Best Late 80s/Early 90s Songs

We didn’t start the Fire by Billy Joel

I was obsessed with this song as a kid. Still sounds great and original.

R1 hey tea cake that’s a good anthem for the younger generations about the white guilt agenda

This was so much damn fun. George Michael OWNED the early 90's

r1 made me throw up in my mouth.

Billy Joel is horrible

Oh we’ll own your bad taste.

All of Talk Talk's output was sublime, but "Life's What You Make It" might be my favorite

Fast Car the original

No one talks about the Mighty Lemon Drops anymore but they were SO good! "Where Do We Go From Heaven" is totally incredible. I saw these guys in the late 80s with an adorable band of young lads from Hershey PA called The Ocean Blue. I will post their most popular college hit next.

Buffalo Stance

Love this song, she sang her ass off.

"Between Something And Nothing" by The Ocean Blue

R10 dark pop. Love it. Cure vibe

Great idea for a thread, OP!

I was in college at the time and I get so nostalgic for that era of music.

Adam Ant's ode to Heather Graham, "Wonderful"

Crucified

The Cure, "Lullaby" and the entire Disintigration LP

I discovered this gem from that zany Don Cheadle show Black Monday. Sorry I couldn’t find a vid that wasn’t a live version without the 9/11 imagery.

Sisters of Mercy!!!!! The Flood album was IT.

"Lucretia My Reflection" was my pregame jam on a Friday night

The Stone Roses "I Wanna Be Adored"

Manchester was cranking out the bands in the early 90s, and all of it was a blast

"Six Underground" by the Sneaker Pimps

Headin’ for the 90’s, livin’ in the Wild Wild West!

Me too, R15. Nostalgia overdrive.

For my hip hop heads.

This is my preferred late 80’s Billy Joel song:

Two of my favorites from The Smiths: "Sheila Take A Bow" and "Shoplifters of the World Unite."

Live on Channel 4, The Tube, April 1987.

Billy Joel is a douche bag.

Public Image Ltd, "Happy"

Deee-Lite - Groove Is In The Heart - 1990.

When can I see you again

Love Tribe Called Quest, R25. The whole Midnight Marauders album is delicious.

"Trust" - Billy Bragg

The saddest song from then.

Soul II Soul

R22 is from 1996 NOT early 90's.

B-52s

Cosmic Thing album

Calloway- I Wanna Be Rich

"Sexuality," from the same Billy Bragg album as r33, Don't Try This at Home.

Hazard by Richard Marx. A very haunting song.

Mazzy Star - Fade Into You. I went to the record store & bought the album right after I heard it. Did that with Guns & Roses (Paradise City) & -um… Rick Astley. I stand by all three , but Rick a little less

Edie Brickell

The Tin Machine album. Underrated Bowie era.

I’m a big Traveling Wilburys fan (check them out!) and they had some great songs from the late 80’s- End of the Line, Dirty World, Tweeter and the Monkey Man, but here’s Handle With Care:

"Achin' to Be" - the Replacements

It's so hard to listen to now. So many people were sick or dying. I miss the guy who gave me this CD.

Disappear by INXS

Tell it to my Heart. This one still gets me dancing!

Depeche Mode's "Violator"album

The artist formerly known as Terence Trent D'Arby

"Can't Hardly Wait" - the Replacements

from 1987, "Coming Around Again," by Carly Simon

Sinead O’Connor- I Want Your Hands on Me

The sensational Sondra Prill!!

Kokomo just makes me happy

"You take me away..."

The eponymous debut album by the supergroup Electronic (Johny Marr of The Smiths, Bernard Sumner from New Order, Neil Tennant from Pet Shop Boys) is excellent. "Getting Away With It" was the megahit but "Get The Message " is my fave off the album.

The Sundays. - Here’s Where the Story Ends (1990)

YES, R56!!! I used to listen to that song on repeat

Several of Whitney’s songs qualify.

Alex Chilton by The Replacements

Primal Scream, "Higher Than The Sun"

The perfect soundtrack to my brief but productive foray into smoking weed out of a bong the summer after I got out of the dorms and into a house with my friends

Shit, here's the song

Sade - No Ordinary Love

Right Now by Van Halen

Lenny Kravitz - It Ain’t Over Till It’s Over

Bjork's album "Debut"

Siouxsie - Kiss Them for Me (1991)

Queensryche- Eyes of a Stranger. Great opening guitar.

