This is a list of notable events in music that took place in the year 1989.
Specific locations 1989 in British music 1989 in Japanese music 1989 in Norwegian music 1989 in Scandinavian music 1989 in South Korean music
Specific genres 1989 in country music 1989 in heavy metal music 1989 in hip-hop music 1989 in jazz 1989 in progressive rock
Events
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 1 – The first Ars Musica, an annual international contemporary music festival held in Brussels, opens. 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 Chapel in Las Vegas, Nevada, US. May 1 – California jewelry store employees call 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 Beaulieu in Lausanne, 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 – Tenor Sergio Franchi collapses while rehearsing for a concert in the United States; he 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. 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. November 18 – The 18th OTI Festival, held at the theater of the James L. Knight Center in Miami, United States, is won by the song "", written by Jesús Monarrez, and performed by Analí representing Mexico. 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. Undated During a break from working with Iron Maiden, guitarist Adrian Smith releases a solo album with his band A.S.a.P., entitled Silver and Gold while vocalist Bruce Dickinson also begins work on a solo album with former Gillan guitarist Janick Gers; Smith subsequently leaves Iron Maiden and is replaced by Gers.
Bands formed Dark Tranquillity The Osborn Sisters
Bands disbanded Felt Survivor
Bands reformed
Cluster Luv' Plasmatics
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.
January–March ReleaseAlbumArtistNotes JANUARY1 Petra Means Rock Petra Compilation9 A Show of Hands Rush Live album10 Bluebird Emmylou Harris - New York Lou Reed - Skeletons in the Closet Oingo Boingo Compilation13 The Raw and the Cooked Fine Young Cannibals -16 Desert Wind Ofra Haza -18 The Whitey Album Ciccone Youth -23 Hunkpapa Throwing Muses - Lōc-ed After Dark Tone Lōc - Oh Yes I Can David Crosby -24 Electric Youth Debbie Gibson - Skid Row Skid Row Debut25 After the War Gary Moore US Straight Outta Compton N.W.A -29 Veuillez rendre l'âme (à qui elle appartient) Noir Désir France30 Fabulous Disaster Exodus US version (originally released in Europe in 1988) Technique New Order -31 Dirty Rotten Filthy Stinking Rich Warrant Debut Life Is...Too Short Too Short - Triumphant Return Whitecross -? 3 Violent Femmes - FEBRUARY1 Don't Tell a Soul The Replacements - Force Majeure Doro Pesch Solo Debut The Great Radio Controversy Tesla -3 Meshuggah Meshuggah Debut/EP6 Beyond the Blue Neon George Strait - Dylan & the Dead Bob Dylan and Grateful Dead Live album7 As Nasty As They Wanna Be 2 Live Crew - Blessing in Disguise Metal Church - Mystery Girl Roy Orbison - Spike Elvis Costello -13 A New Flame Simply Red -20 Storm the Studio Meat Beat Manifesto -21 Animotion Animotion - Intuition TNT -22 Jed Goo Goo Dolls -27 Oranges & Lemons XTC -27 Playing With Fire Spacemen 3 -28 Indigo Girls Indigo Girls -MARCH1 Best of Ozz Ozzy Osbourne Compilation; Japan3 3 Feet High and Rising De La Soul -6 Moss Side Story Barry Adamson Debut When Dream and Day Unite Dream Theater Debut7 Girl You Know It's True Milli Vanilli U.S. version of All or Nothing 10 Mr. Jordan Julian Lennon -12 Grip It! On That Other Level Geto Boys -13 101 Depeche Mode Live double album Another Place and Time Donna Summer -14 Extreme Extreme Debut Road to the Riches Kool G Rap & DJ Polo - Spell Deon Estus -20 Cross That Line Howard Jones - Saraya Saraya - Shine Mother Love Bone Debut/EP21 Like a Prayer Madonna - Nick of Time Bonnie Raitt - Somewhere Between Suzy Bogguss Debut22 Make Them Die Slowly White Zombie -24 Wide-Eyed Wonder The Choir -27 Larger than Life Jody Watley -28 Alannah Myles Alannah Myles -? President Yo La Tengo Yo La Tengo - Something Real Phoebe Snow - Yellow Moon The Neville Brothers -
