Pop Shots – A Look At The Top 10 … From 35 Years Ago

Welcome to your weekly dose of pop world musings. Covering all things pop culture, this week I’m hopping into my time machine again, and this time I’m setting the coordinates to 35 years ago, to take a look at the Billboard Top 10 from this week back in 1990.

In the summer of 1990 there were a plethora of genres receiving airplay, and the Top 10 had everything from pop, to rock, to New Jack Swing. What’s even wilder is nearly every one of these songs is considered a classic today.

So let’s get into this exploration in chart history! Of course, since this is Pop Shots, you know everything is seasoned with a little bit of attitude.

1. New Kids On The Block – Step By Step

 

Way before the Backstreet Boys were “back,” and NSYNC were driving themselves crazy, New Kids On The Block were driving tween and teen girls wild. Today, those same tween and teen girls are now middle-aged, and they’re flocking to see the boys perform on nostalgia tours, which is kind of amazing considering pop music is always considered a fad, yet here we are, 35 years later, and NKOTB are selling out arenas.

That being said, if you play this song around one of those girls’ parents it may spark some NKOTB PTSD.

2. Glenn Medeiros feat. Bobby Brown – She Ain’t Worth It

 

Real talk – I’d totally forgotten about this song until putting this column together, but that’s one of the reasons why I love doing this! With “She Ain’t Worth It” Glenn Medeiros and Bobby Brown gave us a New Jack Swing classic that we simply don’t talk about nearly enough, especially considering it would eventually reach the top spot of the Billboard Hot 100. Why this one fell through the cracks of time is a mystery to me, but let’s bring it back!

3. En Vogue – Hold On

 

Here’s a solid life rule – if En Vogue asks you to hold on to something, hold on to it. Whether it’s to your love, their coats, or a rabid raccoon, just hold on to it! This is En Vogue we’re talking about!

These ladies absolutely ruled this era of R&B, and personally I miss when we had a bevy of girl groups in the genre. Shouldn’t we be due for a renaissance of this sometime soon?

4. Taylor Dayne – I’ll Be Your Shelter

 

When most people think of Taylor Dayne the first song that comes to mind is “Tell It To My Heart,” but before another Taylor took over the world, this Taylor had a bevy of hits, including “I’ll Be Your Shelter.”

Honestly, I’m not sure what I love more, her big, bold singing voice, or the fact that when you hear her speak normally she’s pure New York, through and through. Whatever the case, she’s a top notch Taylor in music history.

5. Billy Idol – Cradle of Love

 

For my money this is one of the most memorable music videos of the ‘90s. I can’t exactly put my finger on why … it’s really a total mystery as to how a guy who was approaching his teenage years when “Cradle of Love” came out would still have the video firmly implanted in his mind 35 years later.

Thank you Billy Idol, and thank you Betsy Lynn George (and now you know the name of the girl in the video).

6. Roxette - It Must Have Been Love

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I know they get airplay on classic music stations, and millions of people know their songs, but I still feel like Roxette rarely gets their due as one of the great bands of both the ‘80s and ‘90s.

Not only were Marie Fredriksson’s vocals pure magic, the band is Sweden’s second best selling musical act of all-time, behind only ABBA!

When it comes to their music, it must have been love, and for many of us, it still is.

7. Johnny Gill – Rub You The Right Way

 

Johnny Gill’s announcement that he was no longer a child singer, “Rub You The Right Way” is a New Jack Swing classic that has a power to it that we simply don’t hear in music today. This song commands you to move in ways that might frighten Gen Z, but sound oh so good to those of us who are Gen X.

8. Depeche Mode – Enjoy The Silence

 

“Words like violence / break the silence” is one of the great opening lyrics of all-time, and it sets the tone for the rest of this absolutely perfect song.

Off their musical landscape changing album Violator, as the decades have gone by we’ve seen more and more bands that have been greatly influenced by Depeche Mode, and I have no doubt future generations – whether they realize it or not – will be influenced by them, as well.

9. Snap! – The Power

 

If you need to get hyped up for something – a workout, a ballgame, building a house – “The Power” will get the job done.

Others have tried to imitate the attitude presented by Snap! in this song, but they’ve all fallen short, because there’s something that feels wildly authentic about Turbo B’s lyrical delivery, and it can’t be reproduced unless you truly embody it. It’s like you know he’s ready to run through a wall, and he wants you to, as well.

10. Bell Biv DeVoe – Poison

 

You’d think after loving this song for 35 years I’d have learned by now to never trust a big butt and a smile, but here I am, 35 years later, still misplacing my trust in big butts and smiles.

Well, one thing’s for sure, Bell Biv DeVoe are not to blame. They tried to warn me.

As an aside, the fact that Bobby Brown, Johnny Gill, and Bell Biv DeVoe were all in this Top 10 is a heck of an indicator of how much talent was in New Edition.

That’s all for this edition of Pop Shots, but come back next Monday for more shots on all things pop.