Every Billboard Modern Rock/Alternative #1 Single (Part 2: The 1990s)

This song got A LOT of airplay, to the point where I got tired of hearing it. Nothing like constant airplay to tune a pleasant song into an annoying earwig. While I did like the tune, it never inspired me to rush out and but the LP.

 

Well, I didn't remember "Forgotten Years" by Midnight Oil at all. Not a bad song but not one of their best.
I always loved "Here's Where The Story Ends" by The Sundays but not enough to explore them much. Maybe I should finally do that. Don't know many of the top ten aside from the future #1s so I'll wait to talk about them.

 

That's a shame. Every song on Reading, Writing and Arithmetic is a gem.

 

Every song they ever made is a gem!
In my humble opinion, of course.
(And perhaps influenced slightly by the fact that they only made three albums.)

 

Yeah, the Sundays really had a winner there. That record still sounds great and current today. Not too much 90's frosting.

 

Wow, hadn't heard that Sundays song in YEARS! I used to have all their CDs, but I guess I never felt strongly enough about the music to keep them. Harriet Wheeler has a pretty voice, though...

 

I got into the Sundays because I was told that they were a cross between the Smiths and the Cocteau Twins, and what's not to love about that combination? I really dig their first album, but everything after that fell flat to me (Cry is the exception that proves the rule; it's a great pop single, but it has none of the magic of Reading, Writing, & Arithmetic).

Still, that one album is a gem. It's so good that Here's Where The Story Ends isn't even close to being my favourite song. "England, my country, the home of the free...such miserable weather!" Swoon.

 

"Here's Where The Story Ends" by The Sundays...I would not have thought this was from 1990. It got lots of airplay in the mid 90s and I remember it quite well. I've never explored any of their other material, but this song is pretty good. At the time I was hearing it on the radio there was so much other new music that appealed to me more.

 

I will have to check it out.

Meanwhile, “Here’s Where the Story Ends” has been in my head all day.

 

Here's Where the Story Ends is pleasant enough. You're Not the Only One is just dull to me. I hear The Sundays as being more decent background music like at a casual restaurant or something, not anything I would want to sit down and specifically listen to for enjoyment. I guess in that context it makes them leaning more muzak.

 

Next:

32. "Policy of Truth" by Depeche Mode


#1 for 1 week beginning June 2, 1990


"Policy of Truth" is a song by English electronic band Depeche Mode, released in May 1990 as the third single from their seventh studio album Violator (1990). Although the song was less successful than the first two singles before, it is the only Depeche Mode single to chart higher on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart (#15) than on the UK Singles Chart (#16), as well as peaking at number two on the Billboard Dance Club Songs chart.[2] It also became the band's second chart-topper on the Billboard Modern Rock Tracks chart.

Top 10 for the week of 6/2/1990:
01. "Policy of Truth" by Depeche Mode
02. "Way Down Now" by World Party *
03. "Here's Where the Story Ends" by the Sundays
04. "Forgotten Years" by Midnight Oil
05. "The Emperor's New Clothes" by Sinead O'Connor
06. "November Spawned a Monster" by Morrissey
07. "Downtown" by Lloyd Cole
08. "Pretty Pink Rose" by Adrian Belew and David Bowie
09. "When the River Runs Dry" by Hunters and Collectors
10. "Never Do That" by Pretenders

* Future #1

 

Policy of Truth
The third top ten (and second #1) for Depeche Mode from Violator. 'Policy of Truth' is easily my favorite of their singles from this album. I think it has a cracking melody, a great synth line and a general cool sense of detachment that brings the melody, lyrics and mood together into a great overall package. I've always really dug this one.

I never knew this song existed until this very moment:

('Pretty Pink Rose' by Adrian Belew and David Bowie)
I'm not a huge Bowie fan and I'm very interested to see what some big Bowie fans think of this song. I kind of think it sucks.

 

Wow. I'm pretty much the exact opposite as you on these two songs. While I thought "Policy Of Truth" was ok, it was definitely my least favorite of the three hits off Violator. As for "Pretty Pink Rose", well it's just an Adrian Belew song with Bowie singing with him and I've always liked Belew's rather quirky songwriting. I love the song, Bowie's just the icing on the creamy cupcake of a song.

