MUSICBest musicians of the 1990sUSA TODAYThe 1990s were a treasure trove for music fans. We saw the birth of grunge, the rise of gangsta rap and the later-in-the-decade boy-band boom. Paired with technology that made listening easier than ever, it was truly a gem decade. Read on for a selection of the decade's most influential and popular names, starting with Nirvana, who helped define a generation of rock as grunge pioneers.Maia Valenzuela / FlickrKurt Cobain, Krist Novoselic and Dave Grohl made up Nirvana. Grohl helped usher in the genre of post-grunge with Foo Fighters following Cobain's death in 1994.MTVAfter Nirvana, Pearl Jam is arguably the most important name in grunge. Eddie Vedder's beloved band is still releasing new music and performing for their adoring fanbase. Rob Loud / Getty ImagesTwo of pop's most influential names of the 2000s and beyond -- Britney Spears, left, and Christina Aguilera -- got their start in the late '90s. Both women released their debut albums in 1999.Christopher Wallace, aka Notorious B.I.G., was just 24 when he died in 1997, but grew to epitomize East Coast rap in the '90s.MARK LENNIHAN, Associated PressThe Notorious B.I.G's California counterpart was Tupac Shakur, who defined '90s West Coast rap before his death in 1996.Frank Wiese, APDr. Dre began his career with N.W.A before pioneering the West Coast G-funk sound in the '90s, extending his reign today as hip-hop's richest man.DANIEL JORDAN, Associated PressMadonna continued her '80s pop reign into the '90s, kicking off the decade with "Vogue" and ending the '90s with her underrated "Ray of Light" album.LORRAINE DAY, XXXMeanwhile, Mariah Carey established herself as arguably the decade's most remarkable voice across pop and R&B, ruling the charts with her then-unprecedented run of singles.Kevin Winter, Getty ImagesNo country music artist was bigger in the '90s than Garth Brooks, with a decade's worth of country-pop crossover hits.Rick Diamond / Getty ImagesIf Brooks was country music's '90s king, Shania Twain was the decade's queen, who along with Brooks defined the decade in country-pop crossover hits.Al Bello / Getty ImagesThe Spice Girls stormed the U.S. with the most successful British Invasion since the Beatles, becoming the decade's foremost girl group.FRANCESSCA SORRENTI, XXX NONEBritpop became a phenomenon in the '90s thanks to groups including Blur, Pulp and, seen here, Oasis, led by brothers Noel and Liam Gallagher.JILL FURMANOVSKYSeen here is frontman Zack de la Rocha of Rage Against The Machine, one of the decade's most influential and inflammatory rock groups before their breakup in 2000.Branimir Kvartuc, APMatt Cameron, left, Chris Cornell, Kim Thayil and Ben Shepherd made up Soundgarden, another of the decade's most enduring grunge acts.Kevin WestenbergFrom the '90s through today, Radiohead has persisted as one of rock's most visionary acts, releasing their brilliant 'OK Computer' album in 1997.Mark Metcalfe / Getty ImagesFounded in 1991 by Dr. Dre, Suge Knight and the D.O.C., Death Row Records released many of the defining hip-hop albums of the '90s and turned Snoop Dogg into a star.Bennett Raglin / Getty ImagesWhitney Houston continued her '80s fame into the '90s, a decade that included what is rememberd as her defining hit, 1992's "I Will Always Love You.Danielle Richards, New Jersey Media Group-USA TODAYThe Red Hot Chili Peppers, seen here in 2017, grew from their lewd early years in the '90s into a more mainstream-accessible profile today.Valentin Flauraud, European Pressphoto AgencyThe Beastie Boys established themselves as genre-fusing rap pioneers in the '90s.Stephen Chernin, APBoyz II Men, one of the best-selling R&B groups of all time, is responsible for beloved hits including "I'll Make Love to You" and "End of the Road.WireImageR.E.M. was founded in the early '80s, but peaked commercially in the '90s beginning with 1991's "Out of Time.Youtube.com/musicvaultOne of the decade's most distinctive voices belonged to Alanis Morissette, the Canadian singer who would shape alt-rock in the '90s.STEFAN ROUSSEAU, Associated PressThe drama, the excess, the costumes and over-the-top performances -- Celine Dion ruled the adult contemporary genre in the '90s, becoming an international icon with her English and French recordings.ClÈment Allard/APUnlike their NSYNC counterparts, the '90s-beloved Backstreet Boys (Brian Littrell, left, AJ McLean, Nick Carter, Kevin Richardson and Howie Dorough) are still going strong today.Dennis LeupoldNSYNC, who saw massive popularity in the late '90s, didn't survive far into the new decade, with Justin Timberlake leaving to pursue solo stardom.KEVIN WINTER, KEVIN WINTER/IMAGEDIRECTThe '90s saw Eminem establishing his hip-hop foothold with 1999's "The Slim Shady LP" before achieving high levels of success early in the next decade.KEVIN WINTER, KEVIN WINTER/IMAGEDIRECTThe Dixie Chicks began the '90s with a bluegrass sound before achieving mainstream success by pivoting to a more contemporary country direction, ruling the genre with their late-'90s "Wide Open Spaces" and "Fly" albums.ShowBizIreland / Getty ImagesTLC (from left, Rozonda "Chilli" Thomas, Tionne "T-Boz" Watkins and Lisa "Left Eye" Lopes) were one of the '90s' most successful girl groups and R&B acts, with songs including "Creep," "Waterfalls" and "No Scrubs" enduring in popularity today.APDestiny's Child closed the '90s by achieving the mainstream success that would carry them over into the next decade with their 1999 breakthrough album "The Writing's on the Wall.V. GREG SANDS, NONETrent Reznor, lead singer of Nine Inch Nails, is seen covered in mud during a performance at Woodstock '94, with NIN emerging from the decade as pioneers in industrial rock.Eileen Blass, USA TODAYGwen Stefani got her start in the mid-'80s as the lead vocalist of No Doubt, whose ska-pop success in the '90s would pave the way for her future solo career.Christopher Polk / Getty ImagesGreen Day (Tre Cool, left, Billie Joe Armstrong and Mike Dirnt) would rise from their humble Bay-area beginnings to become a defining pop-punk band in the '90s.As her brother Michael Jackson's commercial success waned as the '90s progressed, Janet Jackson became the decade's defining Jackson sibling with her forward-thinking pop/R&B.Francois Nel / Getty ImagesHootie & the Blowfish became one of the most commercially successful bands of the '90s with their infectious brand of college rock.Greg Allen, Invision Via APFeatured Weekly Ad