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Top Songs From 1990 For Your Wedding Playlist

17 January 2022

Sometimes when I least expect it, I'll hear a song that will take me on a journey back in time. No matter where I am,  whether its a drug store or a grocery store, or even in my car, the desire to do more music research always hits me at the craziest times. Even as we kick off the second week of 2022, I'm finding that 90s music is as popular as ever. Whether its the alternative scene out of Seattle or the unforgettable R&B / hip-hop scene, 90s music is still in demand by brides and grooms.  This post will cover the very beginning of the 90s. While 1990 marked the end of my absolute favorite decade of music (the 80s), the music scene continued down the same path. That path would include some of the best soft rock songs of the 90s, dance music, rock, pop, and the scene oout of Seattle.  1990 was a year where the San Francisco 49ers were one of the best teams in NFL history,  a gallon of gas was around $1.34,  Seinfeld made its debut, and Home Alone was the biggest movie of the year.  Since it appears that this 90s music nostalgia period that we're in end never ended, modern brides and grooms should Hold On as Wilson Phillips sang and enjoy this rocket ride back to the year 1990.

If you've spent any amount of time on my website, you know that I am a professional wedding DJ who is very much into the 80s. 80s music should  definitely occupy a lot of space (in my opinion) on your wedding playlist. You will soon see (as you begin to scroll down and check out these song selections from 1990) that 90s music should also play a role in the development of your wedding playlist.  For some of the Best 90s Songs For Your Wedding Playlist <---Click HERE.  Enjoy this ride, you are going to love it.

Head Back To 1990 Right Now Over On My Spotify
More modern brides and grooms are utilizing Spotify for the creation of their wedding playlist than ever before. My Spotify profile is a continuous work in progress; it's really been put together over the past few years as I've been inspired through the listening of music.  So many of my recent clients have come to me with a lot of their music (pre-selected) on a Spotify playlist. They absolutely the over 140 playlists I've put together for the sole purpose of inspiring them to put together to their wedding playlist. You are going to love it too. All you need to do is head over to my Spotify profile and search for DJ Mike Bills.

 "Hold On" | Wilson Phillips
When I look back to 1990, I think of that year as the "Year Of Wilson Phillips". "Hold On" would be their first release from their self-titled album in early 1990. I was in the middle of my sophomore year of high school when these very lovely ladies would begin to occupy space on the adult contemporary charts. One of my clients added this song to their wedding playlist and it was at that time I began to see what a bride and her bridesmaids might do with this song. They'll get on the dance floor and sing every lyric at the top of their lungs.  "Hold On" would peak at #1 on the Hot 100 and AC chart and began a streak of platinum-selling success for Wilson Phillips.

"Nothing Compare 2 U" | Sinead O'Connor
Originally written and recorded by Prince, I was never really a fan of his version of this song. But when Sinead O'Connor seemed to come out of nowhere in the winter / spring of 1990, my ears perked up.  Released in the winter of 1990, Sinead O'Connor's version would peak at #1 on the Hot 100 and Alternative chart, as well as #2 on the AC chart. The song would also hit #1 in over 15 other countries. For more of the Best Prince Songs For Your Wedding Playlist <--Click HERE

"Poison" | Bell Biv DeVoe
If you are feeling like you just got a little whiplash from the abrupt shift of musical genres, get used to that! 1990 was one of those years that was all over the map.  This enduring 90s Hip-Hip Song from Bell Biv DeVoe is in rotation by a lot of my wedding clients in the 2020s.  "Poison" would peak at #3 on the Hot 100, and #1 on the Hot Black singles chart in 1990.

"Vision Of Love" | Mariah Carey
There's nothing like featuring the beginning of Mariah Carey's career on my blog!  Just 4 short years before she'd release her iconic Christmas song, she would hit the Billboard Hot 100 with her first single in the spring of 1990. You couldn't turn the radio on that summer without hearing Mariah Carey. "Vision Of Love" would mark the beginning of Mariah's iconic career. The song would spend many months on the Hot 100, peaking at #1 for 4 weeks.

"Cradle Of Love" | Billy Idol
"Cradle Of Love" was one of the reasons I put this playlist of song selections from 1990 together in the first place.  We had not heard from Billy Idol since 1987 when he covered the classic "Mony Mony" by Tommy James & The Shondells. "Cradle Of Love" would be the first single to be released from his album Charmed Life in May of 1990. The song would peak at #2 on the Hot 100 chart.  Back in 1990, artists were still producing music videos that left indelible impressions on its viewers. If you click the link up above on the song title, you'll see why the music video made an impact on me being a teenage male in the summer of 1990.

