Music of 1990: January

United States

As the ball fell in Times Square ending 1989 and beginning 1990, America was still in love with Phil Collins' "Another Day in Paradise." The single spent the first 2 weeks of the decade at #1, for four weeks in total. The song, about the plight of the homeless, was the first and biggest single from Collins' fourth solo album, ...But Seriously. It won the Grammy Award for Record of the Year, and ...But Seriously was an Album of the Year nominee. This was Collin's 7th and last US #1 hit. Three more top 5 hits would follow from the album, but after that, Collins' chart appeal faded significantly.



The other #1 hit in January came from adult pop crooner Michael Bolton. "How Am I Supposed to Live Without You" was the second single from Soul Provider, Bolton's sixth album. Although his popularity had been on the rise for awhile, this was his first major hit--both his first to hit the top 10 and #1. The album would yield two other top 10 hits, and Bolton would have his second #1 hit a year later, a remake of "When a Man Loves a Woman." Although Bolton wrote this song, his version is actually a remake, as it was first recorded and released in 1983 by Laura Branigan, whose version hit #12.

Janet Jackson began 1990 with a bang, landing at #2 with "Rhythm Nation," the second single from her fourth album, Janet Jackson's Rhythm Nation 1814. It was upbeat dance pop in a similar vein to predecessor single, the #1 hit "Miss You Much," but while that video's choreographed dance routines were set in a laid back pool hall, "Rhythm Nation" had an industrial, militaristic look. This would be the first of five top 5 hits for Jackson in 1990. Why Rhythm Nation wasn't nominated for an Album of the Year Grammy is, in my book, a major oversight.



Belgian dance act Technotronic saw their 1989 smash hit "Pump Up the Jam" become a US #2. The song's strong house beat and rapped verses would become a defining sound in early '90s dance pop. "Pump Up the Jam" is perhaps notable as the first of several dance hits subject to lip-synching controversy. Although credited as "Technotronic Featuring Felly," it turns out that "Felly," who appeared in the video, was really just a visual stand in for the song's real artist, Ya Kid K. Dance acts C&C Music Factory and Black Box were also revealed to have covered the singing of heavy-set Martha Wash (of the Weather Girls) with younger, slimmer stand-ins. Wash successfully sued for credit and payment. Of course the most famous lip synching scandal would come later in 1990 (I'll save it for the proper time, but I'm sure you ALL know what I'm hinting at).



Jody Watley won the Best New Artist Grammy in 1987 after the success of her debut album. In 1989 she released her second album, Larger than Life. Like her first album, it gave her three top 10 hits. Ballad "Everything," which hit #4 in January was the last of the three, and in fact the last top 10 hit of Watley's career (she would have one more top 40 hit, "I'm the One You Need," from her next album).

January 1990 was also notable for the introduction of MTV's show Unplugged, a concert program where artists performed "unplugged" (i.e. with acoustic instruments, although they still seem to use microphones, amplifiers and stage lights, so there must have been a few "plugs" around). Unplugged grew in popularity in the '90s, and eventually artists started releasing their Unplugged appearances as albums, a tradition that continued in the 2000s, including notable, even award-winning releases from Mariah Carey, Eric Clapton, Nirvana, Tony Bennett, Lauryn Hill, and Alicia Keys. No notable albums were released this month.


United Kingdom

Like America, Britain began 1990 with a holdover #1 from the previous year. Band Aid's "Do They Know It's Christmas" came out in 1984. A charity record for famine relief, it featured an amazing combination of many of the times' biggest stars--U2, Phil Collins, Queen, Duran Duran, The Police, Bananrama, etc. It was also 1984's Christmas #1. This 1989 version, recorded under the name Band Aid II, was produced by pop hit factory Stock Aitken Waterman, and featured many of their big names such as Kylie Minogue and Jason Donovan. A third version, released in 2004 as Band Aid 20 (celebrating the 20th anniversary of the original), would feature a similarly broad mix of hit artists as the first version, and would go on to be 2004's Christmas #1 and one of the 10 best-selling singles of the decade.

Speaking of Kylie and Jason, who hit #1 a year prior with their duet "Especially for You," both artists would also have solo hits in January 1990. Kylie Minogue hit #1 with her remake of "Tears on My Pillow," becoming the Australian singer's fourth #1 and second from her second album Enjoy Yourself. It was the album's last single, but her third album, Rhythm of Love, would be coming soon, along with more top 10 hits. Fellow Aussie Jason Donovan's "When You Come Back to Me" hit #2 in December, but climbed back to #2 in January.

The New Kids on the Block became major breakout stars in the US in early 1989 but didn't catch on in Britain until the end of the year. "Hangin' Tough" spent 2 weeks at #1 in January, and was the follow-up to their first chart-topper, "You Got It (The Right Stuff)." "Hangin' Tough was their only #1 hit in both the UK and the US ("I'll Be Loving You Forever" and "Step By Step," which also hit #1 in the US, hit #5 and #2 respectively in the UK). The single propelled their album of the same name to #2 the week of January 20.



US hip-hop/pop act Mantronix would score a major British hit in January with "Got to Have Your Love," which hit #4. The dance pop song would become a #1 hit 12 years later when remade by Liberty X.



Madonna's last British Like a Prayer single, "Dear Jessie," hit #5 in December and stayed there into January. Along with "Gambler," which hit #4, "Dear Jessie" is one of Madonna's few UK top 5 hits that were not released as singles in the US. The video is one of Madonna's most unusual. In an era where Madonna was well-known for shockingly sexy imagery in her videos, this child's themed clip, which mixes animation and live action is shockingly tame.