Getting out to live music shows may not be possible right now, but the next best thing to rounding up your friends for a concert is looking back on the ones that were most formative to you growing up. For kids who were just developing their musical tastes during the last decade of the millennium, that means some of the biggest, most influential, and bestselling tours of all time. We've jumped into the wayback machine to round up a list of the concerts every '90s kid wanted to see. And if you're longing for more walks down memory lane, check out 100 Photos That Kids Born After 2000 Will Never Understand.
1 *NSYNC
*NSYNC went on five headlining tours between 1997 and 2002, but 2001's "PopOdyssey" was the biggest spectacle.
And for the films you couldn't wait to see, we're Ranking Every '90s Teen Movie, From Worst Reviewed to Best.
2 Britney Spears
If you were a kid or a teen in the '90s, you probably begged your parents for tickets to Britney Spears' first headlining tour, of course titled "…Baby One More Time" after her first hit single. And you likely went right back to the well for the "Oops!… I Did It Again" tour not even a year later.
3 TLC
The hugely popular girl group TLC didn't have their own world tour until their third album came out, but the 1999 "FanMail" concert was a must-see for fans who had been missing the group since the hiatus they took after their 1994 album CrazySexyCool topped the charts.
And to test your knowledge of your favorite decade, Can You Answer These Trivia Questions About the '90s?
4 Janet Jackson
Even if you couldn't make it to Janet Jackson's massive third tour, "The Velvet Rope," you could watch the HBO special, The Velvet Rope: Live in Madison Square Garden, when it premiered after the tour was said and done.
5 Spice Girls
It didn't take long for Mel C, Mel B, Geri Halliwell, Emma Bunton, and Victoria Adams (soon-to-be Beckham)—otherwise known as the Spice Girls—to become international teen idols. Their 1998 "Spiceworld" tour traversed the globe, though Halliwell departed the group right in the middle of it.
For more pictures that will fuel your nostalgia, check out 23 Celeb Red Carpet Photos From 2000 You Have to See to Believe.
6 Blink-182
Blink-182 was the rare rock group that gave teen pop acts a run for their money on MTV's TRL. The band's 2000 tour, "The Mark, Tom and Travis Show," came after their Enema of the State album, which included the massive hits "What's My Age Again?" and "All the Small Things."
7 Ricky Martin
One of the biggest crossover stars of the Latin music boom, Ricky Martin's "Livin' the Vida Loca" tour was an essential expense for anyone couldn't get "She Bangs" out of their head.
And for more stars who know how to shake it (or at least tried), here are 25 Celebrities You Won't Believe Did "Dancing With the Stars."
8 Backstreet Boys
It wasn't their first major tour, but when the Backstreet Boys went out on the road in 1999 in support of their Billboard No. 1 hit album Millennium, it was their hottest ticket yet.
9 Brandy
Brandy broke out with her 1994 self-titled album, but by the time she went out on the "Never Say Never" tour in 1999, she also had another album and the ubiquitous duet with Monica, "The Boy is Mine," under her belt.
And for more entertainment insight sent right to your inbox, sign up for our daily newsletter.
10 Shania Twain
Shania Twain may be a country artist, but she got a ton of Top 40 airplay too with songs like "That Don't Impress Me Much" and "You're Still the One" from her album Come On Over (which is still the twelfth highest-selling album of all time). So it stands to reason that the "Come On Over" tour brought together lifelong country devotees and those who never thought they'd end up at a country show.
11 Puff Daddy
The artist formerly known as Puff Daddy was hardly the only draw of the "No Way Out" tour in 1997. The multi-act tour included performances by the biggest names in R&B and hip-hop at the time, like Lil' Kim, Mase, Jay-Z, Foxy Brown, and Usher.
12 Hanson
Three-piece brother band Hanson were just kids themselves when they released their first major studio album Middle of Nowhere in 1997. The "Live From Albertane" tour leveraged the popularity of their singles "Where's the Love?", "Weird," and—of course—"MMMBop."
13 Pearl Jam
It wasn't all about teen pop and pop-punk in the '90s. For their 1995 "Vitalogy" tour, the grunge rock band Pearl Jam famously boycotted Ticketmaster, who they accused of having a monopoly on ticket sales, and only used other ticketing sales companies.
Sage Young Sage Young is the Deputy Entertainment Editor at Best Life, expanding and honing our coverage in this vertical by managing a team of industry-obsessed writers.Read moreFiled UnderCelebrities • Entertainment • MusicRead This Next28 Facts That Will Give You 1990s Nostalgia
We bet you didn't know these weird and wonderful facts from the '90s.September 22, 202025 Things Only Parents in the 1990s Will Remember
Batteries and supervision not included.September 20, 2020Ranking Every '90s Teen Movie by the Reviews
Here's how these beloved teen classics measure up when it comes to Rotten Tomatoes score.September 10, 2020See the Little Girl From the '90s Pepsi Ads Now
Hallie Eisenberg is all grown up and working with her brother, Jesse Eisenberg, again.September 4, 202020 '90s TV Shows You've Forgotten About
From the decade that brought you <em>Friends</em> and <em>Seinfeld</em>, some more obscure series...March 31, 2020Can You Answer These '90s Trivia Questions?
Try to transport yourself back 30 years to answer these trivia questions.January 27, 202020 Hit Songs You Won't Believe Are Turning 20
From Eminem to Destiny's Child, here are the songs that dominated the charts two decades ago. May 21, 2020The 70 Best Cover Songs of All Time
Admit it: These tracks are so good, you actually thought they were originals.May 21, 202410 Things You Didn't Know about Justin Trudeau
Athlete, nerd, hopeless romantic, thespian. Yes, there’s a lot more to Canada’s Prime Minister than just politics.March 21, 2017Jon Hamm: The Best Life Interview
Jon Hamm, star of TV's Mad Men, reveals the secrets of manliness in a postmodern world.November 15, 2016
