"Professional Widow" is a song written by the American singer-songwriter Tori Amos, released on her third album, Boys for Pele (1996). It is a harpsichord-driven rock song. Its lyrics are rumored to have been inspired by the American songwriter Courtney Love.
"Don't Speak" is a song by American rock band No Doubt from their third studio album, Tragic Kingdom (1995). It was released as the third single from Tragic Kingdom in the United States on April 15, 1996, by Interscope Records. Lead singer Gwen Stefani and her brother Eric Stefani, former No Doubt member, wrote the song originally as a love song. The song went through several rewrites and new versions. Gwen modified it into a breakup song about her bandmate and ex-boyfriend Tony Kanal, shortly after he ended their seven-year relationship.
"Gangsta's Paradise" is a single by American rapper Coolio, released on August 1, 1995. 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.
"I Will Survive" is a song by American singer Gloria Gaynor, released in October 1978 as the second single from her sixth album, Love Tracks (1978). It was written by Freddie Perren and Dino Fekaris. A top-selling song, it is a popular disco anthem, as well as being certified Platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA).
"Head over Feet" is a song by Canadian singer-songwriter Alanis Morissette, taken from her third studio album Jagged Little Pill (1995). Written by Alanis and Glen Ballard, and produced by Ballard, it was released as the album's fifth single in July 1996 and presented a softer sound than the previous singles from the album. "Head over Feet" talks about being best friends and lovers with someone at the same time, with Alanis thanking them for their manners, love and devotion.
"One of Us" is a song by American singer Joan Osborne for her debut studio album, Relish (1995). Written by Eric Bazilian of the Hooters and produced by Rick Chertoff, the song was released on November 21, 1995, as Osborne's debut single and lead single from Relish, and it became a hit in November of that year, peaking at number four on the US Billboard Hot 100 and earning three Grammy nominations.
Ewanya "Puff" Johnson was an American R&B singer-songwriter. Born in Detroit, she emerged on the music scene with her singles "Forever More" and "Over and Over", which experienced commercial success in Europe and Australia. These songs were included on her only album Miracle (1996). In the early- to mid-2000s, she was listed as a co-writer on several projects and relocated to South Africa where she began working on an unreleased second album. However, in March 2008 Johnson was diagnosed with cervical cancer and subsequently, five years later on June 24, 2013, died of the disease.
"No Diggity" is a song by American R&B group Blackstreet as the first single for their second studio album, Another Level (1996), featuring Dr. Dre and Queen Pen. Released on July 29, 1996, the song reached number one on the US Billboard Hot 100 and in Iceland and New Zealand. "No Diggity" ended "Macarena"'s 14-week reign atop the Billboard Hot 100. In the United Kingdom, the song peaked at number nine. "No Diggity" was the final number-one single of Cash Box magazine. The track sold 1.6 million copies in 1996 and won the 1998 Grammy Award for Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals. It uses samples from Bill Withers's "Grandma's Hands".
"Forever Love" is the debut solo single released by British singer-songwriter Gary Barlow, taken from his debut solo album, Open Road (1997). It debuted at number one on the UK Singles Chart on 14 July 1996, becoming Barlow's first of three number-one singles away from Take That. Worldwide, "Forever Love" also topped the charts in Lithuania, Spain and Taiwan, while reaching the top five in Belgium, Denmark, Germany, Ireland and Switzerland. The song was used as the official theme for the film The Leading Man (1996).
"Hypnotize" is a single by American rapper The Notorious B.I.G. featuring vocals by Pamela Long, released as the first single from his album Life After Death on March 4, 1997. The last song released before his death in a drive-by shooting a week later, it was the fifth song by a credited artist to hit number one posthumously, and the first since "(Just Like) Starting Over" by John Lennon in 1980. Rolling Stone ranked the song as number 30 on their list of the "100 Greatest Hip-Hop Songs of All Time".
"How Bizarre" is a song written and performed by New Zealand musical group OMC. It was released in December 1995 as the lead single from their album How Bizarre and went on to top the charts of five countries: Australia, Austria, Canada, Ireland and New Zealand. Outside New Zealand, OMC is generally considered a one-hit wonder; they had a further few successful singles in New Zealand, including "On the Run" and "Land of Plenty".
"Don't Let Go (Love)" is a song by American R&B group En Vogue. It was written by Ivan Matias, Andrea Martin, and Marqueze Etheridge, and produced by Organized Noize for the Set It Off soundtrack (1996), also appearing on the group's third album, EV3 (1997). The song was the group’s last single and music video to feature member Dawn Robinson and was En Vogue's biggest international single, making it to the top 10 in several countries. According to Billboard, the single ranked as the 83rd most successful single of the 1990s.
"Se a vida é " is a song by English synth-pop duo Pet Shop Boys, released on 12 August 1996 as the second single from their sixth studio album, Bilingual (1996). The song is based on "Estrada Da Paixão" by African-Brazilian band Olodum, which was supporting Pet Shop Boys on the South American leg of their Discovery tour in 1994. The band shares songwriting credits with Pet Shop Boys.
"Angel" is a soul ballad recorded by American singer Aretha Franklin. The song was co-written by Aretha's sister, Carolyn, and Sonny Sanders. Aretha co-produced the song with Quincy Jones and it originally appeared on Aretha's 1973 album Hey Now Hey . It was released as a single in June 1973 and went on to top the US R&B Singles chart for two weeks while reaching number twenty on the Pop chart. The single sold over 900,000 copies.
"Alane" is a song recorded by Cameroonian artist Wes. It was released in May 1997 via various labels as the debut single from the artist's first album, Welenga (1996). The song became a hit across Europe, topping the charts in Austria, Belgium, France and the Netherlands. It is sung in the Duala language of Cameroon though the Tony Moran remix includes English lyrics.
"Sunchyme" is the debut single of British electronic music trio Dario G. It was released on 15 September 1997 as the lead single from their debut studio album, Sunmachine (1998), although early editions were stated to be from an album named Super Dario Land. The song heavily samples the track "Life in a Northern Town" by dream pop band the Dream Academy.
Miracle is the only studio album by American singer Puff Johnson. It was released by The Work Group on May 28, 1996, in the United States. Johnson worked with a broadranging cast of producers and songwriters on her debut, including Narada Michael Walden, Tim & Bob, Jermaine Dupri, Walter Afanasieff, Dan Shea, and Keith Thomas, and co-wrote seven of the set's twelve tracks. Their collaborations led to eclectic material on Miracle, which borrowed from an assortment of genres, combining contemporary R&B with pop, jazz, fusion and G-funk.
"Mo Money Mo Problems" is a song by American rapper The Notorious B.I.G., released through Bad Boy Records and Arista Records, which impacted US mainstream radio stations on July 15, 1997, as the second single from his second and final studio album, Life After Death (1997). It was written by Christopher Wallace, Steven Jordan, Mason Betha, and Sean Combs, while the latter also produced the song. It 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 song features guest vocals from Mase and Sean "Puff Daddy" Combs, and featured an uncredited hook sung by Kelly Price.
"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".
"Forever More" is a song by American singer Puff Johnson, released on April 30, 1996, as the first single from her only studio album, Miracle (1996). The ballad was written by Johnson along with Sally Jo Dakota and Narada Michael Walden, while production was helmed by the latter, with Louis Biancaniello credited as associate producer.
