5 Flop Love Songs From The '90s That Have Earned Respect From Younger Generations

The 1990s gave rise to a whole new generation of love songs, as smoother and groovier sounds took to the mainstream and enchanted fans of all genres — but many songs that didn't reach the peaks of the charts have been rediscovered by younger generations, allowing some once-hidden gems to finally bask in a bit of success and spotlight. Though punk and grunge and other more rock 'n' roll adjacent genres were popular, their memorable cuts weren't usually love songs. As much as love songs in the '90s from other genres dominated the charts, there were plenty that hadn't found their path to success just yet, but have found new popularity three decades later.

The primarily '90s musicians in this list have struck an undeniable note with young fans, and their careers have been given new life as these now classic songs have been appreciated in full. Whether you were chest or ankle-deep in the goings-on of popular and acclaimed '90s music, these underrated love songs from the likes of Jeff Buckley, Ms. Lauryn Hill, and more are sure to make clear why fresh audiences are gravitating toward them.

D'Angelo was a singer and artist like no other, responsible for major innovations in R&B and soul music across three decades, from the '90s to the 2010s. Though his '90s recordings were the most traditionally R&B, they were still full of excellent material, especially with hits like "Lady" that headlined his 1995 album "Brown Sugar." The success of this single, among other factors, half-buried another excellent song, the title track of this album, which has now been rediscovered by younger audiences.

"Brown Sugar" features an inescapable groove that builds to pair with D'Angelo's gorgeous harmonies. He croons romantic lines with a romantic confidence — "The way that we kiss is unlike any other way / That I be kissin' when I'm kissin' what I'm missin' / Won't you listen? ... "I want some of your brown sugar" — and an effortless charm. "Brown Sugar" has now been streamed over 93 million times as new fans have flocked back to D'Angelo's work. His knack for harmonies and unique rhythms have been a clear inspiration to a great number of artists that followed him, and his influence is still especially noticeable in many of the tunes of today.

1993 was an important year for Mazzy Star, who released their album "So Tonight That I Might See," arguably the defining body of the band. The hazy indie rockers, who later disappeared, achieved their only major chart hit with "Fade Into You" soon after in 1994, and though it has now exploded into major success and over a billion streams from younger audiences, it was certainly never a flop. Another track from this album, though, a cover from Love's Arthur Lee, didn't push into audiences' minds until well later.

"Five String Serenade" is a slow, almost daunting love song that reflects on the loss of a lover. Its acoustic guitar, backed by only a tambourine and soft strings, pairs beautifully with singer Hope Sandoval's dreamy voice. It evokes a similar dynamic, but almost opposite feeling, to Labi Siffre's now-uncovered hit "Bless The Telephone," as the narrator exists with the music in a call out to this separated lover. Though "Five String Serenade" hasn't reached the heights of some other uncovered Mazzy Star songs, it's stacked up a respectable 34 million streams on Spotify alone, and is a gem that younger audiences have uncovered on this now-revered album.

The title track of Jeff Buckley's 1994 masterpiece, and only fully finished album before his death in 1997, is a sprawling and complex guitar anthem full of key changes and energetic riffs. "Grace," the album, has lived on admirably through younger generations, who have gravitated toward Buckley's powerful voice and poignant lyrics, namely on tracks like "Lover, You Should've Come Over" and "Hallelujah," which have been streamed nearly a combined billion times on Spotify.

But "Grace," the song, though often hidden behind his greatest hits, has quietly been streamed nearly 100 million times as fans have rediscovered Buckley's entire body of work. Though it isn't the most-on-the-nose of his many love songs, the meaning of "Grace" was described by Buckley as being so full of love from someone else that all fear, physical and existential, falls to the wayside. Though it's structurally different from most love songs, this message — "Well it's my time coming, I'm not afraid, afraid to die / My fading voice sings of love / But she cries to the clicking of time, oh, time" — paired with its rapid tempo makes the song an especially compelling listen, and Buckley's signature vocals and excellent guitar playing drive the track home.

"There must've been an angel by my side." This iconic opening is now almost instantly recognizable for most modern audiences, especially younger listeners, but Sade's "Kiss of Life" wasn't always an inescapable song. First released on the band's 1992 album "Love Deluxe" and later as a single in '93, the song was a moderately successful smooth jazz love song that made it into the U.S. charts, but without even cracking the top 70.

Now, the song is one of Sade's most popular, with nearly 400 million streams tallied on Spotify alone. Though Sade has emotional songs that stretch back into the '80s, "Kiss of Life" has the classic R&B purity of love that was rampant in the '90s and early 2000s, with gushing romantic lyrics that describe a perfect, transformative love: "When I was led to you, I knew you were the one for me / I swear the whole world could feel my heartbeat." Sade Adu sings these lines with passion and her trademark smoothness, and paired with a relaxed groove and keys, as well as jazzy saxophone solos, it's not hard to imagine why this timeless song has connected with modern audiences. Younger audiences just can't get enough of Sade, and this is one love song of many that's reemerged since the band's recording prime.

Ms. Lauryn Hill only ever released one album in her solo career, but "The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill" in 1998 was a surefire classic, pioneering sounds in hip-hop and neo-soul music alike. On this album were multiple hits, including the No. 1 single "Doo Wop (That Thing)" as well as the now-classic "Ex-Factor." And though these songs have remained popular for newer and older audiences alike, one of the album's deeper cuts has found its place among the best love songs of the '90s.

"Nothing Even Matters" is a sparkling, lovestruck six-minute track featuring gorgeous vocals and harmonies, and is a duet with D'Angelo, who clearly had a stranglehold on love songs in the '90s. The song captures an overwhelming, life-stopping love that is reflected just as much in its lyrics — "Now the skies could fall / Not even if my boss should call / The world, it seems so very small / 'Cause nothing even matters at all" — as it is in its peaceful, serene production. "Nothing Even Matters" has now become one of the most popular songs on this beloved album, and one of Hill's most successful overall, with over 110 million streams. Though it may not have blown up initially, this song, and the entirety of this list, are love songs well worth diving into.