1989 Music Hits: Pop, Rock, Rap, Dance, and Big Radio Anthems

1989 music hits caught pop music at a very busy crossroads. The late ’80s were still loud, glossy, and big-haired, but hip-hop, dance-pop, college rock, and alternative sounds were pushing harder into the mainstream. It was the kind of year where Madonna, The B-52’s, Guns N’ Roses, Young MC, New Kids on the Block, U2, Bobby Brown, and Milli Vanilli could all crowd the same radio dial and somehow make sense.

This was the year of Love Shack, Like a Prayer, Bust a Move, Wind Beneath My Wings, Funky Cold Medina, Patience, She Drives Me Crazy, and My Prerogative. Pop radio had hooks for days, MTV still had major influence, and every genre seemed to be wearing either leather, neon, denim, or a questionable amount of hair spray.

The songs below mix major chart hits, MTV favorites, rock staples, hip-hop breakthroughs, dance-floor favorites, and adult contemporary radio giants from 1989. Some became timeless. Some became wonderfully frozen in 1989. A few may still be hiding in your cousin’s cassette case.

Top 10 Songs of 1989

1. Love Shack – The B-52’s
2. Like a Prayer – Madonna
3. Bust a Move – Young MC
4. Wind Beneath My Wings – Bette Midler
5. Joy and Pain – Rob Base & DJ E-Z Rock
6. Funky Cold Medina – Tone Lōc
7. All I Want Is You – U2
8. Patience – Guns N’ Roses
9. She Drives Me Crazy – Fine Young Cannibals
10. Kiss – Art of Noise featuring Tom Jones

1989 Music Hits by Style

Pop, Dance-Pop, and Mainstream Radio Favorites

Pop music in 1989 was bright, slick, and incredibly hook-heavy. Madonna continued her late-’80s dominance with Like a Prayer, Express Yourself, and Cherish, while Paula Abdul, Debbie Gibson, Roxette, Gloria Estefan, and New Kids on the Block helped define the sound of mainstream radio.

This was also the year when pop could be serious, silly, romantic, stylish, or completely overproduced, sometimes before the second chorus. The synthesizers were still busy, the videos were still dramatic, and nobody was afraid of a key change.

• Like a Prayer – Madonna
• Express Yourself – Madonna
• Cherish – Madonna
• Straight Up – Paula Abdul
• Forever Your Girl – Paula Abdul
• Electric Youth – Debbie Gibson
• Lost in Your Eyes – Debbie Gibson
• The Look – Roxette
• Listen to Your Heart – Roxette
• Get on Your Feet – Gloria Estefan
• Don’t Wanna Lose You – Gloria Estefan
• You Got It (The Right Stuff) – New Kids on the Block
• I’ll Be Loving You (Forever) – New Kids on the Block
• Hangin’ Tough – New Kids on the Block
• She Drives Me Crazy – Fine Young Cannibals
• Right Back Where We Started From – Sinitta

Hip-Hop, Rap, and New Jack Swing

Hip-hop continued to gain mainstream ground in 1989. Young MC’s Bust a Move became one of the year’s most recognizable rap hits, while Tone Lōc scored with both Funky Cold Medina and Wild Thing. Rob Base & DJ E-Z Rock, Beastie Boys, De La Soul, LL Cool J, 2 Live Crew, and Bobby Brown showed just how broad rap and rap-adjacent pop had become by the end of the decade.

New Jack Swing also helped reshape pop and R&B. Bobby Brown’s My Prerogative, Every Little Step, and On Our Own blended dance beats, R&B vocals, and hip-hop attitude into a sound that pointed directly toward the early 1990s.

• Bust a Move – Young MC
• Joy and Pain – Rob Base & DJ E-Z Rock
• Funky Cold Medina – Tone Lōc
• Wild Thing – Tone Lōc
• My Prerogative – Bobby Brown
• Every Little Step – Bobby Brown
• On Our Own – Bobby Brown
• Buffalo Stance – Neneh Cherry
• Me Myself and I – De La Soul
• Hey Ladies – Beastie Boys
• Me So Horny – 2 Live Crew
• I’m That Type of Guy – LL Cool J
• Birthday Suit – Johnny Kemp
• My Fantasy – Teddy Riley featuring Guy

Dance, Club, Freestyle, and House Music

Dance music had a strong year in 1989, with house, freestyle, club-pop, and R&B-influenced dance tracks crossing into mainstream radio. Soul II Soul’s Keep On Movin’ and Back to Life (However Do You Want Me) brought a smoother, groove-centered sound, while Inner City’s Good Life helped represent the house music side of the year.

