|
||||||||
1989 (not the Taylor Swift album) |
![]() |
|
|
Thread Tools | Search this Thread |
|
|
#1 |
|
Forum Member
Join Date: Jan 2012
Posts: 443
|
1989 (not the Taylor Swift album)
Given how 1988 is celebrated for its acid house and dance music, and 1990 for Madchester and some of the best #1 singles of all time...I feel like 1989 kinda sits in the middle and is somewhat underrated in comparison. If anything, it tends to be sneered at more than often thanks to both the massive presence of Stock/Aitken/Waterman producing seemingly everything in the charts (and probably led to their sudden downturn of chart success in 1990 as everyone was sick of them), and, yeah, Jive Bunny.
But even if you're not a Hit Factory fan and have heard enough "C'mon everybody!"s to last a lifetime, there's some brilliant stuff here and it's always been a year I love hearing music from. I've had the Telstar 'Greatest Hits of 89' compilation on vinyl for a few years now, but recently I found the rare CD version for two quid in a charity shop and listening to it in crystal clear quality has reminded me just how good a musical year this is. I'd only just been born a year earlier so I can't claim to remember much from the time, but from what I've heard since these are up there with my favourites of '89: Black Box - Ride On Time: Well, how can you not. When I first heard this around 2003-04 in my early teens it blew me away, even over a decade after release - Loleatta Holloway's sampled vocals being some of the best to ever grace dance music and that Italo house piano pounding throughout the song. It's the 1990s arriving a few months early and must have been an astonishing listen at the time - a hugely deserved massive multi-week #1. Erasure - Drama! Absolutely one of their best and seems unfairly sidelined compared to their more well-known singles like Sometimes and A Little Respect. Amazing vocals from Andy Bell and Vince Bell throws the kitchen sink into the production, building and building throughout (that middle eight!!) until the last few seconds are mad everything-at-once brilliance. The version on Greatest Hits of 89 is an odd extended mix of it - the 12" I think - but the 7" original's where it's at. London Boys - Requiem Ok, this one's more in the guilty pleasure basket but I bloody love this - everything that makes late 80s pop brilliant crammed into four minutes of high-energy awesome. I pretty much love everything from their Twelve Commandments of Dance album, and it was tragic to learn that the group died in a car accident a few years later. Rarely played today but a big hit from the time. Madonna - Like a Prayer - Not much about this one that hasn't already been said, but 1989 and 1990 were Madonna's peak years for me - everything she released was glorious and this along with Vogue is her pinnacle. I don't think the 7" mix has ever been properly released outside of vinyl but it's absolutely the best, with the addition of a squealing guitar solo just before the end. 808 State - Pacific State And some wonderful hypnotic early house to finish things off. Imagine blasting out this one on a car stereo on the way to (or back from) a rave - it must have sounded pretty damn good indeed. And so many more - Liza Minnelli's Losing My Mind and Dusty Springfield's In Private being two awesome collaborations with the Pet Shop Boys, Coldcut's People Hold On, Stone Roses's Fools Gold...sure, there was a lot of middling pop and forgettable one-hit wonders around too, but then every year's got its thumbs-ups and downs. When '89 delivered it stormed it. Any more faves from '89 and was it a good or naff year for you? |
|
|
|
|
Please sign in or register to remove this advertisement.
|
|
|
#2 |
|
Forum Member
Join Date: Feb 2014
Location: I like to singy singy singy...
Posts: 17,667
|
I concur with you 're Madonna and Black Box.
It was also all about Soul to Soul, Neneh Cherry, Stone Roses, Guns n Roses and some fabulous house/dance music by the likes of Adeva, Chantelle and Alyson Williams which bubbled under the lower reaches of the charts. Lovely stuff! |
|
|
|
|
|
#3 |
|
Forum Member
Join Date: Mar 2010
Posts: 730
|
1989 was a transitional year but it has special meanings as that is the year The Stone Roses and Happy Mondays got big, the whole Madchester thing started then but yes there were some terrible number ones though.
Oh and London Boys yes they were very big at the discos I went to when I was 17, so infectious think I even bought the album gulp! Loved Guns n roses!!! Other favourites from that year Del Amitri, Goodbye Mr Mackenzie, The Bible, Roxette, The Pixies and these 3 amazing songs Neneh Cherry - Buffalo Stance https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JWsRz3TJDEY The Sundays - Can't Be Sure https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2H5qNe2MFzk 1927 - Thats When I Think Of You https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LJK8OTDG6g8 3 different genres all top 50 hits
|
|
|
|
|
|
#4 |
|
Forum Member
Join Date: Oct 2005
Location: derby
Posts: 14,765
|
for me 1989 was a very poor year. i didnt like the style of music being produced and theres very few tracks i even rate as good.
|
|
|
|
|
|
#5 |
|
Forum Member
Join Date: Dec 2012
Posts: 781
|
Had some good albums...
Doolittle, The Stone Roses Debut, Disintergration, Paul's Boutique, Full Moon Fever, The Real Thing, Pump, Bleach, Pretty Hate Machine. |
|
|
|
|
|
#6 |
|
Forum Member
Join Date: Jan 2006
Posts: 441
|
Stone roses by the stone roses (album)
Madonna Queen the miracle Tom petty Phil Collins but seriously Enough to remind us that 1989 wasn't all about stock aitken Waterman. (Although they did dominate it) |
|
|
|
|
|
#7 |
|
Forum Member
Join Date: Jan 2006
Posts: 441
|
Quote:
1989 was a transitional year but it has special meanings as that is the year The Stone Roses and Happy Mondays got big, the whole Madchester thing started then but yes there were some terrible number ones though.
Oh and London Boys yes they were very big at the discos I went to when I was 17, so infectious think I even bought the album gulp! Loved Guns n roses!!! Other favourites from that year Del Amitri, Goodbye Mr Mackenzie, The Bible, Roxette, The Pixies and these 3 amazing songs Neneh Cherry - Buffalo Stance https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JWsRz3TJDEY The Sundays - Can't Be Sure https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2H5qNe2MFzk 1927 - Thats When I Think Of You https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LJK8OTDG6g8 3 different genres all top 50 hits ![]() Actually a 1988 song, it was released in 1988 and entered the uk charts November December 1988. It passed through into 1989 for a few weeks where it peaked but remains fundamentally a 1988 song. Just a tricky one on popmaster if ken asks the year! |
|
|
|
|
|
#8 |
|
Forum Member
Join Date: Dec 2013
Posts: 4,744
|
Ahh yes, 1989. 8 years old, remember the summer being a scorcher. Plenty of great memories from my primary school days, and going on bike rides with my mates.
lol100% agree with Like A Prayer and Ride On Time. Two timeless classics right here!!! Other songs from 1989 I still listen to occasionally: Kylie Minogue - Hand On Your Heart I really can't pin point exactly what it is about this song, but it's the only Kylie song from her early years I still go back and listen to all these years later. Donna Summer - This Time I Know It's For Real Absolute classic S/A/W pop from 1989, and another one of my 80s faves that I still listen to. Cliff Richard - I Just Don't Have The Heart Don't judge me!!! What can I say? I like it. A lot. *shrugs*Prince - Batdance A song I grew to love. It didn't appeal to my 8 year old self but as I got older, I found myself loving a lot of songs I'd hated as a child. Batdance was one of them, and even before Prince's untimely death, I used to watch this on YouTube (if the video hadn't been removed by the record label). Soul II Soul feat. Karen Wheeler - Back To Life Another song I didn't really like aged 8 but now consider to be an 80s classic. |
|
|
|
|
|
#9 |
|
Forum Member
Join Date: Mar 2010
Posts: 730
|
Quote:
Interesting regarding buffalo stance and 1989
Actually a 1988 song, it was released in 1988 and entered the uk charts November December 1988. It passed through into 1989 for a few weeks where it peaked but remains fundamentally a 1988 song. Just a tricky one on popmaster if ken asks the year!
|
|
|
|
|
|
#10 |
|
Forum Member
Join Date: Nov 2008
Location: Birmingham
Posts: 7,613
|
Quote:
Ahh yes, 1989. 8 years old, remember the summer being a scorcher. Plenty of great memories from my primary school days, and going on bike rides with my mates.
lol100% agree with Like A Prayer and Ride On Time. Two timeless classics right here!!! Other songs from 1989 I still listen to occasionally: Kylie Minogue - Hand On Your Heart I really can't pin point exactly what it is about this song, but it's the only Kylie song from her early years I still go back and listen to all these years later. Donna Summer - This Time I Know It's For Real Absolute classic S/A/W pop from 1989, and another one of my 80s faves that I still listen to. Cliff Richard - I Just Don't Have The Heart Don't judge me!!! What can I say? I like it. A lot. *shrugs*Prince - Batdance A song I grew to love. It didn't appeal to my 8 year old self but as I got older, I found myself loving a lot of songs I'd hated as a child. Batdance was one of them, and even before Prince's untimely death, I used to watch this on YouTube (if the video hadn't been removed by the record label). Soul II Soul feat. Karen Wheeler - Back To Life Another song I didn't really like aged 8 but now consider to be an 80s classic. I also loved Shakespears Sister's first big hit You're History. There seemed to be a few female fronted guitar based bands (not sure if it was 1989 specifically but it was around the 88' - 90' period) who were big for a short time and then disappeared quite quickly e.g. Voice Of The Beehive, Transvision Vamp, Fuzzbox etc (although Fuzzbox were on a comeback after first coming to prominence around 1986). |
|
|
|
|
|
#11 |
|
Forum Member
Join Date: Sep 2012
Location: East Tennessee
Posts: 824
|
To me, 1989 is one of the best years out there because I believe that it is the year that my newest favorite singer, late beautiful precious Billy Joe Royal that is, saw his best success, or at least his most notable success I guess. 1989 was the year that three songs in a row from him made the top five: "Tell It Like It Is", "Love Has No Right", and "Till I Can't Take It Anymore". Sadly most of what went to radio from him did not make a huge wave in the musical waters, but eventually along came them three big songs from him and 1989 is when they left the big enough impression that they left and to me, there is plenty more where they came from.
![]() God bless you and his family always!!! Holly P.S. "Till I Can't Take It Anymore" ended up being his final appearance in the top ten. To me, everything out of his mouth was awesome and should have been given just as much attention as everything else that was on the radio back in them days. |
|
|
|
|
|
#12 |
|
Forum Member
Join Date: Aug 2012
Location: Canada
Posts: 397
|
1989 was my all time favorite year so may of my favorites were on top of the world
Nkotb Debbie Gibson Paula Abdul poison Bobby Brown milli vanilli roxette Taylor dayne martika skid row bangles samantha fox rick astley |
|
|
|
![]() |
|
All times are GMT. The time now is 14:40.


lol
What can I say? I like it. A lot.