Where are they now?: The 20 biggest hit makers of 1996

To be alive in 1996 meant knowing one thing: the dance to “Macarena.” The song, which in many ways could be looked at as “Gangham Style’s” grandparent, was a sensation and took over. People were singing and dancing to it everywhere from schoolyards to stadiums. To this day, not many can deny the moves with Los del Río’s one and only hit, “Macarena (Bayside Boys Mix)” came on. Today, the pair is celebrating six decades of making music and is still releasing music, with their last single dropping in 2022.

When it comes to the ‘90s, there was no one bigger than Mariah Carey. No one could take away her record of having a #1 single every year of the decade, and for over 20 years, no one had touched her most longstanding record, which she shared with Boyz II Men for their song, “One Sweet Day.” Its run atop the Billboard charts was iconic, but it was finally beaten in 2019 when Lil Nas X came down that “Old Town Road.” Today, Carey doesn’t seem pressed about the accolades anymore. She knows she’s that girl, has cemented herself in music history, and in the present day seems to focus more on being the queen of Christmas. Who can blame her for that, though when her ‘94 song “All I Want for Christmas” earns her anywhere from two to three million every holiday season?

Since their days owning the charts both as one of the most notable R&B groups ever, but also alongside Mariah Carey for “One Sweet Day,” Boyz II Men have continued singing their hearts out on tours with other boy bands from the ‘90s, as well as in Las Vegas via a residency. However, the quartet has become a trio since their days were sweet, but things are still trucking on as a trio.

Moms of the ‘90s (and millennials obsessed with VH1) knew "Because You Loved Me" like the back of their hand, and for good reason. Celine Dion was and will forever be one of the most celebrated voices in music. Since then, there was of course that little song from that movie about a big boat, as well as a successful run in Las Vegas. A 2022 stiff-person syndrome diagnosis did take Dion from the stage, but since then, she’s made progress and has high hopes of returning to music. 

When Antonio Jeffries came out under the moniker The Tony Rich Project, amazing things happened. “Nobody Knows” topped the charts and even led to a multitude of Grammy nominations, and even a win for Best R&B Album. He continued to make music throughout the 2000s, but nothing ever quite had the success of “Nobody Knows.” Today, he’s still out and about, doing podcast interviews, painting, and working on other creative endeavors.

Many misremember Tracy Chapman’s earlier hits like “Fast Car” and "Talkin' 'bout a Revolution" as ‘90s hits. In fact, both were on the charts in 1988. In reality, her only hit in the ‘90s, and her last was "Give Me One Reason.” It dropped in ‘95 but would end the following year as the sixth biggest song on Billboard’s Hot 100. Chapman continued making music into the early 2000s, but then went silent, appearing here and there. She once sued Nicki Minaj for using one of her songs, appeared on Seth Meyers’ late-night show during the 2020 election to perform, what else, "Talkin' 'bout a Revolution,” and in 2024 she stepped onto the Grammy stage to perform “Fast Car” alongside Luke Combs, who’d admired and covered it. She might not be making new music, but it’s clear her impact on music remains strong.

Does anyone really know all of the words to Bone Thugs-n-Harmony’s "Tha Crossroads” No, but does that make it any less of a banger? Not at all. The song that made everyone yearn for an Uncle Charles was everywhere back in the day, and earned the Cleveland rap group a Grammy. Since then, they never had as much success as with “Tha Crossroads,” but did enter the charts in 2007 alongside Akon with "I Tried.” Today, fans can still see the group perform here and there.

Donna Lewis isn’t the most recognizable name on this list, but she does have one of the most notorious one-hit wonders of the ‘90s, "I Love You Always Forever.” The undeniable earworm was the lead single off the Welsh singer’s debut album, and wound up being her only notable release to date. In recent years, Lewis has continued to make music, but nothing quite as catchy as “I Love You Always Forever” has resonated. 

When it came to R&B in the ‘90s, no one was doing it quite like the velvety-voiced Toni Braxton. Her hits were in constant rotation on the radio, including "You're Makin' Me High.” She had a great run, with much success throughout the end of the ‘90s and the start of the ‘00s, but, like many at the time, she turned to reality TV for a career move. While she didn’t leave music behind entirely, she and her sisters enjoyed success from Braxton Family Values for several seasons, as well as an appearance on The Masked Singer’s sixth season, where she was surprisingly an early out.