Erasure, Rick Astley, Was (Not Was), Martika, Dino, Taylor Dayne, and Milli Vanilli all added to the dance-pop mix. Some of it was stylish. Some of it was cheesy. Some of it was both, which may be the most 1989 thing possible.

• Keep On Movin’ – Soul II Soul
• Back to Life (However Do You Want Me) – Soul II Soul
• Good Life – Inner City
• A Little Respect – Erasure
• She Wants to Dance with Me – Rick Astley
• Walk the Dinosaur – Was (Not Was)
• I Feel the Earth Move – Martika
• With Every Beat of My Heart – Taylor Dayne
• I Like It – Dino
• Baby Don’t Forget My Number – Milli Vanilli
• Blame It on the Rain – Milli Vanilli
• Partyman – Prince
• Kiss – Art of Noise featuring Tom Jones
• Smooth Criminal – Michael Jackson

Rock, Hard Rock, and Hair Metal

Rock in 1989 was still big, loud, and arena-ready. Guns N’ Roses had several major songs in the mix, including Patience, Paradise City, and Nightrain, while Bon Jovi, Aerosmith, Mötley Crüe, Warrant, Great White, Poison, Winger, Skid Row, and Bad English kept hard rock and hair metal very visible.

This was the final stretch before alternative and grunge began to change rock radio in a major way. For the moment, the guitars were still screaming, the choruses were huge, and the leather pants were probably not breathable.

• Patience – Guns N’ Roses
• Paradise City – Guns N’ Roses
• Nightrain – Guns N’ Roses
• Lay Your Hands on Me – Bon Jovi
• I’ll Be There for You – Bon Jovi
• Love in an Elevator – Aerosmith
• Dr. Feelgood – Mötley Crüe
• Heaven – Warrant
• Once Bitten, Twice Shy – Great White
• Your Mama Don’t Dance – Poison
• Seventeen – Winger
• 18 and Life – Skid Row
• When I See You Smile – Bad English
• Close My Eyes Forever – Lita Ford & Ozzy Osbourne
• Cult of Personality – Living Colour
• One – Metallica

Alternative Rock, College Rock, and Modern Rock

Alternative and college rock were gaining more space in 1989, even if mainstream pop radio had not fully caught up yet. The B-52’s had a massive crossover moment with Love Shack, while The Cure, R.E.M., 10,000 Maniacs, Indigo Girls, Love and Rockets, XTC, and Edie Brickell & New Bohemians gave the year a smarter, quirkier, and more left-of-center sound.

This side of 1989 pointed toward the 1990s more than the glam-metal side did. The mood was shifting, the guitars were changing, and college radio was quietly building the next decade’s playlist.

• Love Shack – The B-52’s
• Lovesong – The Cure
• Fascination Street – The Cure
• Stand – R.E.M.
• Pop Song 89 – R.E.M.
• Trouble Me – 10,000 Maniacs
• Closer to Fine – Indigo Girls
• So Alive – Love and Rockets
• What I Am – Edie Brickell & New Bohemians
• Mayor of Simpleton – XTC
• Veronica – Elvis Costello
• Anchorage – Michelle Shocked
• Dear God – Midge Ure
• End of the Line – Traveling Wilburys

Adult Contemporary, Pop Ballads, and Soundtrack Favorites

The ballads of 1989 were everywhere. Bette Midler’s Wind Beneath My Wings became one of the year’s signature emotional hits, while Richard Marx, Phil Collins, Cher, Peter Cetera, Linda Ronstadt, Aaron Neville, Debbie Gibson, Natalie Cole, and Gloria Estefan helped keep adult contemporary radio very busy.

Many of these songs were built for movie moments, slow dances, radio dedications, and the kind of dramatic pause that makes people stare out windows for no clear reason. 1989 did not underplay emotion; it put it in a spotlight and gave it reverb.

