January 14 – Paul McCartney releases Снова в СССР (Back in the USSR) exclusively in the USSR. Bootleg copies sell for as much as US$1,000 in the United States.
January 23 – James Brown is sentenced in Georgia, USA, to six years in jail in connection with a police chase through two different states.
January 25 – Madonna files for divorce from Sean Penn after three-and-a-half years of marriage, citing irreconcilable differences.
January 27 – Michael Jackson ends the Bad World Tour in Los Angeles, USA.
February 12
Roy Orbison joins Elvis Presley as the only singers to ever simultaneously have two top 5 albums on the Billboard charts.
Tiny Tim launches an unsuccessful campaign to be elected mayor of New York City, USA.
February 17 – Whitesnake's David Coverdale marries Tawny Kitaen.
March 21 – Madonna's "Like a Prayer" music video, taped in late December 1988, attracts criticism for its use of Catholic Church iconography and for the use of cross burning imagery, but also garners praise for its interpretation of discrimination, rape, and faith. Pepsi drops Madonna as a spokesperson out of fear the video will cause religious groups to boycott the company.
April 9 – The Rolling Stones' Bill Wyman announces that he will marry 19-year-old Mandy Smith, his girlfriend for six years.
April 12 – Michael Jackson is named "King of Pop" after receiving the Soul Train Heritage Awards.
April 28 – Jon Bon Jovi marries his high school sweetheart Dorothea Hurley at the Graceland Wedding Chapel in Las Vegas, Nevada, USA.
May 1 – California, USA jewelry store employees called the police reporting a suspicious person hanging around their store. The person turns out to be Michael Jackson shopping in disguise.
July 9 – All four original members of The Monkees reunite in Los Angeles, USA, for a concert performance at the Universal Amphitheatre. The following day the quartet attend an induction ceremony at the Hollywood Walk of Fame, where they receive a star.
July 23 – Former Beatle Ringo Starr forms his own band named Ringo Starr & His All-Starr Band.
August 3 – Sergio Franchi collapses before scheduled concert; dies 9 months later of brain cancer.
August 11 – 12 – The Moscow Music Peace Festival is held in the Soviet Union. The event is put together by Doc McGhee and the Make-A-Wish Foundation and headline acts include Bon Jovi, Ozzy Osbourne, Mötley Crüe, Skid Row, Cinderella, and the Scorpions.
August 31 – The Rolling Stones open their Steel Wheels North American tour in Philadelphia, USA.
September 9
The Morton H. Meyerson Symphony Center, designed by I. M. Pei, opens in Dallas, Texas, USA.
Madonna gives a risqué performance at the 1989 MTV Video Music Awards. Clad in baggy black sweatpants and a black bustier, she shocks the audience by simulating masturbation. The version of the song used in the show would later serve as the opening number of 1990's "Blond Ambition World Tour".
September 14 – Madonna is granted a divorce from Sean Penn.
October 15 – Media Rings Corporation, the Japanese music, video game, and software publishing company, is founded in Akasaka.
December 23 – Ice Cube leaves N.W.A after financial problems and several conflicts with their manager Jerry Heller and the group's founder Eazy-E. By this time, Cube has been recording his solo debut album, which will be released next year.
Iron Maiden guitarist Adrian Smith leaves the band and is replaced by ex-Gillan guitarist Janick Gers who had most recently worked with Bruce Dickinson on his solo project.
Ars Musica, an annual contemporary music international festival, founded
See Musical groups established in 1989
Bands disbanded
See Musical groups disestablished in 1989
Cluster
Luv'
Plasmatics
All releases are an LP record unless otherwise stated.
Multiple entries for the same day are arranged alphabetically by the album's name.
Release dates may vary in different countries.
The following songs achieved the highest chart positions in the charts of 1989.
