Top 15 Best Hit Songs of 1992: Part 1

Best Hit Songs of 1992

Part 1: “Worst” Hit Songs and Honorable Mentions

Hey there, welcome back to my blog. This time, I’m going to be looking back at 1992, the first year from the 20th Century that I’ve covered and an absolutely fantastic year for popular music. I’m not sure if ‘92 is an outlier or if it is what I should expect from retro years going forward, but maybe Le Wrong Generation me from three years ago was right after all. Of the 100 songs on this Year-End list, there were only sixteen that scored a 2/5 or below, and there was not a single 0/5 song on the entire Year-End list. There was so little bad music this year that I am not going to do a full worst list, but rather summarize my thoughts on each song that scored a 2/5 or below, before going on to the many, many honorable mentions for the best list, which I have expanded to 15 due to the abundance of great music (34 eligible songs in the Great Tier). So, here are the sixteen songs that scored a 2/5 or below.

MEDIOCRE TIER

Tennessee by Arrested Development: It’s well written but does nothing for me. I, a white guy from the north, am obviously not the target demographic for this song, so while I respect it to a good degree, it’s just not in my ballpark.

I Can’t Dance by Genesis: I can sort of get into the stripped-back Blues Rock sound of the song, but Phil Collins’ yelping isn’t my cup of tea. I don’t think he’s a bad singer, and I did like No Son Of Mine (albeit not enough to make the best list) but this isn’t his strong suit.

Damn I Wish I Was Your Lover by Sophie B. Hawkins: It’s fine

Hazard by Richard Marx: Richard Marx is fine by me, but this is lame. I’m surprised it was on Diamond Axe Studios’ Best of 1992 list.

All 4 Love/Thinkin’ Back by Color Me Badd: Color Me Badd is really, really lame. They’re a much whiter version of Boyz II Men, even though only one of them is actually white.

Do I Have To Say The Words by Bryan Adams: Bryan Adams gets wayyyy too much s**t in the music review community (Everything I Do in particular is overhated to a ridiculous degree), but I’ve got to agree with the consensus here, this is pretty lame. Why should I listen to this when I could listen to Love Bites by Def Leppard (a much better song that this is clearly ripping off) instead?

Set Adrift On Memory Bliss by PM Dawn: The Spandau Ballet sample is fine, but this is one of the most 5/10 songs I’ve ever heard.

2 Legit 2 Quit by MC Hammer: I’ll say this: I now understand why MC Hammer became a punchline for so long after this (although Addams Groove is admittedly a guilty pleasure), because this is really repetitive and lame.

I Love Your Smile by Shanice: Hey, speaking of lame. Sure, it’s kind of charming in its innocence, but it also sounds like it belongs more on Sesame Street than in the Year-End Top 20. It’s basically the Kidz Bop version of itself.

Wildside by Marky Mark and The Funky Bunch: Yup, Marky Mark was not a one-hit wonder. His other hit, Wildside, is taking the bassline from Lou Reed’s Walk On The Wild Side and attempts to recreate it for the Early 90s. Needless to say, it doesn’t go so well. Now, I’ll be honest, the first verse is actually pretty good, but the rest of the song is… not so good. You can see other music reviewers talk about it in more detail, but I’ll just leave it at this.

Blame it on a black man… W H A T  T H E  H E C C

A hail of bullets zipped through the crowd. One hit Tiffany, A N D  I N S T A N T L Y  S H E  D I E D

Humpin’ Around by Bobby Brown: The chorus melody is a schoolyard taunt, that’s all I have to say.

Masterpiece by Atlantic Starr: It’s almost impressively lame.

This Used To Be My Playground by Madonna: Zzzzzz…

BAD TIER

Please Don’t Go by KWS: A much better critic than I once stated that he was not a fan of repetition in music, and I’m inclined to agree. It’s the bottom of the barrel when it comes to Early 90s House music.

When A Man Loves A Woman by Michael Bolton: I think that Michael Bolton gets too much hate (his other hit this year, Missing You Now, is a guilty pleasure), but good lord, did we not need this. I’m not the biggest fan of the original from 1966, but it’s definitely better than the cover from 25 years later where Bolton sings so hard that his vocal cords probably tore in half. But alas, this is not my least favorite song of the year, so what could that be?

