1990 in music

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This is a list of notable events in music that took place in the year 1990.

Events

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• January 21 - MTV's Unplugged premieres on cable television with musical guest, Squeeze
• February 6 - Billy Idol is involved in a serious motorcycle accident, resulting in several broken bones. Idol had been scheduled to have a major role in Oliver Stone's film The Doors, but due to his injuries, the role was reduced almost to a bit part.
• February 14 - 50,000 fans watch The Rolling Stones play the first of 10 concerts at Tokyo's Korakuen Dome, the beginning of the Stones' first ever tour of Japan.
• February 16 - Ike Turner is sentenced to 4 years in prison for possession of cocaine.
• February 24 - The Byrds (Roger McGuinn, Chris Hillman and David Crosby) reunite, for the first time in 25 years, to perform at a Los Angeles, California tribute to Roy Orbison. The three are joined unexpectedly on stage by Bob Dylan, who sings "Mr. Tambourine Man" with the band.
• March 20 - Gloria Estefan's tour bus is involved in an accident. Estefan suffers several broken bones in her back.
• March 25 - Mötley Crüe's Tommy Lee is arrested for allegedly exposing his backside during a performance in Augusta, Georgia
• April 4 - Gloria Estefan returns to Miami, Florida after undergoing back surgery in March following a tour bus accident.
• April 6 - Mötley Crüe's Tommy Lee suffers a mild concussion after falling off of scaffolding above his elevated drum kit during a performance in New Haven, CT.
• April 7 - Neil Young, Elton John, Kris Kristofferson, Willie Nelson, John Mellencamp, Guns N' Roses and Jackson Browne perform at Farm Aid IV in Indiana. John dedicates "Candle in the Wind" to AIDS patient Ryan White during his performance. White died later that evening.
• April 16 - a massive tribute concert is held at Wembley Stadium for recently freed anti-apartheid activist Nelson Mandela, who makes a 45-minute speech at the event. Performers include Anita Baker, Tracy Chapman, Peter Gabriel, The Neville Brothers and Neil Young. The event is broadcast to 61 countries around the world.
• April 25 - Jimi Hendrix's Fender Stratocaster that he used to perform his famous version of the "Star Spangled Banner" at Woodstock, is auctioned off in London for $295,000
• May 18 - The Rolling Stones open their Urban Jungle European tour in Rotterdam, Netherlands.
• May 27 - The Stone Roses stage a legendary concert at Spike Island, Cheshire
• May 29 - Toronto police threaten to arrest Madonna if she performs her simulated masturbation scene during her performance of "Like a Virgin" on her Blond Ambition Tour. Madonna refuses to change her show, and the police decide not to press charges, later denying that they had ever threatened to press charges (a claim refuted by footage captured during the filming of Madonna's 1991 documentary Truth or Dare).
• June 10 - members of rap group 2 Live Crew are arrested and charged with obscenity after a performance in a Hollywood, Florida nightclub..
• July 7 - The Three Tenors give their first concert, at the Baths of Caracalla in Rome.
• July 14 - Jean Michel Jarre's concert Paris la Defense attracts 2.5 million spectators.
• August 5 - Madonna ends her controversial Blond Ambition Tour in Nice, France.
• August 24 - A judge rules that heavy metal band Judas Priest is not responsible for the suicide and attempted suicide of two Nevada youths who shot themselves after listening to the band's music.
• August 27 - Stevie Ray Vaughn dies sadly after a show in a helicopter crash.
• September 11 - After a decade of performing in the Francophone world, Céline Dion makes her formal English-language debut in the United States with the release of her album Unison.
• October 22 - Pearl Jam, then named "Mookie Blaylock," play their first show as a band at the Off Ramp club in Seattle, Washington.
• Fall - For the first time, Amy Grant and Gary Chapman hold a night of music at their Franklin, Tennessee Riverstone Farm, for local teenagers. Performers included Rich Mullins, Rick Elias, Charlie Peacock, Wes King and Michael W. Smith. The event becomes known as "The Loft".
• November 27 - "Vocal" group Milli Vanilli admits to lip-synching hits such as "Girl You Know It's True." They later have their Grammy award revoked.
• Madonna's "Justify My Love" music video is banned by MTV. The singer appears on Nightline to defend the video.
• The poorly received Cop Rock premieres on television, TV's first (and last) musical police drama.
• Sons of Kyuss changed their named to Kyuss, add new members except guitarist Josh Homme.
• After a hiatus of 7 years, rock group Styx (band) reform to record a new album and tour without long time guitarist Tommy Shaw who was committed to Damn Yankees at the time.

