5 Love Songs From 1990 That Sound Even Sweeter Today

In 1990, love was all around, especially in the various musical genres. From rock to pop, artists offered up parts of their souls to listeners, who in turn took these gifts and made it their own. While not every song from that year holds up in modern times, there are some love songs that continue to find their way onto shared playlists and mixed tapes. That's because, no matter when we hear them, a flood of emotion takes over every single time. Everything else washes away, as you're left with the music, words, and all it represents.Their sincerity stands the ultimate test of time.

For this feature, we selected five diverse tracks that have aged like a fine wine and sound as good now as they did back in the day. They're not cheesy; instead, they continue to be the soundtrack of both young and old and their experience with romance. So, let's head back to 1990 to see what's all the fuss and to find the love songs that still resonate today.

Forget about all the scandals and controversies that plagued Mötley Crüe for a second. When the rock band puts aside all its nonsense, a talented group of musicians resides there. More than just creators of party hearty anthems, they were capable of harnessing a genuine power ballad that captured the feeling of young, reckless love. "Without You" — a single from the album "Dr. Feelgood" — is a classic example.

Achieving Mötley Crüe's second-highest position on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1990, "Without You" is a swaying love song written by a man to a woman, describing how his life is better with her in it. At the same time, he emphasizes how everything would fall apart if she left. Spoiler alert: It doesn't.

The true story behind Mötley Crüe's "Without You" is that it's inspired by Tommy Lee's real-life marriage to actor Heather Locklear, whom even Lee's future wife Brittany Furlan would say was "the love of his life" (via People). It wasn't Lee who wrote the song, though; it was his bandmate Nikki Sixx. "They were coming over to my place all the time," Sixx told Rolling Stone. "I thought to myself one day, 'Without You' coming from Tommy's perspective, life would not be the same. It was a good relationship at that time." Even though Lee and Locklear's romance didn't last, someone else noticed the power of their connection — and that cherished moment in time lives on through the music.

Love is complicated, as it goes through various trials and tribulations. Is it worth fighting for? According to Michael Bolton's "How Can We Be Lovers," it might be if it matters to you. Consequently, this number reminds couples that the greatest part about love is the friendship at its core — and that's a universal and timeless truth.

Peaking at No. 3 and spending 18 weeks on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1990, "How Can We Be Lovers" is one of Bolton's defining songs, alongside "When a Man Loves a Woman" and "How Am I Supposed to Live Without You." If anything, it demonstrates that few knew how to write about love quite like Bolton, who ran the gamut of every facet of the complex emotion.

Bolton penned the song with Diane Warren and Desmond Child. On his YouTube channel, Bolton credited Child for his desire for "the power of truth" and how this influenced the message. "A simple question, a simple thought, turns into a powerful reality for people going through what they're going through," Bolton said. "And 'how can we be lovers if we can't be friends?' is an interesting question considering that the main thing that you miss if your relationship doesn't work out, or temporarily it stops, who do you miss? You miss the best friend in your life."

The history behind "Nothing Compares 2 U" is that it was originally written by Prince in the '80s. Yet this song found a new lease on life when Sinéad O'Connor recorded and released it in 1990. The track hit No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 and sat at that spot for four weeks. Accompanied by the music video where O'Connor breaks down into tears, this soulful song explores the collapse of self when a lover leaves. The feeling of being lost and lonely, while reminiscing about what's no longer in your life anymore.

"Nothing Compares 2 U" might not be a happy song, but it's still about an important part of love: when it ends. Whether it be through the relationship running its course, or somebody passing away, every love story has a final chapter. And no other song captures this melancholy sentiment like "Nothing Compares 2 U."

As per Ringer, the lyrics for the song are inspired by Prince's experience of seeing his parents get divorced. However, O'Connor infused a different kind of raw emotion into it, partly because she channeled the emotion of losing her mother years earlier. Again, this isn't the most joyful song in the world, but it understands that not every part of love is sunshine and rainbows. Sometimes, love can break your heart, but that's what makes it mean even more.

How many songs are capable of entrancing the listener and absorbing them in their sonic orbit? Depeche Mode's "Enjoy the Silence" is one of them. Off the album "Violator" and released as a single in 1990, "Enjoy the Silence" continues to spark attention whenever it plays, largely due to the message of the song. It's about being present in the moment, appreciating the other person whom you share that special memory with. The silence isn't deafening in this instance; it's perfection.

Depeche Mode's Martin Gore emphasized this to MTV's "120 Minutes": "It's just about a feeling of not wanting anything else, feeling totally satisfied, and even words and everything seem an intrusion," he said. "You don't need anything else, you're totally happy. It's a nice song."

"Enjoy the Silence" rocketed to the No. 8 position on the Billboard Hot 100 and remains a love song that hits right in the feelings to this very day. Unsurprisingly, other artists like Lacuna Coil and Anberlin have covered the track, but nothing matches the sweet sensation of the original sung by the incomparable Dave Gahan.

Mariah Carey knows how to croon about love. Arguably, she's one of the singers who's built her music career around this topic — and let's be real, no "Best Love Hits of All Time" compilation is truly complete without a Carey classic.

It should be no surprise then that her debut single was a love song: "Vision of Love." The track soared to the top of the Billboard Hot 100 in 1990, staying there for four weeks and having everybody rave about Carey's technical ability. It's also a poignant and deeply powerful song, as Carey sings about all her dreams of love coming true with her partner. In terms of people dedicating "Vision of Love" to others, well, this is one song that will have the recipient smiling the broadest grin ever because of the content of the lyrics.

Not only is the track responsible for launching Carey's career, but it also inspired other musicians who know a thing or two about writing love songs as well. Beyoncé told the New Yorker it was "Vision of Love" that influenced her to practice "vocal runs." The question is, how many people are doing the same to the Carey classic right at this moment?