"Pump Up The Jam" | Technotronic
The late 80s and early 90s came with it a period of time that saw some of the most iconic dance music being released. I've highlighted this era of music on other posts.  There are actually TWO volumes. Feel free to click on this link for Volume 1 Of The Best Era In Dance Music.    I think one of the first times I heard "Pump Up The Jam" was when I was in the gym, but the song would peak at #2 on the Billboard Hot 100.

"All I Wanna Do Is Make Love To You" | Heart
If you watch the video to this song, the story is about a woman having a fling. Pretend you did not just read that :) Instead, think about "making love" to your partner on your wedding night after the greatest day of your life.  Released in March of 1990, "All I Wanna Do Is Make Love To You" would make it all the way to #2 on the Hot 100 chart. For more of the Best Power Ballads From The 80s And 90s, <---Click HERE

"Opposites Attract" | Paula Abdul
If you were watching MTV in early 1989, you probably remember seeing Arsenio Hall in Paula Abdul's first music video for "Straight Up".  As the 90s began, Paula Abdul was all over the radio.  I threw this song into the mix because it's so popular that brides and grooms have come together due to the fact that "opposites attract".  "Opposites Attract" would make it all the way to #1 on the Billboard Hot 100.

"Close To You" | Maxi Priest
For those brides and grooms who are lovers of reggae, I actually placed this song on my Top Songs For Reggae Cocktail Hour Playlist. Feel free to click over now to check that post if you like.  While the song is not full-blown reggae, it's got a touch of it, mixed in with pop and R&B, which made it a #1 hit on the Hot 100. The song also peaked at #2 on the Hot R&B and Hip-Hop Songs chart in 1990.

"Black Velvet" | Alannah Myles
"Black Velvet" was one of those songs that came out of nowhere in 1990. For me personally, I was drawn to the song because of the sexy and seductive vocals of Alannah Myles. Released at the beginning of 1990, Alannah Myles would score a #1 hit with "Black Velvet" on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, and it would become the biggest song of her career. Interested in more 90s One Hit Wonders?  Click on the preceding link.

"All Around The World" | Lisa Stansfield
At the end of 1989, Lisa Stansfield would release her first album Affection featuring her first radio single All Around The World. The song would peak at #3 on the Hot 100 chart, and also make it all the way to #1 on the Dance charts.

"If Wishes Came True" | Sweet Sensation
In the late 80s and early 90s, the freestyle music scene was going very strong. Back in the spring of 2021, I put together a list of selections of The Best Freestyle Music For Wedding Playlist <--CLICK HERE.  Sweet Sensation were a trio of lovely ladies from the Bronx section of New York City who'd score a #1 hit in the late summer of 1990. 

"The Power" | SNAP
Ah yes! We've reached the German eurodance section of this playlist of songs from 1990. Of course if you were paying attention, I've already featured an enduring dance song that could easily be placed in the same category as this iconic song from SNAP.  "The Power" peaked at #2 on the Billboard Hot 100 and would be an excellent addition to your wedding playlist. Crank it up now!

"Unskinny Bop" | Poison
In 1990, hairbands like Poison were still partaking in their 24 hour parties on the Sunset Strip in Los Angeles. It was not until September 1991 when Nirvana would release their album Nevermind that a lot of the hairbands would begin their decline. "Unskinny Bop" would be released during the hot summer of 1990 and peak at #3 on the Hot 100 chart, as well as #5 on the Mainstream Rock chart. 

"Downtown Train" | Rod Stewart
Back in 1985, Tom Waits would record and release his version of Downtown Train. You can find it on his album Rain Dogs.  At the end of 1989, Rod Stewart would release his album The Best Of Rod Stewart. The album would feature a cover of "Downtown Train"; the song would peak at #3 on the Hot 100, and #1 on the adult contemporary and mainstream rock charts in 1990.

"Here And Now" | Luther Vandross
What an absolutely perfect song for your wedding playlist!  For some of The Best Love Songs Of The 90s, <---CLICK HERE. "Here And Now" would break into the Top 10 on the Hot 100, and also peak at #3 on the AC chart in 1990. The song would become one of the many signature songs of the incredible career of Luther Vandross.

