This is a summary of 1989 in music in the United Kingdom, including the official charts from that year.
The very beginning of the year saw compilation albums excluded from the UK Albums Chart, and spun off into the new UK Compilations Chart from the week commencing 8 January 1989. Albums such as the Now series had regularly dominated the chart since 1983, with often up to 4 of the Number 1s each year being hit compilations. Now 13 was knocked off the top spot of the albums chart as a result of this new implementation.
In the UK Singles Chart, eighteen singles reached number one. The first was a duet between teen idols Kylie Minogue and Jason Donovan, "Especially for You", which had narrowly missed out on being 1988's Christmas number one single. The two would continue their success throughout the year, with Minogue getting her third number-one single, "Hand on Your Heart", in May followed by "Wouldn't Change a Thing", which peaked at number two in August; "Never Too Late" peaked at number four in October, and then her second number-one album, Enjoy Yourself, came in November. Donovan fared even better getting two number-one singles ("Too Many Broken Hearts" in March, and "Sealed With a Kiss" in June) and one number-one album (Ten Good Reasons in May). The two enjoyed a highly publicised romance throughout the year until Minogue ended the relationship and began dating Michael Hutchence from the band INXS.
Like many artists this year, Minogue and Donovan were produced by Stock Aitken Waterman, who were at the peak of their popularity in 1989. This year saw the production team re-launch Donna Summer's career, and she scored her first Top 10 hit for 10 years with "This Time I Know It's for Real", which made number three, and followed it up with two more Top 20 hits ("I Don't Wanna Get Hurt" and "Love's About to Change My Heart") both from her album Another Place and Time, written and produced entirely by the trio. Also, the Reynolds Girls and Sonia both got the Stock Aitken Waterman treatment with their respective top 10 singles "I'd Rather Jack", which reached number eight in March, and "You'll Never Stop Me Loving You", which got to number one in July. Big Fun kick-started their short-lived pop career with a Stock Aitken Waterman produced cover of "Blame it on the Boogie", which got to number five.
After a break the previous year, Madonna returned to number one for the sixth time in March with "Like a Prayer", though the music video caused controversy. Her album, from which this was the title track, also topped the charts and became one of her most critically acclaimed worldwide. The single was followed by three further top five hits in 1989: "Express Yourself" (number five), "Cherish" (number three) and "Dear Jessie", which peaked at number five over the Christmas period.
May saw the Christians, Holly Johnson, Paul McCartney, Gerry Marsden and producers Stock Aitken Waterman reach number one with a charity cover of the Gerry & The Pacemakers song "Ferry Cross the Mersey", released in aid of the Hillsborough disaster the previous month. The original reached number eight in 1964.
Two sounds dominated the summer and autumn. The first came from Jive Bunny and the Mastermixers: several old songs from the 1940s to 1960s were joined together to create a megamix, with "Jive Bunny" (an animated rabbit) featuring in the music videos. "Swing the Mood" topped the charts for five weeks from July, "That's What I Like" for three weeks in October, and "Let's Party" for one week in December. Unlike the first two, the last one sampled Christmas songs from the 1970s and 1980s. Jive Bunny became the third artist ever to have their first three singles reach number one, after Gerry & The Pacemakers and Frankie Goes to Hollywood.
The second was the italo house sound of Black Box, whose "Ride on Time" was the biggest-selling single of the year, and, at six weeks, spent the longest time at number one. Though the song heavily sampled Loleatta Holloway's "Love Sensation" from 1980, the music video featured a different singer miming to Holloway's vocals. This prompted legal action, so later pressings of the single featured a different singer – the then little-known Heather Small, who later went on to fame as the lead singer of M People in the 1990s. The same production team behind Black Box also reached number nine under the group name Starlight with the hit single "Numero Uno". The italo house sound continued with top ten hits from Mixmaster "Grand Piano" and FPI Project went to number nine with their version of "Going Back to My Roots/Rich in Paradise".