What About Your Friends by TLC: Yup, I’m not lying here. This song about social distrust by one of the most popular and acclaimed girl groups of all time is my least favorite hit of the entire year. Now, it’s not completely worthless, but I still can’t stand to listen to it. It gives me the same feeling of dread and exasperation that I get from It’s Been Awhile by Staind, my least favorite hit of 2001. It’s the bottom of the barrel for New Jack Swing, and in my humble (and probably wrong) opinion, it’s The Worst Hit Song of 1992.

Now, on to the best list, or at least the honorable mentions.

Honorable Mention: Have You Ever Needed Someone So Bad by Def Leppard (Peak: #12, Year-End: #80)

So, 1992 was the year that Hair Metal died. I didn’t need to say that, you guys already knew. Even if a certain trio from Seattle who won’t be appearing on this list hadn’t busted down the door at the end of the previous year, it’d still have died by 1993, because it was a genre that was well past it’s Late 80s peak and was already losing ground to both Thrash Metal and Alt-Rock. However, that doesn’t mean that it couldn’t get some parting shots in before it fully kicked the bucket, and this power ballad from one of the genre’s heavyweights is one of them. While it’s by no means my favorite power ballad of 1992, it’s still something I like a fair deal.

Honorable Mention: Everything About You by Ugly Kid Joe (Peak: #9, Year-End: #72)

Now, for a song that bridged the gap between Hair Metal and Grunge. The Hair Metal part comes from the kickass guitar riff and solo, and the Grunge part from the “I don’t give a damn” attitude of the song. It’s a comedy song about how the narrator hates everything and everyone, and takes great pride in doing so. It’s honestly kinda similar to the similarly douchey Hot Girl Bummer (an early contender for my least favorite hit of 2020), but unlike that one, it’s clearly meant as a joke (and even if Blackbear meant Hot Girl Bummer as a joke, he sure as heck didn’t pull it off). This isn’t too different from Because I Got High or anything by Weird Al, which is why it doesn’t fall flat on its face.

Honorable Mention: Life Is A Highway by Tom Cochrane (Peak: #6, Year-End: #18)

Rascal Flatts did it better, expect to see that on my Best of 2006 list once I get around to it (especially considering that, AFAIK, 2006 was quite a subpar year for popular music). Doesn’t mean that I still don’t like the original, though.

Honorable Mention: Jump Around by House Of Pain (Peak: #3, Year-End: #24)

One of the most well-remembered hits of 1992, Jump Around is a staple at parties and sporting events to this day, and for dang good reason. If I didn’t have earbuds on, I would most certainly get up and jump around, but that doesn’t mean that I can’t rock my chair back and forth to this banger.

Honorable Mention: Finally/We Got A Love Thang by CeCe Peniston (Peak: #5/#20, Year-End: #20/#97)

If Please Don’t Go was the bottom of the barrel for House music, than this must be the top of said barrel, because both of these songs are bops. For as repetitive as they are, it’s still a lot of fun, and it’s a shame that both these songs as well as the woman who made them are largely forgotten (or at least until someone samples one of them).

Honorable Mention: Baby Got Back by Sir Mix A Lot (Peak: #1, Year-End: #2)

On the other hand, this is a song that has already been sampled, and for dang good reason. For as much as I’m clearly not the target demographic for this, I still find myself laughing more than a few times throughout this song. The opening line is one of the most famous in the history of popular music, and for good reason, because I too happen to like big butts, and I cannot lie about that.

Honorable Mention: Giving Him Something He Can Feel by En Vogue (Peak: #6, Year-End: #29)

Hmm, there were good cover songs in 1992. Originally performed by The Queen of Soul herself (R.I.P), En Vogue covered it as a smooth Doo-Wop jam that I can imagine many babies born in 1993 were conceived to (this came out in June of ‘92, and I’m sure y’all know how long pregnancy lasts). While En Vogue’s two other hits this year were solid, this is the one that really stood out to me.

Honorable Mention: Back To The Hotel by N2Deep (Peak: #14, Year-End: #78)

A transitional song between the Pop-Rap that dominated the Early 90s and the Gangsta Rap that would follow, Back To The Hotel builds a common sax sample and bass groove into an underrated gem of a song about bringing girls to the hotel to… engage in some certain activities. You know what, I honestly don’t care when it kicks this much ass.

