The 90’s saw a mainstream love for R&B and romantic ballads. Billboard listed the following songs as the year-end top five of 1994, the year of the earthquake. As the forefront of American music charts, success on Billboard translates to widespread popularity in the States. Before people streamed music on Spotify, high charting songs reached their peaks with pure sales and radioplay. These are the songs people bought on CDs and tuned into on their car radios.

“The Sign” — Ace of Base
Ace of Base’s reggae-inspired Europop single “The Sign” was the top Billboard-ranked song of 1994. Despite its release the year prior, the song had stable success throughout 1994 and earned a Grammy nomination in 1995 for Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals. The song’s success also showed the power of Swedish-made pop music and paved the way for the prominence of Swedish musicians and producers in the global market.

“I Swear” — All-4-One
The group All-4-One showcased their vocal abilities on the ballad “I Swear,” which Billboard ranked second. The song was an R&B cover of a country song, reminiscent of the genre-swapping success of Whitney Houston’s cover of “I Will Always Love You” two years prior, and both covers remain staples of marriage receptions. All-4-One’s rendition is one of their signature tracks and won Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals at the 1995 Grammy Awards.

“I’ll Make Love to You” — Boyz II Men
The ballad “I’ll Make Love to You,” written by singer Babyface and performed by Boyz II Men, was a commercial success, landing third on Billboard’s year-end list. With 14 weeks atop the Hot 100 chart, the song tied Houston’s aforementioned cover for the most weeks at No. 1. The song won Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals at the 1995 Grammy Awards and is exemplary of R&B’s dominance in the ’90s.

“The Power of Love” — Celine Dion
Another covered ballad, “The Power of Love” by Celine Dion ranked fourth on Billboard’s year-end list. Dion’s first Hot 100-topping song also reached No. 1 in Canada and Australia, becoming the best-selling song by a woman in 1994. The vocal prowess of Dion is on display during the five-minute song, which tells a story of devotion to one’s partner, reflecting the trend of romantic ballads in the decade.

“Hero” — Mariah Carey
The elusive chanteuse Mariah Carey is a chart-topping juggernaut and Billboard ranked her fan-favorite ballad “Hero” fifth on their year-end list. The triple-platinum certified song’s themes of perseverance and inner strength made it one of Carey’s signature songs, with a performance at Barack Obama’s inauguration over a decade after its release. While not Carey’s favorite song, she performs the Grammy-nominated track consistently in hopes the message resonates with                                                        someone in the audience.