(Resurrected by radio. The synth-prog epic that wouldn’t die.) 72. "Cherry Pie" – Warrant (The dumbest, most misogynistic, catchiest rock anthem of 1990. Jani Lane hated it. We loved it.) 73. "Down Boys" – Warrant (The better song before “Cherry Pie” ruined them.) 74. "Monkey Business" – Skid Row (Sebastian Bach’s scream. Hair metal’s last stand before Nirvana.) 75. "I Remember You" – Skid Row (The power ballad to end all power ballads.) 76. "No More Mr. Nice Guy" – Megadeth (A cover of the Alice Cooper song. Thrash goes commercial.) 77. "Holy Wars... The Punishment Due" – Megadeth (The thrash metal masterpiece that critics adored.) 78. "One" – Metallica (Though released as a single in 1989, the video and radio play peaked in early 1990. The first metal video on MTV’s heavy rotation.) 79. "Black Cat" – Janet Jackson (Janet goes hard rock. She plays the guitar riff herself. Underrated.) 80. "Bad Medicine" – Bon Jovi (Live versions dominated 1990 tours.) 81. "When I See You Smile" – Bad English (John Waite’s supergroup. The power ballad for people who hated power ballads.) 82. "House of Broken Love" – Great White (Bluesy, sad, brilliant.) 83. "The Deeper the Love" – Whitesnake (David Coverdale trying to be relevant. Failed, but good.) 84. "Jukebox Hero" – Foreigner (A 1981 song reissued in 1990 because of a live album.) 85. "Love of a Lifetime" – Firehouse (The ballad that defined “wedding band rock.”) 86. "Don't Close Your Eyes" – Kix (A hidden gem hair metal ballad.) 87. "More Than Words" – Extreme (Acoustic rock’s high watermark. Released late 1990, peaked in 1991.) 88. "Get a Grip" – The Stranglers? No. "Stone Cold Crazy" – Queen (Re-released after Freddie Mercury’s death rumors began.) 89. "Way Cool Jr." – Ratt (The last gasps of the Sunset Strip.) 90. "Drag the Waters" – Pantera (Cowboys from Hell was released in 1990, but radio ignored it. This song predicted the next five years.)
: While "hair metal" was starting to fade, acts like Jon Bon Jovi and Aerosmith ("Janie's Got a Gun") successfully adapted to a grittier, more cinematic sound. top 100 songs of 1990
As the 1990s dawned, the music industry was in the midst of a massive identity shift. The high-gloss synth-pop of the '80s was giving way to a more eclectic mix of soul-searching ballads, raw hip-hop, and the early rumblings of the grunge revolution. The according to the Billboard Year-End Chart perfectly capture this "changing of the guard," where veteran superstars like Phil Collins shared the airwaves with groundbreaking newcomers like Mariah Carey and Wilson Phillips. The Top 10 Hits: A Snapshot of 1990 (Resurrected by radio
(The mullet anthem. So bad it’s good. So good it’s great.) 32. "Just a Friend" – Biz Markie (The greatest off-key rapping of all time. “Oh snap! Our story gets told.”) 33. "Alright" – Janet Jackson (Heavy jazz influence. Heavy Q-Tip influence from A Tribe Called Quest.) **34. "Barely Breathing" – No, that’s 1996. "Downtown" – Petula Clark? No. "Tic-Tac-Toe" – No. "Cuts You Up" – Peter Murphy (The godfather of goth goes folk-rock. A cult classic.) 35. "Love Song" – Tesla (The acoustic ballad that proved hair metal bands had soul) 36. "Hanky Panky" – Madonna (From Dick Tracy . A vaudeville kink-fest about spanking.) 37. "Spending My Time" – Roxette (The third massive hit. A torch song for the lonely.) 38. "The Humpty Dance" – Digital Underground (Shock G’s alter ego. The weirdest, funkiest rap of the year. “I’m Humpty, I’m number one.”) 39. "I Go to Extremes" – Billy Joel (Billy’s bipolar anthem. Piano man goes rock.) 40. "Swing the Mood" – Jive Bunny & The Mastermixers (The ultimate 50s/60s mashup. Swing dancing revival starter.) 41. "Mentirosa" – Mellow Man Ace (The first “Latin rap” hit. Samples Santana’s “Evil Ways.”) 42. "So Alive" – Love and Rockets (The former Bauhaus members made a sexy, fuzzy rock song about a blow-up doll. Seriously.) 43. "Unchained Melody" – The Righteous Brothers (Re-released in 1990 because of Ghost . The pottery scene made it a #1 again, 25 years later.) 44. "Something Happened on the Way to Heaven" – Phil Collins (A funky, forgotten Collins track with a great horn section.) 45. "I Wanna Be Rich" – Calloway (The greed-is-good anthem just as the recession hit. Ironic timing.) 46. "Rhythm of the Night" – No, that’s 1985. "Groove Is in the Heart" – Deee-Lite (The most colorful, bizarre, brilliant video of 1990. Lady Miss Kier, Bootsy Collins, and a slide whistle.) 47. "Poison" – Bell Biv DeVoe (New jack swing’s meanest track. “Never trust a big butt and a smile.”) 48. "The Joker" – Steve Miller Band (Re-released after a jeans commercial. “Maurice” became a meme before memes.) 49. "Show Me Heaven" – Maria McKee (From Days of Thunder . The quietest, most beautiful love theme of the year.) 50. "Can't Stop Fallin' in Love" – Cheap Trick (A power pop comeback that deserved more love.) Jani Lane hated it