I don't think that Steven Street really understood Danielle Dax, and Blast the Human Flower sounds more dated that her older work, but I still love Jehovah's Precious Stone

Duran Duran "Come Undone"

Another tender oldie

Mostly forgotten these days but I loved this when it was released. (Does it squeak in as late 80s?)

I Touch Myself

In 1989, Madonna did the only song I ever liked by her.

Goodbye Horses

I always thought it was a man singing, but it’s a woman.

I know he’s a predator but it’s still a bop.

"Nemesis" was 1985 so probably doesn't belong on this thread...

...but damn I fucking LOVED that song!!! Itt's so fierce. Glad to be reminded to give it a spin

Rain in the Summertime

Let’s try this again

Epic. This is the first song I think of when I think about 1990.

The first hit of many

"Beds Are Burning" - Midnight Oil

"I Touch Myself" is great too, though, R77

Please don’t Mary me but I love this song. Childhood classic.

R80 And it is still her best song.

"I Do Not Want What I Haven't Got" dominates this thread

When it is over…

Reba!

Fancy!

*Chef’s Kiss*!

Thanks for the Queensryche prompt, R67! Haven't thought about them in years. I really love his voice

I’m surprised none of you hoes ain’t post this yet.

Moaning kicks in around 5:30

Lucinda Williams - Sweet Old World

En Vogue "Hold On"

Kind of a forgotten single that only barely scratched the top 40 but I always thought it was lovely...and poignant for me because it was "big" (as big as the song would be anyway) the couple of weeks surrounding my dad's death and always takes me back to then. Lovely video too.

Level 42 "Children Say" from the epic "Running in the Family" album, 1987

Four Non-Blondes = What's Up

Expose- I’ll Never Get Over You Getting Over Me

Beautiful song, but it bums me out. The music makes me sad.

Don’t know if this belongs on a “best of” list, but it’s legendary and a very guilty pleasure song of mine . I wouldn’t want anyone to catch me listening to it then or now.

A good sing-a-long song from one of the good guy country artists- Garth Brooks.

A hotter Miss America will never be found…

Every Heartbeat- Amy Grant. Video starring hot laundromat guy!

the Cranberries - Dreams

Jane's Addiction.

All of their songs.

Cry Little Sister

Opposites Attract- Paula Abdul

A Fairytale of New York - the Pogues, Kirsty MacColl (uncensored)

R105 Your tryna be funny I bet 😂

MC Skat Kat is no joke! ;)

Let The River Run by Carly Simon

Walking on Broken Glass by Annie Lennox. Great song and video. Little ten year old me thought John Malkovich looked so good and I loved how he picked her up at the end. True love!

Neil Young- Rockin’ in the Free World

This haunts me. In a good way.

Not to be one of those people, but Dream Academy was ‘85 so it’s a smidge early for the list.

"Candy" - Iggy Pop w/ Kate Pierson (1990)

Siouxsie & The Banshees, "Kiss Them For Me" (1991)

Front 242! This played in my small city’s “alternative” club, along with Depeche Mode’s “Violator” and Ministry…

I’m a GenXer, former latch-key kid, born in late 1969. I still lived at home while I worked and attended university in the late ‘80s/early ‘90s; meanwhile, my parents were living their best life, free of the responsibility of raising kids, hosting endless dinner parties, whooping it up, and playing a particular few CDs in their multi-CD player, namely: U2 (Joshua Tree), Paul Simon (Graceland), Enya (Watermark), and Enigma’s MCMXC a.D. - that was like the middle-aged parents’ ultimate party/entertaining music where I live, and I still feel nostalgic for that music, as it takes me back to a time when my parents were still young and vibrant and our house was an endless whirlwind of international guests, both long and short term.

The Pixies: Here Comes Your Man (1989)!

Nirvana's album "Nevermind" was released in 1991.

Musicologist, Rick Beato, explains what makes "Smells Like Teen Spirit" great.

