Russia's top hits of the 90s - part one

When the USSR disappeared, the country's music industry - like any other cultural industry - underwent enormous changes. In the past, singers could be verbally "shot" by censors for looking too Western or wearing an indecently short skirt (which was not), and songs could be banned for being "mystical". wrong implication - Now the artists came on stage almost in bikinis, and sang verses that would probably give Soviet critics a heart attack.

For all people from the CIS 90-е turned out to be a shock, but for most artists, they became breath of fresh air: there were a lot of new big names, pop hits with uncomplicated poetry, and latex, leather and denim - truly American attributes! In today's article we decided to recall the most colourful and still sparkling hits that marked the most difficult decade for the country - these are top 5 pop songswho determined 90s in Russia. So - time to get nostalgic for the discos of my youth... .

Combination - American Boy (1990)

Girl group "Combination." (or as it is fashionable to say today "Girl Band") became the brightest representative of the Russian music scene of that time. It was pure nonsense: indecently colourful and spectacular girls sang songs on topics relevant to the society of the time. Back then, many guys wanted to become "cool" bandits, and young beauties dreamed of a career as (ahem, let's call it that) "models". Just because it was prestigious... In the 90s, many young ladies dreamed of a prince on a white horse more than ever before - and the composition "American Boy." is dedicated to that very thing.

With a reference to the "American dream," this song described the most current fantasies of young beauties, but in a rather sarcastically:

"I play the balalaika
It's the most Russian instrument
I dream of living in Jamaica
There are no balalaikas in Jamaica..."

If future generations suddenly want to experience 90s spiritthen this track will come in very handy. Given its unreal drive, we are sure that it will be on the ear for a long time.

Car-Man - London, Good Bye (1990)

We would characterise this song as. "90s pop lyrics". It is tender and melodic, but at the same moment it is not devoid of drive or subtext. The protagonist says goodbye to London, stating that "he is a stranger here". Of course, each listener will see his own message in this, for example - it can be regarded as a hint that Soviet citizens did not like it so much abroad, where many of them were so eager to go under the Soviet regime. Or to see something more sacred in these lines, veiled…

The song is still played on the radio (mostly on retro waves), and even the younger generation of the early 2000s will easily sing the unobtrusive melodic verse, which makes it feel like nostalgia:

"London, good bye!
London, goodbye, I'm a stranger here.
London, goodbye!
London, goodbye, it's time to go home..."

Combination - The Accountant (1992)

As we said above - "Combination." became famous and popular thanks to her unpretentious but very truthful songs touching on the social and economic situation in the country. In the 90s, many people - even representatives of unremarkable professions - were left in a bad situation (both financially and in terms of their own safety). Given how popular small businesses had become, it seemed that the accountants would be worth their weight in gold. It is like IT specialists today - enviable husbands in a word (but, of course, here many depended on ambition and connections, so only a few were lucky).

A song about an accountant and it's not just about members of this profession. As a result, the line "accountant, my dear accountant" went viral and became a kind of winged expression.

Kai Metov - Position #2 (1993)

Before he became a star of post-Soviet discos, Kai Metov became a victim of those who liked to profit from other people's names. However, nobody really knew the name of the singer himself - or rather, they did not know that Kai and Metov are spelt separately, not consecutively (as some cassette distributors sinned). With Metov's songs for a long time travelled around the country and performed by crooks!

Regarding "Position numero uno."then this track literally raised Methov on the pedestal of people's love! It is impossible to count how many times the artist performed with this hit song, and how many covers (including parodies) were made to it today.

Dune - The Land of Limonia (1990)

To round off the first part of our selection, we decided to end with the iconic "Limonia Country." groups "Dune." - a rather peculiar band, it's worth noting, who managed to make a big name for themselves during the 90s. And how? Simple: the songs were based on acute social issues that are relevant for almost every citizen of the former USSR.

What kind of country is this, and why "Limonia" and not, say, "Orange"? It is no secret that often millions are called "lemons", and at that time capitalism began to flourish (we would even say braid the country like ivy) in the country. So there you have it smash hit! Despite the humorous-sarcastic overtones, the track is still a favourite with the general public.