Bands formed

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Bands disbanded

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• Camper Van Beethoven
• Eurythmics
• Guadalcanal Diary
• The Lurkers
• Mother Love Bone
• Pussy Galore
• Spandau Ballet
• Starship
• The Style Council
• The Vaselines

Albums released

January

February

March

April

May

June

July

August

September

October

November

December

Release Date Unknown

• Enchanted - Marc Almond
• Return to Samoa - Angry Samoans
• The Youth Are Getting Restless (live) - Bad Brains
• Gling-Gló - Björk
• Brand New Heavies - Brand New Heavies
• Ichabod and I - The Boo Radleys
• As I Came of Age - Sarah Brightman
• Groovy, Laidback and Nasty - Cabaret Voltaire
• Unnatural History - Coil
• The Myth of Rock - Consolidated
• Skellington - Julian Cope
• Nu Thang - dc Talk
• 1888 - Death in June/Current 93
• The Flower That Shattered the Stone - John Denver
• Christmas, Like a Lullaby - John Denver
• Gloryline - Dreams So Real
• Blood Guts & Pussy - The Dwarves
• Dare to Be Different - Tommy Emmanuel
• Left Hand Path - Entombed
• Business as Usual - EPMD
• The Massacre - The Exploited
• Chain Reaction - John Farnham
• Set the Booty Up Right (EP) - Fishbone
• Repeater - Fugazi
• This Is Our Music - Galaxie 500
• Ghost - Ghost
• 1,039/Smoothed Out Slappy Hours - Green Day
• Slappy - Green Day
• Bang! - Corey Hart
• Space Bandits - Hawkwind
• Strap It On - Helmet
• The House of Love - The House of Love
• A Spy in the House of Love - The House of Love
• Iced Earth - Iced Earth (debut) - Released in Europe only.
• Waiting for Cousteau - Jean Michel Jarre
• Neighbourhood Threat - Johnny Crash (debut)
• Hispanic Causing Panic - Kid Frost
• Extremities, Dirt and Various Repressed Emotions - Killing Joke
• I've Got That Old Feeling - Alison Krauss
• Sons of Kyuss - Kyuss (debut)
• The Last Temptation of Reid - Lard
• The La's - The La's
• From a Scream to a Whisper - Lowlife
• It's... Madness - Madness
• Because It's Christmas - Barry Manilow
• Banking, Violence and the Inner Life Today - McCarthy
• Hell with the Lid Off - MC 900 Ft. Jesus
• Rainbow Electronics - Merzbow
• Pentagram - Mezarkabul
• Deep - Peter Murphy
• Hell Is for Wimps - Newsboys
• Erpland - Ozric Tentacles
• Merci - Florent Pagny
• Home For Christmas - Dolly Parton
• Beyond Belief - Petra
• Cure for Sanity - Pop Will Eat Itself
• Beyond Thee Infinite Beat - Psychic TV
• Shadow in Dreams - Dennis Rea
• Volume 2 - Reagan Youth
• Motive - Red Box
• Beers, Steers, and Queers - Revolting Cocks
• Best of the West Rides Again - Riders in the Sky
• Horse Opera - Riders in the Sky
• Love Is Strange - Kenny Rogers
• Turned On - Rollins Band
• Here Comes Trouble - Scatterbrain
• School of Fish - School of Fish (debut)
• Live at the Roxy Club - Sham 69
• Fist Sized Chunks - Skin Yard
• World Power - Snap!
• Taking Drugs to Make Music to Take Drugs To - Spacemen 3
• Affection - Lisa Stansfield (US)
• 10 - The Stranglers
• Anonymous Bodies in an Empty Room - Swans
• Concrete Jungle - Sway & King Tech
• Souls of Black - Testament
• Everybody Wants To Shag The Teardrop Explodes - The Teardrop Explodes
• Past to Present 1977-1990 - Toto
• Toy Matinee - Toy Matinee
• No Depression - Uncle Tupelo
• Passion and Warfare - Steve Vai
• Nineteen 90 - Regine Velasquez
• The Wonder - Tom Verlaine
• Debacle: The First Decade - Violent Femmes
• GodWeenSatan: The Oneness - Ween
• Garista (re-release) - zoviet*france:
• (untitled) - an untitled album by :$OVIET:FRANCE: (re-release)
• Classic Country Music: A Smithsonian Collection – Various Artists

