If readers think 1991 was weird, take a look at what Soundscan wrought. A murder ballad from Richard Marx. The bassist in David Bowie’s “Blue Jean” video writing a song insisting he was sexier than his cat. A person named Sophie B. Hawkins, zonked out like prime Stevie Nicks, purloining a Zep beat to wax poetic about visions and mountains while making love to Beverly Hills 90210‘s Kelly Taylor as if she were Dylan McKay. Meanwhile Soundscan wrought its influence on the chart. Tom Cochran’s “Life is a Highway” was the year’s “Wicked Game”: a guitar song played by a white guy with an accent, only louder and whiter and ready for Taco Bell. I hadn’t heard K.W.S.’ KC and the Sunshine Band since a Cancun trip that summer (once again: basso voice chanting PLEASE DON’T GO over house organ preset).
One advantage: Soundscan allowed hits to live as we experienced them in real time. Setting aside his status as one of Emilio Estefan’s indentured songwriters, which guaranteed him South Florida radio play, Jon Secada’s “Just Another Day” was the Song of the Summer for anyone with a working car before Hurricane Andrew; and, in a reflection of the increased A/C-i-zation of pop, boomers Don Henley and Patty “The Warrior” Smythe” took “Sometimes Love Just Ain’t Enough” to #2 for six weeks, legitimately tying “End of the Road” for Song of the Fall. That thing — at the same time as En Vogue, TLC, and Shanice demonstrated the continued vitality of black female R&B not recorded by Janet Jackson; Mary J. Blige makes her first of many appearances this year too. For a while it felt like Miami was representing: Kris Kross’ “Jump Jump” and Sir Mix-a-Lot’s “Baby Got Back” hijacked the chart from late spring to early summer with hits that felt like the cars were still goin’ boom, for, after all, “Rippin'” was a huge regional hit.
End to end, my top ten is as strong-weird as 1991’s, crowned by Vanessa Williams’ “Save the Best for Last,” a ballad of surpassing generosity about a woman who accepts her cheatin’ husband. Williams sings it like a normal person who got lucky and accepts that things may suck again. This was rare in the increasingly go-go nineties.
The Hague
Whitney Houston – I Will Always Love You
Tom Cochran – Life is a Highway
Genesis – I Can’t Dance
Boyz II Men – End of the Road
The Heights – How Do You Talk to an Angel
Atlantic Starr – Masterpiece
Celine Dion & Peabo Bryson – Beauty and the Beast
Shanice – Saving Forever for You
MC Hammer – Addams Groove
Celine Dion – If You Asked Me To
Mr. Big – To Be with You
Meh
Eric Clapton – Tears in Heaven
Right Said Fred – I’m Too Sexy
Joe Public – Live and Learn
K.W.S. – Please Don’t Go
Shai – If I Ever Fall in Love
Bobby Brown – Humpin’ Around
Arrested Development – People Everyday
Elton John – The One
Patty Smyth and Don Henley – Sometimes Love Just Ain’t Enough
Amy Grant – Good For Me
Boyz II Men – In the Still of the Nite
Wreckx-n-Effect – Rump Shaker
Ugly Kid Joe – Everything About You
Hi-Five – She’s Playing Hard to Get
Mariah Carey – I’ll Be There
Bobby Brown – Good Enough
Prince and the NPG – Diamonds and Pearls
Solid, Sound Entertainments
Luther Vandross & Janet Jackson – The Best Things in Life Are Free
TLC – Baby-Baby-Baby
Arrested Development – Tennessee
U2 – One
Tevin Campbell – Tell Me What You Want Me to Do
Michael Jackson – Remember the Time
House of Pain – Jump Around
TLC – Ain’t 2 Proud 2 Beg
Sir Mix-a-Lot – Baby Got Back
Billie Ray Cyrus – Achy Breaky Heart
Technotronic – Move This
Madonna – This Used to Be My Playground
Guns ‘N Roses – November Rain
Red Hot Chili Peppers – Under the Bridge
En Vogue – Giving Him Something He Can Feel
Mary J. Blige – Real Love
Good to Great
Shanice – I Love Your Smile
Nirvana – Smells Like Teen Spirit
Sophie B. Hawkins – Damn! I Wish I Was Your Lover
Vanessa Williams – Save the Best for Last
Richard Marx – Hazard
Shakespear’s Sister – Stay
George Michael – Too Funky
Mint Condition – Breakin’ My Heart (Pretty Brown Eyes)
George Michael & Elton John – Don’t Let the Sun Go Down on Me
En Vogue – My Lovin’ (You’re Never Gonna Get It)
P.M. Dawn – I’d Die Without You
U2 – Mysterious Ways
Mariah Carey – Make It Happen
Jon Secada – Just Another Day
Kriss Kross – Jump
Snap! – Rhythm is a Dancer
TLC – What About Your Friends
En Vogue – Free Your Mind
Michael Jackson – In the Closet
Madonna – Erotica
Humanizing The Vacuum 
WoW- The surprises here are Whitney in the Hagued- A new generation of critics seem to love it- Even Rob Sheffield sang his praises in RS.
And Snap’s “Rythm Is a Dancer” in good to great, frecuently appeared in “worst of” for rhyming dancer with cancer. I felt weird with that, for I didn’t notice that up until recently, since my feet kept me busying dancing this euphoric disco/house smash-too loud to hear the lyrics!!
Nope! Houston’s hits are repugnant, with exceptions noted in these lists back to 1985.