Millennials were far too young to be singing along to what Keith Sweat was singing about in the ‘90s, but alas, his music was the soundtrack to many bus rides to and from school, with “Twisted” being one of the most notorious. While the landscape of music has changed since Sweat was creating the ultimate “baby-making” music, he’s continued to bring classic R&B to the table. However, it has been a minute since his 2018 release, Playing for Keeps.

No Doubt was a mix of California skater ska punk and chic glam, thanks to lead singer Gwen Stefani delivering the latter. Their debut, Tragic Kingdom, made them everyone's favorite new band in 1995, and a year later, nothing had changed. Over the years, No Doubt has gone through a number of changes, whether it was when they dove deeper into having Jamaican roots in their sound or when Stefani stepped away to venture into other cultures. Today, the band performs when the price is right, whether it's headlining Coachella or having a quick (and lucrative) residency at The Sphere in Las Vegas. 

There is nothing even remotely ironic about the out-of-this-world success Alanis Morissette had with her debut, Jagged Little Pill. It propelled the Canadian singer-songwriter into the limelight, and from it came an angst-ridden alternative take on life from the brazen female mind of the ‘90s. The album and Morissette became beacons of girl power. So much so that the album has since been turned into a Broadway production, with Alanis Morissette still packing venues to this day.

By 1996, Whitney Houston had long since been a household name, even making her mark in acting with ‘92’s The Bodyguard. Houston then returned to the big screen with Waiting to Exhale, while also doing another hit for the soundtrack with "Exhale (Shoop Shoop).” As Whitney Houston, her star power remained a once-in-a-lifetime talent until her untimely death the night before the Grammys in February 2012.

Brandy was a dynamo from a young age, and at 15 became one of music’s biggest names. "Sittin' Up in My Room" wasn’t just a fun song from the radio; it was one of the best tracks on the Waiting to Exhale soundtrack, one that boasted the likes of Whitney Houston. Brandy was able to hold her own with the big dogs and, from that point on, became a mainstay of ‘90s music. Like many of her peers, things started to die down at the turn of the century, but nostalgia during the 2020 pandemic brought her and Monica together. Five years later, the ladies would present The Boy Is Mine tour ahead of the 2026 release of Brandy’s memoir.

LL Cool J was a big name in hip-hop in 1996 with "Loungin" and a collab with Boyz II Men, making him a constant force. Music was his foundation, but over the years, the one that ladies love pivoted towards television. He spent over a dozen seasons on NCIS: Los Angeles, making appearances on a couple of other iterations of the franchise, and got a sweet gig hosting Lip Sync Battle back when the world felt a little more fun.

When it’s said, “They don’t make ‘em like they used to,” it should be referring to adult contemporary music. The kind of music people in their 30s and 40s could just chill out to. That music peaked in the early ‘00s, but right before then was one of its golden eras in the ‘90s, when bands like Goo Goo Dolls were everywhere, and while "Name" was a banger, the Dolls went on to have one of the most signature hits of the decade in 1999 with “Iris” from the City of Angels soundtrack. Since then, they’ve continued touring and making new music, but they’ve yet to recapture their prowess from back in the day.

Busta Rhymes impressed with rapid-fire then, and still does when he pops up in the most random of places, like the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. 

Millennials have Joan Osborne to thank for their first existential crisis when they first heard "One of Us." And since getting a generation to ask the big questions in 1996, she’s released almost a dozen albums, the last being in 2023, and according to her official site, she is still out on the road.

TLC was a household name by the end of 1996 due to CrazySexyCool’s release the previous year, with "Diggin' on You" being the final single from the record. It fared fine, but was a nice bookend before the group outdid themselves in ‘99 with FanMail. Their releases since then haven’t done as well, and losing Lisa “Left Eye” Lopes in 2002 didn’t help either, but the remaining members persevered, banking on ‘90s kids' love of the past. TLC has continued touring with acts from their era and has appeared at conventions celebrating the decade that made them stars.

If there is a style of music that is missing most from the present day, it’s whatever Hootie & the Blowfish were doing in the ‘90s. That “I play hacky sack in the quad in flannel” sound was nice for the time, but new styles came and took its place, despite Hootie and the Blowfish continuing to release new music throughout 2019 and their lead singer, Darius Rucker, having an impressive solo career in country.