"9 to 5" – Rick Astley
"18 and Life" – Skid Row
"A Girl Like You" – The Smithereens
"After All" – Cher & Peter Cetera
"Ain't Nobody" (Remix) – Chaka Khan & Rufus
"All Around the World" – Lisa Stansfield
"All I Want Is You" – U2
"All She Wants Is" – Duran Duran
"Americanos" – Holly Johnson
"And the Night Stood Still" – Dion
"Angelia" – Richard Marx
"Another Day in Paradise" – Phil Collins
"The Arms of Orion" – Prince & Sheena Easton
"Around My Heart" – Sandra
"Atomic City" – Holly Johnson
"Back to Life (However Do You Want Me)" – Soul II Soul
"Baby Don't Forget My Number" – Milli Vanilli
"Baby I Don't Care" – Transvision Vamp
"Bakerman" – Laid Back
"Batdance" – Prince
"Beds Are Burning" – Midnight Oil (released in 1987 in Australia)
"Belfast Child" – Simple Minds
"Belye Rozy" – Laskoviy Mai
"The Best" – Tina Turner
"The Best of Me" – Cliff Richard
"Black Velvet" – Alannah Myles
"Blame It on the Boogie" – Big Fun
"Blame It on the Rain" – Milli Vanilli
"Blow the House Down" – Living in a Box
"Breakthru" – Queen
"Bring Me Edelweiss" – Edelweiss
"Buffalo Stance" – Neneh Cherry
"Bust A Move" – Young MC
"Can't Shake the Feeling" – Big Fun
"Carma (Omen 2)" – Mysterious Art
"Cartoon" – Soul Asylum
"Chained to the Wheel" – Black Sorrows
"Cherish" – Madonna
"Cold Hearted" – Paula Abdul
"Compulsory Hero" – 1927
"Cover Girl" – New Kids on the Block
"The Crack-Up" – The Black Sorrows
"Crazy About Her" – Rod Stewart
"Cry in Shame" – Johnny Diesel & The Injectors
"The Dance" – Garth Brooks
"Cuddly Toy" – Roachford
"Dançando Lambada" – Kaoma
"Das Omen (Teil 1)" – Mysterious Art
"Didn't I (Blow Your Mind)" – New Kids on the Block
"Dear Jessie" – Madonna
"Do You Believe in Shame?" – Duran Duran
"Don't Ask Me Why" – Eurythmics
"Don't Know Much" – Linda Ronstadt and Aaron Neville
"Don't Wanna Lose You" – Gloria Estefan
"Dressed for Success" – Roxette
"Dr. Feelgood" – Mötley Crüe
"Drama!" – Erasure
"Easy" – Ice MC
"Electric Youth" – Debbie Gibson
"The End of the Innocence" – Don Henley
"Especially for You" – Jason Donovan & Kylie Minogue
"Eternal Flame" – The Bangles
"Everlasting Love" – Howard Jones
"Every Day (I Love You More)" – Jason Donovan
"Every Little Step" – Bobby Brown
"Express Yourself" – Madonna
"Eyes of a Stranger" – Queensrÿche
"Ferry Cross the Mersey" – Various Artists
"Fight the Power" – Public Enemy
"First Time" – Robin Beck
"Fisherman's Blues" – The Waterboys (released in 1988)
"Fools Gold" – The Stone Roses
"Forever" – Kiss
"Forever Your Girl" – Paula Abdul
"French Kiss" – Lil Louis
"Friends" – Jody Watley
"Funky Cold Medina" – Tone Lōc
"Get a Life" – Soul II Soul
"Get On Your Feet" – Gloria Estefan
"Girl I'm Gonna Miss You" – Milli Vanilli
"Good Life" – Inner City
"Got to Get" – Rob'n'Raz & Leila K
"Got to Have Your Love" – Mantronix & Wondress
"Gringo" – Sabrina
"Hand on Your Heart" – Kylie Minogue
"Hangin' Tough" – New Kids on the Block
"Harlem Desire" – London Boys
"Have I Told You Lately" – Van Morrison
"Heaven" – Warrant
"Heaven Help Me" – Deon Estus
"Heavy Metal" – Judas Priest
"Help!" – Bananarama & Lananeeneenoonoo
"High" – David Hallyday
"Hold Me In Your Arms" – Rick Astley
"Homely Girl" – UB40
"I Beg Your Pardon" – Kon Kan
"I Don't Wanna Get Hurt" – Donna Summer
"I Don't Wanna Lose You" – Tina Turner