• Wind Beneath My Wings – Bette Midler
• All I Want Is You – U2
• Put a Little Love in Your Heart – Annie Lennox & Al Green
• Don’t Know Much – Linda Ronstadt & Aaron Neville
• After All – Cher & Peter Cetera
• Another Day in Paradise – Phil Collins
• The Best – Tina Turner
• Eternal Flame – The Bangles
• The Living Years – Mike + The Mechanics
• Angel Eyes – The Jeff Healey Band
• Two Hearts – Phil Collins
• Right Here Waiting – Richard Marx
• If I Could Turn Back Time – Cher
• Miss You Like Crazy – Natalie Cole
• Lost in Your Eyes – Debbie Gibson
• You Got It – Roy Orbison

R&B, Soul, and Pop-Soul Crossovers

R&B and pop-soul had a strong place in 1989, especially through Bobby Brown, Soul II Soul, Tina Turner, Donny Osmond, Johnny Kemp, Deon Estus, and Aaron Neville. This was a crossover-heavy era, where R&B songs could slide easily into dance clubs, pop radio, MTV, and adult contemporary playlists.

The late ’80s R&B sound helped set the stage for the New Jack Swing and vocal-group boom that would become even bigger in the early 1990s. In other words, the decade was ending, but the groove was not clocking out.

• My Prerogative – Bobby Brown
• Every Little Step – Bobby Brown
• On Our Own – Bobby Brown
• Keep On Movin’ – Soul II Soul
• Back to Life (However Do You Want Me) – Soul II Soul
• Buffalo Stance – Neneh Cherry
• Birthday Suit – Johnny Kemp
• Heaven Help Me – Deon Estus & George Michael
• Soldier of Love – Donny Osmond
• Don’t Know Much – Linda Ronstadt & Aaron Neville
• Put a Little Love in Your Heart – Annie Lennox & Al Green
• Miss You Like Crazy – Natalie Cole

Classic Rock Veterans and Legacy Artists

1989 also had plenty of familiar names still making noise. U2, Tom Petty, Queen, Eric Clapton, Fleetwood Mac, Roy Orbison, Billy Joel, Paul Simon, and Tina Turner all appeared with songs that kept older rock and pop traditions active during a fast-changing year.

Some of these artists were reinventing themselves, while others were reminding everyone they could still write radio songs with lasting power. The new kids were arriving, but the veterans had not handed over the keys yet.

• All I Want Is You – U2
• Angel of Harlem – U2
• I Won’t Back Down – Tom Petty
• Runnin’ Down a Dream – Tom Petty
• We Didn’t Start the Fire – Billy Joel
• As Long as You Follow – Fleetwood Mac
• You Got It – Roy Orbison
• Pretending – Eric Clapton
• I Want It All – Queen
• The Obvious Child – Paul Simon
• The Best – Tina Turner
• End of the Line – Traveling Wilburys

Novelty, Pop Culture, and “Only in 1989” Songs

Some 1989 hits were more than songs; they were full pop-culture moments. Love Shack was a party record with a cartoonish sense of fun, Walk the Dinosaur became a strange and unforgettable dance-floor oddity, and We Didn’t Start the Fire packed decades of history into one rapid-fire Billy Joel lesson. This was also the year when songs like Me So Horny, Rico Suave, and Baby Don’t Forget My Number made clear that pop culture was not always aiming for subtlety. Sometimes, 1989 walked into the room wearing sunglasses indoors and somehow got away with it. Featured 1989 novelty and pop-culture songs:

• Love Shack – The B-52’s
• Walk the Dinosaur – Was (Not Was)
• We Didn’t Start the Fire – Billy Joel
• Rico Suave – Gerardo
• Me So Horny – 2 Live Crew
• Baby Don’t Forget My Number – Milli Vanilli
• Blame It on the Rain – Milli Vanilli
• Partyman – Prince