Honorable Mention: Everything Changes by Kathy Troccoli (Peak: #14, Year-End: #79)

So, you’re telling me that this dated cheese made the list and Smells Like Teen Spirit didn’t? Well yes, I am indeed telling you that. Sure, it sounds like a Rick Astley song from five years prior and Troccoli is… not the most impressive singer (she sounds constipated if I’m being honest), but dang it, let me have my guilty pleasures.

(No offense if you’re reading this, Kathy Trocolli, I like the song and I’m sure you’re a wonderful lady)

Honorable Mention: Baby-Baby-Baby/Ain’t 2 Proud 2 Beg by TLC (Peak: #2/#6, Year-End: #5/#36)

Maybe this will get rid of some of the bad juju from putting What About Your Friends as my least favorite hit of the year, cause yeah, I liked TLC’s other two hits this year. Baby X3 is simply about how he’s got to be invested in the relationship beyond sex and how he should be grateful that she picked him out of the many men she could have (also, that pre-chorus is strangely beautiful), which TLC pulled off without sounding condescending. Also, the production has held up very well and the ladies from TLC are quite talented.

Ain’t 2 Proud 2 Beg, on the other hand is a lot more… raunchy than the previous song. Basically, the title explains it all, she’s not too proud to beg for some lovin’, if you know what I mean (wink wink nudge nudge). It could’ve very well ended up like What About Your Friends, but they manage to walk the line in this time, so TLC were 2-4-3 in 1992.

Honorable Mention: The Way I Feel About You by Karyn White (Peak: #12, Year-End: #63)

This is basically Everything Changes, but with a better singer and more timely New Jack Swing production.

Honorable Mention: Come And Talk To Me by Jodeci (Peak: #11, Year-End: #31)

The 90s were a high point for R&B, and Jodeci was one of the leading groups of the era. I wouldn’t mind if Bruno Mars went in this direction for his next album, whenever that’s coming and assuming he’s still making pastiches of retro R&B. I can assume that many babies were made to this (or songs like it).

Honorable Mention: Jump/Warm It Up by Kris Kross (Peak: #1/#13, Year-End: #3/#65)

Kris Kross were a Hip-Hop duo from Atlanta that were notable for being kids when they broke out. They had two major hits in 1992, Jump and Warm It Up, and both were awesome. The beats on both of the songs should be grating due to the high pitched, squeaky synths, but they somehow come out sounding fantastic. Mac Daddy and Daddy Mac both have strong flows, and not just for 13 year olds. However, the best thing about both songs are the punchlines at the end of each verse. For example…

“And everything is to the back with a little slack, cause inside out is wiggity wiggity wiggity wack”

And…

“So all y’all with the Dr. Seuss riddles, you can get the finger…. THE MIDDLE”

Brilliant. So yeah, Kriss Kross was awesome. Also, Mac Daddy died of an overdose in 2013, so R.I.P.

Press F for Mac Daddy.

Honorable Mention: Remember The Time by Michael Jackson (Peak: #3, Year-End: #19)

This was the final cut from the list proper, and Good Lord was it tough to leave this off the list proper. While Black Or White is a pretty good song, my favorite single off of Dangerous has always been this New Jack Swing jam (get it, Jam). Lyrically, it’s quite simple, just MJ asking if his ex remembers the great times they had together, a premise that has been repeated, such as in Do You Remember by Jay Sean, a song that came very close to being an honorable mention on my Best of 2010 list. With this song, however, you replace Jay Sean, who is a solid but uninteresting performer, with Michael Jackson, the King of Pop. Combine that with production courtesy of New Jack Swing master Teddy Riley, and you have one of the best songs that genre ever produced. It pains me to leave MJ off the list, but alas, I’ve gotta do what I gotta do. Also, I’m planning on covering the 80s pretty soon, so I’ll have plenty of opportunities to praise the King of Pop there.

However, there is one final and very Honorable Mention left to go…

Honorable Mention: Bohemian Rhapsody by Queen (Peak: #2, Year-End: #39)

After Freddy Mercury’s death and the release of the movie Wayne’s World, Bohemian Rhapsody saw a re-release in January of 1992, but because of it being a re-release, it is ineligible for this list. However, it did make the 1976 Year-End Hot 100, so if I ever get around to that year, expect me to praise this out the wazoo. Had it been eligible for this list, though, it would’ve been my #2, which means that, yes, my #1 is IMO better than Bohemian Rhapsody. 

However, that’ll have to wait for next time, when I tackle the Top 15 Best Hit Songs of 1992. I’ll see y’all there, and until then, have a great day.