100 Greatest Songs From 1990

record cover art for Nothing Compares 2 U by Sinead O'Connor and Enjoy The Silence by Depeche Mode
Criteria: Songs listed are from Rock 'n' Roll and related sub-genres. Rankings are based on initial and lasting popularity and on acclaim received from critics and musicians.

Nothing Compares 2 U - single cover Enjoy The Silence - single cover Vogue - single cover Groove Is In The Heart - single cover U Can't Touch This - single cover Man In The Box - single cover Vision of Love - single cover Mama Said Knock You Out - single cover
Note: Yearly song lists go by earliest 'release date' (Single, Album, or Country of first release).
Not necessarily the year a song peaked in the U.S. charts.
No.
Song
Artist
1 Nothing Compares 2 U Sinéad O'Connor
2 Enjoy The Silence Depeche Mode
3 U Can't Touch This MC Hammer
4 Vogue Madonna
5 Groove Is In The Heart Deee-Lite
6 Thunderstruck AC/DC
7 More Than Words Extreme
8 Man In The Box Alice In Chains
9 Vision of Love Mariah Carey
10 Wind of Change Scorpions
11 Poison Bell Biv Devoe
12 Can I Kick It? A Tribe Called Quest
13 Mama Said Knock You Out LL Cool J
14 Freedom '90 George Michael
15 Gonna Make You Sweat C & C Music Factory
16 Crazy Seal
17 Hard To Handle Black Crowes
18 Unbelievable EMF
19 Been Caught Stealing Jane's Addiction
20 Cemetary Gates Pantera
21 Sadeness (Part 1) Enigma
22 Silent Lucidity Queensrÿche
23 Justify My Love Madonna
24 Right Here Right Now Jesus Jones
25 Suicide Blonde INXS
26 Hold On En Vogue
27 She Talks To Angels Black Crowes
28 Feels Good Tony! Toni! Tone!
29 It Must Have Been Love Roxette
30 Around The Way Girl LL Cool J
31 All I Wanna Do Is Make Love to You Heart
32 I Touch Myself Divinyls
33 Get Here Oleta Adams
34 The Shoop Shoop Song (It's in His Kiss) Cher
35 All The Man That I Need Whitney Houston
36 Blaze of Glory Jon Bon Jovi
37 Tom's Diner D.N.A. (featuring Suzanne Vega)
38 Candy Iggy Pop with Kate Pierson
39 Save Me Fleetwood Mac
40 The King of Wishful Thinking Go West
41 Cradle Of Love Billy Idol
42 Praying For Time George Michael
43 Everybody Everybody Black Box
44 Close to You Maxi Priest
45 Knockin' on Heaven's Door Guns N' Roses
46 I've Been Thinking About You Londonbeat
47 Here's Where The Story Ends The Sundays
48 Loaded Primal Scream
49 Cliffs Of Dover Eric Johnson
50 Murder Rap Above the Law
51 Someday Mariah Carey
52 I'll Give All My Love To You Keith Sweat
53 More Than Words Can Say Alias
54 Brothers Gonna Work It Out Public Enemy
55 Unskinny Bop Poison
56 AmeriKKKa's Most Wanted Ice Cube
57 Signs Tesla
58 Blue Sky Mine Midnight Oil
59 Hurting Kind (I've Got My Eyes on You) Robert Plant
60 (Can't Live Without Your) Love & Affection Nelson
61 Painkiller Judas Priest
62 Let The Rhythm Hit 'Em Eric B. & Rakim
63 The Ship Song Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
64 Just The Way It Is, Baby The Rembrandts
65 Step On Happy Mondays
66 Bonita Applebaum A Tribe Called Quest
67 High Enough Damn Yankees
68 Mercy Mercy Me - I Want You Robert Palmer
69 Hold On Wilson Phillips
70 The Obvious Child Paul Simon
71 Giving You The Benefit Pebbles
72 21st Century (Digital Boy) Bad Religion
73 Knockin' Boots Candyman
74 Coming Of Age Damn Yankees
75 From A Distance Bette Midler
76 Send Me An Angel Scorpions
77 I Like The Way (The Kissing Game) Hi-Five
78 Only Your Love Bananarama
79 My, My, My Johnny Gill
80 She's So High Blur
81 Rock Dis Funky Joint Poor Righteous Teachers
82 Don't Treat Me Bad Firehouse
83 Velouria Pixies
84 Energy Flash Joey Beltram
85 In The Ghetto Eric B. & Rakim
86 Serious Duran Duran
87 Release Me Wilson Phillips
88 What Time Is Love? The KLF
89 Gold Digger EPMD
90 Looking At The Front Door Main Source
91 Hold You Tight Tara Kemp
92 Rhythm Of The Rain Dan Fogelberg
93 Step By Step New Kids on the Block
94 Something To Believe In Poison
95 Good Clean Fun The Allman Brothers Band
96 Policy Of Truth Depeche Mode
97 Kinky Afro Happy Mondays
98 The Only One I Know The Charlatans
99 Hole Hearted Extreme
100 Kool Thing Sonic Youth
20 more worth mentioning.
101 Stranded Heart
102 Do Me! Bell Biv Devoe
103 Miles Away Winger
104 Civil War Guns N' Roses
105 Empire Queensrÿche
106 Being Boring Pet Shop Boys
107 Let's Talk About Sex Salt-n-Pepa
108 Crying In The Rain a-ha
109 Killer Adamski
110 For You The Outfield
111 Dig For Fire Pixies
112 Jealous Gene Loves Jezebel
113 More Sisters of Mercy
114 Runaround Van Halen
115 Joey Concrete Blonde
116 The First Time Surface
117 Texas Twister Little Feat
118 Put The Message In The Box World Party
119 So Hard Pet Shop Boys
120 We're All In The Same Gang West Coast Rap All-Stars
DigitalDreamDoor Editor Picks for 1990
Lew's Choice: An unheralded great record from 1990
YouTube logo
Bloodletting (The Vampire Song)
Concrete Blonde
Brett's Choice:
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Unique Blue Tube
A'me Lorain & The Family Affair
Ryan's Choice:
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Heavenly Pop Hit
The Chills