Fifty years ago, I made my first appeared on the Earth. In celebration, we are going to take a look at the year-end Billboard Hot 100 singles chart for each year of my life and see what songs resonated with me at the time and if they continue to do so to this day.
We continue our look back at the music of my lifetime with 1990, the year I finished my sophomore year of high school, started my junior year, turned 16 and got my driver’s license, and, oh yeah, found myself with my first girlfriend. These songs formed the soundtrack of my high school years and continue to be some of my favorites. A full 70 of the Hot 100 are still familiar to me now, with a whopping 50 of them appearing in my collection in one way or another.
#99: Mellow Man Ace – Mentirosa
iTunes stats: 17 plays
The lone single from the Cuban rapper, it spent 24 weeks on the chart, peaking at #14.
#96: Mötley Crüe – Without You
iTunes stats: 24 plays
Reaching #8 on the Hot 100, the song is said to be about drummer Tommy Lee’s relationship with Heather Locklear.
#94: Biz Markie – Just A Friend
iTunes stats: 39 plays
Markie’s highest charting single, it topped out at #9.
#91: Aerosmith – What It Takes
iTunes stats: 18 plays
Written with Desmond Child, it peaked at #9.
#88: Michael Bolton – When I’m Back on My Feet Again
iTunes stats: N/A
Reaching #7 in August, the song was Bolton’s third top ten hit.
#86: Paula Abdul – (It’s Just) The Way That You Love Me
iTunes stats: 15 plays
Originally released as the second single from Abdul’s debut album in 1988 to little success, it was re-released in the fall of 1989 and rose to #3.
#85: D Mob with Cathy Dennis – C’mon and Get My Love
iTunes stats: 21 plays
The song that introduced Cathy Dennis to the public, it just cracked the top ten.
#82: Billy Joel – I Go to Extremes
iTunes stats: N/A
The second single from Joel’s eleventh studio album, the song just missed the top five, peaking at #6
#81: Black Box – Everybody Everybody
iTunes stats: N/A
Featuring uncredited vocals by Martha Wash, the song reached #8 on the Hot 100.
#78: The B-52’s – Love Shack
iTunes stats: 22 plays
Making the year-end charts for the second consecutive year, the 47th biggest hit of 1989 spent 27 total weeks on the chart.
#76: Mariah Carey – Love Takes Time
iTunes stats: N/A
Spending three weeks at #1 in November, the second single from Carey was her second straight chart topper.
#75: Faith No More – Epic
iTunes stats: 26 plays
Ranked as the 30th greatest metal song of all time by VH1, it was the band’s breakthrough hit, reaching #9.
#73: Technotronic featuring Ya Kid K – Get Up! (Before the Night Is Over)
iTunes stats: 16 plays
Released in January of 1990, it rose to #7.
#72: Skid Row – I Remember You
iTunes stats: 19 plays
The New Jersey band’s second and final top ten hits, peaking at #6.
#70: Go West – King of Wishful Thinking
iTunes stats: 17 plays
Featured on the Pretty Woman soundtrack, the track reached #8 on the Hot 100.
#66: Depeche Mode – Enjoy the Silence
iTunes stats: 22 plays
Released in February, the song became the group’s highest charting single in the US, topping out at #8 in July.
#64: Tom Petty – Free Fallin’
iTunes stats: 34 plays
The highest and longest charting hit of Petty’s career, it peaked at #7, becoming his third and final top ten hit.
#63: Taylor Dayne – I’ll Be Your Shelter
iTunes stats: 6 plays
Reaching #4 on the Hot 100, the song, released in March, was written by Diane Warren and remains Dayne’s final top ten hit.
#62: Digital Underground – The Humpty Dance
iTunes stats: 43 plays
The group’s first Top 40 hit, it topped out at #11.
#61: Aerosmith – Janie’s Got a Gun
iTunes stats: 37 plays
Hitting #4 on the Hot 100, the song earned the group a Grammy award for Best Rock Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal.
#59: Janet Jackson – Black Cat
iTunes stats: 12 plays
The sixth single from Jackson’s fourth studio album spent a single week atop the Hot 100 at the end of October.
#56: Phil Collins – I Wish It Would Rain Down
iTunes stats: N/A
Featuring guitar work from Eric Clapton, Collins reached #3 on the Hot 100 with this track.
#55: MC Hammer – U Can’t Touch This
iTunes stats: 18 plays
The first rap song to be nominated for Record of the Year at the Grammys, it peaked at #8 on the Hot 100.
#52: Michael Bolton – How Can We Be Lovers
iTunes stats: N/A
Reaching #3, Bolton co-wrote this tune with both Diane Warren and Desmond Child.