Along with italo, the House music genre was still going strong in 1989. Inner City released numerous house hits during the year, which all entered the Top 40, the biggest being "Good Life", which reached number four in January. Coldcut introduced Lisa Stansfield with her debut single "People Hold On", which reached number 11 in April and stayed in the Top 75 for 9 weeks. This was followed by her first solo hit, "This Is the Right Time", which hit number 13, but in October, she made it all the way to the top with "All Around the World", which stayed at number one for two weeks.
The Rebel MC created a second wave house craze in October 1989 with his number-two hit "Street Tuff", and from Belgium, genre-defining Technotronic stormed to number two in November with their huge debut hit "Pump Up the Jam". Like Black Box, there was minor controversy over who was the actual singer of the track. The label officially credited French model Felly as the vocalist (who also appeared in the video); however, it was, in fact, American rapper Ya Kid K providing all the vocals. A third scandal involving credited vocalists also continued this year with the duo Milli Vanilli, who hit the headlines when it was revealed that neither of them had performed vocals on any of their debut singles, including this year's number two smash from November "Girl I'm Gonna Miss You".
The teen-sensations of 1988, Bros, lost momentum and a band member this year, so a new boyband took their title. From the United States came New Kids on the Block and they soon became the latest pop sensations in Britain. Their debut single, "Hangin' Tough", initially stalled early in the summer, but it was the follow-up "You Got It (The Right Stuff)" that went straight in at number one in the autumn. It would stay there for three weeks, paving the way for a re-release of "Hangin' Tough" in January 1990, and the multi-platinum success of their debut album of the same name.
The year's Christmas number one single, and, indeed, the final number one of the 1980s, went to a new version of 1984's Christmas number one "Do They Know It's Christmas?". Produced by Stock Aitken Waterman, Band Aid II, like the original Band Aid, featured numerous famous music stars of the day, including both Kylie Minogue and Jason Donovan, giving them the credit as appearing on both the first and last number one singles of the year. Donovan would also achieve the honour of the biggest selling album of the year with his "Ten Good Reasons" album going multi-platinum before the end of the year.
One of the highlights of the Proms was the première of John Tavener's The Protecting Veil, performed by Steven Isserlis and the London Symphony Orchestra. Two new works by John McCabe were also premièred during the year: Sam Variations for violin, viola, cello, doublebass and piano, commissioned and performed by the Schubert Ensemble of London, and String Quartet No 5, performed by the Gabrieli Quartet at the Fishguard Festival. A choral work by McCabe's, Proud Songsters, was written to celebrate the 70th birthday of Stephen Wilkinson.
| Chart date (week ending) | Song | Artist(s) |
|---|---|---|
| 7 January | "Especially for You" | Kylie Minogue and Jason Donovan |
| 14 January | ||
| 21 January | ||
| 28 January | "Something's Gotten Hold of My Heart" | Marc Almond with Gene Pitney |
| 4 February | ||
| 11 February | ||
| 18 February | ||
| 25 February | "Belfast Child" | Simple Minds |
| 4 March | ||
| 11 March | "Too Many Broken Hearts" | Jason Donovan |
| 18 March | ||
| 25 March | "Like a Prayer" | Madonna |
| 1 April | ||
| 8 April | ||
| 15 April | "Eternal Flame" | The Bangles |
| 22 April | ||
| 29 April | ||
| 6 May | ||
| 13 May | "Hand on Your Heart" | Kylie Minogue |
| 20 May | "Ferry 'Cross the Mersey" | The Christians, Holly Johnson, Paul McCartney, Gerry Marsden and Stock Aitken Waterman |
| 27 May | ||
| 3 June | ||
| 10 June | "Sealed With a Kiss" | Jason Donovan |
| 17 June | ||
| 24 June | "Back to Life (However Do You Want Me)" | Soul II Soul featuring Caron Wheeler |
| 1 July | ||
| 8 July | ||
| 15 July | ||
| 22 July | "You'll Never Stop Me Loving You" | Sonia |
| 29 July | ||
| 5 August | "Swing the Mood" | Jive Bunny and the Mastermixers |
| 12 August | ||
| 19 August | ||
| 26 August | ||
| 2 September | ||
| 9 September | "Ride on Time" | Black Box |
| 16 September | ||
| 23 September | ||
| 30 September | ||
| 7 October | ||
| 14 October | ||
