This is what I meant when I said I had ideas for other big projects - more wide drawings for everyone! (And again, you might have to download it.)

You've probably heard me talk about this project I undertook a while back where I analyzed the evolution of popular music from 1970 to 1999 (which I lovingly billed "Then! That's What I Called Music"). It's all over and done with now, but I quite enjoyed listening to the music - it gave me a shot of nostalgia in a big way. And so, I decided to do a ten-drawing tribute series to the music that defined the decade I (mostly) grew up in, the 1990s. Here's the first installment - from left to right, we have...

- Garth Brooks: With the 1990 release of Brooks' second album, No Fences, country was suddenly cool again, and barflies across the USA fell in love with the antics of a high-energy cowboy who had "Friends in Low Places".
- Wilson Phillips: Cleverly named after the three women who comprise the group (Chynna Phillips and Carnie & Wendy Wilson), you may remember their debut album and the inspirational hit that it spawned, "Hold On". Despite being a touching piece about the power of perseverance, it still gets reduced to easy-listening and Muzak stations nationwide. Shame, really.
- Vanilla Ice: America's least favorite white rapper. Stumbled onto the scene with the self-centered and shamelessly Queen-sampling "Ice Ice Baby". Has done nothing worthwhile since then, despite his ability to both rock the mic like a vandal and wax a chump like a candle. If you didn't like him (and I don't blame you), there was always...
- MC Hammer: The be-parachute-panted rap superstar first exploded into the urban consciousness with the Rick James-inspired "U Can't Touch This". Definitely the better performer when compared to Ice, though no less self-congratulatory. The less said about his animated series, though, the better.
- Sinead O'Connor: No, bald is not necessarily beautiful, but it doesn't have to be. O'Connor's subtly biographical "Nothing Compares 2 U" might have been a smash, but it didn't stop us from basically kicking her off the planet two years later when she tore up a photo of Pope John Paul II on "Saturday Night Live".
- Paula Abdul and MC Skat Kat: Perhaps the most animated celebrity couple ever, their hit single "Opposites Attract" proved that even in the face of a total lack of common interests, love can prevail. Even if one of you is a cartoon cat.
- Nelson: Brothers Matthew and Gunnar (yes, brothers) brought androgyny back to the world of glam rock with "(I Can't Live Without Your) Love and Affection". Luckily for any confused male fans who were bizarrely attracted to them, the entire glam rock genre completely died one year later.
- Bell Biv Devoe: With Bobby Brown off on a solo gig, it was up to New Edition members Ricky Bell, Michael Biv, and Ronny Devoe to carry on. And on they carried with the memorable hip-hop track "Poison", warning single men across America to never trust a big butt and a smile.
- Mariah Carey: Splitting ears across the nation with her five-octave vocal range, Carey's self-titled debut album and the smash hit "Vision of Love" made it clear that the newcomer diva was here to stay. Until she went nuts in 2001, of course.
- Madonna: Okay, so technically, her heyday was in the 1980s. But 1990 was the year that Madonna did two very significant things. Not only did she appear as femme fatale Breathless Mahoney in the film Dick Tracy (proving to the world that her acting skills still had not improved since Shanghai Surprise), but her hit single "Vogue" had everyone striking a pose and dancing with their hands.

Coming soon in 1991 - Amy Grant crosses over, Metallica sells out, and Kurt Cobain shares his feelings, whether you like it or not...