Various artists

Whatever: The '90s Pop and Culture Box (Rhino/WEA)

Today – after a decade of fighting what I suppose was inevitable – I threw in the towel. I listened to Weezer's 1995 hit "Buddy Holly" five times, after which the song became stuck in my brain, and I didn't even care: I love it. In fact, the only time the music fades is when Hanson's soaring sopranos fill me up with "MMMBop" or when the Gin Blossoms' "Hey Jealousy" enters the picture. And how about this for an embarrassing moment: I can't listen to "It's a Shame About Ray" by the fucking Lemonheads enough times to satisfy me.

Where have I been? Well, I spent the '90s with Dre, Snoop, Pac, E-40, 4-Tay, and Cypress Hill, and I ain't apologizing f or that. But after wearing out Rhino Records' seven-disc, 130-song Whatever: The '90s Pop and Culture Box, I have to say, there was some awfully good pop music released in those days, and I'm glad I finally got a chance to really hear it. It's not all fluff, either: The set's most powerful moment is "MIA" – some three minutes of steely ferocity as 7 Year Bitch addresses the possible fate of the then-unknown murderer of the Gits' Mia Zapata (and yes, if you're interested, the Gits' "Absynthe" is included).

Problems? Well, there is the case of 4 Non Blondes' god-awful "What's Up." And I understand why producers Cory Frye and John Srebalus felt obligated to stick some rap music into the mix, but there isn't enough of it for the gesture to provide a coherent sense of where the '90s biggest-selling, most influential music fit in with all this pop. I'm down with Naughty by Nature's "OPP" – a fine, fine radio hit – and because I'm from Oakland, I was happy that MC Hammer's "U Can't Touch This" leads off the whole package. But Sir Mix-A-Lot's "Baby Got Back" has more in common with old novelty hits like "The Streak" then it does with pop-rap of the '90s. Even brilliant R&B hits like En Vogue's "Free Your Mind" and Boys II Men's "It's So Hard to Say Goodbye to Yesterday" seem a bit out of place. Still, th ere was some fine music back in the olden days, and you'll find some of it on Whatever. I guarantee you'll be glad you did. (J.H. Tompkins)