Lisa Stansfield, 1989:

I love Rick Beato, R119! Also, I’ll be forever kicking myself for not going to the Nirvana show in 1991 in Victoria BC, because they were playing in a metal bar, and I was a snobby punk! 😭

R43

They were brilliant. Apparently, Jeff Lynne and Tom Petty saw each other at a stop light and said, “hey, wanna work together?” And the rest is history. That album is one of my most favorite and I’m so glad you brought it up.

Martha was the voice who could sing any other “diva” under the table.

I actually like this Sinead O Conner song better that NCTY

"I'm Too Sexy" - Right Said Fred

Three weeks at No. 1 in the U.S. February 1992. probably because of his hot armpits.

Club mix

Speaking of Vanessa Williams, I always loved this song from her (and the version of the sonng from the "Beverly Hills 90210" soundtrack with the guitar solo).

It Must Have Been Love and Take My Breath Away (along with the Kenny Loggins monstrosity from Top Gun) were quite possibly the two worst songs of the 80s and/or 90s. Ear rot. And Top Gun was and is a total piece of shit.

Yesssssss R116. Fuck yeah.

Front 242, Revolting Cocks, Ministry, NIN, Pigface, KMFDM, Die Warzaw, Skinny Puppy....

..... and Nitzer Ebb

"Join In The Chant"

Agreed! I was obsessed with "Jump In The River," R124. Would listen to it on repeat.

I thought the Seeds Of Love album was overblown tosh, but the almost title track is one of the best things Tears For Fears ever did.

Thank you for bringing up Enigma, R117! Although I will forever associate them with one song and one song only: Sadness

Enjoy this "Unique Official TV Performance in Spain staged by Luka Yexi."

A beautiful song brought to life with an SCTV-worthy performance of silver-begloved hooded monks mincing around and hand-dancing in thick fog for several minutes. Ah, European television in the 90s!

Bananarama bring in Youth, rip off The Rolling Stones and make their best single - Only Your Love

Great song and hot video - Chris Isaak Wicked Game

Gary Clail On U-Sound System - Human Nature

I 100% agree, R131. I was a huge geeked-out TFF superfan. "The Hurting" and "Songs from the Big Chair" were musical miracles to me. "Seeds of Love" was a massive let-down, save for "Sowing," and I did quite like "Woman In Chains" a lot, its beautiful. The rest is pretentious, self-indulgent, adult contemporary bullshit. Well, so are the other two tracks, frankly. They went all soft and jazzy, and it broke my wittle new wave heart.

Suzanne Vega - 99.9F

Eeeek NO, R133. Bananarama peaked artistically with the True Confessions album. "Pop Life" was rubbish.

While Keren and Sara were circling the drain creatively, Siobhan Fahey snuck away and co-created one of the best songs of the entire decade

Shakespears Sister - "Stay"

Come Inside - Thompson Twins

This was issued as a white label under an alias and got a lot of underground radio play. If they'd not issued it as Thompson Twins this would have been a massive hit. The whole 1991 album Queer is amazing.

Eardrum Buzz - Wire

This is 1994 so perhaps a bit beyond the scope of the thread, but I tend to revisit this song and album (and Blur in general) ever summer

"Girls and Boys" by Blur

Deep Forest's "Sweet Lullaby" y'all

Bet you had forgotten this one! It's truly gorgeous.

Run away with me R140! Wire was my favorite band for years.

When "A Bell Is A Cup Until It's Struck" came out my head exploded. I was never the same. Life became performance art, a Surrealist game of charades. Life was just a big beautiful "happening" and everything is art. That's how Wire made me feel.

A Bell Is a Cup, It's Beginning To And Back Again (IBTABA), Pink Flag, Chairs Missing, On Returning, The First Letter = my soundtrack for living for many several years

"Kidney Bingos" is one of their best. Very melodious and catchy without sacrificing any of the quirks and weirdness that make Wire one of the most inventive bands of the era

This song, the video and the album "Viva Hate" brought me untold joy and revelations as a little 9th grade fagamuffin in 1988 in the midwest

"Suedehead, 1988

R143 - I'll run away with you any time Meet me at Map Ref. 41˚N 93˚W

Talking of which

Hell yeah, R146. You're a keeper.

