Which song was the first Top Hot 100 Song winner in 1990?

“Hold On” by Wilson Phillips was the first winner of the Billboard Music Award for Top Hot 100 Song, taking the honor for 1990.

The song was the lead single from Wilson Phillips’ self-titled debut album. Written by Carnie Wilson, Chynna Phillips, and Glen Ballard, it became the group’s breakthrough hit and reached No. 1 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 in June 1990.

“Hold On” was also Billboard’s top year-end Hot 100 single for 1990, despite spending only one week at the weekly chart’s summit. The song’s success helped establish Wilson Phillips, whose members were children of musicians from The Beach Boys and The Mamas & the Papas.

A frequent source of confusion is that En Vogue also recorded a song titled “Hold On,” and it appears separately in 1990 chart listings. The Billboard award winner was Wilson Phillips’ version, not En Vogue’s similarly titled R&B hit.