| 21 October | "That's What I Like" | Jive Bunny and the Mastermixers |
| 28 October | ||
| 4 November | ||
| 11 November | "All Around the World" | Lisa Stansfield |
| 18 November | ||
| 25 November | "You Got It (The Right Stuff)" | New Kids on the Block |
| 2 December | ||
| 9 December | ||
| 16 December | "Let's Party" | Jive Bunny and the Mastermixers |
| 23 December | "Do They Know It's Christmas?" | Band Aid II |
| 30 December |
| Chart date (week ending) | Album | Artist | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 7 January | Now 13 | Various Artists | |
| 14 January | The Innocents | Erasure | |
| 21 January | The Legendary Roy Orbison | Roy Orbison | |
| 28 January | |||
| 4 February | |||
| 11 February | Technique | New Order | |
| 18 February | The Raw and the Cooked | Fine Young Cannibals | |
| 25 February | A New Flame | Simply Red | |
| 4 March | |||
| 11 March | |||
| 18 March | |||
| 25 March | Anything for You | Gloria Estefan & Miami Sound Machine | |
| 1 April | Like a Prayer | Madonna | |
| 8 April | |||
| 15 April | When the World Knows Your Name | Deacon Blue | |
| 22 April | |||
| 29 April | A New Flame | Simply Red | |
| 6 May | Blast | Holly Johnson | |
| 13 May | Street Fighting Years | Simple Minds | |
| 20 May | Ten Good Reasons | Jason Donovan | |
| 27 May | |||
| 3 June | The Miracle | Queen | |
| 10 June | Ten Good Reasons | Jason Donovan | |
| 17 June | |||
| 24 June | Flowers in the Dirt | Paul McCartney | |
| 1 July | Batman | Prince | |
| 8 July | Velveteen | Transvision Vamp | |
| 15 July | Club Classics Vol. One | Soul II Soul | |
| 22 July | A New Flame | Simply Red | |
| 29 July | |||
| 5 August | Cuts Both Ways | Gloria Estefan | |
| 12 August | |||
| 19 August | |||
| 26 August | |||
| 2 September | |||
| 9 September | |||
| 16 September | Aspects of Love | London Stage Cast | |
| 23 September | We Too Are One | Eurythmics | |
| 30 September | Foreign Affair | Tina Turner | |
| 7 October | The Seeds of Love | Tears for Fears | |
| 14 October | Crossroads | Tracy Chapman | |
| 21 October | Enjoy Yourself | Kylie Minogue | |
| 28 October | |||
| 4 November | Wild! | Erasure | |
| 11 November | |||
| 18 November | The Road to Hell | Chris Rea | |
| 25 November | |||
| 2 December | |||
| 9 December | ...But Seriously | Phil Collins | |
| 16 December | |||
| 23 December | |||
| 30 December |
| Chart date (week ending) | Album |
|---|---|
| 14 January | Now 13 |
| 21 January | |
| 28 January | |
| 4 February | The Marquee – Thirty Legendary Years |
| 11 February | |
| 18 February | |
| 25 February | |
| 4 March | The Awards |
| 11 March | The Premiere Collection: The Best of Andrew Lloyd Webber |
| 18 March | Deep Heat |
| 25 March | Unforgettable 2 |
| 1 April | Now 14 |
| 8 April | |
| 15 April | |
| 22 April | |
| 29 April | |
| 6 May | |
| 13 May | |
| 20 May | Nite Flite 2 |
| 27 May | |
| 3 June | Hits 10 |
| 10 June | |
| 17 June | |
| 24 June | |
| 1 July | |
| 8 July | |
| 15 July | Now Dance '89 |
| 22 July | |
| 29 July | |
| 5 August | |
| 12 August | |
| 19 August | |
| 26 August | Now 15 |
| 2 September | |
| 9 September | |
| 16 September | |
| 23 September | |
| 30 September | Deep Heat 4 – Play with Fire |
| 7 October | |
| 14 October | |
| 21 October | |
| 28 October | |
| 4 November | Smash Hits Party '89 |
| 11 November | |
| 18 November | |
| 25 November | The 80s – The Best Album of the Decade |
| 2 December | Now 16 |
| 9 December | |
| 16 December | |
| 23 December | |
| 30 December |
| scope=col | scope=col | Title | scope=col | Artist | scope=col | Peak position | scope=col | Estimated sales[7] | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 1 | "Ride on Time" | Black Box | 1 | 850,000 | ||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 2 | "Swing the Mood" | Jive Bunny and the Mastermixers | 1 | 820,000 | ||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 3 | "Eternal Flame" | 1 | 500,000 | |||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 4 | "Too Many Broken Hearts" | 1 | ||||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 5 | "Back to Life (However Do You Want Me)" | Soul II Soul featuring Caron Wheeler | 1 | |||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 6 | "Something's Gotten Hold of My Heart" | featuring Gene Pitney | 1 | |||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 7 | "That's What I Like" | Jive Bunny and the Mastermixers | 1 | |||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 8 | "Pump Up