NIN "Closer" was an anthem

'Member when all of the songs on the pop radio stations were actually good?

REM "Losing My Religion"

R138, I love Stay (I love a lot of songs called Stay) but I like Hello (Turn Your Radio On) even better.

Something in the moonlight catches my eye

WOW, R151! Thank you for this memory. I had the cassingle of "Heart and Soul"

Can't believe no one has posted this one yet!

George Michael "Freedom"

R148 Closer is from 94...mid 90's.

Depeche Mode "Never Let Me Down Again" was a banger before the word banger was invented

Send Me An Angel

Rocket's Tail (for Rocket)

Kate starts out a cappella with the Trio Bulgarka, then turns it into a heavy rock jam with Dave Gilmour, and dedicates the whole thing to her cat. Who but Kate would write a song about dressing as a rocket, and launching herself off of Waterloo Bridge? Amazingly, the disparate pieces of the song all work really well.

My real favorites from this era are albums. First is the first CD release of the Beach Boys' Pet Sounds. It took them 'til 1990, but they finally released it, and I returned to being a Beach Boys obsessive the way I was in the 1960s. There were subsequent CD releases of all the Beach Boys albums.

Second was the Phil Spector box set, Back to Mono, in 1991. My favorites are the Ronettes' "Be My Baby" and the Crystals' "Then He Kissed Me."

Third, and most important, is the Beach Boys' 5-CD box set Good Vibrations. All the hits and then some. Disc Two has the first release of the album that would have been called SMiLe. It's only 30 minutes long, but I had never known that "Heroes and Villains" was the basis of this entire suite of music. In its many iterations, SMiLe has become my favorite album of all time.

Love And Rockets "So Alive"

I was already a fan of Bauhaus and Love and Rockets. When this showed up on MTV I thought I had died and gone to heaven!

The outro is amazing. "Doot-n-doo do, doot-n-do..."

In France a skinny man died of a big disease with a little name.

By chance his girlfriend came across a needle and soon she did the same.

At home there are 17 year old boys and their idea of fun

Is being high on crack toting a machine gun.

Prince, Sign O’ the times

Im so pissed I fucked that up! It’s

At home there are 17 year old boys and their idea of fun

Is being in a gang called the disciples, high on crack, toting a machine gun.

Oh shit, R160. Yes Sign O The times was THE crucial album to have

Saint Etienne "Nothing Can Stop Us"

Fox Base Alpha was a visionary album, or at least it felt like it at the time in 1991

I used to fall asleep every night listening to this album in the dark in college

Slowdive "When The Sun Hits" off of 1993's Souvlaki

R2, thanks for reminding me of this gem. This song brings back so many good memories for me. I got chills hearing it for the first time in a long time.

Hole "Doll Parts"

Courtney Love was a hot mess but she was not untalented

Don't look back in Anger

Wonderwall

R53 that’s an awful song. Should be buried like cat shit.

This whole thread should be one reply. A playlist

Late 80's/early 90's: 1988-1992, though 87 and 93 could be permitted as they are sort of in a hazy period between early and mid. Anything that did not come out in those years belobgs in another thread.

Speaking of Bauhaus, I thought this would have made an appearance by now.

This was my jam!

Oh Canada!

The Shamen

The KLF with Miss Tammy Wynette

This old dance rave music was so much better than the crap they call EDM now.

R163, when I first bought Foxbase Alpha I had only heard Only Love Can Break Your Heart, so I was disappointed to discover that Sarah Cracknell was not the same singer that appeared on that song, even though she was in the video that I saw (I found out much later that there was another video with Moira Lambert.) The album grew on me, and I soon grew to love Sarah. There are so many good songs on that album, I LOVE Like the Swallow, Springtime, and Girl VII, and the vocals at the end play tricks on my ears.

The repeated line is Carrie's got a boyfriend, but I tend to hear it alternate between that and Paris is a playground

Opus III's first album was excellent. Hard to choose the best song, but here is their cover of I Talk to the Wind by King Crimson.

Kirsty Hawkshaw went on to appear as a guest vocalist on a lot of songs.

Groooove meee. Babbyyyyy.

