5 No. 1 Songs From 1995 That Prove It Was The Decade's Best Year For Music

As far as decades go, the 1990s certainly represented a landmark time for music — and 1995, in particular, was a standout year. Smack dab in the middle of the decade, it saw some of the freshest entries in various musical genres within those 10 years. Proof of this is how well those songs resonated with audiences, which was evident on the Billboard charts: Not only was this the first year any song debuted at the top spot on Billboard's rankings, but until 2020, it held the record of having the most No. 1 Billboard debuts in a single year.

That's not to say that the rest of the 1990s was a lackluster time for the music industry. You could choose any year between 1990 and 1999, and there's bound to be no shortage of iconic bangers. 1991 had Nirvana's "Smells Like Teen Spirit," Green Day's "Basket Case" came out in 1994, and 1999 had (the now meme-worthy) "All Star" by Smash Mouth. Still, one can argue that, as a whole, 1995 really defined the '90s music scene for music lovers — from the opening of the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Museum to the debut of musical acts like the Black Eyed Peas and NSYNC.

With that said, here's our list of 1995's definitive hits. We based our selection on Billboard's weekly list of Hot 100 songs from 1995, and strived to achieve a balance between chart success, musical diversity, and cultural significance in choosing which entries to include.

"Batman Forever" may not be high on most people's lists when it comes to Batman movie rankings, but Seal's chart-topping "Kiss From a Rose" is one of the few bright spots in the legacy of the DC Comics film franchise. Re-released in 1995 as part of the film's soundtrack, "Kiss From a Rose" snagged the No. 1 spot on the Billboard Hot 100 during the week of August 26.

"Kiss From a Rose" embodies the best of epic 1990s power ballads. This song is an irresistible listen, due in no small part to the lyrics, which have a mysterious poetic charm (even though no one is quite sure what they mean — and Seal himself certainly isn't telling). Appropriately enough, the tale of how Batman turned "Kiss From a Rose" into a hit feels a lot like a superhero origin story. Per Seal's own account (via Genius), "Kiss From a Rose" was one of the earliest songs he ever wrote. Though he wasn't exactly enamored with it, the ballad ended up on his sophomore album in 1994, but was a commercial failure. Months later, director Joel Schumacher unexpectedly fell in love with "Kiss From a Rose," adding it to "Batman Forever" as the closing credits song. 

As it turned out, that was exactly the second wind that "Kiss From a Rose" needed to become a global hit. To this day, it remains one of Seal's most popular hits, with the singer releasing an updated version in 2025.

If your birth year is 1995, then this was the most popular song the year you were born. Coolio's "Gangsta's Paradise" did more than just stand at the peak of Billboard's Hot 100 list for three weeks in September; it also beat every other song on the magazine's Hot 100 singles for the entire year. Prior to "Gangsta's Paradise," no other rap song achieved this level of chart-topping popularity.

The incredible (and inescapable) success of "Gangsta's Paradise" was, in all likelihood, a reflection of the evolving tastes of music listeners in the '90s. Many may associate the decade with the rise of grunge rock, but midway through it, the genre already began to experience a decline, partially paving the way for other musicians and genres to grab the spotlight. "Gangsta's Paradise," in particular, is a prime example of the best that '90s rap and hip-hop had to offer. It also didn't hurt that the song was part of the soundtrack of the film "Dangerous Minds," which explains how Michelle Pfeiffer got involved in Coolio's most famous music video.

It's hard not to appreciate Coolio's thought-provoking verses, delivered in a soulful yet defiant style. Paired with the song's powerful instrumental backing, "Gangsta's Paradise" undoubtedly had many listeners questioning the significance of their lives and choices — or, at the very least, banging their heads to the pulse-pounding gangster beat and chorus (which were incorporated into the song from a 1976 Stevie Wonder hit, "Pastime Paradise").

Michael Jackson was a complex person with a difficult legacy, but there's no denying that he was one of the most successful and beloved musicians to ever walk the planet. In the early 1990s, his public image was mired with serious controversies, and many observed that during this time, the singer's troubles flowed into his music. In 1995, Jackson released "HIStory," an album that sounded vastly different from his previous record-breaking offerings. In that compilation of emotionally-charged tracks, though, was one genuinely mellow song: "You Are Not Alone." And indeed, that single made history: Aside from topping the Billboard Hot 100 charts when it debuted the week of September 2, "You Are Not Alone" also holds the special distinction of being the first-ever song to make its Billboard debut at No. 1.

There's an argument to be made that "You Are Not Alone" represents the best of what Jackson had to offer to the world. It's a song that has something for everyone — a warm embrace for the lonely and isolated, reassurance for the misunderstood, and a heartstring-tugging listen for anyone who just wants to hear a beautiful song. Most importantly, for old-school fans, it was a return to form for a familiar friend — one who, perhaps, seemed unrecognizable to them for a long time. "You Are Not Alone" was the last single from the King of Pop to reach No. 1 on the charts before the singer's death in 2009.

Just like Michael Jackson's "You Are Not Alone," this melodious masterpiece from Mariah Carey and Boyz II Men debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard chart. But "One Sweet Day" did more than hold on to the top spot for one sweet week; it stayed there for around four months, an accomplishment that had never been seen before in Billboard history. It would take more than 20 years before any other song could match this feat ("Despacito" by Luis Fonsi and Daddy Yankee) and even longer before another song (Lil Nas X and Billy Ray Cyrus' "Old Town Road") could surpass it.

"One Sweet Day" combines two talented vocal acts in a collaborative rendition of a heartfelt ballad for a lost loved one that's equal parts grieving and hopeful. But what "One Sweet Day" did differently from many of the similarly-sentimental songs of the time was to lean into the art of melisma, which is when a singer goes through a run of notes while singing just one syllable. It's a vocal technique that can be observed in many contemporary pop songs, and one that both Mariah Carey and Boyz II Men have been known to utilize in their own songs, to great effect. 

This record-setting tune helped define 1995, with a timeless quality that makes it a great song, even decades later. It is impossible to listen to "One Sweet Day" without finding even just one thing to like about it.

Few songs are as unapologetically, undeniably '90s R&B as "Waterfalls" by TLC — not just because of the quality of the music itself, but also because of its message. 

"Waterfalls" spent an incredible seven weeks at the No. 1 spot of the Billboard Hot 100, a remarkable feat for what is, at its core, a PSA pop song. Written as a cautionary tale highlighting the possible consequences of living life dangerously (e.g., engaging in substance abuse or having multiple partners without taking necessary precautions), "Waterfalls" communicates this powerful message to young adults, advising them to "stick to the rivers and the lakes that [they're] used to" instead of engaging in exciting (but risky) behavior. Anti-substance-abuse messaging was particularly prevalent in advertisements from the late '80s to the early '90s, so it was quite refreshing to witness a pop group tackle this sensitive subject via a tasteful earworm that was far cooler than the preachy PSAs from various government agencies and concerned groups.

And even if the socially-relevant messaging managed to go over your head for some reason, it wouldn't really matter that much, because on its own, "Waterfalls" is simply a well-made song. Combined with the meaningful lyrics, soulful beats, and masterful arrangement, the harmonious vocals by the powerhouse trio of Tionne "T-Boz" Watkins, Rozonda "Chilli" Thomas, and Lisa "Left Eye" Lopes made "Waterfalls" one of the group's most iconic and enduringly popular songs.