Popular music somehow finds a way to keep growing and changing. If fans got tired of rock and roll, they could turn to alternative rock. Tired of country? Try alternative country. Even rap, a musical style barely a decade old, inspired variations such as gangsta rap. Perhaps the only new thing on the American musical scene was the popularity of Latin or Latin-inspired music. Selena (1971–1995) was a minor sensation with her Tejano hits, but Ricky Martin (1971–) truly hit the big time with his Latin dance tunes late in the decade.

Country music was reborn in the 1990s, thanks to a bevy of young new singers. Garth Brooks (1962–) led the way with his 1991 album Ropin' the Wind, which shot to the top of both pop and country charts. Steering away from the hillbilly sounds of country music past, Brooks and such stars as Faith Hill...