Highlights
In an off year for spelling, top honors went to Sinead O'Connor's "Nothing Compares 2 U," and MC Hammer's "U Can't Touch This," mega-hits from two visionary artists who anticipated the texting craze back when people were still using "car phones."
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Janet Jackson attends the 1997 Video Music Awards at the Radio City Music Hall in NYC
Photo By Brenda Chase/ Getty Images
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Janet Jackson at the 1994 MTV Video Music Awards at Radio City Music Hall in New York City, New York
Photo By Jeff Kravitz/FilmMagic
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09.06.90, Los Angeles: Three-peat! Arsenio Hall throws on his pork pie hat and returns in style to host the MTV Video Music Awards for the third year in a row.
Photo By MTV
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09.06.90, Los Angeles: It's Hammer time! And by Hammer time we mean time for MC Hammer to outbelly Britney Spears in her own future maternity spacesuit.
Photo By MTV
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009.06.90, Los Angeles: Sinead O'Connor takes a break from collecting Moonmen (she won three!) and performs her hit, “Nothing Compares 2 U,” at the 1990 MTV Video Music Awards.
Photo By MTV
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09.06.90, Los Angeles: Years before she and Alec Baldwin would giddily stomp on each other’s lives, stunner Kim Basinger presents Best Dance Video in a sweet leather jacket. Just hope it doesn’t rain.
Photo By MTV
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09.06.90, Los Angeles: M.C. Hammer and his entourage accept the award for Best Dance Video, one of two Moonmen won for “U Can’t Touch This” at the 1990 VMAs.
Photo By MTV
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09.06.90, Los Angeles: Mike Patton of Faith No More gets a helping hand from somewhere inside his pants during his performance at the 1990 VMAs.
Photo By MTV
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09.06.90, Los Angeles: 2 Live Crew speaks out about censorship and our constitutional rights in their performance of the song, "Banned in the USA."
Photo By MTV
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09.06.90, Los Angeles: The ever-shocking Madonna channels Marie Antoinette in her highly stylized performance of "Vogue."
Photo By MTV
