Here's one you may remember.  One to One had been a well-known dance and pop band in Canada during the 80s, even notching a minor (yet popular club) hit in the US with Angel in My Pocket in 1986.  When the 90s dawned, they shortened their name to One 2 One, and had a popular A/C hit with Peace of Mind (Love Goes On) that even reached #95 on the Billboard Hot 100.  It was their 5th Top 40 hit in Canada, but even with that, it's very seldom heard, and when it was popular, a common misconception was that it was performed by Wilson Phillips.

One 2 One - Peace of Mind (Love Goes On)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OyI39tdez-8



Here's a fantastic one from the UK.  Ali Campbell at the time was lead singer for UB40, a role he held since their formation in 1978.  In 1995, he released a solo album titled Big Love that sent 3 singles into the UK Top 40, the biggest of which was a duet with a singer named Pamela Starks called That Look in Your Eye.  The album did nothing in North America, yet somehow I do remember this song and I still love it.  Had this of been an actual UB40 song, I would vote it as their best of the 90s ...

Ali Campbell - That Look in Your Eye
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5aGI6-7Ylv8

Here's a fantastic one from the UK.  Ali Campbell at the time was lead singer for UB40, a role he held since their formation in 1978.  In 1995, he released a solo album titled Big Love that sent 3 singles into the UK Top 40, the biggest of which was a duet with a singer named Pamela Starks called That Look in Your Eye.  The album did nothing in North America, yet somehow I do remember this song and I still love it.  Had this of been an actual UB40 song, I would vote it as their best of the 90s ...

Ali Campbell - That Look in Your Eye
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5aGI6-7Ylv8



Nice song!



Dan

m1ke + The meChan1C5 were a well-known 80s band, and by no means obscure, but as the 90s dawned, they fell out of the American spotlight.  In the the UK and Canada, they continued to crank out the hits, but here is one that might be a bit obscure ...

Sung by Paul Carrack, the 1991 single Everybody Gets A Second Chance only made it to #56 in the UK, but it made it to #21 in Canada, becoming their highest charting single in Canada during the 90s. 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nIJDyUEsDmY

Don't know how obscure it is, but I think it was his only hit.  R.I.P. Ephraim Lewis.  Smooth vocals on this one.  Still here it from time to time today.

Ephraim Lewis - Drowning in Your Eyes
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tEQp6KkmegU

Anything by the Toyes:


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2eyLy0JPH0M

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mv1yQ-UuNpA

The last one they did in French & Spanish also.

Actually, there first album is GREAT!


Cat

Don't know how obscure it is, but I think it was his only hit.  R.I.P. Ephraim Lewis.  Smooth vocals on this one.  Still here it from time to time today.

Ephraim Lewis - Drowning in Your Eyes



Some good '90s songs listed so far.

Ephraim Lewis & Drowning in Your Eyes...yes, that is smooth. It reminded me of this "obscure" one from 1996,

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_bdWPXvEdK4
Ascension (Don't Ever Wonder)

As usual, I don't know how obscure:


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mZMB7BMA8Hg



Cat

The album, This Is Spinal Tap was fairly well known in the 80's but few people knew Spinal Tap released
album in the 90's and another one a few years ago. Even though this song made it into The Simpsons
it was still rather obscure.

Break Like The Wind....Spinal Tap
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P7V406XfAaI

you want obscure? i have this CD at home (which i'd bought for 15 bucks) and i just looked it up to make sure it was really from the 90s and they're going for $170.00 now.  :o

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_URXDoCy2YY

Matthew Good Band - Raygun (1996)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Aao5W3f5HTw

This one might obscure outside of Canada

Crash Test Dummies - "He Liked To Feel It".

From the Conan O'Brien show, 1996.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z53XQEIRuGQ&feature=related

Tal Bachman - Beside you (1999)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1NulmW0BCo4
A very pretty song.

Solid Base- This Is How We Do It

WQS0UU0LI0o

From 1999. We danced to this for a preschool program.  ;)

Lush - Superblast

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7eOoFMvWu8A

Lots of great ones so far.

Here's an obscure one, but not just 1 song, but 4 songs from a Quebec based band called World on Edge.  Not so much as these were obscure, as each one was a Top 40 hit in Canada, but like most older Canadian songs, can be long forgotten if they were only popular in Canada, since we get much of our media from American TV channels ...

Still Beating (1990)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WBaVPdX_UTA

Only the Lonely (1991)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=duW0NqFwPn4

Wash the Rain (1991)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=duJifBrs_54p

Standing, Push and Fall (1991)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2xMSa-qpA6I

Some electronic stuff. The first one (my favorite song of the year 1992) isn't very obscure in The Netherlands, was at almost every dance compilation back in the days, but I don't think many Americans know it. And the second and third ones were even huge hits here, in 1991/1992.

For a while, I've had a radio station playing such stuff frequently, combined with more commercial dance, hiphop and swingbeat, but there was no future for it (sadly).

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1389SQUgJBc

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dmvGiWd5U8U

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4gLx1N3DjA0

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QTHK4-zhTc0

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qOPbb_1kVOY

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xUNQmXm7ZjA

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6-sEvXBlr9g

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oN-AXBD2P8E

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W6GteWO4qNM

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ik9cExHOazw

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=brTZ4a1reBY

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RjUnO0BKZMA

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f2pDAQzyyMc

Our Lady Peace - Supersatellite

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2IsgzMXiFx0

I found a CD one day way back when titled Insomnia, scratched to hell but every song played like it was new. It was in it's case and appears to have been made by a radiostation called Darkside radio or something. Can't find anything on Google. When I find the CD I'll scan it and post it.

Here's a few that never made the mainstream, but were massive club hits.  Not sure if these are obscure, but you seldom hear them anymore ...


X-ite - Down, Down, Down (1995)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AEyGFmWsMH4

New System - This is the Night (1994)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hQszCY2Pj48

Intermission - Piece of My Heart (1993)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a6vnYMSuiOg

Dalbello - Whore

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-0ao0K_96gM&feature=related

SUSANNA HOFFS - UNCONDITIONAL LOVE

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mz47ulc-gxQ

This was a cover song by Spanish Fly of Crimson and Clover. It was released in 1995 (I guess...). I particularly like the music video, as I think it covers the mid-'90s street scene quite well.  :)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u5xXEMYHo-c&list=FLyAr7emRdLE2gyfwKaLfyQA&index=1

STEVE HACKETT - SO MANY ROADS

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VHFPn97iUxE

Steve used to be a guitarist with Genesis until the mid 70s.

The Tear Garden: In Search of My Rose (1996)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IiwynSly7BU

Related band --

The Legendary Pink Dots: Sterre (1997)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4DrtIYxEnps&feature=related

Related artist --

Edward Ka Spel: The Bakersman (1991)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o59Xqgv4q7Q

Related band --

Skinny Puppy: Nature's Revenge (1990)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tW-wIwBs_ts

Related artist --

cEvin Key: Inside Jam World (1998)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Jvmohq7gHY

More of the stuff I used play on my old radio program "Esperanto" --

Muslimgauze: Hamas Pulse for Revenge (1997)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YiQXVe_o7bM&feature=related

Dead Voices on Air: Sulphur (1999)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZLj9c5Oxk-w

Zoviet France: Amber (1996)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sNku15QmxdA

László Hortobágyi: Anagatha (1995)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xwgS81Q-AZM

The Fires of Ork*: The Fires of Ork II (1994)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gN6HrMiesJs
* is Peter Namlook. (samples: Rutger Hauer in "Blade Runner")

Brian Eno: Fractal Zoom (Mary's Birthday Mix) (1992)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jbX1OCmbTAU