Lilith Fair wasn’t exactly a genre, but a celebration of female artists in the late 1990s. Discouraged by radio programmers and concert promoters who didn’t think it was commercially viable to have two female artists perform back to back, Sarah McLachlan launched the Lilith Fair festival in the summer of 1997. The concept was to feature only female artists or female-led bands. More than 30 dates featured over 70 performers. The festival was successful enough to spawn follow-ups in 1998 and 1999.
The initial list was generated by taking all those artists who performed from 1997 to 1999 and ranking their songs. This included songs by 10,000 Maniacs and ‘Til Tuesday even though they weren’t performers because their lead singers, Natalie Merchant and Aimee Mann respectively, were performers at Lilith Fair.
I also ceated a definition of the Lilith Fair genre that disqualified some of the performers from this list. I decided to focus on artists who broke between 1985 and 1999. That excluded Lilith Fair performers such as the Pretenders and Pat Benatar who emerged in 1979. I did make exceptions for artists like Bonnie Raitt and Lucinda Williams whose careers began prior to 1985 but reached their artistic and commercial peaks in the “Lilith Fair era.”
I also decided to limit the list to artists who fit more into an alternative-rock or folk-rock vibe. That excluded rap and R&B performers at Lilith Fair such as Missy Elliott and Erykah Badu. In addition, acts generally considered country, such as the Dixie Chicks or Mary Chapin Carpenter, were excised from the list. Again, however, this is subjective as I decided to keep k.d. lang in the mix since she was a traditional country artists but found an audience in the early ‘90s along the lines of other Lilith Fair artists.
I also added artists such as the Cranberies, Melissa Etheridge, Alanis Morissette, and No Doubt, that met my criteria but weren’t actually performers at Lilith Fair.
Finally, I imposed one last restriction. I decided not to feature more than four songs by any artist since some acts, like Sheryl Crow and Alanis Morissette, threatened to overwhelm the list and keep lesser-known artists from appearin on the lists.
Click here to see other genre-specific song lists.
Spotify Podcast
Check out the Dave’s Music Database podcast episode Lilith Fair: The 25th Anniversary which references songs on this list. Premiered September 6, 2022.
Spotify Playlist
You can listen here to a Lilith Fair Spotify playlist that includes the songs below and more. 
DMDB Top 1%:
1. Sinéad O’Connor “Nothing Compares 2 U” (1990)
2. No Doubt “Don’t Speak” (1996)
3. Natalie Imbruglia “Torn” (1997)
4. Alanis Morissette “You Oughta Know” (1995)
5. Tracy Chapman “Fast Car” (1988)
6. Alanis Morissette “Ironic” (1995)
7. Sheryl Crow “All I Wanna Do” (1993)
DMDB Top 2%:
8. Alannah Myles “Black Velvet” (1989)
9. The Cranberries “Zombie” (1994)
10. Lisa Loeb & Nine Stories “Stay (I Missed You)” (1994)
11. Jewel “You Were Meant for Me” (1995)
12. Suzanne Vega “Luka” (1987)
13. Tracy Chapman “Give Me One Reason” (1995)
14. Shawn Colvin “Sunny Came Home” (1996)
15. 4 Non Blondes “What’s Up?” (1992)
16. Joan Osborne “One of Us” (1995)
17. Sixpence None the Richer “Kiss Me” (1997)
18. Sarah McLachlan “Building a Mystery” (1997)
19. k.d. lang “Constant Craving” (1992)
20. Alanis Morissette “You Learn” (1995)
21. Jewel “Foolish Games” (1995)
