10. One (5): come on, now.... this lower than Mysterious or than a syrupy dated ballad?
this is an outstanding song in terms of melody, production, vocals. It was my favorite song off Achtung Baby, reaching the top of my personal chart, and my yearend top 15. Further, the version with MJB showcased how this has the bones to turn into a multi-gente gem. Happy to see it in the top 10, but it should’ve been higher...
9. Remember the time (28): this was a very nice, smooth second single, with another outstanding video. A personal top 5, but I don’t find it better than BoW.
8. Bohemian Rhapsody (23): I ADORE this song, and consider it one of my favorite songs ever. However, it was hard to rank it for this RD, because I consider it more a song from the 70s. So I wanted to give more room to the original 90s songs... otherwise this would’ve been my #1. Back then, this reached the top of my personal chart for a week and made my yearend top 25.
7. Real Love (33): I liked this song, but only made it to my top 30 back then because I wasn’t that much into this genre of music. I like it much better now, tho I feel the music wasn’t as repetitive, as it feels it just keeps in a loop throughout the song without much variety.
6. Mysterious Ways (22): this was the second -not third- single. Much more mainstream than The Fly, but interesting and unique enough with the middle eastern influence. It reached the runner up spot of my personal chart.
5. Can’t let go (52): Finally... I’m sorry, but it was high time for this to leave. I used to like it better in the 90s, as I do like the idea of starting with the dreamy sound, her vocals, and a bit of the melody. But the production has really aged badly. Those synth drums ala NKOTB and Mili Vanilli are so passé. Had this been Make It Happen, I’d be over the moon, but this one? Nope.
4. Friday I’m in love (3): one of my favorite Cure songs. Another one I liked from first listen, and their last song I really loved. This quickly reached the top of my personal chart (although not as quick as Stay) and stayed there for 3 weeks, and became my top song of the year. Still sounds as good as back then. I love the first notes, and that nostalgic but happy mood it gives and that persists throughout the song. The handclaps-laden chorus, and the wonderful surprise of the bridge added to the strength of the main melody. And Robert’s lead and backing vocals sealed the deal.
3. My lovin’ (12): This barely made my personal top 10, but just because my personal chart was only starting to incorporate r&b music. I really like this. It’s one of my favorite female group tunes ever. The harmonies, especially those a cappella, were outstanding, and the old-school meets 90s vibe makes this song unique. Great to see it in the top 5.
2. Under the bridge (9): I didn’t care for Give it Away -that song actually annoyed me! But this song made me rethink how I felt about RHCP. A unique downtempo, with strong instrumentation, that goes from subdued to bombastic after the ‘bridge’
with additional backing vocals. A personal chart topper and in my yearend top 25. They will get many more personal chart toppers in years to come, especially in their Californication era -my favorite RHCP era.
1. Smells like teen spirit (4): a deserved winner, as it’s one of the defining song of the 90s and of all time. A new type of sound that changed popular music. An unforgettable riff, and overall great music and production, with that powerful chorus and bridge, and relaxed verses. Kurt’s vocals just worked despite its issues. A personal chart-topper that was present in all radio stations.
Another excellent rankdown!!!
I didn’t have enough time to share some extras —I have lots to share as I started to do genre charts on top of my personal chart— but hopefully in the 90s RD I can share more.
Look forward to 1993, too, as it was another interesting year.
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this is an outstanding song in terms of melody, production, vocals. It was my favorite song off Achtung Baby, reaching the top of my personal chart, and my yearend top 15. Further, the version with MJB showcased how this has the bones to turn into a multi-gente gem. Happy to see it in the top 10, but it should’ve been higher...
