25 Best Songs of 1990
Hair metal, New Jack Swing, Dance Pop and Vanilla Ice. Word to your mother.
1990 was a year of dramatic global transition. With the reunification of Germany, the toppling of the communist government in Yugoslavia, and the defection of the Baltic States, the Soviet Union was on the verge of collapse.
Even as the Cold War drew to a close, Iraq's invasion of Kuwait signaled the start of a new era in the Persian Gulf region. War with the U.S. loomed on the horizon.
Also on the horizon? The World Wide Web. 1990 was the year that Tim Berners-Lee created the world's first web server. This was also the year that the very first web search engine was invented. His name was Archie.
So how did we mark this year on the charts?
With dance pop, candy rap, and Bolton…lots of Bolton.
Also, Madonna, Janet Jackson, Paula Abdul, Bel Biv Devoe, and two peroxide-blond, twin-brother hair metalists who called themselves Nelson.
Nelson, Nelson, Nelson
Speaking of Nelson, the identical twin sons of R&R Hall of Famer Ricky Nelson scored the 20th biggest hit of the year with "(Can't Live Without Your) Love and Affection."
This hit makes Nelson the partial answer to an interesting trivia question. Their grandparents were major stars of the small screen—Ozzie and Harriett.
Ozzie’s son Ricky was the breakout star of their long-running primetime family sitcom—The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet.
Ricky emerged first as a teen idol in the late ‘50, racked up dozens of hits in the ‘60s, and achieved recognition as a legitimate singer-songwriter in the ‘70s.
When twins Gunnar and Matthew topped the charts in 1990, the Nelsons became the only family in music history to enjoy a #1 hit across three generations.
Everybody Dance Now
1990 also saw the growing sway of electronic music on the charts, with club-friendly fare like Technotronic, Snap!, and C&C Music Factory exploding into popularity.
And remarkably, in a year dominated by stalwart hitmakers like Whitney Houston, Mariah Carey, and George Michael, the #1 song of the year was "Because I Love You (The Postman Song)" by Stevie B.
I'm including it here, strictly for educational purposes.
I'm mostly here to be positive, but bully for you if you can get through this song. Bonus points if you can explain how in the holy hell it bested Sinead O'Connor's transcendent cover of Prince's "Nothing Compares 2 U."
The 25 Best Songs of 1990
I mention Michael Bolton, Nelson and Stevie B. above, mostly because you won’t find them on my highly subjective list.
With that, let's return to a time of international tension, global recession, and fluorescent fashion. Here, in no particular order, are the very best songs of 1990.
_Disintegration_ is one of those albums that if Earth were ever threatened by a Vogon constructor fleet, someone would need to rescue it from…well, disintegration. Coincidentally, “Pictures of You” is in my playlist for June 16.
I'm with you 100%. I had the good fortune to finally see the Cure live on their most recent pass through my town. (It was their first visit in more than a decade!). This band has lost none of its power or mystery. It was an absolutely killer show.