MTV began in the eighties, but the nineties were the decade music videos took off. Stars like Madonna (long may she reign) used the visual medium to dance harder, wear polyester in the brightest neon colors, and, usually, dance on at least one car. Women like Christina Aguilera, Mariah Carey, and Lauryn Hill revolutionized our conception of what pop could be: Xtina introduced superlative melismas, Mariah Carey brought Minnie Ripperton-style whistle tones to the mainstream, and Lauryn rapped over her own vocal samples, deliciously melding aspects of hip-hop, and doo-wop, into pop. Twenty years out, we look back at the lovely ladies of late-century music.
Photos by PHOTO BY: Kevin.Mazur/WireImage