"I Don't Want a Lover" – Texas
"I Drove All Night" – Cyndi Lauper
"I Feel the Earth Move" – Martika
"I Get The Job Done" – Big Daddy Kane
"I Just Don't Have the Heart" – Cliff Richard
"I'll Be Loving You (Forever)" – New Kids on the Block
"I'll Be There for You" – Bon Jovi
"If I Could" – 1927
"If I Could Turn Back Time" – Cher
"If I Ever Fall in Love Again" – Anne Murray
"If Only I Could" – Sydney Youngblood
"If You Don't Know Me by Now" – Simply Red
"I Only Wanna Be With You" – Samantha Fox
"I Owe You Nothing" – Bros
"If Tomorrow Never Comes" – Garth Brooks
"I'm Every Woman" (Remix) – Chaka Khan
"Im Nin'alu" – Ofra Haza
"In Private" – Dusty Springfield
"It's Alright" – Pet Shop Boys
"(It's Just) The Way That You Love Me" – Paula Abdul (released in 1988 in USA)
"I Remember You" – Skid Row
"I Want It All" – Queen
"Janie's Got a Gun"- Aerosmith
"Johnny, Johnny Come Home" – Avalanche
"Just A Friend" – Biz Markie
"Keep On Movin'" – Soul II Soul
"Kickstart My Heart" – Mötley Crüe
"Killin' Time" – Clint Black
"Kisses on the Wind" – Neneh Cherry
"Knocked Out" – Paula Abdul (released in 1988 in USA)
"Lambada" – Kaoma
"Lay Your Hands on Me" – Bon Jovi
"Lean on Me" – Cliff Richard
"Leave a Light On" – Belinda Carlisle
"Leave Me Alone" – Michael Jackson
"Liberian Girl" – Michael Jackson
"Licence to Kill" – Gladys Knight
"Like a Prayer" – Madonna
"Lily Was Here" – Dave Stewart & Candy Dulfer
"The Living Years" – Mike + The Mechanics
"Listen to Your Heart" – Roxette
"London Kid" – Jean Michel Jarre featuring Hank Marvin
"London Nights" – London Boys
"The Look" – Roxette
"Looking for Freedom" – David Hasselhoff
"Losing My Mind" – Liza Minnelli
"Lost in Your Eyes" – Debbie Gibson
"Love in an Elevator" – Aerosmith
"Love in the Natural Way" – Kim Wilde
"Love is a Shield" – Camouflage
"Lovesong" – The Cure
"Love Shack"- The B-52's
"Love Train" – Holly Johnson
"Lullaby" – The Cure
"Magic Symphony" – Blue System
"Manchild" – Neneh Cherry
"Marina (Remix '89)" – Rocco Granata & The Carnations
"Me, Myself and I" – De La Soul
"Me So Horny" – 2 Live Crew
"Miss You Like Crazy" – Natalie Cole
"Miss You Much" – Janet Jackson
"Mixed Emotions" – The Rolling Stones
"Monsters of Rock" – Judas Priest
"Mountains of the Moon" – The Shadows
"My Brave Face" – Paul McCartney
"Name and Number" – Curiosity Killed the Cat
"No More Bolero's" – Gerard Joling
"Nothing Has Been Proved" – Dusty Springfield
"Oh Father" – Madonna
"Once Bitten Twice Shy" – Great White
"One" – Bee Gees
"One" – Metallica
"On Our Own" – Bobby Brown
"Open Letter (To a Landlord)" – Living Colour
"Orange Crush" – R.E.M. (released in 1988 in USA)
"The Other Side" – Aerosmith
"Pacific State" – 808 State
"Paradise City" – Guns N' Roses
"Patience" – Guns N' Roses
"Personal Jesus" – Depeche Mode
"Poison" – Alice Cooper
"Pop Singer" – John Mellencamp
"Pump Up the Jam" – Technotronic
"Pour toi Arménie" – Charles Aznavour and other artists
"Real Love" – Jody Watley
"Rendez-vois chaque soixeach" – Dalida
"Respect!" – Adeva
"Requiem" – London Boys
"Revival" – Eurythmics
"Rhythm Nation" – Janet Jackson
"Ride On Time" – Black Box
"Right Back Where We Started From" – Sinitta
"Right Here Waiting" – Richard Marx
"Ring My Bell" – Collette
"The Road to Hell" – Chris Rea