Enya: Caribbean Blue (1991)

King of Wishful Thinking

The best part of Ghostbusters II- On Our Own by Bobby Brown

1995 is when things changed. 1994 was a transition year.

Mariah went HipHop/R&B, Shania brought her brand of goofy lifestyle songs to country.

Eric Carmen: Make Me Lose Control (1988)

Cher- If I Could Turn Back Time.

I used to blast this whenever I caught it on MTV or VH1

Another Day in Paradise- Phil Collins

Technotronic: Pump Up The Jam (1989)

He gets shit on a lot, but I liked Michael Bolton’s voice. I remember my mom listening to this a lot around 1990.

The Christians: Words (1990)

Mylène Farmer: Désenchantée (1991)

R177 That Opus III album was DIVINE omg thank you for posting!!!!

Queensryche—Silent Lucidity

The Breakfast Club - Right on Track

Marble Halls - Enya

This IS their vampire song for that album (not that other one) =

Better than Madonna's

I wonder why, are the seats still dry…

Love Is - Alannah Myles

I thought this would've been a top 10 hit for AM here in the states

This one holds up well

That scary spider theme song...

The P - Zone

Iris—Goo Goo Dolls

I loved this album

YOU MADE ME COME TO THIS!

TTD's hotly anticipated followup to "The Hardline According To..." got slept on for some reason, but I thought the single was sensational

Back when she could sing...

I really liked this album more than the average TT fan =

I just hopped out of my car and ran into my house to post The Church, R208! Starfish was a magnificent album. They just released a new one called The Hypnogogue and I'm working my way through it. It's classic Church, I'm liking it a lot.

I really liked the follow-up to Starfish, Gold Afternoon Fix, too. "Metropolis" was the single.

(And the follow-up to that, Priest = Aura is stunning too)

Your World - Richard Marx

Alive and Kicking - Simple Minds

TOPAZ !!!!

I love Richard Marx's voice, thank you R215.

BREEZIN'

Ahhhhhhhh TOPAZ Jesus Christ this takes me back to a simple happy time. Love you, R217.

I'll see your Topaz and raise you a Roam

St. Etienne

I was into Wire and The Cure and industrial bands, but I've always had a secret thing for Bruce Hornsby. I love his output with The Range. Such a warm, sweet vibe.

Bruce Hornsby - The Valley Road

99 Ways - Jane Weidlin

You Could Be Mine- Guns N Roses. T2 and GNR- great combo!

Song Of The Factory - Jane Wiedlin

R206 That’s late 90s.

World On Fire - Jane Wiedlin

Baby Baby Baby. TLC had some great songs

Nearly Lost You- Screaming Trees.

My Threads don’t load after 475-500 posts so someone else is gonna have to make part two and babysit the thread

Some D -Lite

Some Electric Shock

Some Rubber Lovers

She really sang her butt off on this one =

INXS - Suicide Blonde (1990)

Their best from the 2nd album =

Pixies - Motorway To Roswell

For me, TROMP LE MONDE was their best record

Frank Black - LOS ANGELES

Angel - Expose

Shattered Dreams - Johnny Hates Jazz

Their best during this period -

The Paula era

T.P.E. Round 2 =

Post-heyday Flock of Seagulls single "Magic" from 1989

When Mike Score finally put it on an album in 1995 he sped it up and added a bunch of shimmery synths to it. I like both versions, but this slower one rocks a lot harder and it's sexier.

It gives me feelings

are you HAPPY?

Ok you guys, this thread is missing a special ingredient

They Might Be Giants - Ana Ng

Middle Of Nowhere

Where Love Goes

Keep Coming Back - EB & NB

Me By The Sea - EB & NB

Fine Young Cannibals - mmmm the singer was a dish back in the day

Sylvia is for lezzies

Brand New Day is for me

Little Bird is for the club kids

Where Love Hides...

You're Nothing Without Me...

If You Could Read My Mind...

Should I Let You In?

From 1988 - Cowboy Junkies' haunting cover of "Sweet Jane."

She Drives Me Crazy - Fine Young Cannibals

"I Want That Man" - Deborah Harry

Written by Alannah Curry and Tom Bailey of Thompson Twins fame.

R266 meet R257.