the Jam" | Technotronic featuring Felly | 2 | |||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 9 | "Do They Know It's Christmas?" | Band Aid II | 1 | 450,000 | ||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 10 | "Hand on Your Heart" | 1 | ||||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 11 | "Like a Prayer" | Madonna | 1 | |||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 12 | "All Around the World" | 1 | ||||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 13 | "If Only I Could" | 3 | ||||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 14 | "Love Changes Everything" | 2 | ||||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 15 | "Girl I'm Gonna Miss You" | Milli Vanilli | 2 | |||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 16 | "You'll Never Stop Me Loving You" | Sonia | 1 | |||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 17 | "You Got It (The Right Stuff)" | New Kids on the Block | 1 | |||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 18 | "The Living Years" | Mike + the Mechanics | 2 | |||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 19 | "Ferry 'Cross the Mersey" | , Holly Johnson, Paul McCartney, Gerry Marsden and Stock, Aitken & Waterman | 1 | |||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 20 | "Miss You Like Crazy" | 2 | ||||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 21 | "Wouldn't Change a Thing" | 2 | ||||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 22 | "This Time I Know It's for Real" | 3 | ||||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 23 | "Don't Know Much" | featuring Aaron Neville | 2 | |||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 24 | "Let's Party" | Jive Bunny and the Mastermixers | 1 | |||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 25 | "Street Tuff" | Rebel MC and Double Trouble | 3 | |||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 26 | "Belfast Child" | Simple Minds | 1 | |||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 27 | "Requiem" | London Boys | 4 | |||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 28 | "French Kiss" | Lil Louis | 2 | |||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 29 | "Sealed with a Kiss" | 1 | ||||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 30 | "Right Here Waiting" | 2 | ||||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 31 | "Straight Up" | 3 | ||||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 32 | "Especially for You" | and Jason Donovan | 1 | |||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 33 | "You Got It" | 3 | ||||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 34 | "Lambada" | Kaoma | 4 | |||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 35 | "Help!" | Bananarama/Lananeeneenoonoo | 3 | |||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 36 | "Stop!" | 4 | ||||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 37 | "When You Come Back to Me" | 2 | ||||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 38 | "If You Don't Know Me by Now" | Simply Red | 2 | |||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 39 | "London Nights" | London Boys | 2 | |||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 40 | "Poison" | 2 | ||||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 41 | "The Best" | 5 | ||||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 42 | "Love Train" | 4 | ||||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 43 | "If I Could Turn Back Time" | Cher | 6 | |||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 44 | "Leave Me Alone" | 2 | ||||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 45 | "Room in Your Heart" | Living in a Box | 5 | |||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 46 | "Another Day in Paradise" | 2 | ||||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 47 | "Song for Whoever" | 2 | ||||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 48 | "Get a Life" | Soul II Soul | 3 | |||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 49 | "Baby I Don't Care" | Transvision Vamp | 3 | |||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 50 | "Leave a Light On" | 4 |
