The eighties – hate them or love them, but they’re surely hard to ignore. Eighties fashion, typical 80’s bands and 80’s hairstyles – even those who are too young to remember get drawn into this crazy decade as 80’s music is still popular all over the world.
With 1989, the decade of the 80’s came to a close and with it typical 80’s music. Alternative rock, rap and hip hop were just waiting to take over and already influenced the music of the late 80’s heavily. To make the Top 20 hit list of 1989 below, bands could be from anywhere in the world but their songs had to fulfill all of the following criteria:
- Be pop or dance songs – not rock, R&B or any other genre;
- exemplify the 80’s music style: be fresh, bold and full of spunk (not purely instrumental songs);
- artists were chosen only among 80’s bands, with the eighties being the decade of their biggest hits;
- only one hit song per 80’s solo artist or band was included per year for variety sake.
Eighties Movies, 80’s TV Shows and Other Events of 1989
To really get the feel for a decade, let alone a year, it makes sense to take a look at related areas like movies, TV shows and world events. 1989 brought TV viewers Seinfeld, Saved by the Bell, Doogie Howser, M.D., Baywatch, America’s Funniest Home Videos, Family Matters and the first full episode of the Simpsons. Ending in 1989 were hit shows like Simon & Simon, Moonlighting, Dynasty, Miami Vice and the Benny Hill Show.
1989 saw many movie sequels: Ghostbusters II, Lethal Weapon II, Back to the Future II, Karate Kid III and Star Trek V: the Final Frontier – all hits. Apart from lighter entertainment like When Harry Met Sally, Honey, I Shrunk the Kids and thrillers like Pet Cemetery, Batman and the War of the Roses, 1989 provided unusual entertainment with Dead Poets’ Society, Sex, Lies and Videotape, Driving Miss Daisy and Born on the Fourth of July.
In political events, 1989 saw a crackdown on communism in Eastern Europe:
- Hungary dismantled parts of its barbed-wire fence with Austria, causing the first cracks in the Iron Curtain.
- The Berlin Wall fell on November 9th, allowing citizens to travel freely from east to west after decades.
- An uprising overthrew communist dictator Ceausescu in Romania.
- Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev and U.S. President George H.W. Bush released statements indicating that the Cold War between their countries may come to an end.
- Students’ protest in Beijing’s Tiananmen Square for economic change and democratic reform are suppressed violently.
- The Exxon Valdez, an oil tanker, ran aground in Alaska, spilling 240,000 barrels of oil.
- NATO celebrates its 40th anniversary and France the 200th anniversary of the French Revolution.
- Motorola introduced the personal cellular phone.
Top 20 Eighties Songs of 1989
The last year of the 80’s bid the decade farewell with such classics as the Bangles’ “Eternal Flame,” Madonna’s “Like a Prayer,” Michael Jackson “Smooth Criminal” and “She Drives Me Crazy” by the Fine Young Cannibals. Even Milli Vanilli made an appearance before being caught for lip-syncing all their songs. Here’s the last Top 20 of the decade:
- “Another Day in Paradise” – Phil Collins
- “Back to Life” – Soul II Soul
- “Batdance” – Prince
- “Buffalo Stance” – Neneh Cherry
- “Eternal Flame” – the Bangles
- “Girl You Know It’s True” – Milli Vanilli
- “I Drove All Night” – Cyndi Lauper
- “If I Could Turn Back Time” – Cher
- “If You Don’t Know Me by Now” – Simply Red
- “Like a Prayer” – Madonna
- “A Little Respect” – Erasure
- “The Look” – Roxette
- “The Lover in Me” – Sheena Easton
- “Right Here Waiting” – Richard Marx
- “She Drives Me Crazy” – Fine Young Cannibals
- “Smooth Criminal” – Michael Jackson
- “Straight Up” – Paula Abdul
- “Toy Soldiers” – Martika
- “We Didn’t Start the Fire” – Billy Joel
- “What I Am” – Edie Brickel and the New Bohemians
Though many were no doubt relieved to see the eighties and their often monotonous beats go, it shouldn’t be forgotten that they did pave the way for new genres and a new generation of artists. Hip hoppers Tone Loc hit the charts with “Funky Cold Medina” in 1989, just like new wave rockers the B 52’s with “Love Shack.” Alannah Myles’ “Black Velvet” and INXS’ “Suicide Blonde” eased the transition already the year after in 1990.
For more ultimate 80’s hits like “Dirty Diana” or “I Want Your Sex,” check the previous years 1988 and 1987, respectively. Or find out about the beginnings of the decade with 80’s hits from 1980-1982!
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