The coronavirus pandemic has shut down the entire world — including the entertainment industry — since March 2020. While some artists have been able to put out new music (like Dua Lipa’s Future Nostalgia and Lady Gaga’s Chromatica), fans are largely enjoying newish hits and old classics. But if you ask Us, that’s totally OK.
Forget the fact that Rihanna’s ninth album still hasn’t dropped, and take a trip down memory lane instead. The 1990s, for example, birthed some of the most iconic records and careers to date. Bands like Backstreet Boys and Destiny’s Child quickly became top acts with their albums and are still beloved today.
Beyoncé, who has since gone on to have a Grammy-winning solo career since Destiny’s Child split up, has brought her former band members on stage multiple times in recent years. Kelly Rowland and Michelle Williams joined the “Lemonade” singer during her Super Bowl XLVII halftime performance in 2013 and again during Coachella in 2018 to perform songs like “Lose My Breath” and “Soldier.” Naturally, fans went wild — proving nostalgia is an absolute crowd-pleaser.
The decade was also known for its alternative rock, with Nirvana and Radiohead going on to arguably become two of the biggest rock bands of all time. After lead singer Kurt Cobain’s death by suicide in 1994, Nirvana became an everlasting symbol of the grunge movement, and the iconic crooner is still celebrated today.
“Today would have been your 50th birthday,” Cobain’s daughter, Frances Bean Cobain, wrote via a handwritten letter and shared on Instagram in 2017. “You are loved and you are missed. Thank you for giving me the GIFT of life.”
The ‘90s spawned some unforgettable music, from rap to R&B and beyond. Scroll through for some memorable albums to revisit as you wait out the coronavirus quarantine — all streaming on Spotify and Apple Music.