Every #1 Hit of 1990: Billboard Hot 100 Music Rewind
Every #1 Hit of 1990 — The Year Pop Crossed Into a New Decade
Take a trip back to 1990 with every song that hit #1 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 — a chart year where the last echoes of the 80s crashed straight into the sound of the new decade.
This Smells Like Gen X music rewind features the biggest chart-topping hits of 1990, including unforgettable songs from Phil Collins, Michael Bolton, Paula Abdul, Janet Jackson, Alannah Myles, Sinéad O’Connor, Madonna, Wilson Phillips, Roxette, New Kids on the Block, Vanilla Ice, Whitney Houston, Stevie B, and more.
From adult contemporary ballads to dance-pop, rock, R&B, new jack swing, rap crossover, and early-90s radio polish, these were the songs America couldn’t escape in 1990.
Read the Full 1990 Songs Breakdown
Want the full written countdown with Billboard year-end context, chart snapshots, Gen X commentary, and the full rewind verdict? Read the complete post: Top 10 Songs of 1990.
A few chart-toppers from the 1990 lineup
Why this 1990 playlist feels like a decade handoff
Copyright note: Mariah Carey’s “Vision of Love” and “Love Takes Time” were both Billboard Hot 100 #1 hits in 1990, but those clips had to be removed from this video due to copyright restrictions.
Every Billboard #1 hit featured in this 1990 countdown
- Another Day in Paradise — Phil Collins
- How Am I Supposed to Live Without You — Michael Bolton
- Opposites Attract — Paula Abdul
- Escapade — Janet Jackson
- Black Velvet — Alannah Myles
- Love Will Lead You Back — Taylor Dayne
- I’ll Be Your Everything — Tommy Page
- Nothing Compares 2 U — Sinéad O’Connor
- Vogue — Madonna
- Hold On — Wilson Phillips
- It Must’ve Been Love — Roxette
- Step by Step — New Kids on the Block
- She Ain’t Worth It — Glenn Medeiros feat. Bobby Brown
- If Wishes Came True — Sweet Sensation
- Blaze of Glory — Jon Bon Jovi
- Release Me — Wilson Phillips
- (Can’t Live Without Your) Love and Affection — Nelson
- Close to You — Maxi Priest
- Praying for Time — George Michael
- I Don’t Have the Heart — James Ingram
- Black Cat — Janet Jackson
- Ice Ice Baby — Vanilla Ice
- I’m Your Baby Tonight — Whitney Houston
- Because I Love You (The Postman Song) — Stevie B
1990 #1 songs not included in the video
- Vision of Love — Mariah Carey, #1 for the weeks of August 4, August 11, August 18, and August 25
- Love Takes Time — Mariah Carey, #1 for the weeks of November 10, November 17, and November 24
More Retro Music Rewinds Are Coming
If you love 90s music, Billboard Hot 100 history, classic pop hits, retro music countdowns, and Gen X nostalgia, subscribe for more music, pop culture, and chart-history flashbacks from Smells Like Gen X. For the full written breakdown, read Top 10 Songs of 1990.
Topics: 1990 Billboard Hot 100 #1 songs, every number one hit of 1990, 1990 number one songs, Top 10 Songs of 1990, Phil Collins Another Day in Paradise, Michael Bolton How Am I Supposed to Live Without You, Paula Abdul Opposites Attract, Janet Jackson Escapade, Alannah Myles Black Velvet, Sinéad O’Connor Nothing Compares 2 U, Madonna Vogue, Wilson Phillips Hold On, Roxette It Must’ve Been Love, New Kids on the Block Step by Step, Vanilla Ice Ice Ice Baby, Whitney Houston I’m Your Baby Tonight, Stevie B Because I Love You, Mariah Carey Vision of Love, Mariah Carey Love Takes Time, Gen X nostalgia, Smells Like Gen X.