| scope=col | scope=col | Title | scope=col | Artist | scope=col | Peak position | scope=col | Estimated sales[9] | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 1 | Ten Good Reasons | 1 | 1,500,000 | |||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 2 | A New Flame | Simply Red | 1 | 1,400,000 | ||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 3 | ...But Seriously | 1 | 1,200,000 | |||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 4 | Anything for You | and Miami Sound Machine | 1 | 1,050,000 | ||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 5 | Cuts Both Ways | 1 | 900,000 | |||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 6 | Enjoy Yourself | 1 | 800,000 | |||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 7 | The Raw and the Cooked | Fine Young Cannibals | 1 | |||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 8 | Foreign Affair | 1 | ||||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 9 | Like a Prayer | Madonna | 1 | |||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 10 | Club Classics Vol. One | Soul II Soul | 1 | 750,000 | ||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 11 | Don't Be Cruel | 3 | ||||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 12 | The Road to Hell | 1 | ||||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 13 | When the World Knows Your Name | Deacon Blue | 1 | |||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 14 | Jive Bunny and the Mastermixers | 2 | ||||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 15 | Appetite for Destruction | Guns N' Roses | 5 | 600,000 | ||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 16 | Street Fighting Years | Simple Minds | 1 | |||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 17 | The Miracle | Queen | 1 | |||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 18 | Wild! | Erasure | 1 | |||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 19 | The Twelve Commandments of Dance | London Boys | 2 | |||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 20 | We Too Are One | Eurythmics | 1 | |||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 21 | The Seeds of Love | Tears for Fears | 1 | |||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 22 | Raw Like Sushi | 2 | ||||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 23 | Affection | 2 | ||||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 24 | Watermark | Enya | 5 | |||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 25 | Velveteen | Transvision Vamp | 1 | |||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 26 | The Legendary Roy Orbison | 1 | ||||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 27 | 4 | |||||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 28 | Ancient Heart | 3 | ||||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 29 | Holding Back the River | Wet Wet Wet | 2 | |||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 30 | Batman | Prince | 1 | |||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 31 | Pastpresent | Clannad | 5 | |||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 32 | Kylie | 2 | 360,000 | |||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 33 | The Best of Rod Stewart | 3 | ||||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 34 | Bad | 4 | ||||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 35 | Kick | INXS | 9 | |||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 36 | The Innocents | Erasure | 1 | |||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 37 | Paradise | Inner City | 3 | |||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 38 | Stronger | 7 | ||||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 39 | The Sensual World | 1 | ||||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 40 | 2 X 2 | Milli Vanilli | 6 | |||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 41 | Everything | 5 | ||||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 42 | Level Best | Level 42 | 5 | |||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 43 | Mystery Girl | 2 | ||||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 44 | Crossroads | 1 | ||||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 45 | Remote/Bitter Suite | Hue & Cry | 10 | |||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 46 | Runaway Horses | 4 | ||||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 47 | Greatest Hits | 4 | ||||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 48 | Welcome to the Beautiful South | 2 | ||||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 49 | Blast | 1 | ||||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 50 | Aspects of Love | Original Cast Recording | 1 |
Notes:
The 1989 BRIT Awards winners were: