1990 was not a year that defined a single "sound" like 1967 or 1994. Instead, it was a year of demolition. It tore down the rigid walls of the 1980s. It introduced hip-hop to the suburbs, validated R&B as a dominant commercial force, and hinted that rock was about to get a lot louder and a lot messier.
From the final gasps of hair metal to the birth of the modern diva, and from the golden age of hip-hop to the rise of the adult-contemporary ballad, here is the definitive look at the songs that defined 1990. top songs of 1990