Biggest hit singles

The following songs achieved the highest positions in the charts of 1990.^[1]

#	Artist	Title	Year	Country of origin	Chart Entries
1	Sinéad O'Connor	Nothing Compares 2 U	1990		UK 1 - January 1990; US Billboard 1 of 1990; Netherlands 1 - January 1990; Sweden 1 - February 1990; Austria 1 - March 1990; Switzerland 1 - February 1990; Norway 1 - February 1990; Poland 1 - March 1990; Germany 1 - February 1990; Éire 1 - January 1990; New Zealand 1 for five weeks, April 1990; Australia 1 for eight weeks, May 1990; KROQ 1 of 1990; Australia 3 of 1990; US Cash Box 4 of 1990; Italy 8 of 1990; Europe 8 of the 1990s; Rate Your Music 9 of 1990; Germany 19 of the 1990s; Poland 59 of all time; Belgium 90 of all time; Acclaimed 113; OzNet 138;Rolling Stone 162; WXPN 661.
2	Madonna	Vogue	1990		UK 1 - Apr 1990, US BB 1 of 1990, US CashBox 1 of 1990, Sweden 1 - Apr 1990, Norway 1 - Apr 1990, Poland 1 - Apr 1990, New Zealand 1 for 4 weeks May 1990, Australia 1 for 4 weeks Aug 1990, Holland 2 - Apr 1990, Switzerland 2 - Apr 1990, Italy 5 of 1990, Germany 4 - Apr 1990, France 7 - Apr 1990, Austria 7 - May 1990, POP 7 of 1990, US BB 8 of 1990, RYM 8 of 1990, Australia 10 of 1990, Global 33 (5 M sold) - 1990, Party 181 of 2007, Germany 230 of the 1990s, Acclaimed 521, OzNet 881
3	Vanilla Ice	Ice Ice Baby	1990		UK 1 - Nov 1990, US BB 1 of 1990, Holland 1 - Nov 1990, Éire 1 - Dec 1990, New Zealand 1 for 7 weeks Dec 1990, Australia 1 for 3 weeks Apr 1991, Sweden 2 - Nov 1990, Switzerland 2 - Nov 1990, Norway 2 - Dec 1990, Germany 2 - Jan 1991, Austria 3 - Nov 1990, US BB 4 of 1990, POP 4 of 1990, France 5 - Dec 1990, Australia 15 of 1991, US CashBox 21 of 1990, Party 42 of 2007, Italy 65 of 1991, Germany 82 of the 1990s, RYM 188 of 1990
4	MC Hammer	U Can't Touch This	1990		Holland 1 - Jul 1990, Sweden 1 - Aug 1990, Australia 1 of 1990, New Zealand 1 for 6 weeks Jul 1990, Australia 1 for 5 weeks Oct 1990, Switzerland 2 - Jul 1990, UK 3 - Jun 1990, Germany 3 - Jul 1990, US BB 5 of 1990, Austria 5 - Aug 1990, POP 5 of 1990, France 6 - Jun 1990, Norway 6 - Aug 1990, US BB 8 of 1990, Scrobulate 18 of rap, US CashBox 39 of 1990, RYM 63 of 1990, Germany 147 of the 1990s, RIAA 201, Party 214 of 1999, Acclaimed 1797
5	Enigma	Sadeness	1990		UK 1 - Dec 1990, Holland 1 - Nov 1990, France 1 - Dec 1990, Austria 1 - Nov 1990, Switzerland 1 - Nov 1990, Norway 1 - Dec 1990, Germany 1 - Jan 1991, Éire 1 - Jan 1991, Sweden 2 - Dec 1990, Poland 2 - Dec 1990, US BB 5 of 1991, Italy 7 of 1991, Germany 21 of the 1990s, POP 43 of 1991, RYM 47 of 1990, OzNet 226

