90s music trivia: guess the year of nineties songs
Grunge, Britpop, dance, hip hop and pop all fought for the charts in the nineties. It is the decade where many groups of friends remember every chorus and nobody agrees on the year.
Free to try. Whoever starts the game logs in with an email code, no password. Players who join a party room need no account and no app.
The nineties started with guitars and dance floors in equal measure and finished in a pop explosion. The compact disc was at its peak, and by the end of the decade music files were beginning to move online.
That mix makes the nineties a favourite for parties. Songs are well known and years are famously hard to place.
What helps you date a nineties song
A few clues are worth listening for.
Guitars vs dance
Heavy, distorted guitars suggest the early nineties, while polished pop and dance productions rule later.
Sampling and loops
Dance and hip hop tracks built on loops and samples grow in number as the decade goes on.
Clean production
Very clean, tuned vocals and tight programming sound late nineties and later.
Sample question styles
These are the kinds of decisions a round asks of you. No song is named here, it only shows the kind of questions.
Narrow gap
Your row has a song from 1994 and one from 1996. Only a short stretch is left, so can you place the new fragment?
Early or late
Lock in a year for a recording. Exact scores 1000 and 3 years off still earns 500.
Quick fire
In a party room, set 15 seconds and see who commits first with a good guess.
The timeline in one look
A timeline is a row of songs in release order. You hear a new song, never its year, and decide where it fits between the songs already on the row. Get it right and the row grows.
Tips for a better game
Combine with the eighties
The change from synths to guitars and back is a rich source of clues.
Play with people who were there
The group that remembers the songs often argues loudest about the year.
Try a shorter timer
A 15 second limit makes nineties rounds snappy.
Why it works at a party
No cards needed
Everything happens on screen, so there is nothing to print, shuffle or lose under the sofa.
Works in the browser
No app to install, not even for a party room. Open the page and play.
Three ways to play
One phone for a small group, or a party room with a big screen for a bigger crowd.
Prefer real cards?
Make your own card game: paste a playlist, print the PDF at home or order the printed cards.
Frequently asked questions
Is there a 90s deck?
Yes, public decks with the nineties in the name exist and appear below when available. Others can be made from your own playlists.
Which mode suits a nineties party?
Year Rush for a big group and Timeline for a relaxed table.
Are the songs complete?
No. They play as previews of up to 30 seconds.
What does it cost to play?
Popular public decks are free to play. If you turn your own playlist into a deck, the first 100 cards of that deck are free.
Do players need an account or an app?
No app is needed. Whoever starts the game logs in with an email code, no password. Players who join a party room scan a QR code or type the 4 letter room code, then pick a name.
Ready for the first song?
Pick a deck, choose how you want to play and have the first round running within a minute.
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