Massive Attack’s Unfinished Sympathy

Hunger Strike- Temple of the Dog

I Love Your Smile

Walking in Memphis

Ozzy! No More Tears.

Stone Roses- Fool’s Gold

Fight the Power

Sorry if this has been mentioned, it’s one of my favs-

Alice Cooper- Poison

Because I’m black like that.

The Blue Nile- The Downtown Lights

Robert Palmer's catchy "Simply Irresistible" from 1988.

I think it would be funny if some gay singer would flip the sex and re-do the video with a group of gay clones wearing tank tops and short-shorts.

Who could forget the Brand New Heavies?

Hard to pick just one...

"Never Stop" 1990

I don't know if I remember The Blue Nile, R28y, but I love the song you posted!!! I've listened to it twice in a row. (And I am now in love with the lead singer. His voice is amazing, and he seems like a really great guy - lol)

Sorry! the above was for R278.

Simply Red!! I always thought or wished that Mick Hucknall was gay. I mean the band name is so Mary. They played the shit outta Simply Red at the bars

The Cult- Fire Woman

Deee-Lite - Groove Is In the Heart

This is the exact moment that the 80s became the 90s.

I mean obviously "Groove Is In The Heart" is way far back on this thread, R285. No one would have let it slip through the cracks this far in. But you are right. It is the bridge between the 80s and 1990s music/vibe

Great song. The Silencers should have been better known.

The Godfathers - Birth, School, Work, Death

I loved this band and had their records in college. But this song hits different now that I'm 50

The goddamn, motherfucking Smithereens

Dina Carroll - So Close

Brand New Heavies - Dream On Dreamer

"What is Love"

Haddaway - 1993

I haven't thought of The Silencers in decades, R287. Awesome pick.

I really hated "Pure" by The Lightening Seeds when it came out.

Now I think it's just one of the sweetest, cutest, most innocent, lovely songs ever.

Alice In Chains - Man in the Box (1991)

What ever happened to THESE guys?

The Primitives - Crash

2 Live Crew - Me So Horny

Fuck, yeah, R295. Alice in Chains was SO GOOD

Haha they changed the lyric from "shove my nose in shit" to "shove my nose in SPIT" for radio. Never realized.

I like their more melodic stuff, too.

Nirvana - Come As You Are

I know this is technically out of bounds, era-wise ('86), but this song was so great. Reminds me of the extreme anticipation I felt every time a new John Hughes movie was about to be released. And the soundtracks were always killer.

Flesh For Lulu - I Go Crazy

R298 Yeah, I believe MTV told the band that they had to change some of the lyrics as well or they wouldn't broadcast the video. .. Listen to Layne singing the first line in the video at R295. He sings, "I'm the man in a box, buried in my pit." It's supposed to be "buried in my shit."

Very cool recycling of a Clash sample here by Mick Jones

Big Audio Dynamite - The Globe

Here I Go Again - Whitesnake

Jellyfish - The King is Half-Undressed

NWA - Straight Outta Compton

People Are Still Having Sex by LaTour

Loved this one...also remember reading way back then the singer was bi and a runaway...thought she sounded so cool.3

Am I the only one who remembers Sleeping Satellite by Tasmin Archer? I loved this song, but it's kind of obscure.

R308, no I remember that one quite well and thought of posting it. Good one.

Sweet darling at R308, I had "Sleeping Satelite" on cassingle and I wore it out. SUCH a good song!

Cassingles! I had a backpack full of them. Wow, we're really dating ourselves!

I always wondered if holmes was throwing hanky code...

r312 those guys were SO gay

Did someone say gay?

Buffalo Stance by Neneh Cherry. She got an insane amount of hype at the time, she was going to be The Next Big Thing and turned out to be a one hit wonder.

This one was underrated.

Can't believe none of you bitches have mentioned Queen Celine!

Hmm, I had no idea there was a real group called Big Fun. When I think of Big Fun, I think Teenage Suicide (Don't Do It.)

I don't think it was the same people though.

Amazing that they put together a singing group of 3 blond gaylings in the 80s. I wonder if the three of them every got down together after a show. Since they weren't allowed to come out the best way to keep their secret would be to turn to each other.

Not crazy about their falsetto, but wouldn't mind watching them in a sucking triangle.

