Contents

1989 in music

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This is a list of notable events in music that took place in the year 1989.

Specific locations[edit]

• 1989 in British music
• 1989 in Norwegian music
• 1989 in South Korean music

Specific genres[edit]

• 1989 in country music
• 1989 in heavy metal music
• 1989 in hip hop music
• 1989 in Christian

Events[edit]

• January 14 – Paul McCartney releases Снова в СССР (Back in the USSR) exclusively in the USSR. Bootleg copies sell for as much as US$1,000 in the United States.
• January 23 – James Brown is sentenced in Georgia, US, to six years in jail in connection with a police chase through two different states.
• January 27 – Michael Jackson ends the Bad World Tour in Los Angeles, US.
• February 12
  • Roy Orbison joins Elvis Presley as the only singers to ever simultaneously have two top 5 albums on the Billboard charts.
  • Tiny Tim launches an unsuccessful campaign to be elected mayor of New York City, US.
• February 17 – Whitesnake's David Coverdale marries Tawny Kitaen.
• February 22 – The 31st Annual Grammy Awards are presented in Los Angeles, hosted by Billy Crystal. George Michael's Faith wins Album of the Year, while Bobby McFerrin's "Don't Worry, Be Happy" wins both Record of the Year and Song of the Year. Tracy Chapman wins Best New Artist.
• March 21 – Madonna's "Like a Prayer" music video, taped in late December 1988, attracts criticism for its use of Catholic Church iconography and for the use of cross burning imagery, but also garners praise for its interpretation of discrimination, rape, and faith. Pepsi drops Madonna as a spokesperson out of fear the video will cause religious groups to boycott the company.
• April 9 – The Rolling Stones' Bill Wyman announces that he will marry 19-year-old Mandy Smith, his girlfriend for six years.
• April 12 – Michael Jackson is named "King of Pop" after receiving the Soul Train Heritage Awards.
• April 28 – Jon Bon Jovi marries his high school sweetheart Dorothea Hurley at the Graceland Wedding ChapelinLas Vegas, Nevada, US.
• May 1 – California, US jewelry store employees called the police reporting a suspicious person hanging around their store. The person turns out to be Michael Jackson shopping in disguise.
• May 6 — The 34th annual Eurovision Song Contest, held at Palais de BeaulieuinLausanne, is won by Yugoslavian band Riva, with the song "Rock Me". This is the first year a Balkan country has won the contest, and is also the only win for Yugoslavia as a unified state.
• July 9 – All four original members of The Monkees reunite in Los Angeles, US, for a concert performance at the Universal Amphitheatre. The following day the quartet attend an induction ceremony at the Hollywood Walk of Fame, where they receive a star.
• July 23 – Former Beatle Ringo Starr forms his own band named Ringo Starr & His All-Starr Band.
• July 29 – The Bee Gees perform in the U.S. for the first time in 10 years as part of their One for All world tour.
• August 3 – Sergio Franchi collapses before scheduled concert; dies 9 months later of brain cancer.
• August 11-12 – The Moscow Music Peace Festival is held in the Soviet Union. The event is put together by Doc McGhee and the Make-A-Wish Foundation and headline acts include Bon Jovi, Ozzy Osbourne, Mötley Crüe, Skid Row, Cinderella, and the Scorpions.
• August 31 – The Rolling Stones open their Steel Wheels North American tour in Philadelphia, US.
• September 9
  • The Morton H. Meyerson Symphony Center, designed by I. M. Pei, opens in Dallas, Texas, US.^[1]
  • Madonna gives a risqué performance at the 1989 MTV Video Music Awards. Clad in baggy black sweatpants and a black bustier, she shocks the audience by simulating masturbation. The version of the song used in the show would later serve as the opening number of 1990's "Blond Ambition World Tour".
• October 15 – Media Rings Corporation, the Japanese music, video game, and software publishing company, is founded in Akasaka.
• December 23 – Ice Cube leaves N.W.A after financial problems and several conflicts with their manager Jerry Heller and the group's founder Eazy-E. By this time, Cube has been recording his solo debut album, which will be released next year.

Also in 1989[edit]

• Iron Maiden guitarist Adrian Smith leaves the band and is replaced by ex-Gillan guitarist Janick Gers who had most recently worked with Bruce Dickinson on his solo project.
• Ars Musica, an annual contemporary music international festival, founded
• The swing revival is generally agreed upon to have begun in 1989.

