18. MC Hammer - "U Can't Touch This" (1990)
Speaking from our experience as a high-schooler in Middle America when this song was released, we can vouch for the fact that there was a point in history when most people thought not only that MC Hammer was actually cool, but that wearing harem pants was actually quite a good idea. Of course this was just months before Nirvana came in and blew the doors off the music industry, and nothing Hammer released after this had anywhere near the same impact, but MC Hammer proved that all you needed for a MTV hit in the early 90's was a goofy dance and a Rick James sample. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=otCpCn0l4Wo
17. Sinead O'Connor - "Nothing Compares 2 U" (1990)
Before her numerous media meltdowns and her infamous Saturday Night Live appearance where she destroyed a picture of the Pope while furiously hissing "Fight the real evil", there was this starkly simple but instantly emotionally devastating video. It consists of an extreme close-up of Connor's face as she lip-syncs to her version of the then obscure Prince track. The hook? About two-thirds of the way through we see a tear fall down her cheek, causing a generation of viewers to suddenly sniffle and declare their eyes were dusty. This wasn't the typical lasers, gauze and smoke machines we were used to seeing. This was something honest and real. And after this video, all artists were desperate to convey a sense of realness and sincerity. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iUiTQvT0W_0