White Lines

Jane's Addiction - "Been Caught Stealing" (1990).

Fun song .. and the camptastic video still makes me laugh. .. Such a gem.

I LOVE Been Caught Stealing! Thanks r320. That song still sounds fantastic.

R319 that song is from 1983....wtf

I dont think there is one Celine Dion song I enjoy EXCEPT this one that was sort of a hit right before she became big.

Joey by Concrete Blonde, one of my all-time favorite songs.

With all these YouTube links this thread is probably going to shit out around 400

Except for the geezers on HP desktops

Another Big Fun. I don’t know which of the three came first, but this is the best.

Start a new thread, r324. Declare this one closed. 300+ is impossible on phones.

Tennessee by Arrested Development

Cliffs of Dover. By Eric Johnson. No words, just a screaming guitar.

Toad

Gin Blossoms- Found Out About You. 1989

The Whistle Song by Frankie Knuckles (RIP)

A Phil Collins song that makes me feel sad:

And one that makes me feel happy:

Pavement's Slanted and Enchanted album blew my mind when it came out in '92

Prince had his own version of "Bitch I'm Madonna" two decades before Madge - and his was actually good

Prince - "My Name Is Prince" - Love Symbol Album, 1992

It's an acquired taste, but they were ahead of their time here, anticipating grunge

Sonic Youth - Kool Thing

Cracker - Low

Lords of Acid - I Sit on Acid

Poison Heart- The Ramones

Sanctified. NIN.

Later covered by Liza on Results (1990).

Love this song

Pet Sematary- Ramones, from 1989.

He would swear by his mouth all mighty.

Pet Shop Boys covering "Go West" (1993).

The Human League - Heart Like A Wheel.

Probably would have been a bigger hit, if the video wasn't so crap.

EMF - I Believe

I wanted to fuck all of them, except the older ugly guitarist.

Hanson

Tom Cochrane: Life Is A Highway (1991)

DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince: Summertime (1991)

Hanson is 1997, which is a huge stretch to be considered early 1990s.

I am the real Gay Tupac.

I thought this song was the best off of that Human League album above =

Love Voodoo sounded so unique =

Once In A Lifetime

The one and only Lutha.

Oh shit that was early 80s.

And teachaaa.

It's Pat!

It's Pat's Evening!

It's Pat Lifting 'Em On Up!

r130...Im very OC and would do the same with songs I love....actually I still do

While most raved about NCTU I think JITR was miles better

This is one I play over in my car along with Kim Wildes Kids in America....

This song GLM defined an era, movie defined it for the West Coast...not so much for us NYers but still awesome

A song at the end of the album that should've been the lead single -

Pat's Back!

SUPERFLY GUY

Luv this song back in the late 80s but I'm shocked it has over 17m YT views =

Poor Jody hasn't been seen in a DL thread reaching 400 =

Maybe the DL told her this =

Jody Round 3 =

The underrated Lisa F. =

Here I Am The Queen of Crime!

Play The Field...

Silence Speaks...

In His Mind...

Danny - Tiffany

It's The Lover - Tiffany

Back In The Groove - Tiffany

I Break Down - Tommy Page

This Alone Is Love = a-ha

Achtung Baby...the last truly great U2 record

"Mysterious Ways"

My Bloody Valentine's album "Loveless" blew my FUCKING MIND when it dropped my freshman year of college.

1991

I had had a really lame dorm-mate who suddenly moved out of the room after a month (I have no idea what ever happened to them and didn't care). After that, I had the room to myself the rest of the year. So I hung up scads of Christmas lights and I would get really high and listen to this album on repeat, very, very loudly.

I was so excited when the band came through our college town that year, opening for Dinosaur Jr. It was incredible. An hourlong wall of sound with all these projected visuals bouncing off of every surface in the club, a kaleidoscopic frenzy of pinks and purples. I wasn't even on anything and yet it was like the most euphoric, sensory-heightening acid trip you could imagine.

I was in the pit for MBV 's performance and then I went up to the balcony and fell asleep during Dino. Which is quite a feat, as Dinosaur JR is loud as fuck. I think I had stayed up all night the night before, cramming.

