MTV, Jenny Chang for BuzzFeed

In 1992, producers Mary-Ellis Bunim and Jonathan Murray selected seven strangers to live in a New York City loft, have their lives taped, and show the world what happened when people stopped being polite and started getting real.

Twenty-two years and 30 seasons later (The Real World: Skeletons premieres Dec. 16), the show has boasted an incredibly diverse roster of houseguests and called attention to major issues, both global (the AIDS crisis) and deeply personal (abortion).

While recent seasons have ensured the show's legacy, there is truly no comparison to the first decade of houseguests — the ones who helped define the franchise and influenced multiple generations. So here are the cast members of every season of The Real World from New York (1992) to Las Vegas (2002), ranked from worst to best.