Top hits on record

• "À toutes les filles..." - Félix Gray and Didier Barbelivien
• "Advice for the Young at Heart" - Tears for Fears
• "All I Wanna Do (Is Make Love To You)" - Heart
• "Better the Devil You Know" - Kylie Minogue
• "Bo le lavabo" - Lagaf'
• "Bird On A Wire" - The Neville Brothers
• "Black Cat" - Janet Jackson
• "Blaze of Glory" - Bon Jovi
• "Blue Savannah" - Erasure
• "Blue Sky Mine" - Midnight Oil
• "Chain Reaction - John Farnham
• "Cherry Pie" - Warrant
• "Close to You" - Maxi Priest
• "Come Back to Me" - Janet Jackson
• "Crying in the Rain" - a-ha
• "Dancing Pompokolin" - B. B. Queens
• "Dangerous" - Roxette
• "Downtown Train" - Rod Stewart
• "Elephant Stone" - The Stone Roses
• "Enjoy the Silence" - Depeche Mode
• "Epic" - Faith No More
• "Escapade" - Janet Jackson
• "Every Beat Of My Heart" - Taylor Dayne
• "Everybody Everybody" - Black Box
• "Everybody Needs Somebody to Love" - The Blues Brothers
• "Forever" - Kiss
• "Four Bacharach And David Songs (EP)" - Deacon Blue
• "Friends In Low Places" - Garth Brooks
• "Gonna Make You Sweat (Everybody Dance Now!)" - C+C Music Factory
• "Groove Is In The Heart" - Deee-Lite
• "Hard To Handle" - The Black Crowes
• "Hello" - The Beloved
• "Higher Ground" - Red Hot Chili Peppers
• "Hippychick" - Soho
• "Hold On" - En Vogue
• "Hold On" - Wilson Philips
• "I Go To Extremes" - Billy Joel
• "I Wish It Would Rain Down" - Phil Collins
• "Ice Ice Baby" - Vanilla Ice
• "It Must Have Been Love" - Roxette
• "I'll Be Your Shelter" - Taylor Dayne
• "I'm Your Baby Tonight" - Whitney Houston
• "Janie's Got a Gun" - Aerosmith (released in 1989)
• "Jukebox In Siberia" - Skyhooks
• "Just Like Jesse James" - Cher
• "Justify My Love" - Madonna
• "Killer" - Adamski feat. Seal
• "Kingston Town" - UB40
• "Lay Down Your Guns" - Jimmy Barnes
• "Le Jerk" - Thierry Hazard
• "Listen to Your Heart" - Roxette
• "Loaded" - Primal Scream
• "Love And Kisses" - Dannii Minogue
• "Love Takes Time" - Mariah Carey
• "Love Shack" - The B-52's
• "Love Will Lead You Back" - Taylor Dayne
• "Maldòn (la musique dans la peau) - Zouk Machine
• "More Than Words Can Say" - Alias
• "Nothing Compares 2 U" - Sinéad O'Connor
• "Opposites Attract" - Paula Abdul
• "Petit Frank" - François Feldman
• "Poison" - Bell Biv Devoe
• "Policy of Truth - Depeche Mode
• "Rhythm Nation" - Janet Jackson
• "Right Here Right Now" - Jesus Jones
• "Roam" - The B-52's
• "Sacrifice / Healing hands" - Elton John
• "She Ain't Worth It" - Glenn Medeiros feat. Bobby Brown
• "Soca Dance" - Charles D. Lewis
• "Step by Step" - New Kids on the Block
• "Step Back in Time" - Kylie Minogue
• "Suicide Blonde" - INXS
• "So Hard" - Pet Shop Boys
• "Summer Rain" - Belinda Carlisle
• "Tears on My Pillow" - Kylie Minogue
• "That's Freedom" - John Farnham
• "The Other Side" - Aerosmith (released in 1989)
• "The Power" - Snap!
• "Three Strange Days" - School of Fish (debut single)
• "The Thunder Rolls" - Garth Brooks
• "Tom's Diner" - Suzanne Vega
• "U Can't Touch This" - M.C. Hammer
• "Unbelievable" - EMF (debut single)
• "Vision of Love" - Mariah Carey
• "Vogue" - Madonna
• "Vous êtes fous!" - Benny B
• "Wash Your Face In My Sink" - Dream Warriors
• "What it Takes" - Aerosmith (released in 1989)
• "What's a Woman?" - Vaya Con Dios
• "White and Black Blues" - Joëlle Ursull
• "Wouldn't It Be Nice" - The Beach Boys
• "Your Baby Never Looked Good in Blue" - Exposé