"Ice Ice Baby" | Vanilla Ice
Wow! Has it really been 31 years (at the time of this post) since the release of  Ice Ice Baby? There are some DJs who put this in the cheesy category, but I am not one of those DJs who feel it's reached that point, especially when you don't really need to play the entire song. Released in the summer of 1990, "Ice Ice Baby" would make it the way to #1 on the Hot 100.

"U Can't Touch This" | MC Hammer
Was 1990 the year of sampling? Well, "Ice Ice Baby" sampled Queen's "Under Pressure", and then you had "U Can't Touch This" sampling "Superfreak" by Rick James.  Released just in time for the summer of 1990, "U Can't Touch This" would make it all the way to #8 on the Hot 100 chart.

"I'll Be Your Shelter" | Taylor Dayne
Written by legendary songwriter Diane Warren, "I'll Be Your Shelter" was featured on Taylor Dayne's 1989 album Can't Fight Fate.  Taylor Dayne was one of the many Ladies Of The 80s who I had a crush on. When you click on the link up above on the song title and view the music video, you'll see exactly why that crush was justified. "I'll Be Your Shelter" would be released during the spring of 1990 and peak at #4 on the Hot 100 by July 1990.

"Enjoy The Silence" | Depeche Mode
And now we've reached the alternative section of this selection of songs from 1990 for your wedding playlist.  I feel like whenever I was out and about in the summer of 1990, "Enjoy The Silence" was in heavy rotation on the radio. The song can be found on the album Violator, and would peak at #8 on the Hot 100 chart.  For more of the Best 90s Alternative Songs For Your Wedding Playlist, <----Click HERE

"Everybody Everybody" | Blackbox
Up above, I featured some German eurodance, so why not continue to explore the dance music of Europe by featuring an Italian house music group? Blackbox would release of some of the most iconic dance songs in the 90s!  You'd begin to hear "Everybody Everybody" in the clubs across America and by the fall of that year, the song would peak at #8 on the Billboard hot 100.

"Forever" | KISS
Do you want to know how I discovered KISS? I was a young 8 year old in 1981 who was tagging along with his sisters to the record store. Being bored, I began flipping through the records and came across those  four painted iconic faces that caused a lot of parents to be worried for their children back in the 70s. Fast forward to the winter of 1990, KISS had long since taken their makeup off and become just another hair band and did what hair bands do, release power ballads.  Written by lead singer Paul Stanley along with Michael Bolton, "Forever" would be released in January of 1990 and become a Top 10 hit for KISS.

"I've Been Thinking About You" | Londonbeat
Londonbeat would release their album In The Blood in 1990, and by the fall of that year would be all over the radio.  "I've Been Thinking About You" would make it all the way to #1 in a dozen or so countries, including the Billboard Hot 100.

"All The Man That I Need" | Whitney Houston
In February 2021, to commemorate the 9th anniversary of the passing of Whitney Houston, I put together a Best Whitney Houston Songs For Wedding Playlists post. Feel free to click on that link and you'll find this song along with a lot of the other great hits from this iconic singer.  "All The Man That I Need" would be the second song to be released from her album I'm Your Baby Tonight at the end of 1990 and would peak at #1 on the Hot 100 and AC chart.

"All My Life" | Linda Ronstadt & Aaron Neville
One of the best collaborations of the 80s and 90s that produced some of the most enduring love songs was Linda Ronstadt & Aaron Neville. During the fall of 1989, they'd release "Don't Know Much", which is one of The Best Love Songs Of The 80s <---Click HERE. In the winter of 1990, Linda Ronstadt and Aaron Neville would follow-up with "All My Life", which would peak at #1 on the AC chart for 3 weeks.

Looking To Speak With A Top Wedding DJ For Your Wedding?
Thank you so much for making it all the way to the end of this post. If you think 1990 was an excellent year in music, you ain't nothing seen yet. Back in the fall of 2019, I published a post about 1991 And How It Might Just Be The Greatest Year Of 90s Music <---Click HERE to check it out.  If you just got engaged and have begun the search for a top wedding DJ for your most special day, I would love to speak with you. All wedding DJs are not created equal.  More often than not, you are going to be approached by so many average wedding DJs who look at your wedding day as just another gig on their calendar. This is NOT my approach.  I would love to hear more about your big day. Click the link up above to be taken over to my contact form. There, you'll be asked for some basic details about your wedding day. In the meantime, check out the link down below. I cannot wait to speak with you and begin to plan the music for your wedding day. Thanks again for stopping by. 

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