45. NEW KIDS ON THE BLOCK - "Step By Step"(Columbia, 1990)
Yes, before I knew it was happening, I got caught up into the New Kids mania that swept the nation at the turn of the decade ... though I wouldn't quite call myself a "Blockhead". But with this first-rate bunch of tracks -- "Call It What You Want", "Games", "Let's Try It Again", the slightly silly "Tonight", and of course the title track -- displaying the guys' talent and versatility better than ever, how can I be blamed? I call this a classic, no matter what anyone says.
44. THE SUNDAYS - "Reading, Writing and Arithmetic"(DGC, 1990)
The debut album from this UK group -- featuring gorgeous guitars that all but define the term "jangly", and the airy voice of lead singer Harriet Wheeler (which lay about halfway between Bic Runga and The Cranberries' Dolores O'Riordan) -- gave us the international smash hit single "Here's Where The Story Ends" and nine other just-as-delightful tracks, and entertained me through two more enchanting, folk-rock-flavored albums.
43. SWIRL 360 - "Ask Anybody"(Mercury, 1998)
This American outfit (consisting of twins Kenny and Denny Scott) were basically a power-pop band, but with the emphasis far more on the "pop" side. Hit single "Hey Now Now", aural confection "Candy In The Sun", and later Click Five semi-cover "I'll Take My Chances" had plenty of guitars, but was just as generous with the programming flourishes and loops. The result: gourmet ear candy. Tragically, company buyouts resulted in this being their only major-label release.
42. PC QUEST - "PC Quest"(RCA, 1991)
He's now got some serious cred as a founding member of Shiny Toy Guns, but Chad Petree cut his musical teeth as a member (along with his older brother Stephen) of this sugary teen-pop group. Cloying ballads like "After The Summer's Gone" and "Can I Call You My Girl?" are made up for by upbeat and geuinely likeable ditties like "Show Me" and "Loverboy", and proved popular enough to earn them a second album. Vintage '90s cheese should always taste this good.
41. CHRISTIAN WUNDERLICH - "Real Good Moments"(Chlodwig/Germany, 1999)
This German soap-opera actor and teen idol decided to take a crack at singing ... and it turns out he wasn't half bad, turning out this enjoyable album of pop tunes, followed by one more. This one's highlighted by the first single "That's My Way To Say Goodbye", the breezy "So In Love", the heart-tugging ballad "In Heaven" (as well as the videos for all three on the ehnahnced portion of the disc), and maybe the best cover of Barry Manilow's "Mandy" I've ever heard. He might not have the best voice, but that's part of his charm.
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