Of 1990 ((install)) — Biggest Hits

In a year of flash, this was the raw, weeping heart. Prince wrote it, but Sinéad owned it. Her shaved head, tear-streaked face in the video, and that gut-punch of a vocal made it the emotional landmark of 1990. It hit #1 globally and still feels like a wound.

If you want to recreate the year 1990, these 10 tracks are essential: biggest hits of 1990

The schlock. For every "Vogue," there was a "Step by Step" (New Kids on the Block). For every "Nothing Compares 2 U," there was a "Blaze of Glory" (Bon Jovi’s solo western ballad). Hair metal was on life support but still headlining arenas. In a year of flash, this was the raw, weeping heart

1990 was a year where rock bands managed to crack the pop charts in a major way before the genre fragmented into grunge and alternative. It hit #1 globally and still feels like a wound

This is either a guilty pleasure or a groan-inducing relic, depending on your taste. "Cherry Pie" is the epitome of hair metal excess—loud, leering, and lyrically silly. It hit #10 on the Hot 100 and was inescapable. One year later, Nevermind would blow this sound off the map. In 1990, though? It was a stadium singalong.