debuted in 1990, but took off in the early part of the decade with Undertow and Aenima
- Too $hort
- Total
- Shania Twain
- Twiztid
- Type O Negative
- This is when U2 reinvented themselves into futuristic techno-alternative-rockers with Achtung Baby, and continued in that direction for the rest of the decade.
- UGK
- Underworld
- dubnobasswithmyheadman (1994)
- Underworld
- Urban Dance Squad
- Utada Hikaru: Only made her debut in 1998, but her debut album First Love became the best-selling album of the decade (and of all time) in Japan.
- First Love (1999)
- Utah Saints
- Usher (The Justin Bieber of his time, particularly noticable with their friendship, and his mentoring of the latter)
- Vader. Formed in 1983, debut album released in 1992.
- Luther Vandross: Got started in the early '80s but continued to release albums until 2003.
- Vanilla Ice
- Venga Boys
- Vertical Horizon
- Tom Waits
- Bone Machine (1992)
- The Black Rider (1993)
- Mule Variations (1999)
- Johnny "Guitar" Watson. Died in 1996.
- Ween. A 1980s band, gained most of their fame in this decade.
- GodWeenSatan: The Oneness (1990)
- Weezer
- The Blue Album (1994)
- Pinkerton (1996)
- Westlife
- The Wiggles - Got their start in 1991 releasing cassettes and performing at preschools. By 1998 they were one of Australia's biggest exports.
- Wilco
- Wilson Phillips
- Wire. 1970s band, managed a comeback early in the decade.
- Wu-Tang Clan, the ultimate hip-hop supergroup.
- X Japan
- Xscape
- Xzibit - Released his debut album, At the Speed of Life, on October 15, 1996. Made guest appearances on other songs in 1995.
- "Weird Al" Yankovic
- Off The Deep End (1992)
- Alapalooza (1993)
- Bad Hair Day (1996)
- Running With Scissors (1999)
- Yousei Teikoku
- Yo-Yo
- YUP
- Frank Zappa. Died in 1993, but did release quite some albums.
- The Best Band You Never Heard in Your Life (1991)
- Make a Jazz Noise Here (1991)
- The Yellow Shark (1993)
- Civilization Phaze III (1994)
- Läther (1996)
- Rob Zombie- White Zombie started in 1985, made their major label debut in 1992.
- John Zorn: Highly eclectical and impossible to pigeonhole artist, mostly active in jazz, though his gigantic catalogue has tried out various genres and styles throughout the years.
- Radio (1993)
- Music for Children (1998)
