1989 – Thousands of Chinese crowd into Beijing’s Tiananmen Square cheering students demanding greater political freedom. This leads to the Tiananmen Square Massacre, as Chinese troops open fire on pro-democracy supporters. Elsewhere, Germans begin demolishing the Berlin Wall. Soviet President Mikhail Gorbachev and US President George H.W. Bush declare the Cold War over. A pretty harrowing year for news … so at least The Simpsons premiered on American television! Oh, and some music released too.
I’ll be looking at the popular and highest-rated songs / albums of the year, giving my opinions on their musicality and longevity as well as an overall verdict for the year as a whole.
Before we begin, you can check out some of my related blog posts below:
Billboard Top 10 (Popular) Singles
Source: Wikipedia
10 – Giving You the Best That I Got (Anita Baker)
A quiet, romantic ballad.
“Giving You the Best That I Got” is well sung and sounds okay, but it’s not the kind of track I plan on revisiting.
9 – Baby, I Love Your Way / Freebird Medley (Will to Power)
I thought I knew of “Baby, I Love Your Way”, but it turns out I’m familiar with the Big Mountain cover from the 90’s.
The original stuff is okay, but the way they integrate “Freebird” into it is kinda cringe.
8 – Girl You Know It’s True (Milli Vanilli)
Ah, Milli Vanilli. Lip-syncing, lying Milli Vanilli.
Controversies aside, “Girl You Know It’s True” is a catchy song that I get enjoyment out of.
7 – Wind Beneath My Wings (Bette Midler)
A famous, heartfelt ballad. I used to loathe this track, but in fairness it’s harmless.
6 – Cold Hearted (Paula Abdul)
Paula Abdul feels like THE forgotten mega-star from the late 80’s.
“Cold Hearted” isn’t my cup of tea, but I can see why it was a hit.
5 – Miss You Much (Janet Jackson)
That snare is really annoying, but otherwise “Miss You Much” surprised me.
Janet Jackson’s vocals are great, the production sounds crisp, and above all else it feels like someone is finally taking a bold step towards the 90’s.
4 – Straight Up (Paula Abdul)
A better Paula Abdul song.
“Straight Up” is catchier, more adventurous and better performed than the other Abdul track.
3 – Every Rose Has Its Thorn (Poison)
Too cheesy for me. What has Rock become?
2 – My Prerogative (Bobby Brown)
Like Janet Jackson, Bobby Brown seems to be taking a step towards the future.
That bass synth sounds great, and the vocal performance is stand-out.
1 – Look Away (Chicago)
Chicago have loads of fantastic songs … so why is “Look Away” the first one to truly take the charts by storm?
It’s fine, don’t get me wrong, but it hardly has an identity.
FAVOURITE – “Girl You Know It’s True” (Milli Vanilli)
LEAST FAVOURITE – “Every Rose Has Its Thorn” (Poison)
These were some of the weakest Billboard hit songs yet. I almost refused to pick a favourite …
Top-Rated Songs
Source: http://www.besteveralbums.com
10 – Made Of Stone (The Stone Roses)
Brace yourself for a tidal wave of Stone Roses, Cure and Pixies songs.
“Made Of Stone” is definitely one of the many highlights on the Stone Roses’ self-titled debut, and I love how open the choruses sound.
9 – Lullaby (The Cure)
The Cure’s album “Disintegration” is definitely one of their best, and a prime reason for that is their willingness to experiment on songs like “Lullaby”.
It’s jaunty and jovial, and the punchy strings stick in your brain.
8 – Lovesong (The Cure)
My favourite song from “Disintegration”.
It’s simple yet endearing, and the whole thing is such a jam.
7 – Hey (Pixies)
“Hey” starts off stripped-back, but gets going soon enough.
It’s not my favourite chorus on the album, but I can see what the band was going for.
6 – Monkey Gone To Heaven (Pixies)
“Monkey Gone To Heaven” wastes no time getting in your face.
The riffs are heavy, the bass has a great weight, and those choruses are still ringing in my eardrums.
5 – Pictures Of You (The Cure)
Hot take time – “Pictures Of You” is good, but it’s not better than the other two Cure songs on this top ten.
Its lyrics don’t really connect with me, but the production is as good as ever.
4 – I Wanna Be Adored (The Stone Roses)
It takes a while to get going, but once it does I’m hooked on “I Wanna Be Adored”.
It’s both engrossing and haunting, and the production immediately stands out in its era.
3 – Here Comes Your Man (Pixies)
“Here Comes Your Man” sounds a lot more pleasant than most Pixies songs, which is what makes it stand out.
The vocals and guitar riff are extremely catchy, and I love those pre-choruses.
2 – Debaser (Pixies)
What an album opener!
“Debaser” holds nothing back, both in its lyrics and performance.
1 – I Am The Resurrection (The Stone Roses)
For the longest time I thought “Fools Gold” was the closer on the iconic Stone Roses album, but that honour actually goes to “I Am The Resurrection”.
The first half is catchy as hell, but then the instrumental second half cements it as a Rock classic.
BEST SONG OF 1989 – “I Am The Resurrection” (The Stone Roses)
Based on this top ten, I wouldn’t be surprised if you thought only three albums released in 1989.
Top-Rated Albums
Source: http://www.besteveralbums.com
5 – On Fire (Galaxie 500)
“On Fire” is slow, soft, almost ambient Rock.
Galaxie 500 were a very short-lived band, and I can kinda see why – this isn’t the style of music that would draw a crowd. It blends into the background while you’re working, though.
4 – Paul’s Boutique (Beastie Boys)
“Paul’s Boutique” came three years after the more iconic “Licence to Ill”, and feels like a general step down.
None of these songs have really stood the test of the time, but the production is fun.
3 – The Stone Roses (The Stone Roses)
Other than Manchester United, The Stone Roses are the best thing to come out of Manchester.
Their debut album is one of the strongest I’ve ever heard, and I adore pretty much every song.
2 – Disintegration (The Cure)
Probably The Cure’s best album.
“Plainsong” is a great opener, “Lullaby” and “Lovesong” are the heavy hitters, and other songs like “Fascination Street” and the title track make the album worth a listen.
1 – Doolittle (Pixies)
“Surfer Rosa” may be known for one great song in the form of “Where Is My Mind”, but “Doolittle” is the far superior Pixies album in terms of overall quality.
It’s a non-stop thrill-ride, and tracks like “Monkey Gone To Heaven” and “Here Comes Your Man” show a maturity in songwriting.
BEST ALBUM OF 1989 – “The Stone Roses” (The Stone Roses)
Final Thoughts
The hits were shocking, and the high-rated songs and albums had to be carried by three masterpieces. Still, those three albums are good enough to drag the whole year up with them.
Overall Grade: C
BONUS – The Decade Reviewed
The first half of the 80’s had some of the best years I’ve heard so far, but these last few have been a slog to get through. When people think of 80’s cheese and how Pop music started to die, they’re talking about 1986 onwards.
Decade Grade: B
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