QUIZ: Can You Fill In The Blank Of These 90s Song Titles?
The ’90s were a time of great upheaval in the music world. Between Nirvana’s shifting sea change towards grunge and alternative rock and the rise of gangster rap, music fans of all types had something exciting to turn their heads. And those who were around at the time won’t soon forget what they heard.
Or will they? There’s a major difference between remembering this big change and remembering the titles of the actual songs that made it happen. And after enough time, the details can get a little hazy. But are they still crystal clear for you? Read on and let us know how you did in the comments!
“Nuthin’ But A [Blank] Thang”
A) Gangsta
B) G
C) Good
D) Gang
B) G
After splitting from the rap group N.W.A., Dr. Dre lit a fire under his career and introduced the world to the legendary Snoop Dogg with the unstoppable 1992 hip-hop anthem “Nuthin’ But A ‘G’ Thang.”
“Smells Like Teen [Blank]”
A) Angst
B) Sadness
C) Fury
D) Spirit
D) Spirit
Although it was a song that Nirvana frontman and principal songwriter Kurt Cobain would quickly grow tired of, “Smells Like Teen Spirit” introduced the world not only to the most influential band of the ’90s but to a whole new paradigm that would change rock forever.
“Everybody [Blank]”
A) Clap
B) Hurts
C) Dies
D) Parties
B) Hurts
After the success of their album Out Of Time, R.E.M. found the peak of their commercial success with the massive follow-up Automatic For The People, which featured the heartfelt single, “Everybody Hurts.”
“No [Blank]”
A) Scrubs
B) Losers
C) Thanks
D) Never
A) Scrubs
It’s certainly a credit to how effectively TLC was able to communicate what a scrub was that listeners not only knew full well why they didn’t want them but carried on using “No Scrubs” as a means to rebuff them after so many years.
“[Blank] Girl”
A) Candy
B) Plastic
C) Barbie
D) Dolly
C) Barbie
Although the hype behind the Barbie movie brought “Barbie Girl” by Danish Eurodance one-hit-wonders Aqua in a big way, this incessantly catchy tune had just as many haters as fans back in the day.
“I [Blank] It That Way”
A) Like
B) Love
C) Need
D) Want
D) Want
After two increasingly successful albums, the Backstreet Boys released a single that cemented the enduring image of them as a crooning boyband in matching white clothing, “I Want It That Way.” And with how inescapable the song was at the time, that’s not exactly surprising.
“Nothing [Blank] 2 U”
A) Compares
B) Returns
C) Talks
D) Happens
A) Compares
After her debut album The Lion And The Cobra brought her widespread acclaim in 1987, Irish singer-songwriter Sinéad O’ Connor reached the height of her success with the Prince-penned “Nothing Compares 2 U,” the lead single from her 1990 album I Do Not Want What I Haven’t Got.
“Are You That [Blank]”
A) One
B) Guy
C) Lady
D) Somebody
D) Some
Although it was released as part of the soundtrack for the Eddie Murphy remake of Dr. Doolittle, “Are You That Somebody” was catchy and creative enough to become one of Aaliyah’s most successful singles.
“Devil’s [Blank]”
A) Plaything
B) Domain
C) Pollution
D) Haircut
D) Haircut
After breaking through with “Loser,” the eclectic and mysterious alternative act Beck gave the world one of the most rocking riffs of the decade with “Devil’s Haircut.” Although the lyrics are as cryptic as that title, they paint a portrait that seems at once full of dread and coolness.
“[Blank] Up Your Life”
A) Mess
B) Spice
C) Light
D) Blow
B) Spice
After the Spice Girls exploded onto the scene in the mid-90s, “Spice Up Your Life” would become their fifth consecutive number-one hit in the United Kingdom and a smash hit worldwide.
“Song [Blank]”
A) Cry
B) 2
C) Sung Blue
D) Of Joy
B) 2
Although Blur had intended “Song 2” as a joke on their record company that was “too extreme” for radio play, they happened to release it at just the right moment to become not only a smash hit but their biggest hit in the United States.
“[Blank] Me Softly”
A) Killing
B) Loving
C) Taking
D) Winning
A) Killing
Although The Fugees had already attained a great deal of respect in the hip-hop world before their mega-successful album The Score dropped in 1996, “Killing Me Softly” brought them to a much wider audience.
Not only did Lauryn Hill’s vocal performance prime the pump for her solo success, but for Wyclef Jean’s tendency to base big singles on samples from softer hits of the past.
“[Blank] In A Bottle”
A) Message
B) Genie
C) Lightning
D) Poison
B) Genie
Although Christina Aguilera’s career would see a lot of ups and downs after she broke through with “Genie In a Bottle,” this breakout hit gave her a solid foundation for both her future hits.
“You Oughta [Blank]”
A) Die
B) Leave
C) Disappear
D) Know
D) Know
Alongside “Ironic,” Alanis Morissette’s break-up anthem “You Oughta Know” has endured the most from her breakout 1995 album, Jagged Little Pill.
And while Full House actor Dave Coulier is convinced the song is about him, Morissette has never officially confirmed this.
“My [Blank] Will Go On”
A) Heart
B) Love
C) Life
D) Song
A) Heart
Titanic was an inescapable juggernaut in 1997, and that was just as true for its unstoppable soundtrack hit by Celine Dion, including “My Heart Will Go On.” Before the year was out, most people knew exactly what they were in for after just a couple of penny whistle notes.
“Semi-[Blank] Life”
A) Ruined
B) Precious
C) Charmed
D) Okayish
C) Charmed
Although major label success proved fleeting for Third Eye Blind, “Semi-Charmed Life” would endure as a fun and slightly edgy pop-rock song that immediately makes feelings of nostalgia explode when it’s played.
“Black Hole [Blank]”
A) Space
B) Sun
C) Goodbye
D) Soul
B) Sun
Three years after they first started to see success with songs like “Rusty Cage,” Soundgarden reached the peak of success with their 1994 album, Superunknown.
One of the biggest hits from that album was the apocalyptic “Black Hole Sun,” which was promoted by a delightfully demented music video.
“Bitter Sweet [Blank]”
A) Ending
B) Symphony
C) Chapter
D) Beginning
B) Symphony
Although The Verve would score a massive hit with “Bitter Sweet Symphony,” the song’s popularity wasn’t any less bittersweet than its subject matter. That’s because the band wasn’t able to profit from the song in the wake of a copyright lawsuit regarding an uncleared sample of an orchestral version of the Rolling Stones song “The Last Time.”
According to Rolling Stone, the Stones finally gave songwriting credits back to The Verve in 2019.
“[Blank] Police”
A) Karma
B) Oppressive
C) Dog
D) Fake Plastic
A) Karma
Although it wouldn’t take Radiohead long to resent their first single, “Creep,” they would rack up enough hits throughout the ’90s to make that song less and less essential to their legacy as they went along.
And one of the biggest and most enduring has been “Karma Police” from their 1997 masterpiece, OK Computer..
“[Blank] My Name”
A) What’s
B) Remember
C) Say
D) Praise
C) Say
Coming just before the turn of the new millennium, “Say My Name” would earn Destiny’s Child their second number-one hit in the United States and charted in the top ten in multiple other countries. And it laid some sturdy groundwork for their continued success in the 2000s.
