Book Review: 60 Songs That Explain the '90s

The 1990s were a chaotic and gritty and utterly magical time for music, a confounding barrage of genres and lifestyles and superstars, from grunge to hip-hop, from sumptuous R&B to rambunctious ska-punk, from Axl to Kurt to Missy to Santana to Tupac to Britney. In 60 Songs That Explain The '90s, Ringer music critic Rob Harvilla reimagines all the earwormy, iconic hits Gen Xers pine for with vivid historical storytelling, sharp critical analysis, rampant loopiness, and wryly personal ruminations on the most bizarre, joyous, and inescapable songs from a decade we both regret entirely and miss desperately.

60 Songs That Explain the '90s by Rob Harvilla hits shelves November 14, 2023. Twelve Books provided an early galley for review.

By the time the '90s started, I was well into my first career, engaged to be married, and looking to move into our first house. No longer hitting the clubs, new music mostly came to me via the FM radio during my work commutes or through the monthly CD samplers I got from subscribing to CMJ New Music magazine. Still, as someone who embraces nearly three-quarters of a century of popular music, I was interested to see what this author had to offer about the closing years of the 20th century.

Harvilla's book is a reflection of his podcast which shares the title of the book. He picks a variety of songs, then groups them together with others in a similar thematic category for presentation. Many are fairly popular tracks which should be familiar to most readers.

I wanted to give a shout-out to the artwork that preceeds each chapter. I like the style and the renditions of various musicians in them. I could not find a name in the credits within the galley though, so I can't name the artist outright. Still, I really liked this touch.

So, if you're looking for a nostalgic trip through the 90's that will have you revisiting your music library (CDs or digital downloads), check this one out.