Charts

• United States: Hot 100 No. 1 Hits of 1990
• Canada: RPM number-one hits of 1990, RPM number-one albums of 1990

Other significant singles

• "Little Fluffy Clouds" - The Orb (Sampling led to legal action.)
• Sampling copyright debate continues over the Soho single Hippychick, which uses a sample from How Soon Is Now? by The Smiths.

Published popular music

• "Keep It Together" w.m. S. Bray & Madonna
• "The Simpsons theme song" m. Danny Elfman

Most Critically Acclaimed Songs of 1990

This info is taken from AcclaimedMusic.net ^[2]

• 1. "Nothing Compares 2 U", Sinéad O'Connor
• 2. "Groove Is in the Heart", Deee-Lite
• 3. "There She Goes", The LAs
• 4. "Step On", Happy Mondays
• 5. "Loaded", Primal Scream
• 6. "Friends in Low Places" Garth Brooks
• 7. "Vogue", Madonna
• 8. "Mama Said Knock You Out", LL Cool J
• 9. "Being Boring", Pet Shop Boys
• 10. "The Humpty Dance", Digital Underground

Classical music

• Mario Davidovsky
  • Biblical Songs for soprano, flute, clarinet, violin, cello, and piano
  • Concertante for string quartet and orchestra
• John Harbison - The Flight into Egypt (cantata)
• Paul Lansky - Smalltalk
• Alvin Lucier - Music for Piano with One or More Snare Drums
• John McCabe - Flute Concerto
• Meredith Monk - Book Of Days
• John Pickard - The Flight of Icarus
• Takashi Yoshimatsu - Symphony No. 1 Kamui-Chikap
• John Zorn - The Dead Man

Opera

• Gerald Barry - The Intelligence Park
• Azio Corghi - Blimunda
• Mark Lanz Weiser - Purgatory (chamber opera, based on a play by William Butler Yeats)

Musical theater

• Aspects of Love (Andrew Lloyd Webber) - Broadway production
• A Change in the Heir     Broadway production
• Five Guys Named Moe     Broadway production
• Shogun     Broadway production
• Sunday in the Park with George (Stephen Sondheim and James Lapine - London production)
• Truly Blessed     Broadway production

Computer and video game music

Awards

• The following artists are inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame: Hank Ballard, Bobby Darin, The Four Seasons, The Four Tops, The Kinks, The Platters, Simon and Garfunkel and The Who
• Grammy Awards of 1990
• Eurovision Song Contest 1990: Toto Cutugno
• Luc Ferrari wins the International Koussevitzky Prize for Recordings for his composition Histoire du plaisir et de la désolation
• Juno Awards: Best Composer: David Tyson/Christopher Ward
• Dalida virtually receives the "Star Registry" awards with the International Diploma three years after her death in USA.
• Scottish composer Thomas Wilson is awarded a CBE.
• Kumar Sanu wins the Filmfare Best Male Playback Award
• Anuradha Paudwal wins the Filmfare Best Female Playback Award

Music festivals

• In Australia, the Port Fairy Spring Music Festival is founded by Michael Easton and Len Vorster.

Births

• February 3 - Sean Kingston, R&B artist
• July 24 - Ben McKenzie, Australian singer
• November 7 - Matt Corby, Australian singer
• December 20 - JoJo, R&B artist

Deaths

• January 18 - Melanie Appleby