PCM’s 1989 Top 100 Music Hits Chart

1. Love Shack – The B-52’s
2. Like a Prayer – Madonna
3. Bust a Move – Young MC
4. Wind Beneath My Wings – Bette Midler
5. Joy and Pain – Rob Base & DJ E-Z Rock
6. Funky Cold Medina – Tone Lōc
7. All I Want Is You – U2
8. Patience – Guns N’ Roses
9. She Drives Me Crazy – Fine Young Cannibals
10. Kiss – Art of Noise featuring Tom Jones
11. Lay Your Hands on Me – Bon Jovi
12. Put a Little Love in Your Heart – Annie Lennox & Al Green
13. Angel of Harlem – U2
14. Smooth Criminal – Michael Jackson
15. My Prerogative – Bobby Brown
16. I’ll Be There for You – Bon Jovi
17. Paradise City – Guns N’ Roses
18. Wild Thing – Tone Lōc
19. Every Little Step – Bobby Brown
20. I Won’t Back Down – Tom Petty
21. Lovesong – The Cure
22. Love in an Elevator – Aerosmith
23. Express Yourself – Madonna
24. Don’t Know Much – Linda Ronstadt & Aaron Neville
25. You Got It (The Right Stuff) – New Kids on the Block
26. Keep On Movin’ – Soul II Soul
27. Get on Your Feet – Gloria Estefan
28. After All – Cher & Peter Cetera
29. Buffalo Stance – Neneh Cherry
30. Another Day in Paradise – Phil Collins
31. So Alive – Love and Rockets
32. Back to Life (However Do You Want Me) – Soul II Soul
33. Listen to Your Heart – Roxette
34. Orinoco Flow (Sail Away) – Enya
35. I Feel the Earth Move – Martika
36. When I See You Smile – Bad English
37. Birthday Suit – Johnny Kemp
38. Heaven Help Me – Deon Estus & George Michael
39. The Look – Roxette
40. Baby Don’t Forget My Number – Milli Vanilli
41. Dr. Feelgood – Mötley Crüe
42. Heaven – Warrant
43. She Wants to Dance with Me – Rick Astley
44. Me Myself and I – De La Soul
45. Walk the Dinosaur – Was (Not Was)
46. Once Bitten, Twice Shy – Great White
47. The Best – Tina Turner
48. On Our Own – Bobby Brown
49. A Little Respect – Erasure
50. Eternal Flame – The Bangles
51. Me So Horny – 2 Live Crew
52. Soldier of Love – Donny Osmond
53. We Didn’t Start the Fire – Billy Joel
54. Hey Ladies – Beastie Boys
55. The Living Years – Mike + The Mechanics
56. Stand – R.E.M.
57. Trouble Me – 10,000 Maniacs
58. Your Mama Don’t Dance – Poison
59. Close My Eyes Forever – Lita Ford & Ozzy Osbourne
60. Closer to Fine – Indigo Girls
61. With Every Beat of My Heart – Taylor Dayne
62. Angel Eyes – The Jeff Healey Band
63. Blame It on the Rain – Milli Vanilli
64. End of the Line – Traveling Wilburys
65. Two Hearts – Phil Collins
66. Don’t Wanna Lose You – Gloria Estefan
67. Right Here Waiting – Richard Marx
68. If I Could Turn Back Time – Cher
69. Anchorage – Michelle Shocked
70. Straight Up – Paula Abdul
71. I’ll Be Loving You (Forever) – New Kids on the Block
72. Pop Song 89 – R.E.M.
73. Hangin’ Tough – New Kids on the Block
74. Dear God – Midge Ure
75. What I Am – Edie Brickell & New Bohemians
76. Miss You Like Crazy – Natalie Cole
77. I Like It – Dino
78. Forever Your Girl – Paula Abdul
79. Cherish – Madonna
80. I’m That Type of Guy – LL Cool J
81. Cult of Personality – Living Colour
82. My Fantasy – Teddy Riley featuring Guy
83. Electric Youth – Debbie Gibson
84. Veronica – Elvis Costello
85. Partyman – Prince
86. As Long as You Follow – Fleetwood Mac
87. Right Back Where We Started From – Sinitta
88. Runnin’ Down a Dream – Tom Petty
89. Mayor of Simpleton – XTC
90. Lost in Your Eyes – Debbie Gibson
91. Fascination Street – The Cure
92. Nightrain – Guns N’ Roses
93. Seventeen – Winger
94. Now You’re in Heaven – Julian Lennon
95. Good Life – Inner City
96. You Got It – Roy Orbison
97. One – Metallica
98. 18 and Life – Skid Row
99. Pretending – Eric Clapton
100. I Want It All – Queen