The Sexiest Men Alive By To People Magazine From 1990 To 2017

In 1985 People magazine started a tradition that lasts up to this day - choosing the sexiest man alive. But how can one make a choice with so many strikingly handsome men looking at us from TV screens and magazine covers? Usually, the proud wearer of the crown has had a big film or another project released that year, is in mid-thirties, and is considered to be, well, sexy by the majority of audiences. As 'sexy' is a relative term, a few years ago ABC News inquired the then-managing editor of People magazine Larry Hackett to clarify what exactly this word means to them. "Sexy certainly has to do with someone being good-looking, and has to do with a certain kind of romantic, flirtatiousness physical appeal that may be beyond just [an] academic appreciation of the way they look," he claimed. "We want some mystery in our sexiness." This year, however, the magazine surprised a great many people by choosing country star Blake Shelton to top their list of the sexiest men. Even though the singer did release an album that recently reached the number one spot on Billboard‘s Top Country Albums Chart, so the popularity factor is there, many people doubt that his presence was noticeable or positive enough over the past year to make him the catch of 2017. Whether you agree or disagree with the magazine's choice, we invite you to scroll down below to see all of the People magazine's favorites. (h/t)

1990, Tom Cruise

1991, Patrick Swayze

1992, Nick Nolte

1995, Brad Pitt

1996, Denzel Washington

1997, George Clooney

1998, Harrison Ford

1999, Richard Gere

2000, Brad Pitt

2001, Pierce Brosnan

2002, Ben Affleck

2003, Johnny Depp

2004, Jude Law

2005, Matthew McConaughey

2006, George Clooney

2007, Matt Damon

2008, Hugh Jackman

2009, Johnny Depp

2010, Ryan Reynolds

2011, Bradley Cooper

2012, Channing Tatum

2013, Adam Levine

2014, Chris Hemsworth

2015, David Beckham

2016, Dwayne Johnson

2017, Blake Shelton