Happy, happy college memories x

This originally came out in 1976 in Jamaica, but got super popular in ‘89 so I’m counting it. ⚡️🛝 Electric Slide ⚡️🛝

Check out the dance moves at 2:05.

The Smiths break up and Johnny Marr gets a call from Talking Heads asking him to play some guitar on their album, "Naked."

(Nothing) but Flowers (1988).

Echo & the Bunnymen - "Lips Like Sugar" (1987)

From wiki:

[quote] Initially dismissed by Ian McCulloch as too commercial, "Lips Like Sugar" became a chart success in the UK, Ireland, and New Zealand. Despite not charting in the US, the song has become one of their most famous songs in America, thanks in part to college radio airplay and its music video directed by Anton Corbijn, which was regularly broadcast on MTV's 120 Minutes programme.

Last day of School vibes

Rhythm Is A Dancer, bitches!

Wouldn't call this a "best" but it was a memorable track from 1990

My Life With The Thrill Kill Kult - Sex On Wheelz

The Psychedelic Furs - Until She Comes - 1991

It would be the band's third and last No. 1 single on the U.S. Alt charts.

The Cars

Thank you, R399. I had wanted a Psychedelic Furs song on this thread but couldn't figure out how to make the dates work. I had totally forgotten about this wonderful song.

I LOVE THIS BAND SO MUCH

The Outfield - Voices of Babylon - 1989

Amazing track

I just created a Part 2 but I don't feel confident that I know how to create a link for it in a post. Can anyone help?

You did it!

Now you need to post the link a few times in this thread. Just put it in the box marked "Web Site Link" and click "Post."

Though this thread has only a few more than 400 posts, OP has started a part two, so it will still be accessible on your mobile.

Go to this link for Best Late 80s/Early 90s Songs, Part Two:

Thank you R404 / R405!!

Some Lita Ford...

1993 White Belly by Belly from their incredible album Star. It wasn't a single, but it should have been

Pressure by Sunscreen, released in the UK in 1991, and in the US in 1993. From their album O3. Sunscreen should have been much bigger than they were, but they had label issues.

Their second album, 1996's Change or Die was also fantastic

r407 r408 r409 Go to the next thread instead of posting in this one anymore.

MC Hammer: 2 Legit 2 Quit (1991)

Madonna: Vogue (1990)

Tom Petty: Free Fallin' (1989)

R411 Not only is that one of the worst songs of this time period. It is one of the worst of all time.

R414, I think it's Hammer's best song. I wasn't a fan of it when it came out but I love it now.

Nah, this is Hammer’s best- Addams Groove!

From 1992 - Utah Saints, "Something Good"

Now THIS is a blast from the past, R417. Jesus I had this one on cassingle, too, and I had forgotten about them all this time

My favorite single from R.E.M.'s 1992 album Automatic For The People.

"Man on the Moon"

Sunscreem's LOVE U MORE. Always wondered why this wasnt a massive hit but i get it now. The song doesn't really pop until 2:30....You can hear the DNA of Republica's READY TO GO and this was many years earlier. I cued it at a minute in but again, 2:30 is where you can hear why its a dance classic

C. Rock -

R.I.P.

R.I.P. George

Patti Smith's "Dream of Life" album came out in 1988. People probably associate it more with her socio-political song, "People Have the Power," but here's the more pop-sounding song, "Looking for You (I Was)."

Michael Penn- No Myth

from 1989.

Tori Amos: Crucify (1992)

Belinda Carlisle - Leave a Light On

This should've been a big radio hit for them =

Her video for this single is over 1 minute longer so I didn't post it here

but I thought this tune was like nothing on the radio in '86 =

For Belinda Carlisle, I thought her 4th single (a remake of the old 60s tune) should've made it into the top 10 here in the states but I never heard it on the radio =

This was supposed to be the follow up to their big international hit

but I don't recall it being played on my local radio a single time -

I think they released this song as a club single but I thought it would've fit right in next to Madonna, Prince, Dead O Alive & George Michael in the mid 80s =

I remember standing unfron of the mirror, pink brush in hand, singing Toni Braxton's Breathe Again, to my imaginary boyfriend

Tara Kemp - "Hold You Tight" (1991)