When Bolalar was playing in every home, Yulduz Usmanova was singing at weddings, and couples were giving each other cassettes with Setora songs. 

These songs were known by heart, people cried and laughed to them, danced until morning, and fell in love for the first time. Today, they sound like a time machine—bringing back the youth of an entire generation.

Yulduz Usmanova — Olma-olma

Yulduz began singing back in school, but her real breakthrough happened in the 1980s, when at a corporate event her talent was noticed by Tamara Khanum's sister, who took her from Margilan to Tashkent for training. Everything came together then: national pop music was actively developing in Uzbekistan, and Yulduz herself released the album "Maida." By 1990, she became a finalist in the international contest "Voice of Asia," and soon her songs were heard throughout the entire USSR.

Usmanova's music combines traditional Uzbek motifs with modern rhythms—pop, folk, sometimes with elements of rock and Eastern ethnic styles. Her voice is powerful, slightly husky, which still makes it recognizable among other performers.Usmanova is now a living legend of the Uzbek stage. Her influence can be felt in the work of young female artists, and songs written 30 years ago can still easily be found in the playlists of any generation.

My dear — It will pass

Do you remember the group "Jonim"? Although the group existed for only a short time (from 1999 to 2001), it became a bright finale to the '90s. Back then, their songs were heard everywhere — everyone knew "O’tib ketadi" and "Qarama koʻzlarimga" by heart.

The group included Aziza Nasriddinova and Zilola Musaeva — the very same Shahzoda, who would start her solo career in the 2000s. Just a couple of months later, their single "O’tib ketadi" became a hit and was featured in the film "Tokhir and Zukhra".

After Aziza left, her place was taken by the wife of composer and founder of the group Vagif Zakirov — Natella, and with the renewed lineup, "Jonim" received the "Tarona 2001" award. But soon the members went their separate ways, and the group remained a beautiful memory of an entire era.

Bolalar — Do You Remember?

They were the first to make Uzbek pop music truly fashionable — with stage images, dances, and a Western sound.“Bolalar” was created in 1989 in Tashkent by Tokhir Sadykov and his friends — Ruslan Sharipov, Bahodir Pulatov, and Javokhir Zakirov — classmates from school No. 41. Just a year later, the group released their debut album “Esingdami seni,” which brought them popularity, and the rest is history.

Many called them the Uzbek counterpart of the classic boy band, but with an Eastern charm. Over time, the lineup changed, and the members, as often happens, started solo projects. However, even decades later, the songs of "Bolalar" evoke nostalgia and smiles from listeners.

Al-Vakil — Completely empty streets

Unfortunately, to this day the group is best known for the case of the horrific murder of the singer Lailo Aliyeva. 

However, at one time "Al-Vakil" could rightfully be called pioneers on the Uzbek stage, as they were the ones who became the trailblazers of the rap genre in the country. Songs like "Boʻm-boʻsh koʻchalar", "Ajoyib Kun", "Dam-dam" became hits. But the story of the group, which could have become iconic, was cut short in 1998.

Setora — Ohim

On March 1, 1998, three classmates — Kamila Khodzhaeva, Lailo Galiyeva, and Feruza Latipova — performed the song "Sevgi qaydasan," and from that moment on, they captivated the country. The name of the group, Setora, meant "three strings" and "star" — symbolic for the girls who, at the turn of the century, shone brighter than the rest and thus were remembered.

After the release of their debut album, they went on tour, filled venues, and released hits such as "Yonma," "Ohim," and "Yo’q demagin." They were known and loved in every corner of Uzbekistan.

In 2005, the group faced a conflict with the Tarona Records label and lost the rights to the name Setora. Then the girls returned under a new name — SeTanho — and released the album Number 1.

Later, the members went their separate ways: Lailo began a solo career as Leyli, while Kamila and Feruza continued to perform together. But the name Setora has forever remained in listeners' memories as a symbol of a bright, sincere, and feminine era of Uzbek pop music.

DJ Piligrim — I can't live without you

DJ Piligrim, also known as Ilkhom Yulchiev, burst onto the music scene of Uzbekistan in the late 90s—brightly, boldly, with a new sound for the country. 

Before the arrival of DJ Piligrim, the Uzbek scene had not known performers whose songs in their native language could be played in clubs and fill the dance floors. He changed that—combining Eastern melodies with electronic rhythms and taking Uzbek pop music to a new level.

Starting his career in a small basement studio, Piligrim created a world-class sound in just a few years. From a DJ working under the nickname Best DJ, he transformed into an artist who defined the face of modern Uzbek pop music at the end of the 90s and the beginning of the 2000s.

Dado — Dado-Nado

Is any excessive introduction really necessary here? The group managed to make their mark in the '90s, when brothers Alisher and Rustam Madumarov, who had previously played in the band "Anor," decided to create their own project. At that time, the local scene was just searching for a new sound, and Dado managed to offer exactly what was needed — stylish pop music with an international flair and impeccable sense of melody (just listen to the track "Dado-Nado").

The duo performed their songs in a wide variety of languages — from Uzbek and Russian to Italian and Turkish. This set them apart from others, which perhaps helped them break beyond the borders of their country. Their very first album, “Y?” released in 2000, brought them strong recognition, and the second one — “Leto” (2002) — only cemented their success in the post-Soviet space. The tracks “Yuragim,” “Benom,” “Leto,” and “Chat-Pat” were heard everywhere: on radio stations, in clubs, on MTV Russia.

Dado became a rare example of a group from Uzbekistan that managed to break into the international music scene. However, as often happens, the project still did not withstand the test of time and by 2008 had ceased to exist.