Bands formed[edit]

• Dark Tranquillity
• The Osborn Sisters

Bands disbanded[edit]

• Felt
• Survivor

Bands reformed[edit]

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• Cluster
• Luv'
• Plasmatics

Albums released[edit]

All releases are an LP record unless otherwise stated.
Multiple entries for the same day are arranged alphabetically by the album's name.
Release dates may vary in different countries.

January–March[edit]

April–June[edit]

July–September[edit]

October–December[edit]

Release date unknown[edit]

Biggest hit singles[edit]

The following songs achieved the highest chart positions in the charts of 1989.

#	Artist	Title	Year	Country	Chart Entries
1	Madonna	Like a Prayer	1989		UK 1 – Mar 1989, US BB 1 – Mar 1989, US CashBox 1 of 1989, Sweden 1 – Mar 1989, Switzerland 1 – Mar 1989, Norway 1 – Mar 1989, Poland 1 – Apr 1989, Republic of Ireland 1 – Mar 1989, New Zealand 1 for 2 weeks Apr 1989, Australia 1 for 1 weeks Sep 1989, Netherlands 2 – Mar 1989, Austria 2 – Apr 1989, Australia 2 of 1989, Germany 2 – Mar 1989, France 4 – Mar 1989, Italy 5 of 1989, POP 5 of 1989, RYM 13 of 1989, US BB 14 of 1989, Scrobulate 33 of pop, Europe 49 of the 1980s, Germany 96 of the 1980s, OzNet 161, Rolling Stone 300, Acclaimed 629
2	The Bangles	Eternal Flame	1989		UK 1 – Feb 1989, US BB 1 – Feb 1989, Netherlands 1 – Mar 1989, Sweden 1 – Apr 1989, Norway 1 – May 1989, Australia 1 of 1989, Republic of Ireland 1 – Apr 1989, Australia 1 for 1 weeks Oct 1989, Switzerland 2 – May 1989, Austria 3 – May 1989, Germany 5 – May 1989, US CashBox 7 of 1989, France 10 – Feb 1989, US BB 11 of 1989, POP 25 of 1989, Europe 27 of the 1980s, Scrobulate 70 of 80s, RYM 73 of 1989, OzNet 141, Germany 196 of the 1980s
3	Phil Collins	Another Day in Paradise	1989		US BB 1 – Nov 1989, Sweden 1 – Nov 1989, Switzerland 1 – Nov 1989, Norway 1 – Nov 1989, Poland 1 – Nov 1989, Germany 1 – Jan 1990, Grammy in 1990, UK 2 – Nov 1989, Netherlands 2 – Oct 1989, Austria 2 – Dec 1989, Italy 3 of 1990, France 9 – Nov 1989, POP 21 of 1989, Europe 60 of the 1980s, Scrobulate 67 of ballad, RYM 133 of 1989, Germany 195 of the 1990s, OzNet 214
4	Roxette	The Look	1989		US BB 1 – Feb 1989, Sweden 1 – Jan 1989, Switzerland 1 – Apr 1989, Norway 1 – Mar 1989, Germany 1 – Apr 1989, Australia 1 for 6 weeks Nov 1989, Netherlands 2 – Mar 1989, Austria 2 – May 1989, Australia 3 of 1989, France 4 – Apr 1989, US CashBox 6 of 1989, UK 7 – Apr 1989, Poland 8 – Apr 1989, Italy 9 of 1989, US BB 21 of 1989, Germany 30 of the 1980s, POP 39 of 1989, RYM 94 of 1989, OzNet 567
5	The B-52s	Love Shack	1989		US BB 1 of 1989, Republic of Ireland 1 – Mar 1990, New Zealand 1 for 4 weeks Jan 1990, Australia 1 for 8 weeks Mar 1990, POP 1 of 1989, UK 2 – Mar 1990, KROQ 2 of 1989, US BB 3 – Sep 1989, Party 3 of 2007, France 4 – Oct 1989, Australia 16 of 1990, Netherlands 18 – Dec 1989, Sweden 20 – Mar 1990, RYM 37 of 1989, Scrobulate 61 of 80s, TheQ 238, Rolling Stone 243, RIAA 243, OzNet 311, WXPN 498, Acclaimed 662

Top 40 Chart hit singles[edit]