"Gangsta's Paradise" is a single by American rapper Coolio, released on August 1, 1995 by Tommy Boy, Warner Bros. and MCA. Interpolating Stevie Wonder's song "Pastime Paradise" (1976), "Gangsta's Paradise" features vocals from American singer L.V. who served as a co-composer and co-lyricist with Coolio and Doug Rasheed, with Wonder also being credited for the composition and lyrics. Certified Platinum in October, the song was included on Coolio's second album, Gangsta's Paradise, in November 1995. Its music video was directed by Antoine Fuqua and featured Michelle Pfeiffer. The song is taken from Pfeiffer's movie Dangerous Minds, and the music video is also themed around the movie.
"Sadeness (Part I)" is a song by German musical project Enigma, released in October 1990 by Virgin Records as the lead single from their first album, MCMXC a.D. (1990). It became an international hit, reaching number one in 14 countries. In the United States, the song peaked at number five on the Billboard Hot 100 and number one on both the Dance Club Play and 12-inch Singles Sales charts. Its music video was directed by Michel Guimbard. A sequel to the song, "Sadeness (Part II)" featuring Anggun, was released on Enigma's eighth studio album, The Fall of a Rebel Angel (2016).
"Good Vibrations" is a song by American group Marky Mark and the Funky Bunch featuring Loleatta Holloway. It was released in July 1991 as the lead single from their debut album, Music for the People (1991). The song became a number-one hit in the United States, Denmark, Sweden and Switzerland.
Bingoboys was an Austrian dance music trio from Vienna consisting of DJs Klaus Biedermann, Paul Pfab and Helmut Wolfgruber.
Princessa is a house music rapper/singer from New York City. She was the featured artist on two singles by the Austrian house music band, Bingoboys: the first was the song "How to Dance", which hit number one on the U.S. Dance chart in 1991, as well as number 25 on the Billboard Hot 100; the second was a follow-up single, "Borrowed Love", which peaked at number 32 on the dance chart the same year. She also did a guest appearance on Chic's 1992 number-one club hit "Chic Mystique". She worked with Vanilla Ice on a number of songs as a backup singer from 1987 to 1991.
"Return of the Mack" is a song written and recorded by British R&B singer Mark Morrison, released by WEA and Atlantic as the third single from his debut album by the same name (1996). The song was produced by Morrison with Phil Chill and Cutfather & Joe, and topped the UK Singles Chart a month after its release, then became a European and Australian hit. In the United States, it reached number two on the Billboard Hot 100 and went platinum. The music video for the song, directed by Jake Nava, was released in the United Kingdom in March 1996 and in the United States in February 1997. Billboard magazine featured "Return of the Mack" in their lists of "Billboard's Top Songs of the '90s" in 2019 and "500 Best Pop Songs of All Time" in 2023.
"Thunder in My Heart" is a song by English-Australian singer Leo Sayer, from his fifth studio album, Thunder in My Heart (1977). The song was written by Sayer and Tom Snow, while produced by Richard Perry. It was released through Warner and Chrysalis Records in 1977, as the first single from the album. The disco song consists of a bassline and strings. "Thunder in My Heart" received generally positive reviews from music critics, who praised the production. It peaked at number 22 on the UK Singles Chart and at number 38 on the US Billboard Hot 100. A dance remix of the song by British disc jockey Meck titled "Thunder in My Heart Again" was released on 6 February 2006, and topped the UK Singles Chart.
"Gonna Make You Sweat (Everybody Dance Now)" is a song by American dance music group C+C Music Factory, released by Columbia Records on November 18, 1990 as the lead single from their debut album, Gonna Make You Sweat (1990). The song is sung by Martha Wash and rapped by Freedom Williams; it was written by Robert Clivillés, Williams, and David Cole, and produced by Clivillés and Cole. The song charted internationally and achieved great success in Austria, Canada, Germany, Sweden, and the United States, where it reached number one on the dance charts. The accompanying music video was directed by Marcus Nispel, and features singer/dancer Zelma Davis lip-syncing to Wash's vocal parts. Billboard magazine ranked "Gonna Make You Sweat (Everybody Dance Now)" No.402 among the "500 Best Pop Songs of All Time" in 2023.
"I Wanna Sex You Up" is a song by American R&B group Color Me Badd, released in March 1991 as the lead single from their debut album, C.M.B. (1991). The song was produced by Dr. Freeze and was also featured on the soundtrack to the 1991 film New Jack City, starring Wesley Snipes, Ice-T, Chris Rock and Judd Nelson. The song heavily samples “Tonight is the Night” by Betty Wright.
"Unbelievable" is a song written and recorded by British band EMF, originally appearing on their debut album, Schubert Dip (1991). It was released as a single in the UK in October 1990 by Parlophone, peaking at number three on the UK Singles Chart on 1 December 1990. It was the 30th-best-selling single of 1990 in the UK, and a top 10 hit also in Belgium, Germany, Ireland, the Netherlands, Norway, Spain and Sweden. In the United States, "Unbelievable" hit number one on the Billboard Hot 100 and Cash Box Top 100 in 1991. The song was produced by Ralph Jezzard, and contains samples of US comedian Andrew Dice Clay and a Black Panther Party member shouting "What the fuck?" Its music video was directed by Josh Taft.
