Category: Musings

Okay, totally stole this from Mrs. X. That, and spending time with my cousins this past weekend had me reminiscing about the styles and fashions and music of our day.

So this is the deal.

A) Go to this site
B) Enter the year you graduated from high school in the search function
C) Copy and paste the list of 100 most popular songs of that year
D) Bold the songs you like
E) Strike through the ones you really hate

I must preface this by telling you guys that, back in the late 80’s-early 90’s, I was a big music snob. I thought I was supremely cool for working at a “Rekka Sto” (as in Prince’s “Under The Cherry Moon”), and thought that I knew anything and everything about alternative music. G*d forbid I listen to anything “Top 40!” And that’s probably why there isn’t much I know or really like on this list.

However … today, I’m pretty much open to anything that has great bass, good beats and/or hook.

Today, when I listen really closely to some of the songs that I hated back in “the day,” I suddenly find myself appreciating some of them more than I did back then.

The best example I can give you is this: I utterly despised GnR’s “Sweet Child O’Mine” when it first hit the airwaves. Yuck, I remember thinking, here’s yet another “big hair” 80’s metal band. But today, when listening to the song “closely” on my iPod using my excellent d-JAYS earphones … I am completely enthralled by how the song was written both lyrically and melodically.

So, with that said … I’m adding another rule to the above, which is to:

F) Bold/Highlight the songs that you hated in high school but appreciate today …

1. Hold On, Wilson Phillips (uh-huh … the harmonies ROCKED!)
2. It Must Have Been Love, Roxette
3. Nothing Compares 2 U, Sinead O’Connor
4. Poison, Bell Biv DiVoe
5. Vogue, Madonna
6. Vision Of Love, Mariah Carey
7. Another Day In Paradise, Phil Collins
8. Hold On, En Vogue
9. Cradle Of Love, Billy Idol
10. Blaze Of Glory, Jon Bon Jovi
11. Do Me!, Bell Biv Devoe
12. How Am I Supposed To Live Without You, Michael Bolton
13. Pump Up The Jam, Technotronic
14. Opposites Attract, Paula Abdul
15. Escapade, Janet Jackson
16. All I Wanna Do Is Make Love To You, Heart
17. Close To You, Maxi Priest
18. Black Velvet, Alannah Myles
19. Release Me, Wilson Phillips
20. Don’t Know Much, Linda Ronstadt and Aaron Neville
21. All Around The World, Lisa Stansfield
22. l Wanna Be Rich, Calloway
23. I Remember You, Skid Row
24. Rub You The Right Way, Johnny Gill
25. She Ain’t Worth It, Glenn Medeiros Featuring Bobby Brown
26. If Wishes Came True, Sweet Sensation
27. The Power, Snap
28. (Can’t Live Without Your) Love and Affection, Nelson
29. Love Will Lead You Back, Taylor Dayne
30. Don’t Wanna Fall In Love, Jane Child
31. Two To Make It Right, Seduction
32. Sending All My Love, Linear
33. Unskinny Bop, Poison
34. Step By Step, New Kids On The Block
35. Dangerous, Roxette
36. We Didn’t Start The Fire, Billy Joel
37. I Don’t Have The Heart, James Ingram
38. Downtown Train, Rod Stewart
39. Rhythm Nation, Janet Jackson
40. I’ll Be Your Everything, Tommy Page
41. Roam, B-52’s
42. Everything, Jody Watley
43. Back To Life, Soul II Soul
44. Here and Now, Luther Vandross
45. Alright, Janet Jackson
46. Ice Ice Baby, Vanilla Ice (admit it, it has a catchy beat!)
47. Blame It On The Rain, Milli Vanilli (so the lip-syncing sucked, but the song was still cool!)
48. Have You Seen Her, M.C. Hammer
49. With Every Beat Of My Heart, Taylor Dayne
50. Come Back To Me, Janet Jackson
51. No More Lies, Michel’le
52. Praying For Time, George Michael
53. How Can We Be Lovers, Michael Bolton
54. Do You Remember, Phil Collins
55. Ready Or Not, After 7
56. U Can’t Touch This, M.C. Hammer
57. I Wish It Would Rain Down, Phil Collins
58. Just Between You and Me, Lou Gramm
59. Something Happened On The Way To Heaven, Phil Collins
60. Black Cat, Janet Jackson
61. Can’t Stop, After 7
62. Janie’s Got A Gun, Aerosmith
63. The Humpty Dance, Digital Underground
64. I’ll Be Your Shelter, Taylor Dayne
65. Free Fallin’, Tom Petty
66. Giving You The Benefit, Pebbles
67. Enjoy The Silence, Depeche Mode
68. Love Song, Tesla
69. Price Of Love, Bad English
70. Girls Nite Out, Tyler Collins
71. King Of Wishful Thinking, Go West
72. What Kind Of Man Would I Be?, Chicago
73. Get Up! (Before The Night Is Over), Technotroic
74. Here We Are, Gloria Estefan
75. Epic, Faith No More
76. Love Takes Time, Mariah Carey
77. Just Like Jesse James, Cher
78. Love Shack, B-52’s
79. All Or Nothing, Milli Vanilli
80. Romeo, Dino
81. Everybody Everybody, Black Box
82. I Go To Extremes, Billy Joel
83. Whip Appeal, Babyface
84. Oh Girl, Paul Young
85. C’mon and Get My Love, D-Mob With Cathy Dennis
86. (It’s Just) The Way That You Love Me, Paula Abdul
87. We Can’t Go Wrong, Cover Girls
88. When I’m Back On My Feet Again, Michael Bolton
89. Make You Sweat, Keith Sweat
90. This One’s For The Children, New Kids On The Block
91. What It Takes, Aerosmith
92. Forever, Kiss
93. Jerk Out, Time
94. Just A Friend, Biz Markie
95. Whole Wide World, A’me Lorain
96. Without You, Motley Crue
97. Swing The Mood, Jive Bunny and The Mastermixers
98. Thieves In The Temple, Prince
99. Mentirosa, Mellow Man Ace
100. Tic-Tac-Toe, Kyper

And with that said … Here’s how my list for 1990 turned out:

* Huh … Just noticed how a lot of the songs on this list are more “Dance Tracks” (remember 12-inch maxi-single remixes?!) Again, goes to show how I fancied more the stuff played elsewhere (-ie- clubs, house parties, etc) rather than on the airwaves.

** Double Huh … Also noticed that I seriously did not fancy any R&B artists back in the day.