The 1990s are often remembered as the decade where Grunge replaced Heavy Metal in the charts as well as the massive commercial appeal of Hip Hop and Country. However, the most amazing change of the decade might be the mass appeal of female artists. An atoning 32 of the Top 100 selling albums of the 1990s are from female artists. The artist list is diverse from newcomers such as Britney Spears and Alanis Morrisette to veterans such as Bonnie Raitt; from hip hop artists such as TLC to country artists The Dixie Chicks. Below is a list of all 32 female artists that made up the Top 100 selling albums of the 1990s.
A couple of notes: I excluded The Bodyguard soundtrack (even though Whitney Houston made this album a mega seller) since there are male and female acts on the album as well as The Titanic soundtrack (that was highly successful thanks to Celine Dion) since there are other male contributors. I also excluded Ace of Base and Fugees since both bands had major contributions from male band members. I did however, include The Cranberries since they are fronted by a female and also the Waiting to Exhale soundtrack since all of the artists on the album are female..
Come on Over by Shania Twain (1997)
Jagged Little Pill by Alanis Morrisette (1995)
Baby One More Time by Britney Spears (1999)
Falling Into You by Celine Dion (1996)
The Woman in Me by Shania Twain (1995)
Wide Open Spaces by The Dixie Chicks (1998)
Let’s Talk About Love by Celine Dion (1997)
Music Box by Mariah Carey (1993)
CrazySexyCool by TLC (1994)
Pieces of You by Jewel (1995)
Daydream by Mariah Carey (1995)
Fly by the Dixie Chicks (1999)
Spice by The Spice Girls (1997)
Mariah Carey by Mariah Carey (1990)
The Sign by Ace of Base (1993)
The Writing’s on the Wall by Destiny’s Child (1999)
The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill by Lauryn Hill (1998)
Secrets by Toni Braxton (1996)
Christina Aguilera by Christina Aguilera (1999)
Toni Braxton by Toni Braxton (1993)
Breathe by Faith Hill (1999)
Surfacing by Sarah McLachlan (1997)
Mi Tierra by Gloria Estefan (1993)
No Need to Argue by The Cranberries (1994)
Tuesday Night Music Club by Sheryl Crow (1993)
The Colour of My Love by Celine Dion (1993)
Waiting to Exhale soundtrack by Various Artists (all female) (1995)