"He's the Greatest Dancer" is a 1979 song by the American vocal group Sister Sledge. Released on February 3, 1979, the song was written and composed by Bernard Edwards and Nile Rodgers, and recorded for the group's successful 1979 album We Are Family. Billboard named the song No. 66 on its list of "100 Greatest Girl Group Songs of All Time."
"The Power" is a song by German Eurodance group Snap!, released as their debut single. It was released on 3 January 1990 by Ariola and Arista as the lead single from their debut studio album, World Power (1990). The song reached number one in Greece, the Netherlands, Spain, Switzerland, the UK and Zimbabwe, as well as on the US Billboard Hot Dance Club Play and Hot Rap charts. On the Billboard Hot 100, "The Power" managed to reach number two for one week.
"Show Me Love" is a song performed by American singer Robin S. The song was written by Allen George and Fred McFarlane, originally released in October 1990 by Champion Records in the United Kingdom. In 1992, it was remixed by Swedish house music production duo StoneBridge and Nick Nice, and re-released in many European countries as well as the United States and Japan. It became one of the most well known house anthems in the United Kingdom, and Robin's biggest hit to date. It helped to make house more mainstream. In 1993, it was included on Robin S.'s debut album of the same name. Confusion arose with the 1997 hit "Show Me Love" by Swedish singer Robyn, due to their homonymous names and identical titles.
"Things That Make You Go Hmmm..." is a song by American dance group C+C Music Factory. It was released in June 1991 as the third single from their debut album, Gonna Make You Sweat (1990). The single version features Freedom Williams and Zelma Davis who also appear in the accompanying music video, while female vocals are provided by Deborah Cooper instead of Davis on the original album version. The song was inspired by a running gag on The Arsenio Hall Show, where Arsenio, while allegedly on a long drive, pondered certain thoughts and referred to them as "things that make you go hmmm...."
"Now That We Found Love" is a song written by Kenneth Gamble and Leon Huff and originally recorded by American R&B/soul vocal group The O'Jays for their seventh album, Ship Ahoy (1973).
"Everybody Dance" is a song by American band Chic. The disco song, which features Norma Jean Wright on lead vocals and Luther Vandross, Diva Gray, Robin Clark and David Lasley on background vocals, was released as the second single from the band's self-titled debut album Chic (1977). According to guitarist Nile Rodgers, it was the first song specifically written for Chic, and, due to its historical status and popularity, is usually played as the opening song of the band's live set. It was later heavily sampled by British group Steps on their song "Stomp" and echoed by the Manic Street Preachers on their single "(It's Not War) Just the End of Love".
"(I Wanna Give You) Devotion" is a song by English electronic group Nomad, released in 1990 (UK/Europe) and 1991 (US) by Rumour/EMI and Capitol. It was the second single from their only album, Changing Cabins, released later in 1991. It was written by the producer, Damon Rochefort, with Steve Mac and MC Mikee Freedom. The song was a number-one hit in Greece and a top 5 hit in the UK, where it reached number two. In the US, it peaked at number-one on the Billboard Hot Dance Club Play chart in June 1991 and stayed there for one week. Its music video was directed by Jerome Redfarn. MTV Dance ranked the song number 32 in their list of "The 100 Biggest 90s Dance Anthems of All Time" in November 2011.
"Pray" is a song released in August 1990 by Capitol as the third single from American rapper and dancer MC Hammer's third album, Please Hammer Don't Hurt 'Em (1990). Produced by Hammer, the song heavily samples Prince's 1984 song "When Doves Cry", the first of just a few times that Prince allowed samples of his compositions. The track also interpolates Faith No More's "We Care a Lot". The word "pray" is mentioned 147 times during the song, setting the record for the number of times a song title is repeated in an American Top 40 hit.
"Mo Money Mo Problems" is a song by American rapper The Notorious B.I.G., released as the second single from his second and final studio album, Life After Death (1997) on July 15, 1997 by Bad Boy Records and Arista Records. It features guest performances from labelmate Mase and label boss Sean "Puff Daddy" Combs; all three performers co-wrote the song with Stevie J, who also co-produced it with Combs. "Mo Money Mo Problems" contains a sample and an interpolation of "I'm Coming Out" by Diana Ross, for which Bernard Edwards and Nile Rodgers are also credited as songwriters; the sampled portions are heard in the production, while the hook is interpolative and performed by Kelly Price in an uncredited appearance.
"I'll Be Missing You" is a song by American rapper Puff Daddy and American singer Faith Evans, featuring R&B group 112, in memory of fellow Bad Boy Records artist Christopher "The Notorious B.I.G." Wallace, who was murdered on March 9, 1997. Released as the second single from Puff Daddy and the Family's debut album, No Way Out (1997), "I'll Be Missing You" samples the Police's 1983 hit song "Every Breath You Take" with an interpolated chorus sung by Evans and interpolated rhythm. The song also interpolates the 1929 Albert E. Brumley hymn "I'll Fly Away" and features a spoken intro over a choral version of Samuel Barber's "Adagio for Strings".
