IT’S A CLASS OF 1992 REUNION WEEKEND! What hit, and what missed?

Looking back, 1992 was the year the 1990s TRULY became the 1990s.  Maybe it was the election of Bill Clinton, the ’92 Olympics, or the fact that my parents FINALLY allowed me to have a CD player in my room (GOODBYE MIXED TAPES!)… but it felt like a technological and entertainment revolution was upon us.  And, as reflected by some of the biggest hits of the year, it certainly WAS.

Without further ado, here are THE TOP 3 of 1992.

3) THE DREAM TEAM – If you grew up with NBA basketball in the late 80s & early 90s, you had so many superstars to idolize, and SO many different competitive teams.  And, for years, the International Olympic Committee banned professional NBA athletes from playing.  That changed in 1992 with Team USA’s “Dream Team.”  To have Michael Jordan, Larry Bird, Magic Johnson, and so many others ALL on the same team was the first “super team” of sorts.  They dominated their competition, and gave  us all a show for the ages.

2) DANA CARVEY – Dana Carvey had already established himself as THEEEE GUY to impersonate George Bush on “Saturday Night Live.”  Then, a similarly-positioned, similar talking ROSS PEROT entered the 1992 Presidential race as the first viable third candidate in decades.  Dana took to doing the impersonations of Perot as well.  He pulled off impersonations of both in a skit, and did this impersonation at a White House event in front of President Bush himself.

1) THE REAL WORLD – Put seven people in a house, have their lives taped and see what happens.  Boring, huh?

Not in the least.

MTV’s groundbreaking show in 1992 showcased 90 days with the first cast in New York, and revolutionized television FOREVER.  Was it a good thing, or a bad thing?  Well, history will decide that… but there’s no doubt that The Real World changed the world FOREVER.

And now… THE MISSES.

3) SINEAD O’CONNOR – Proving again that Saturday Night Live has major implications on pop culture, Sinead’s appearance and ripping up a picture of The Pope turned her into a public enemy in the eyes of many, and it certainly stalled her career.

2) CHARLES AND DIANA – The storybook wedding from 11 years earlier was crashing down after years of rumors of infidelity on Charles’ part with his now wife, Camilla Bowles.  You can’t help but feel for Diana in this, one of their final appearances together in December of ’92.

1) JOHNNY’S MUFFED HEIR APPAIRANT – This isn’t a slam on Johnny Carson; his final episode of “The Tonight Show” with Bette Midler was first class all the way, as was Johnny’s exit.  But behind-the-scenes decisions between NBC executives that all got exposed regarding Jay Leno and David Letterman made it really tough to watch.  This was from 1991, but the fighting and internal backstabbing continued through 1992 until Letterman darted for his own show on CBS in September 1993.