The 90s

About

The 90s was written by Robbie Williams and Jerry Meehan, and produced by Meehan. It appears on Rudebox as the sequel to The 80s, continuing Williams’s autobiographical journey into his Take That years. Framed as a spoken narrative over a steady electronic beat, the song documents his rapid ascent to fame, the tensions within the group, and the disillusionment that followed.

Williams recounts his teenage transition from school to pop stardom with striking honesty, recalling his first encounters with Gary Barlow and the rest of Take That: “I met the other guys, one seemed like a cock, I think it’s going to be like New Kids on the Block.” Balancing humour and bitterness, the track charts both the exhilaration and the isolation of early success, turning personal history into vivid storytelling.

“The 80s and The 90s, like most of my songs, are very autobiographical. When I think about those years, I don’t have any heartache anymore. So maybe write the song, get it out of your system, and then don’t worry about it anymore.”Robbie Williams

After the album’s release, some lyrics referring to former Take That manager Nigel Martin-Smith led to legal action, resulting in edits to the official version. Despite the controversy, The 90s is widely admired for its openness and its willingness to confront uncomfortable truths about fame and control. The song closes with a reflective note, acknowledging both regret and survival.

Like its companion piece, The 90s combines confessional detail with social observation, marking one of the most candid moments on Rudebox. Together, the two songs form an autobiographical diptych, documenting Williams’s passage from ordinary adolescence to extraordinary celebrity with humour, humility and insight.