Next up: 1990. Not great, though a much better list than the pop charts, but be warned: I’ve looked ahead, and it’s actually shocking how negative an impact Nirvana’s popularity had on the alternative charts (and I like Nirvana). In a few short years, it went from the interesting “college rock” of the '80s to total frat-boy/douche rock, suburban mall punk, and grunge lite - in other words, poseurs of every stripe. Not quite there yet (though for my tastes, Jane’s Addiction falls under that umbrella, as do the Red Hot Chili Peppers, who will be making appearances soon), but even now, there’s not a lot of the shoegaze/Madchester stuff I’d have hoped for.
Joey just tears me up - I totally buy the melodrama and Johnette’s delivery. But I would probably pick Enjoy the Silence before it…ETA - some sort of Freudian Slip - Policy of Truth…
I’ll vote for Been Caught Stealing, because it’s the only one of these songs I actually recognize. Granted, I was 7 years old in 1990 and the only popular music I knew was my dad’s old records from the '60s and '70s and the classic rock he listened to in the car, but the fact that this song alone of the lot still gets any amount of airplay these days must say something for it.
Blue Sky Mine for me. I’m always up for a good working man song.
As for the shoegaze/mall punk stuff? It happens, we got popular. No need to bemoan the fact. What’s a religion to do when Satan himself finds Jesus?
Lot of quality choices here, to my mind. I think “Cuts You Up” is pretty underrated, “Blue Sky Mine” is excellent, “Nothing Compares 2 U” is iconic, but I give it a pass for being overplayed.
But I have to go with “More” from Sisters of Mercy. Don’t get a lot of chances to vote for the Sisters and they need all the love they can get 
Sinead O’Connor - Nothing Compares 2 U
Just as in the regular charts, nothing else comes even close to this classic for me.
Blue Sky Mine for me, as well. For an Australian bands to make the charts in America with songs about the plight of aboriginal people and miners’ rights is practically a pop culture miracle.
Easy. Jane’s Addiction, “Been Caught Stealing.”
I thought woodstockybird’s description of poseur music, frat boy rock, etc. was spot on, except I don’t associate any of that with Jane’s Addiction.
I went with “Been Caught Stealing” but I could have just as easily gone with “Blue Sky Mine,” or even “Nothing Compares 2 U,” which was also on the Hot 100 pop chart (and the one I voted for there.) Some reasonable songs here, but I’m still surprised at how unexciting even the top of the Modern Rock charts are. For both '89 and '90, if the Modern Rock and Hot 100 charts were combines, I could have easily gone for a Hot 100 #1 song for the year overall.
Don’t tell me Dave Matthews Band will soon be appearing on these lists. 
Either Jane’s Addiction, Depeche Mode, Sundays, Concrete Blond, INXS, or Peter Murphy. I’ll vote later.
For me it came down to “Stop” and “Cuts You Up.” I love that whole Peter Murphy album and it’s one of the few from that era that I still like to put on in the background when I want something slightly mellow and familiar (Roxy Music Avalon is like that too).
I went with “Stop” mostly because I am compelled to always turn it way up when I’m driving and it pops up on shuffle. I do think that Ritual is the weakest of their original three albums, though.
Tough but I went with Concrete Blonde.
Some songs that made the modern rock charts this year that didn’t get to #1:
The Jesus & Mary Chain - Head On
Soup Dragons - I’m Free
Bob Mould - It’s Too Late
The House Of Love - I Don’t Know Why I Love You
They Might Be Giants - Birdhouse in Your Soul
Michael Penn - No Myth
The Wonder Stuff - Don’t Let Me Down, Gently
The Stone Roses - Fools Gold
Charlatans UK - The Only One I Know
Heart Throbs - Dreamtime
Morrissey - Picadilly Palare
Pixies - Velouria
Happy Mondays - Step On
Lightning Seeds - Pure
The The - Jealous of Youth
Social Distortion - Ball and Chain
The Cramps - Bikini Girls with Machine Guns
Not sure if those are any more exciting to you, but it gives a bigger picture of what was going on in the “underground” in 1990.
Well, no doubt that I loved a lot of the songs from that era. It’s just that the chart toppers are a bit surprisingly dull. They’re really not all that much better than the pop charts, in my opinion.
If this were the list … as much as I would have loved to vote for a Bob Mould song, “It’s Too Late” is fine but far from the best off of Black Sheets.
It’s a Shame About Ray…
From that list, Pixies.
Great album (from 1992.)
Oops, wrong thread. :o