100 Songs: 1990 Top

Billboard’s Year-End Hot 100 for 1990 is a wild ride. Let’s break down the top 20 and give a nod to the forgotten gems that made up the rest of this iconic list. 1. "Hold On" – Wilson Phillips The unofficial anthem of 1990. When Chynna, Carnie, and Wendy told you to "hold on for one more day," you believed them. It was the biggest-selling single of the year and the perfect blend of California sunshine and heartbreak harmony.

Shedding the hairspray for a western duster, Bon Jovi went solo for the Young Guns II soundtrack. It proved that beneath the big hair was a serious songwriter.

1990 was a musical fork in the road. On one side, the shiny, synth-driven pop of the late ‘80s was still holding court. On the other, grunge was sharpening its axes in Seattle, and hip-hop was becoming the voice of a new generation. It was the year of the Vanilla Ice high-top fade, the MC Hammer parachute pants, and the birth of the power ballad that could bring a stadium to tears. 1990 top 100 songs

Strike a pose. Madonna didn’t just release a song; she released a cultural movement. Inspired by ballroom culture, "Vogue" turned dance floors into runways and gave us one of the most iconic music videos ever.

Thanks to Pretty Woman , this Swedish ballad became the go-to slow dance song for every prom in America. That opening orchestral hit still gives people chills. Billboard’s Year-End Hot 100 for 1990 is a wild ride

The boy band craze was at its absolute peak. NKOTB told us to take it "step by step," and millions of screaming teenage girls happily obliged.

Prince wrote it, but Sinéad owned it. With her shaved head, single tear, and devastatingly raw voice, she turned this into the saddest (and most beautiful) #1 of the decade. "Hold On" – Wilson Phillips The unofficial anthem of 1990

Stop! Hammer time. You couldn't go to a wedding, a roller rink, or a school dance without hearing this sample-laden (Rick James, anyone?) hip-hop smash. The pants were ridiculous, but the beat was undeniable.