"Roam" – The B-52's
"Rocket" – Def Leppard
"Rock 'N' Roll Music" – Mental As Anything
"Rock On" – Michael Damian
"Rock Wicha" – Bobby Brown
"Roni" – Bobby Brown
"Room in Your Heart" – Living in a Box
"Room to Move" – Animotion
"Round & Round" – New Order
"Runnin' Down a Dream" -Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers
"Satisfied" – Richard Marx
"Say Goodbye" – Indecent Obsession
"Scandal" – Queen
"Sealed With a Kiss" – Jason Donovan
"Second Chance" – 38 Special
"Shadow Mix" – The Shadows
"She Drives Me Crazy" – Fine Young Cannibals
"She Has to Be Loved" – Jenny Morris
"She Wants To Dance With Me – Rick Astley
"Shower Me with Your Love" – Surface
"Sit and Wait" – Sydney Youngblood
"So Alive" – Love and Rockets
"Soldier of Love" – Donny Osmond
"Something's Gotten Hold of My Heart" – Marc Almond & Gene Pitney
"Sometime to Return" – Soul Asylum
"Sowing the Seeds of Love" – Tears for Fears
"Stand" – R.E.M.
"Stop!" – Sam Brown
"Straight Up" – Paula Abdul
"Street Tuff" – Rebel MC & Double Trouble
"Stuck on You" – Paul Norton
"Sweet Surrender" – Wet Wet Wet
"Swing the Mood" – Jive Bunny and the Mastermixers
"Talk It Over" – Grayson Hugh
"Tell It Like It Is" – Don Johnson
"Tell Me Why" – Exposé
"That's What I Like" – Jive Bunny and the Mastermixers
"The Doctor" – The Doobie Brothers
"The Invisible Man" – Queen
"The Miracle" – Queen
"The Way to Your Heart" – Soulsister
"This Is Your Land" – Simple Minds
"This One's for the Children" – New Kids on the Block
"This Time I Know It's for Real" – Donna Summer
"This Woman's Work" – Kate Bush
"Toy Soldiers" – Martika
"Too Many Broken Hearts – Jason Donovan
"Tucker's Daughter" – Ian Moss
"Un soir qu'on oublie pas de poix" – Dalida
"Veronica" – Elvis Costello
"Voodoo Ray" – A Guy Called Gerald
"What I Am" – Edie Brickell & New Bohemians (released in 1988 in USA)
"What You Don't Know" – Exposé
"When I Looked At Him" – Exposé
"When I See You Smile" – Bad English
"When Love Comes to Town" – U2 & B.B. King
"When You Come Back to Me" – Jason Donovan
"Wherever God Shines His Light on Me" – Van Morrison and Cliff Richard
"Where Are You Now?" by Jimmy Harnen w/ Synch
"We Didn't Start the Fire" – Billy Joel
"Wild Thing" – Tone Loc
"Wind Beneath My Wings" – Bette Midler
"Winning It All"- The Outfield
"With Every Beat of My Heart" – Taylor Dayne
"Woman in Chains" – Tears For Fears
"The World Seems Difficult" – Mental As Anything
"Wouldn't Change a Thing" – Kylie Minogue
"You Got It" – Roy Orbison
"You Got It (The Right Stuff)" – New Kids on the Block (released in 1988 in USA)
"You'll Never Know" – 1927
"Young Years" – Dragon
"You'll Never Stop Me Loving You" – Sonia
"Kiss the Girl" m. Alan Menken, w. Howard Ashman, from The Little Mermaid
"Part of Your World" m. Alan Menken, w. Howard Ashman, from The Little Mermaid
"Under the Sea" m. Alan Menken, w. Howard Ashman, from The Little Mermaid
"We Didn't Start the Fire" w.m. Billy Joel
"You Got It" w.m. Roy Orbison, Jeff Lynne & Tom Petty
Elliott Carter
Three Occasions for Orchestra (1986–9)
Violin Concerto
Anders Eliasson – Symphony No. 3, for alto saxophone and orchestra
Einar Englund – Wind Quintet
Karel Goeyvaerts
Aquarius, stage cantata, for eight sopranos and 15 instrumentalists
