Dance Energy Saves Dreary ’92 : Year-End Review: U2’s poignant “One” tops the pop music list. Not every record here has substance, but most have individuality and passion. At the very least, they <i> jump</i> . : 92 YEAR IN REVIEW

Jump!

That was the key word--and concept--in the commercial pop world during 1992.

“Jump” was not only in the title of hits by Kris Kross, House of Pain and the Movement, but the word also summarized the mood of one of the dance-happiest years since the late ‘70s disco craze.

Thankfully, that energy, supplied by both hip-hop and rave camps, injected some vitality into a national Top 10 that for the most part was hopelessly dreary .

Things were so bad on pop radio, whose playlists determine the commercial fate of most releases, that a lightweight country novelty got enough exposure to spend 10 weeks in the Top 10 and a nondescript R&B; ballad reigned 13 weeks at No. 1.

As we move into 1993 tonight, we’ll probably be assaulted by both of those hits--Billy Ray Cyrus’ “Achy Breaky Heart” and Boyz II Men’s “End of the Road”--because disc jockeys love to reminisce on New Year’s Eve.

“End of the Road,” in fact, was played on pop radio more than any other record, according to the trade publication Radio & Records. The runners-up: Vanessa Williams’ “Save the Best for Last” and Patty Smyth’s “Sometimes Love Just Ain’t Enough.”

The problem is radio programmers continue to focus on records that entertain on a superficial, non-demanding level rather than records with the substance and spirit to challenge or inspire--records that, in some ways, explore and define the age in which we live.

That’s why I make my own New Year’s Eve tape, spotlighting the most noteworthy singles from the last 12 months. Not every record on the list has substance, but most have individuality and passion. At the very least, they jump .

This year’s winner: U2’s “One,” a poignant examination of the complexities of relationships.

The countdown to ’93 begins with honorable mentions, singles or album tracks that touched on some of the most important moments or individuals in pop music during this artistically t-h-i-n year.

* Ministry’s “N.W.O.” (Sire/Warner Bros.). Ministry’s expressions of anger and alienation have far too much radical, jackhammer force to get pop airplay, but the sonic assault of the industrial rock band may help shape the rock of the ‘90s.

* Garth Brooks’ “Somewhere Other Than the Night” (Liberty). Turning to the commercial mainstream, country was the hot sound in ’92 and Brooks’ vocal conviction on this ballad helps explain why he enjoys unprecedented pop-country acceptance.

* Trisha Yearwood’s “Walkaway Joe” (MCA). Yearwood emerged during 1992 as a major pop-country contender who combines some of the vocal purity of Linda Ronstadt with the daring musical instincts of Emmylou Harris. Don Henley joins her vocally on this tale of a girl’s misplaced desire.

* Dolly Parton’s “I Will Always Love You” (RCA). More country. This is the original, mid-’70s version of the song, sung with a warmth and restraint that makes Whitney Houston’s interpretation seems like an audition for the Michael Bolton School of Overstatement.

* Sinead O’Connor’s “Success Has Made a Failure of Our Home” (Chrysalis). This is another country song, but O’Connor has redone the old Loretta Lynn hit in big-band fashion, turning it into a commentary on how obsession with material values can destroy a relationship. In the debate over O’Connor’s political gestures, it’s easy to forget that the Irish singer-songwriter is a gifted artist.

* Ice Cube’s “It Was a Good Day” (Priority). Here is another one of pop’s most gifted--and often misunderstood--artists. The images are a bit bawdy, but the track from “The Predator” album is noteworthy for the way this controversial rapper reveals a welcome tender side.

Now, the year’s 10 most memorable pop singles:

10. L.A. Style’s “James Brown Is Dead” (Arista). A good starting point because this record’s self-conscious, yet unapologetic celebration of dance-floor minimalism helped give the movement credibility and direction. Released in 1991, but it enjoyed its greatest success this year.

9. The KLF’s “Justified and Ancient” (Arista). Who thought country star Tammy Wynette would ever be a hit in dance clubs? But her presence brightens this quirky-yet-ambitious, silly-yet-seductive gem.

8. Cracker’s “Teen Angst (What the World Needs Now” (Virgin). David Lowery pokes fun at both the seriousness of so much of today’s alternative rock and his own private desires. Sample lyrics:

What the world needs now

Is another folk singer

Like I need a hole in my head. . . .

What the world needs now is a new Frank Sinatra

So I can get you in bed.

7. TLC’s “Ain’t 2 Proud 2 Beg” (LaFace/Arista). The title may be borrowed from a ‘60s Motown hit, but the playful, kinetic hip-hop attitude--youthful with a feminist edge--is right to the minute.

6. The Jesus and Mary Chain’s “Reverence” (Def American). Some of the lyrics are startling: “I wanna die just like JFK / I wanna die on a sunny day . . . / I wanna die in the USA.” But provocation and bite is essential to a creative climate in rock and “Reverence,” among other things, reflects on a desperation some people have for identity and recognition so intense they might be willing, if all else fails, to settle for a death that goes down in history.

5. Nirvana’s “Lithium” (Geffen). The group’s enormous 1991 success led to a flutter of backlash this year, but the trio still has by far the most original and commanding vision of any of the Seattle groups. Kurt Cobain, indeed, could be the Paul Westerberg of the ‘90s.

4. Kris Kross’ “Jump” (Columbia). A classic slice of teen exuberance, also dressed up in today’s dance-minded hip-hop sparkle.

3. Guns N’ Roses’ “November Rain” (Geffen). This sweeping ballad--reminiscent of Elton John and Bernie Taupin’s most majestic work--underscores the ambition and range of the best and most volatile American hard-rock group in a decade.

2. Arrested Development’s “Tennessee” (Chrysalis). Some of pop’s best moments come from groups that seem to arrive from nowhere with a confidence and mature vision--and that’s the case here. The Georgia rap group tries in this graceful, spiritually-tinged song to reconcile life’s blessings with social injustice. Sample line:

Take me to another place

Take me to another land

Make me forget all that hurts me

Let me understand your plan.

1. U2’s “One” (Island). No one is better than this Irish band at mixing glistening rock textures and thoughtful themes. The reason U2’s “Zoo TV” tour was so satisfying was that the band could step away from all the theatricality and touch you with the intimacy and heart of a song like this. “One” began as a story of a father trying to re-establish ties with his estranged, AIDS-stricken son, but it grew into an even wider expression of the complexities of love, the way prejudice and pride can eat away at relationships like a cancer.

Another ’92 Countdown--Here’s colleague Dennis Hunt’s list of the year’s best singles, from 10 to 1: The KLF’s “Justified and Ancient,” Sophie B. Hawkins’ “Damn, I Wish I Was Your Lover,” Right Said Fred’s “I’m Too Sexy,” Sir Mix-a-Lot’s “Baby Got Back,” Wrecks-N-Effect’s “Rump Shaker,” Mary J. Blige’s “Real Love,” TLC’s “Ain’t 2 Proud 2 Beg,” Kris Kross’ “Jump,” Vanessa Williams’ “Save the Best For Last” and Arrested Development’s “Tennessee.”