The ’90s were a decade of reflection and reinvention; a decade where the inspirations of the past couldn’t be more clear — from R.E.M.’s jangley psychedelic folk and Jon Spencer’s propulsive proto-punk to the vibrant R&B of Lauryn Hill and so many others — but the artists of the day were using those influences to create something singular and sublime, something uniquely their own. It was a golden age of hip-hop from Wu-Tang Clan to Ice Cube, it was a decade that saw earnest singer-songwriters like Liz Phair and Lisa Loeb breaking new ground. And it was a decade that gave us unforgettable pop, metal and more. Take a wild ride through the end of a century in our 30-song playlist below: