Where Were You in '92?

This exclusive podcast from Rolling Stone tells the stories behind the “500 Greatest Songs of All Time." Hosts Brittany Spanos and Rob Sheffield dissect Rolling Stone's iconic list and explore the magic and mythology behind the songs on this in-depth new series. From classics like Fleetwood Mac’s “Dreams” to The Ronettes' “Be My Baby,” and modern-era hits like The Killers' “Mr. Brightside,” and Britney Spears' “...Baby One More Time," we talk to artists and insiders about what makes these the greatest songs of all time.

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After Queen singer Freddie Mercury’s death in the fall of 1991, musicians confronted the AIDS crisis head-on. The band’s remaining members and a star-studded lineup celebrated the frontman’s legacy at the Freddie Mercury Tribute Concert in spring 1992. Hip-hop trio Salt-N-Pepa reworked their single “Let’s Talk About Sex” into “Let’s Talk About AIDS” for an ABC special. R&B newcomers TLC appeared on talk shows with condoms emblazoned on their flashy attire. Meanwhile, the compilation album Red Hot + Dance—featuring three exclusive tracks from George Michael—set out to raise awareness about safe sex and LGBTQ rights and raise funds for AIDS charities.

Also in 1992: U2 released their anthemic ballad “One,“ partly inspired by HIV-positive artist and activist David Wojnarowicz; Madonna called for frank discussions about queerness and desire with her controversial photo book Sex and groundbreaking album Erotica; and Elton John launched the Elton John AIDS Foundation, which would become one of the largest HIV-related funders in the world.

But as a 1992 New York Times article declared, tackling AIDS was a “creative and ethical minefield” for pop stars. In this episode, we look at the various ways they navigated it.

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This week, we take a brief pit stop in our crazy ride through 1992 for something extra special: an intimate chat with Tori Amos, whose groundbreaking debut solo album, Little Earthquakes, paired pianos and guitars — and shook the music world to its core.

In an expanded interview from episode 5, the singer-songwriter discusses the uphill battle she faced to get the record made, the lasting impact of her very personal tracks “Silent All These Years” and “Me and a Gun,” how being a woman in the music industry has changed, and her work as the first spokesperson for the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network (RAINN). 

Be sure to tune in next week for our final episode, which explores how in 1992 musicians like George Michael, Madonna, Elton John, Queen, U2, and TLC confronted the AIDS crisis head-on.

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A feel-good alternative to hard-edged gangsta rap, Arrested Development burst out of Atlanta bearing messages of peace, love, and unity. After their critically acclaimed 1992 debut album, 3 Years, 5 Months and 2 Days in the Life Of…, won them a Grammy for Best New Artist, they were poised to become the next big thing in hip-hop. But if their success was massive and immediate, it was also fleeting. Their second album flopped and the band broke up in 1995, just as a fresh strain of hip-hop, G-funk, became the prevailing sound of the genre.

In this episode, we examine how Arrested Development’s style and values were a celebrated musical change of pace, but how they quickly fell out of step with the trends that would dominate hip-hop for the rest of the decade. Plus, frontman Speech joins us to discuss their breakout, single, “Tennessee”; the deeply personal real-life events that inspired it; and why the group was more influential than many listeners realize.

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Vanessa Williams’ hit ballad “Save the Best for Last” spent five weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100, became her signature song, and remains an adult-contemporary staple. But it was also a redemptive turning point for Williams, the first Black Miss America, whose reputation had been tarnished in 1984 when she gave up her title after Penthouse published nude photos of her from her past without her permission.

In this episode, we explore how the singer-actress overcame betrayal, bigotry, and public ridicule to stage one of the most memorable comebacks in entertainment history. With special guest Vanessa Williams.

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In part 2 of the extraordinary tale of hair metal taking its last, glorious gasp as grunge and alternative swept America, we delve into the simmering tension between Guns N’ Roses’ Axl Rose and Nirvana’s Kurt Cobain. Their infamous feud reached a boiling point at the 1992 MTV Video Music Awards, but what were the events that led to that nasty, now-mythic showdown between two of rock’s most iconic frontmen?

We'll also examine how Nirvana’s grunge touchstone Nevermind transformed MTV and top 40 radio, the complicated legacy of GN’R’s nine-minute power-ballad opus “November Rain,” and why Axl ended up ditching women for dolphins. Plus, former Nirvana manager Danny Goldberg joins us to share his side of the story.

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Guns N’ Roses’ 1992 hit “November Rain” was more than just an epic, nine-minute power ballad for the ages. It was a swan song for the band—and for all the hair bands who’d been dominating MTV and rock radio. As Nirvana’s grunge anthem “Smells Like Teen Spirit” burst onto the scene and birthed an icon, GN'R—who’d been one of the most popular acts in the world—began to unravel and lose the glow of the spotlight. 

In the next two episodes, we’ll chronicle the making of “November Rain” and its wildly expensive video as well as the events that led to the group’s demise—from the drug abuse to the lavish spending to singer Axl Rose’s theatrics on stage and off. We’ll also explore the tension between Rose and Nirvana frontman Kurt Cobain, whose infamous feud reached a fever pitch at the now-legendary 1992 MTV Video Music Awards.

This is the extraordinary tale of heavy metal taking its last, glorious gasp as grunge and alternative swept America. With special guest Andy Morahan, director of the “November Rain” video.

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After scoring a No. 1 smash with her version of the Prince song “Nothing Compares 2 U” and winning Video of the Year at MTV’s VMAs, Irish singer-songwriter Sinéad O’Connor became an international sensation. While her look—a shaved head and dazzling, doe-like eyes—was arresting, her vocals were next-level.

But she never wanted to be a pop star. She had a punk sensibility, railing against sexism and exploitation and refusing to let label execs control her. In October 1992, O’Connor concluded her performance on Saturday Night Live by ripping up a photo of Pope John Paul II to protest the Catholic Church concealing acts of child abuse. The incident sparked intense backlash, with radio stations refusing to play her music and audiences boycotting her. One single gesture torpedoed her career.

In this episode, we examine the events leading up to the SNL scandal, its damaging consequences, O’Connor’s complicated relationship with fame, and how many of her critics realized years later that she was right all along.

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This week, we take a brief pit stop in our crazy ride through 1992 for something extra juicy: an unfiltered, free-flowing chat with rapper-producer Sir Mix-a-Lot, the man behind the most famous pop song about behinds ever made.

In an expanded interview from our first episode, we chat about the origins of his hit No. 1 single “Baby Got Back,” the on-set drama during the making of its music video, and why Mix thinks the track helped spark the body positivity movement and change representation of Black women in the media. Plus, he reveals his least favorite use of the song in popular culture, explains why Nicki Minaj personifies “Baby Got Back,” and offers some advice to Lizzo.

Be sure to tune in Wednesday, January 4, when we return to our regularly scheduled 1992 programming. In that episode, we’ll tell the story of Sinéad O’Connor and her scandalous 1992 performance on Saturday Night Live, during which she ripped up a photo of the Pope and told audiences to “fight the real enemy.”

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With their unauthorized sampling, outrageous PR stunts, and signature ice cream van, the KLF set out to blow up the music industry. Pairing electric guitars with house beats, rapping with new age lyricism, and rave culture with the art world, the mysterious U.K. duo of Bill Drummond and Jimmy Cauty were all about breaking rules and getting away with it. 

They reached their crazy sonic peak when they teamed up with country icon Tammy Wynette for the 1992 dance-pop hit “Justified & Ancient,” which became an unlikely global smash. Their response to their newfound fame? Just as fans thought they’d arrived at the fictitious Mu Mu land at the center of the song, the group abandoned music altogether and vanished, deleting their entire catalog.

In this episode, we explore the KLF’s wild rise and fall, from their doomed road trip to meet ABBA, to their infamous BRIT Awards performance in which Drummond took a machine gun and fired blanks into the audience, to their mind-boggling decision to film themselves burning their earnings—a shocking one million pounds.

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