What’s the Most Nostalgic Song of the ’90s? You Might Be Surprised by the Answer

For many, the ‘90s were some of the best years. But beyond quirky fashion, cheesy rom-coms, and shrewd sitcoms is a vast realm of music, spanning R&B, hip-hop, grunge, and electronic. It’s no secret that music triggers memories, and this decade is filled with nostalgia. But with every tune more popular than the next, a question remains: which one sticks the most?

Remember the Bop It Beat?

Transcending mere audio experiences, Bop It might just be the 90s’ most nostalgic song. It’s now the famous Bop It! Pull It! Twist It! beat isn’t only catchy; it brings back fond memories, making people smile as they look back on their childhood years. A simple concept – a hand-held electronic game that issues voice commands that players must react to within a time limit – Bop It is a multi-sensory device that was one of the first games to engage players’ three-dimensional gestures instead of just pushing buttons. Experienced physically, visually, and audibly, it’s no surprise that the beat stuck not only in people’s minds but also in their bodies.

Whether played with friends or alone, its iconic purple and teal colors accompanied ‘90s kids through their adolescence. According to Dan Klitsner, the phenomenon’s inventor, it is Bop It’s unique physical link to childhood and friendships that, in some ways, makes it the most nostalgic song of the decade. “Fans say it to me all the time,” he shares. “In fact, a well-known pop artist, part of a popular boy band, reached out to me on Instagram, asking if he could get his hands on an original Bop It. Playfully, I asked him to convince me why he should have one, and his answer said it all: ‘Because it brings back the best memories of me and my brothers hanging out together.’”

How a Toy Transformed into a Global Sensation

Bop It gradually transformed into a cultural phenomenon, to this day inspiring thousands of people to post their Bop It dances online. In 2021, a video of Machine Gun Kelly and Megan Fox playing with Bop It topped headlines, amusing fans worldwide. Many artists have also included the Bop It! Pull It! Twist It! beats in their own songs, mostly in the hip-hop and EDM genres. Fivio Foreign’s Bop It single and Cody Ko’s Bop It song are two of the most popular, with millions of views on YouTube each. Dozens of other homages to this nostalgic tune include MOTHICA’s SENSITIVE music video and Jason Imanuel and DJ CHEEM’s Bop It collaboration. Klitsner’s question is why? One reason might be that Bop It is a song that wasn’t merely listened to but physically interacted with.

The ripples Bop It continues to make across the music realm are undeniable. The invention was recently featured in the 2025 Electric Daisy Carnival (EDC) in Las Vegas. Immersed in neon laser lights at night and the sound of electronic music, attendees were able to experience the musical memories of Bop It through the Bop Vibe Wall. With a single twist or swipe, the feature’s walls dance to the beat, in step with imagery of Bop It. This allows the audience to create a bigger-than-life Bop It light show.

At the Intersection of Games & Music

To Klitsner, this sensation doesn’t come as a surprise, as the inventor has been morphing the two worlds of music and games for years. In 2002, he and his partners were early innovators of the music game genre, inventing the NuJam Bop It Guitar, which challenged players to keep up with the riffs and lights. “In retrospect, maybe it was too early,” he adds. “Bop Culture hadn’t quite taken over the world yet. But the Bop It story kept unfolding quietly in the background, and now people forward me dozens of Bop It inspired music every week.”

The Mastermind Behind Bop It

One of the most common questions Klitsner receives is around how he came up with Bop It in the first place. Born into a family of Broadway actors, he joined a band and played many instruments from a young age. His children follow a similar path, with music being an integral part of their family. Reflecting on his journey to creating Bop It, the inventor believes that the nostalgia, the memories, and Bop Culture couldn’t have happened without his musical heritage. “I am also very lucky that Bop It landed with a toy company that had a talented group of designers who heard and embraced the musical vision.”

Klitsner says, “It’s a culmination of my three passions: games, industrial design, and music. “I think that’s why Bop It has stuck: the social fun, the tactile design, and a tune that sparks memories nearly three decades later.”