5 Songs That Prove 1994 Was The Decade's Best Year For High School Hits

If you're part of the younger side of Generation X — or an older millennial — there's a decent chance that you were in high school in 1994. It was a massive year for popular culture, and it also happens to be the best year of the 1990s for hit songs that perfectly captured the experience of being in high school. (And, in our opinion, it was the decade's best year for college hits, too). Acts such as the Cranberries and Green Day provided the soundtrack to that year's entertainment milestones, such as "Pulp Fiction" hitting the silver screen, TV viewers meeting the kooky cast of "Friends" for the first time, and gamers (on one side of the world, at least) becoming acquainted with the PlayStation.

In selecting the songs that made it to this list, Billboard chart performance was a factor; after all, these songs wouldn't really be "hits" if they didn't top at least one hit list. But we didn't focus on that single aspect alone. We also evaluated the stories told by the lyrics, ultimately choosing five songs that we felt truly emotionally resonated with the high school students of 1994, whether they're about protesting armed conflict, being trapped inside one's own head, pining over a bittersweet love, or simply wanting to have some fun. 

Crucially, many of these songs were made by now-famous musicians, such as Lisa Loeb, who were at a relatively early point in their respective careers — in a way, mirroring the journeys of youngsters living through high school and being primed for what would come next.

By chart performance alone, "Zombie" by The Cranberries was a certified hit; in fact, it was the band's greatest hit. A loud, grungy departure from the band's usually dreamy sound, "Zombie" (from the album "No Need to Argue") spent six weeks in the top position of Billboard's Alternative Airplay list, and stayed on the list for 23 weeks. Globally, the response to "Zombie" was incredible, enough to make it a chart-topper in Australia, Germany, and France. Quite impressive for a song that wasn't necessarily written with the intent to be a commercial hit, but in scathing protest of an escalation in the Northern Ireland conflict in 1993 (which was the hidden meaning of "Zombie").

It makes sense that both the band and the song would resonate so well with teenagers. After all, The Cranberries had spent most of their time prior to the release of "No Need to Argue" performing in places full of young people, which would make them a familiar face for many students at the time. More importantly, the raw, visceral rage could be felt in the lyrics, a relatable sentiment for the youth of the time, who were suddenly becoming aware of the brutality and violence in the real world that was waiting for them outside their classroom doors. 

Furthermore, since "Zombie" doesn't specifically mention the event that inspired the song, it's the perfect anthem for the righteous indignation and rebellious spirit typically associated with the youth.

Off the album "Dookie," Green Day's "Basket Case" stayed for 24 weeks on the Billboard Alternative Airplay chart, holding on to the top position for five weeks. It's also a classic rock song from the '90s that doesn't sound 30 years old, if we're being honest. There's an argument to be made that "Basket Case" was the hit that really propelled Green Day into the stratosphere (even though it took a while for the song to get there), due in no small part to its music video receiving significant airplay and reaching the eyeballs of the band's young, rebellious target market.

On the surface, "Basket Case" has precious little to do with high school life. The lyrics are quite direct in depicting the POV character's state of mind; vocalist Billie Joe Armstrong wrote them to capture the anxiety attacks he experienced, which weren't as well discussed and understood during his youth as they are today. In a way, the song presents mental health as a relatable issue, a message that certainly resonated with Green Day's teenage listeners. 

Plus, it's relatively simple to play for any guitar enthusiast with a reasonable level of skill: a standard three-chord progression over the course of three minutes. It's not hard to imagine a group of students seated in a circle, with one person strumming as the rest scream the lyrics.

If you or someone you know needs help with mental health, please contact the Crisis Text Line by texting HOME to 741741, call the National Alliance on Mental Illness helpline at 1-800-950-NAMI (6264), or visit the National Institute of Mental Health website.

Sheryl Crow's "All I Wanna Do" did more than "have some fun" on the Billboard charts; it secured the top spot on the Adult Contemporary list for eight of its 26-week stay, and was also at the peak of the Pop Airplay chart for seven weeks. It's such a peppy, upbeat song that, for some inexplicable reason, is a truly quintessential example of '90s music at its best. You don't even have to know the exact year it was released to tell that it was a product of that decade; all you wann- erm, need to do is listen to the song.

To be honest, its appropriately unserious lyrics (which talk about, among other things, drinking beer with a pleasant stranger at a bar) don't exactly paint a high-school-friendly picture. But the song itself is catchy, and Crow's delivery of the words — friendly and almost conversational, with no high notes — makes it extremely easy to sing (or hum) along to. Besides, the desire to cut loose and break the rules a bit is a universally relatable urge, especially among teenagers who just want to, as the song stresses, enjoy their free time. 

Ultimately, those of us who were old enough to be in high school when "All I Wanna Do" was being played on the airwaves definitely associate some light and positive vibes with it — and we have a feeling that we're not the only ones.

When Lisa Loeb's "Stay" hit the mainstream, it did more than just top the Billboard Hot 100 chart. Dominating the list for three weeks, "Stay" made Lisa Loeb the first musician to claim the Hot 100's top spot without being signed to any major record label. It's a very human and sincere song that revolves around an all-too-common topic: a messy breakup (and the heartbreak and confusion that come with it).

It's hardly any wonder why "Stay" would resonate so strongly with the high school crowd of 1994. As an adult, you can afford to look back at your high school puppy-love days and laugh about how much you cried over the end of your relationship at the time. But for the version of you who actually lived in the moment, the struggle was so, so real — and so was the song. It also doesn't hurt that "Stay" is such a simple yet elegant track, which lends itself so well to guitar-only acoustic sessions with your high school friends. This breakup anthem is equal parts grief, confusion, self-awareness, and self-reflection, which would perfectly sum up the experience of being in a teenage romance. 

This may come as a surprise for people who grew up listening to "Stay," but Loeb now makes music for children (which is partly why you rarely hear about Loeb these days). Still, "Stay" has managed to, well, stay in the public consciousness over three decades later.

If '90s pop music were to be distilled into a single song, this would be it. Although it was released in 1993, we deemed "The Sign" by Ace of Base to be eligible for this list because it claimed the top spot on Billboard's Hot 100 in March 1994, where it stayed for six weeks. Plus, if you were in high school in 1994, it's almost a given that you'd remember hearing this song or even dancing to it.

"The Sign" combines many of the aspects we've come to fondly associate with '90s music — a catchy tune, peppy beats, suave synths, and a blend of musical influences, including reggae and techno — and presents the package as an infectious earworm that just begs you to bop your head to it. The lyrics are just the right balance of simple ("I saw the sign / And it opened up my eyes, I saw the sign") and profound ("Life is demanding without understanding"), making the song sound almost like a high schooler philosophizing about life. 

Although the words don't exactly paint a happy picture — upon closer listen, one could interpret it as a girl giving herself a pep talk while moving on from a failed relationship — the song itself is so upbeat that it's bound to cheer you up when you hear it. In fact, we dare you to play this song now and not feel young in your bones all over again (while resisting the urge to dance along). Yes, this is your sign to give "The Sign" a listen.