…want de tijd is nabij (Because the Time Is Near), for male chorus and strings
Ingram Marshall – Sinfonia Dolce far Niente
John McCabe – String Quartet No. 5
Einojuhani Rautavaara – Piano Concerto No. 2
Robert Simpson
String Quartet No. 13
Vortex for Brass Band
John Tavener – The Protecting Veil
I Nyoman Windha – Puspanjali
Conrad Cummings – Photo-Op
Anthony Davis – Under the Double Moon
Lorenzo Ferrero
Charlotte Corday
Le Bleu-blanc-rouge et le noir
Alexander Vustin – The Devil in Love (opera) (not performed)
Aspects of Love (Andrew Lloyd Webber) – London production
City of Angels - Broadway production opened at the Virginia Theatre and ran for 897 performances
Grand Hotel - Broadway production opened at the Martin Beck Theatre and ran for 1017 performances
Gypsy (Jule Styne and Stephen Sondheim) – Broadway revival
Meet Me in St. Louis - Broadway production based on the 1944 film, ran for 252 performances
Miss Saigon (Claude-Michel Schönberg and Alain Boublil) – London production
Pacific Overtures (Stephen Sondheim and John Weidman) – London production
101-Depeche Mode
Eddie and the Cruisers II: Eddie Lives!
The Fabulous Baker Boys
ChaalBaaz
Juke-Bar (animation)
The Little Mermaid — animated feature film
Little Nemo: Adventures in Slumberland
Polly (TV film)
Sons of Steel
January 13 – Triinu Kivilaan, Estonian singer and model
January 14 – Frankie Sandford, British singer (S Club Juniors & The Saturdays)
January 24 – Calvin Goldspink, British singer (S Club Juniors)
January 25 – Yasmien Kurdi, Filipina singer and actress
January 28 – Carly Paoli, British mezzo-soprano
February 3 – Ryne Sanborn, American actor, singer, and dancer
February 17 – Stacey McClean, British singer (S Club Juniors)
February 22 – Anna Sundstrand, singer and model
March 1 – Sonya Kitchell, jazz singer-songwriter
March 9 – TaeYeon, member of South Korean pop girl group Girls' Generation
March 11 – Shin Soohyun, member of South Korean pop boy group U-KISS
March 21 – Rochelle Wiseman, British singer (S Club Juniors & The Saturdays)
March 25 – Alyson Michalka, singer-songwriter and actress
April 8
Alexander DeLeon, American singer-songwriter (The Cab)
Hitomi Takahashi, singer
April 11 – Zola Jesus, singer
April 18 – Jessica, member of Girls' Generation
May 1 – Tim Urban, American singer-songwriter and guitarist
May 5 – Chris Brown, singer and actor
May 15 – Sunny, member of Girls' Generation
May 28 – Asuca Hayashi, singer
May 30 – Kevin Covais, American Idol finalist
June 13 – Lisa Tucker, singer
June 14 – Lucy Hale, actress and singer
June 18 – Renee Olstead, actress and jazz singer
June 17 – Simone Battle, American actress, singer, and dancer (G.R.L) (died 2014)
June 20 – Benyamin Nuss, pianist
June 28 – Lacey Schwimmer, American singer and dancer
July 5 – Joseph King, American singer-songwriter and guitarist (Canvas and Deadbeat Darling)
July 13 – Sayumi Michishige (Morning Musume)
July 20 – Brooke Candy, American rapper and dancer
August 1 – Tiffany, member of Girls' Generation
August 2 – Priscilla Betti, French singer
August 15
Belinda Peregrin, singer, songwriter and actress
Joe Jonas, vocalist
August 19 – Lil' Romeo, entertainer
September 1 – Bill and Tom Kaulitz of Tokio Hotel
September 10 – Sanjaya Malakar, American Idol finalist