22. The Cardigans “Lovefool” (1996)
23. The Breeders “Cannonball” (1993)
DMDB Top 5%:
24. The Cranberries “Linger” (1993)
25. Elastica “Connection” (1994)
26. Macy Gray “I Try” (1999)
27. Bonnie Raitt “Something to Talk About” (1991)
28. Divinyls “I Touch Myself” (1991)
29. Alanis Morissette “Head Over Feet” (1995)
30. Indigo Girls “Closer to Fine” (1989)
31. Dido “Thank You” (1999)
32. Hole “Doll Parts” (1994)
33. Meredith Brooks “Bitch” (1997)
34. Sinéad O’Connor “Mandinka” (1987)
35. Bonnie Raitt “I Can’t Make You Love Me” (1991)
36. Paula Cole “I Don’t Want to Wait” (1996)
37. Tori Amos “Silent All These Years” (1991)
38. Veruca Salt “Seether” (1994)
39. Sarah McLachlan “Angel” (1997)
40. The Sugarcubes “Birthday” (1987)
41. Sheryl Crow “If It Makes You Happy” (1996)
42. Suzanne Vega with DNA “Tom’s Diner” (remix, 1990)
43. Jewel “Who Will Save Your Soul?” (1995)
44. No Doubt “Just a Girl” (1995)
45. Mazzy Star “Fade into You” (1993)
46. Garbage “Only Happy When It Rains” (1995)
47. Edie Brickell & New Bohemians “What I Am” (1988)
48. Sheryl Crow “My Favorite Mistake” (1998)
49. The Cranberries “Dreams” (1992)
50. Tori Amos “Cornflake Girl” (1994)
51. PJ Harvey “Down by the Water” (1995)
52. ‘Til Tuesday “Voices Carry” (1985)
53. Portishead “Sour Times (Nobody Loves Me)” (1994)
54. Bonnie Raitt “Love Sneakin’ Up on You” (1994)
55. Sheryl Crow “Strong Enough” (1993)
56. Fiona Apple “Criminal” (1996)
57. K’s Choice “Not an Addict” (1996)
58. Bonnie Raitt “Nick of Time” (1989)
59. Paula Cole “Where Have All the Cowboys Gone?” (1996)
60. Tori Amos “Me and a Gun” (1991)
61. 10,000 Maniacs “Like the Weather” (1987)
62. Tracy Chapman “Talkin’ ‘Bout a Revolution” (1988)
63. Sarah McLachlan “I Will Remember You” (1995)
64. Hole “Violet” (1994)
65. Concrete Blonde “Joey” (1990)
66. Tori Amos “God” (1994)
67. Billie Myers “Kiss the Rain” (1997)
68. Melissa Etheridge “I’m the Only One” (1993)
69. Loreena McKennitt “The Mummer’s Dance” (1997)
70. Garbage “Stupid Girl” (1995)
71. Hole “Malibu” (1998)
72. Sinéad O’Connor “Troy” (1987)
73. Sarah McLachlan “Possession” (1993)
74. Melissa Etheridge “Bring Me Some Water” (1988)
75. Merril Bainbridge “Mouth” (1994)
76. Tracy Bonham “Mother Mother” (1996)
77. Melissa Etheridge “Come to My Window” (1993)
78. Cowboy Junkies “Sweet Jane” (1988)
79. Sinéad O’Connor “The Emperor’s New Clothes” (1990)
80. 10,000 Maniacs “These Are Days” (1992)
DMDB Top 10%:
81. Sophie B. Hawkins “Damn, I Wish I Was Your Lover” (1992)
82. Shawn Colvin “I Don’t Know Why” (1992)
83. Heather Nova “Walk This World” (1995)
84. Natalie Merchant “Wonder” (1995)
85. No Doubt “Spiderwebs” (1995)
86. Tasmin Archer “Sleeping Satellite” (1992)
87. Letters to Cleo “Here and Now” (1995)
88. Indigo Girls “Galileo” (1992)
89. Toni Childs “Don’t Walk Away” (1988)
90. Dido “Here with Me” (1999)
91. Luscious Jackson “Naked Eye” (1996)
92. Tracy Chapman “Crossroads” (1989)
93. Lone Justice “Ways to Be Wicked” (1985)
94. Natalie Merchant “Carnival” (1995)
95. Suzanne Vega with Joe Jackson “Left of Center” (1986)
96. Michelle Shocked “Anchorage” (1988)
97. The Sundays “Here’s Where the Story Ends” (1990)
98. Alana Davis “32 Flavors” (1997)
99. Aimee Mann “Save Me” (1999)
100. Belly “Feed the Tree” (1993)
Resources/Related Links:
First posted 6/24/2022; last updated 1/12/2025. | 
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