Top 50 of 1989

All of the preceding charts were a mixture of childhood pop reminiscence and time-travelling discovery at a later date, but by 1989 the pop had dried up.....or maybe it hasn't stood the test of time particularly well. Perhaps I was also growing out of it as the likes of Stock/Aitken/Waterman were taking over the charts.  All the songs that made it onto my pop shortlist ended up losing out including Technotronic's Pump Up the Jam, Bobby Brown's My Prerogative and On Our Own and the one that came closest, Jason Donovan's Too Many Broken Hearts (perhaps assisted by my later cover), the latter two expanding my ever growing 7" collection.

In 1989 I turned 11, so I don't think I was aware of most of the songs here in that year but I certainly became aware of most of them over the next 2 or 3 years.  Many of these songs and albums were part of my grounding in music even if it didn't necessarily take place in that year, in fact a few of the albums featured here didn't actually break over here until subsequent years, with an accompanying breakthrough single.

So with pop gone and the two bands that dominated the 80s charts, Iron Maiden and Metallica, between albums it allowed other bands to shine.  Bands like Faith No More, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Nine Inch Nails, Sepultura and Soundgarden produced very good albums in 1989, in all cases they would follow it up with one even better that would further shape my tastes in years to come.  The Senseless Things' Postcard CV in particular was a huge influence on my own songwriting and was another that was to be followed up by even greater songs.

The musical landscape, as well as what would become my musical taste, was starting to change, definitely for the better with a new rock/alternative slant and a healthy dose of indie pushing its way in.  My musical awakening was beginning.....

1. Senseless Things - Too Much Kissing

2. Red Hot Chili Peppers - Higher Ground

3. Faith No More - Epic

4. Red Hot Chili Peppers - Knock Me Down

5. Nine Inch Nails - Head Like A Hole

6. Faith No More - From Out of Nowhere

7. Senseless Things - Teenage

8. Stone Roses - I Am the Resurrection

9. Senseless Things - Standing in the Rain

10. Nine Inch Nails - Sin

11. Carcass - Reek of Putrefaction

12. Nine Inch Nails- Terrible Lie

13. Faith No More - Falling to Pieces

14. Extreme - Mutha (Don't Wanna Go To School Today)

15. Faith No More - The Real Thing

16. Stone Roses - Waterfall

17. Manic Street Preachers - Suicide Alley

18. Sepultura - Inner Self

19. Sepultura - Beneath the Remains

20. Red Hot Chili Peppers - Taste the Pain

21. Red Hot Chili Peppers - Nobody Weird Like Me

22. Faith No More - Woodpecker From Mars

23. Red Hot Chili Peppers - Stone Cold Bush

24. Soundgarden - Loud Love

25. Senseless Things - Girlfriend

26. Senseless Things - Back to Nowhere

27. Carter USM - Sheriff Fatman

28. Stone Roses - I Wanna Be Adored

29. Senseless Things - Trevor

30. Stone Roses - Made of Stone

31. Nirvana - About a Girl

32. Soundgarden - Hands All Over

33. Extreme - Play With Me

34. Senseless Things - Someone in You

35. Stone Roses - She Bangs the Drums

36. Extreme - Flesh 'N' Blood

37. Nine Inch Nails - Sanctified

38. Faith No More - Zombie Eaters

39. Inspiral Carpets - Find Out Why

40. Pop Will Eat Itself - Def.Con.One

41. Wonder Stuff  - Don't Let Me Down, Gently

42. Red Hot Chili Peppers - Johnny, Kick a Hole in the Sky

43. Red Hot Chili Peppers - Subway to Venus

44. Red Hot Chili Peppers - Good Time Boys

45. Nine Inch Nails - Down In It

46. Bolt Thrower - World Eater

47. Sepultura - Mass Hypnosis

48. Extreme - Kid Ego

49. Extreme - Little Girls

50. Nine Inch Nails - Ringfinger