Music Snob

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 Prin.ce’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 a good beat and/or a catchy lyric. And if something is amazingly written (instrument-wise), then that’s definitely a bonus.

And now, 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/Italicize the songs that you hated in high school but appreciate today …

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

  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 Devoe
  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

* 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.

4 Replies to “Music Snob”

  1. Emily,

    This was so fun! I loved the flashback.

    (have lurked on your site for awhile, found you through Stirrup Queens)

    🙂 april

  2. Wasn’t this one fun?? I am totally with you on “Sweet Child of Mine.” GNR horrified me when they first came out. Now I love a lot of their stuff, & that song especially. Same with AC/DC — I didn’t much like them when they first came out — now dh & I turn up the volume whenever they’re on the radio!

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.