April–June ReleaseAlbumArtistNotes APRIL3 When the World Knows Your Name Deacon Blue -4 The Breathtaking Blue Alphaville -7 Beneath the Remains Sepultura -10 Sonic Temple The Cult - Raging Silence Uriah Heep - Club Classics Vol. One Soul II Soul UK12 ...Twice Shy Great White - Garth Brooks Garth Brooks - Straight to the Sky Lisa Lisa and Cult Jam -17 Blaze of Glory Joe Jackson - Doolittle Pixies - Headless Cross Black Sabbath - One Bee Gees -19 Buzz Factory Screaming Trees -21 Blue Blood X Japan -24 Mr. Music Head Adrian Belew - Blast Holly Johnson Debut Blue Murder Blue Murder Debut Full Moon Fever Tom Petty -25 Through the Storm Aretha Franklin -26 Best Wishes Cro-Mags - Repeat Offender Richard Marx -? 1,000 Hours Green Day EP The Black Swan The Triffids - City Streets Carole King - Counterpoint In the Nursery Compilation For Ladies Only Killdozer - Free Concrete Blonde - Gashed Senses & Crossfire Front Line Assembly - The Headless Children W.A.S.P. - Stuck in Wonderamaland Dramarama - Slippery When Ill The Vandals - MAY1 Will the Circle Be Unbroken: Volume Two Nitty Gritty Dirt Band -2 Barry Manilow Barry Manilow - Disintegration The Cure - Killin' Time Clint Black - On Land and in the Sea Cardiacs - Something Inside So Strong Kenny Rogers - The Stone Roses The Stone Roses Debut Street Fighting Years Simple Minds - Sweet Sixteen Reba McEntire - This Is the Day...This Is the Hour...This Is This! Pop Will Eat Itself - Yo Frankie Dion - Workbook Bob Mould Debut4 Blind Man's Zoo 10,000 Maniacs -8 A Night To Remember Cyndi Lauper - Badlands Badlands - Good to Be Back Natalie Cole - In a Sentimental Mood Dr. John - Junta Phish sold at concerts in 1988 Kite Kirsty MacColl -9 Big Daddy John Mellencamp - Dangerous Toys Dangerous Toys - Kaleidoscope World Swing Out Sister -11 Eat the Heat Accept -12 Altars of Madness Morbid Angel Debut Dress TM Network Remix album15 The Burning World Swans - Mind Bomb The The - Ten Good Reasons Jason Donovan -16 Slowly We Rot Obituary - Youngest in Charge Special Ed -17 Cycles The Doobie Brothers -18 Nearly Human Todd Rundgren -21 Off the Lock B'z -22 The Miracle Queen - Tin Machine Tin Machine - The Works Nik Kershaw - Life Is a Dance: The Remix Project Chaka Khan Remix album23 2300 Jackson Street Jacksons - Brain Drain Ramones - The Warmer Side of Cool Wang Chung -28 Energy Operation Ivy -30 The Other Side of the Mirror Stevie Nicks - White Limozeen Dolly Parton - Hope and Despair Edwyn Collins Debut solo? Dung 4 Inspiral Carpets Demo I Enjoy Being a Girl Phranc - A Peacetime Boom The Boom - Cloudland Pere Ubu - Invasion Live Magnum Live It's Beginning To And Back Again Wire - JUNE1 Agent Orange Sodom -2 Avalon Sunset Van Morrison -5 Flowers in the Dirt Paul McCartney - Passion Peter Gabriel - Big Game White Lion - Raw Like Sushi Neneh Cherry Debut One Night of Sin Joe Cocker - Babeti Soukous Tabu Ley Seigneur Rochereau and Afrisa International Orchestra -6 Workin' Overtime Diana Ross - World in Motion Jackson Browne - No More Mr. Nice Guy Gang Starr Debut8 Nights Like This Stacey Q -9 Walking with a Panther LL Cool J -12 Big Tyme Heavy D & The Boyz - Ghostbusters II Various Artists Soundtrack Trouble in Angel City Lion -13 Heart Shaped World Chris Isaak - In Step Stevie Ray Vaughan and Double Trouble - DC Talk DC Talk - What You Don't Know Exposé -15 Bleach Nirvana Debut Dig? Bill Bruford's Earthworks - The Offspring The Offspring Debut; re-released in 199519 Off to See the Lizard Jimmy Buffett - Protest Songs Prefab Sprout - Extreme Aggression Kreator - Riders go Commercial Riders in the Sky -20 Anderson Bruford Wakeman Howe Anderson Bruford Wakeman Howe - Batman Prince Soundtrack The Joke's on You Excel - Mr. Big Mr. Big Debut The Real Thing Faith No More -21 Looking for Freedom David Hasselhoff -26 All or Nothing Milli Vanilli - Automatic Sharpe & Numan - Bad English Bad English - Be Yourself Patti LaBelle - Seminal Live The Fall – Soul Provider Michael Bolton -27 Cosmic Thing The B-52s - Danger Danger Danger Danger - The End of the Innocence Don Henley - Good Evening Marshall Crenshaw - Gretchen Goes to Nebraska King's X - The Iron Man: The Musical by Pete Townshend Pete Townshend - Rockland Kim Mitchell -28 Ain't Gonna Cry Juice Newton - ? Dum-Dum The Vaselines - Magnum Cum Louder Hoodoo Gurus - Margin Walker Fugazi - Two Highways Alison Krauss & Union Station - Velveteen Transvision Vamp -
July–September