While I didn’t talk about a musician as my lifelong crush this week because I’ve done so in the past with Nick Carter and boy bands, I did want to cap off the week doing so because life coach extraordinaire, Karen Jane DeWitt, did so when she opened up about her love of Taylor Hanson from the band of brothers, Hanson.
They came out at the tail-end of the ‘90s and had many teens and tweens going bananas, and while a lot of boy bands followed who were more focused on the choreo than the songwriting like Hanson, I wanted to focus on some other musicians from the glory days of the ‘90s that still have people a bit sprung. Which, in some cases – these lifelong crushes are so strong, many fans have continued to love these musicians even though they’re no longer with us. So let’s get to it and take a look at the musicians people crushed on in the ‘90s and have yet to let go of.
Selena
Just as she was on the verge of making even bigger waves in music, her life was cut short but all these years later many still look at Selena with purple hearts in their eyes.
Billie Joe Armstrong
Little punks in the ‘90s took one look at a random ass Green Day video on MTV one day and made up their minds. Billie Joe Armstrong was going to be their man until the end of time.
Mariah Carey
If there is one fanbase that low-key scares me, it’s Mariah Carey’s lambs because well, they aren’t just dedicated to her – they have every fucking right to be. I mean, how do you argue with fans of one of the greatest vocalists, ever?
Usher
It’s easy to continue to love Usher, even 25 years after his debut because he’s never aged. Talk about investing in a crush that will literally never go bad.
Britney Spears
One of my friends growing up once said, “I don’t know if I want to be Britney Spears or be with Britney Spears,” and I’m 100% sure he was not the first, only, or the last person to have that thought since she burst into our lives in “Baby One More Time.”
Tupac Shakur
There is no telling how far Tupac Shakur’s career would’ve taken him had he not been taken from the world in 1996, but the one thing that’s remained is the respect people have continued to have for the music and movie performances he left behind.
Gwen Stefani
I used to go to tapings of ‘Jimmy Kimmel Live!’ all the time and only ever had an issue getting into two concerts; Drake and Gwen Stefani. A security guard let me into one, but there was absolutely no getting into the latter and that’s in part due to her insane fan base that has been obsessed since 1995.
Chris Cornell
While the Soundgarden video for “Black Hole Sun” was nightmare-inducing for seven-year-old me, there were people older than me who could care less because they were too busy falling hard for Chris Cornell, and the love didn’t stop there. He was a fine wine, aging with grace. Those who crushed on him in the ‘90s still have the same level of love even though he’s since passed.
Aaliyah
It’s hard to find someone in the ‘90s who embodied both cool and beauty as much as Aaliyah did. One of the many reasons she resides in our hearts today.
Kurt Cobain
When you break down the ‘90s, there isn’t a list on earth that would exclude Kurt Cobain. The poster boy for grunge and teen angst in the earlier part of the decade, Cobain was and remains an iconic crush for so many who are part of that generation.
Crushgasm 