September 22 – HyoYeon, member of Girls' Generation
October 30 – Jay Asforis, British singer (S Club Juniors)
November 2 – Katelyn Tarver, singer-songwriter
November 11 – Reina Tanaka (Morning Musume)
November 30 – Daisy Evans, British singer (S Club Juniors)
December 5 – YuRi, member of Girls' Generation
December 12
Janelle Arthur, American singer
Marcel "Shin" Gothow of Cinema Bizarre, German drummer
December 13 – Taylor Swift, country pop singer
December 22 – Jordin Sparks, American Idol Season 6 winner
December 27 – Calyssa Davidson, violinist
January 12 – Chellapilla Satyam, Indian film music director, 65
January 20 – Beatrice Lillie, Canadian actress and singer, 94
February 5 – Joe Raposo, composer and lyricist, Bein' Green, 51 (non-Hodgkin's lymphoma)
February 6 – King Tubby Jamaican DJ and composer, father of dub reggae, 58 (gunshot wounds)
February 14 – Vincent Crane (The Crazy World of Arthur Brown), 45 (drug overdose)
February 23 – Florencio Morales Ramos, singer and composer, 72
March 19 – Alan Civil, horn player, 59
March 20 – Archie Bleyer, US arranger and bandleader, 79
April 8 – A. M. Rajah, Indian playback singer and composer, 59 (rail accident)
April 26 – Lucille Ball, US actress and singer, 77
May 9 – Keith Whitley, American singer, guitarist, and producer, 34
May 10 – Woody Shaw, jazz musician, 44 (kidney failure)
May 15 – Johnny Green, composer, conductor and arranger, 80
May 30 – Zinka Milanov, operatic soprano, 83
June 14 – Pete de Freitas, drummer with Echo & the Bunnymen, 27 (motorcycle accident)
June 22 – Henri Sauguet, composer, 88
June 24 – Hibari Misora, Japanese enka singer, 52 (hepatitis)
July 5 – Ernesto Halffter, Spanish composer and conductor, 84
July 16 – Herbert von Karajan, conductor, 81
July 21 – Mushtaq Ali Khan, Indian sitar, surbahar and pakhawaj player, 78
August 1 – John Ogdon, pianist, 52 (diabetes-related)
August 2 – Luiz Gonzaga, Brazilian musician, 76
August 21 – Raul Seixas, singer and songwriter, 44 (diabetes-related)
August 25 – Gunnar Berg, Danish composer
September 7 – Mikhail Goldstein, violinist and composer, 71
September 14 – Perez Prado, Cuban bandleader and composer, 72
September 15 – Jan DeGaetani, mezzo-soprano, 56 (leukemia)
September 22 – Irving Berlin, composer, lyricist, 101
September 24 – Jean Perrin, pianist and composer, 79
September 30 – Virgil Thomson, composer, 92
October 17 – Morteza Hannaneh, composer, 66
October 19 – Alan Murphy, guitarist, member of Level 42 and Go West, 35 (AIDS-related)
October 22 – Ewan MacColl, folk singer, 74
October 31 – Conrad Beck, Swiss composer, 88
November 5 – Vladimir Horowitz, pianist, 86
November 15 – Alejo Durán, composer of vallenatos, 80
December 6
Billy Lyall, keyboardist of Pilot and Bay City Rollers, 46 (AIDS-related)
Sammy Fain, US composer, 87
December 21 – Ján Cikker, Slovak composer, 78
December 26 – Sir Lennox Berkeley, composer, 86
The following artists are inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame: Dion, Otis Redding, The Rolling Stones, The Temptations and Stevie Wonder
Grammy Awards of 1989
Country Music Association Awards
Eurovision Song Contest 1989
31st Japan Record Awards
List of Hot 100 number-one singles of 1989 (U.S.)
Billboard Top 40 of 1989
