For as huge as hip-hop was in the 90s, surprisingly we come to the first such entry in this 1995 countdown, and it’s a scorcher.  Highlighted during the infamous East/West Coast rap wars of this period, this song might be among the top 10 most iconic rap songs of all time, and it also helped bring the vocoder into the mainstream (again for better or worse).  At #7 it’s California Love by Dr. Dre & Tupac.

My countdowns have produced surprises, and this one is no different.  I bet when you see this you’re thinking what song is this, but once you hear it you’ll know why it made it.  Longevity is a good trait to have to make it to this list, and this song certainly has had it.  At #8 it’s Roll To Me by Del Amitri.

Once again, now in the 90s, another case for soundtrack songs – should they or shouldn’t they appear?  This song is synonymous with the TV show Friends, and it would be hard to completely separate it from the sitcom.  However, it’s still a classic, and deserves its spot here for the fact that as good of a song it is, it’s associated with one of the biggest tv shows of all time.  At #9 it’s I’ll Be There For You by The Rembrandts.

If the internet fully existed during this time, this #10 song would have broken it.  For years people wondered if these two pop/rock icons would ever get together for a song, and they did.  This song still gets major airplay and it’s iconic simply for the personnel that ended up being involved.  In the countdown of the top songs turning 30 years old, at #10 it’s Scream by Michael Jackson & Janet Jackson.

We wrap up the first half of this 1995 countdown with a song that helped bring into the mainstream what would normally be considered niche – harmonica-driven music.  This band’s biggest hit helped propel both them and the instrument (for better or worse) into the pop-culture consciousness.  It’s still heard a lot today and you know who it is from the harmonica too.  At #11 it’s Run-Around by Blues Traveler.

Our next 1995 song is the literal definition of a one-hit-wonder.  How?  If you were to look at this band’s Spotify page, the top 3 popular songs on their list are all this song.  Yet despite that, it’s hard to argue this song’s placement in the countdown as it’s still a popular song that’s played to this day in various avenues.  Coming in at #13 is Breakfast at Tiffany’s by Deep Blue Something.