 

A good Hunters and Collectors Song

 

Policy of Truth may be my favorite of all DM songs. It was definitely my favorite from the album.

 

That's the first time I've heard Pretty pink Rose, it would be better without Belew's somewhat silly guitar squeaks. It needed Ronson! I like it more than at least half of that top 10.

 

Policy of Truth is a good song, not my favorite of theirs, but I like it.

Not a fan of Morrissey at all, but I kinda liked November Spawned a Monster. That surprised me. I almost didn't bother listening to it.

Pretty Pink Rose got old by about 2 and half minute mark.

When the River Runs Dry by Hunters and Collectors is something I probably would have liked back in the day. Good song.

The Pretenders have never impressed me much. Every song has a very similar sound and vibe. Middle of the Road is the only one I really care for.

 

I *love* Chrissie and love the first few Pretenders albums, but I think their best work was their first few albums. I've only liked a few things here and there since.

 

Even this?

 

This is one of my favorite songs - simply one of the best songs ever written, in my opinion.

The lyrics, and where the song goes musically at the end....!!!!




(sorry, I know, slightly off topic.)

 

Attempting Bo Diddley there, nice. So that is something quite different.

 

My favorite song from the “Violator” LP - great tune and sonic textures are fabulous.

 

"Never Do That" by Pretenders...I really like this song. I like it better than "Back on the Chain Gang". Either it, or the Midnight Oil song, would be my favorite song on the latest chart.

"Policy of Truth" by Depeche Mode is also pretty good.

 

Be still my beating heart. Are you three trying to give an old man a heart attack!? There's a concurrent thread about songs that make the listener want to turn the volume up to eleven. Such is "Pretty Pink Rose" for me. In fact, listening to the video just now, I cranked the stereo volume as loud as possible without distortion. And chuckling in good humor and not being judgmental or critical at all, those "silly guitar squeaks" are righteous.

I bought The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars not long after its initial release, then proceeded to buy each Bowie album that followed, and managed to catch Bowie on the Station To Station tour as well as on the Stage / Heroes tour, the latter with Belew as lead guitarist. I have seen Belew in concert multiple times, more than any other single musician, with, as mentioned, Bowie, plus King Crimson, solo, Projekct Two, and the Power Trio. On the King Crimson Double Trio tour in 1995 Belew applied a power drill to his guitar, the vibrations near the strings, not actually touching, creating exquisite squeals.

For me, "Pretty Pink Rose" is a 10 on a 10 scale, and, importantly, fun. It isn't a grand statement by either Belew or Bowie.

A bit of history from The Complete David Bowie by Nicholas Pegg, page 165: "'Pretty Pink Rose' was originally demoed in early 1988 before becoming a Tin Machine reject. The song was brought to fruition in January 1990 when it was re-recorded for inclusion on Young Lions, the forthcoming album by Belew." ... "Although credited to 'Adrian Belew featuring David Bowie,' 'Pretty Pink Rose' is dominated by David's vocal performance and is a Bowie single in all but name."

I've always looked at it as a Belew composition, too.

George N.

 

Next:

33. "Way Down Now" by World Party


#1 for 5 weeks beginning June 9, 1990


"Way Down Now" is a song by British musical group World Party. It was released at the first single for their 1990 album Goodbye Jumbo. The song contains a nod to "Sympathy for the Devil" by The Rolling Stones.[1]

Top 10 for the week of 7/7/90:
01. "Way Down Now" by World Party
02. "Pretty Pink Rose" by Adrian Belew and David Bowie
03. "Policy of Truth" by Depeche Mode
04. "Joey" by Concrete Blonde *
05. "Never Do That" by Pretenders
06. "Give It Up" by Hothouse Flowers
07. "When the River Runs Dry" by Hunters and Collectors
08. "The Emperor's New Clothes" by Sinead O'Connor
09. "All I Want" by Lightning Seeds
10. "Sweet Smell of Success" by the Stranglers

* Future #1