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

Events[]

  • January 14Paul 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 23James Brown is sentenced in Georgia, USA, to six years in jail in connection with a police chase through two different states.
  • January 25Madonna files for divorce from Sean Penn after three-and-a-half years of marriage, citing irreconcilable differences.
  • January 27Michael Jackson ends the Bad World Tour in Los Angeles, USA.
  • 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, USA.
  • February 17Whitesnake's David Coverdale marries Tawny Kitaen.
  • March 21Madonna'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 9The Rolling Stones' Bill Wyman announces that he will marry 19-year-old Mandy Smith, his girlfriend for six years.
  • April 12Michael Jackson is named "King of Pop" after receiving the Soul Train Heritage Awards.
  • April 28Jon Bon Jovi marries his high school sweetheart Dorothea Hurley at the Graceland Wedding Chapel in Las Vegas, Nevada, USA.
  • May 1 – California, USA 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.
  • July 9 – All four original members of The Monkees reunite in Los Angeles, USA, 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.
  • August 3Sergio 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 31The Rolling Stones open their Steel Wheels North American tour in Philadelphia, USA.
  • September 9
    • The Morton H. Meyerson Symphony Center, designed by I. M. Pei, opens in Dallas, Texas, USA.[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".
  • September 14 – Madonna is granted a divorce from Sean Penn.
  • October 15Media Rings Corporation, the Japanese music, video game, and software publishing company, is founded in Akasaka.
  • December 23Ice 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[]

  • 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

Bands formed[]

Bands disbanded[]

Bands reformed[]

Albums released[]

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.

Biggest hit singles[]

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 United States 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, Éire 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 United States 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, Éire 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 United Kingdom 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 Sweden 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 United States US BB 1 of 1989, Éire 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 hits[]

  1. Pacific State 808 State

Published popular music[]

Births[]

  • January 13Triinu Kivilaan, Estonian singer and model
  • January 14Frankie Sandford, British singer (S Club Juniors & The Saturdays)
  • January 24Calvin Goldspink, British singer (S Club Juniors)
  • January 25Yasmien Kurdi, Filipina singer and actress
  • January 28Carly Paoli, British mezzo-soprano
  • February 3Ryne Sanborn, American actor, singer, and dancer
  • February 17Stacey McClean, British singer (S Club Juniors)
  • February 22Anna Sundstrand, singer and model
  • March 1Sonya Kitchell, jazz singer-songwriter
  • March 9TaeYeon, member of South Korean pop girl group Girls' Generation
  • March 11Shin Soohyun, member of South Korean pop boy group U-KISS
  • March 21Rochelle Wiseman, British singer (S Club Juniors & The Saturdays)
  • March 25Alyson Michalka, singer-songwriter and actress
  • April 8
    • Alexander DeLeon, American singer-songwriter (The Cab)
    • Hitomi Takahashi, singer
  • April 11Zola Jesus, singer
  • April 18Jessica, member of Girls' Generation
  • May 1Tim Urban, American singer-songwriter and guitarist
  • May 5Chris Brown, singer and actor
  • May 15Sunny, member of Girls' Generation
  • May 28Asuca Hayashi, singer
  • May 30Kevin Covais, American Idol finalist
  • June 13Lisa Tucker, singer
  • June 14Lucy Hale, actress and singer
  • June 18Renee Olstead, actress and jazz singer
  • June 17Simone Battle, American actress, singer, and dancer (G.R.L) (died 2014)
  • June 20Benyamin Nuss, pianist
  • June 28Lacey Schwimmer, American singer and dancer
  • July 5Joseph King, American singer-songwriter and guitarist (Canvas and Deadbeat Darling)
  • July 13Sayumi Michishige (Morning Musume)
  • July 20Brooke Candy, American rapper and dancer
  • August 1Tiffany, member of Girls' Generation
  • August 2Priscilla Betti, French singer
  • August 15
    • Belinda Peregrin, singer, songwriter and actress
    • Joe Jonas, vocalist
  • August 19Lil' Romeo, entertainer
  • September 1 – Bill and Tom Kaulitz of Tokio Hotel
  • September 10Sanjaya Malakar, American Idol finalist
  • September 22HyoYeon, member of Girls' Generation
  • October 30Jay Asforis, British singer (S Club Juniors)
  • November 2Katelyn Tarver, singer-songwriter
  • November 11Reina Tanaka (Morning Musume)
  • November 30Daisy Evans, British singer (S Club Juniors)
  • December 5YuRi, member of Girls' Generation
  • December 12
    • Janelle Arthur, American singer
    • Marcel "Shin" Gothow of Cinema Bizarre, German drummer
  • December 13Taylor Swift, country pop singer
  • December 22Jordin Sparks, American Idol Season 6 winner
  • December 27Calyssa Davidson, violinist

Deaths[]

  • January 12Chellapilla Satyam, Indian film music director, 65
  • January 20Beatrice Lillie, Canadian actress and singer, 94
  • February 5Joe Raposo, composer and lyricist, Bein' Green, 51 (non-Hodgkin's lymphoma)
  • February 6King Tubby Jamaican DJ and composer, father of dub reggae, 58 (gunshot wounds)
  • February 14Vincent Crane (The Crazy World of Arthur Brown), 45 (drug overdose)
  • February 23Florencio Morales Ramos, singer and composer, 72
  • March 19Alan Civil, horn player, 59
  • March 20Archie Bleyer, US arranger and bandleader, 79
  • April 8A. M. Rajah, Indian playback singer and composer, 59 (rail accident)
  • April 26Lucille Ball, US actress and singer, 77
  • May 9Keith Whitley, American singer, guitarist, and producer, 34
  • May 10Woody Shaw, jazz musician, 44 (kidney failure)
  • May 15Johnny Green, composer, conductor and arranger, 80
  • May 30Zinka Milanov, operatic soprano, 83
  • June 14Pete de Freitas, drummer with Echo & the Bunnymen, 27 (motorcycle accident)
  • June 22Henri Sauguet, composer, 88
  • June 24Hibari Misora, Japanese enka singer, 52 (hepatitis)
  • July 5Ernesto Halffter, Spanish composer and conductor, 84
  • July 16Herbert von Karajan, conductor, 81
  • July 21Mushtaq Ali Khan, Indian sitar, surbahar and pakhawaj player, 78
  • August 1John Ogdon, pianist, 52 (diabetes-related)
  • August 2Luiz Gonzaga, Brazilian musician, 76
  • August 21Raul Seixas, singer and songwriter, 44 (diabetes-related)
  • August 25Gunnar Berg, Danish composer
  • September 7Mikhail Goldstein, violinist and composer, 71
  • September 14Perez Prado, Cuban bandleader and composer, 72
  • September 15Jan DeGaetani, mezzo-soprano, 56 (leukemia)
  • September 22Irving Berlin, composer, lyricist, 101
  • September 24Jean Perrin, pianist and composer, 79
  • September 30Virgil Thomson, composer, 92
  • October 17Morteza Hannaneh, composer, 66
  • October 19Alan Murphy, guitarist, member of Level 42 and Go West, 35 (AIDS-related)
  • October 22Ewan MacColl, folk singer, 74
  • October 31Conrad Beck, Swiss composer, 88
  • November 5Vladimir Horowitz, pianist, 86
  • November 15Alejo Durán, composer of vallenatos, 80
  • December 6
    • Billy Lyall, keyboardist of Pilot and Bay City Rollers, 46 (AIDS-related)
    • Sammy Fain, US composer, 87
  • December 21Ján Cikker, Slovak composer, 78
  • December 26 – Sir Lennox Berkeley, composer, 86

Awards[]

Charts[]

  • List of Hot 100 number-one singles of 1989 (U.S.)

US Top 40 Hits[]

  • Billboard Top 40 of 1989

See also[]

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References[]

External links[]