"Opposites Attract" by Paula Abdul (Duet with The Wild Pair)

#1 Alert

Song#:  4142

Date:  12/16/1989

Debut:  72

Peak:  1 (3 weeks)

Weeks:  23

Genre:  Pop

Pop Bits:  By this point in time, Abdul's debut album Forever Your Girl was showing only a few signs of slowing down. In October of '89, more than a year after it first reached the chart the LP finally made it to #1 after spawning four Pop Top 10 hits including three #1s. With the iron still hot, Abdul's label gambled on this sixth single. To boost it along, an inventive video was created for MTV. The ploy worked and Abdul would end up with her fourth #1 Pop hit (#3 R&B). It made her only the fourth artist at the time to generate four #1 songs from one album (Whitney Houston, George Michael, and Michael Jackson attained that mark previously). The hit would close out that album, which would reach the seven million sales mark in July of '90 to become one of the most successful debut albums ever.

ReduxReview:  This was the last song to debut on the Pop chart in '89 that would go on to become a #1 hit in 1990. I can't say it was a good one, but it gave Abdul another chart topper. I wasn't a fan of the song when it came out and it is still not one of my favorites among Abdul's hits. I think it was the video, which was kinda cool at the time, that pushed this one over the top. I mean, the track was fine, but the whole you-like/I-like concept had been done before and I didn't find it as fun or catchy as some of her other hits. Abdul's next LP was a bit of a mess, but it had a few keepers. "The Promise of a New Day" comes up in a couple of my playlists. Let's face it - Abdul was not a good singer, but with her debut she set a goal and had just the right songs and videos in place to capture an audience. You knew it couldn't last (and it didn't), but she certainly made a mark.

ReduxRating:  4/10

Trivia:  Double Shot!  1) This single was billed as a duet with The Wild Pair, which consisted of Bruce DeShazer (aka Tony Christian) and Marvin Gunn. The pair were formerly members of the Minneapolis R&B/funk band Mazarati, who were signed to Prince's Paisley Park label. Their self-titled '86 debut album would spawn the #19 R&B single "100 MPH." The Wild Pair would do background vocals on a couple of Abdul's tracks while take a turn at the lead for this tune. For single release, the label requested a remix with a rap and so producer Oliver Leiber collaborated with Derrick "Delite" Stevens and came up with the new version. Then there was the video. Inspired by an animated/live action dance sequence in the 1945 Gene Kelly musical Anchors Away, the video had Abdul doing a duet/dance with the animated character MC Skat Kat (voiced by The Wild Pair). It proved to be very successful and would go on to win a Grammy for Best Short Form Music Video. The MC Scat Kat would prove to be so popular that the character would be spin off as a recording artist. With Derrick Stevens providing the vocals, MC Skat Kat and the Stray Mob would be released in 1991. The LP's first single, "Skat Strut," would get to #80 Pop/#94 R&B. The album would not chart and with that MC Skat Kat would pretty much disappear.  2) The difficult thing about having a wildly successful debut album is following it up. Abdul gave it a go with her '91 effort Spellbound. For it, she pretty much ditched her cohorts from her debut and mainly worked with Peter Lord and V. Jeffrey Smith who were from the NYC R&B/soul band The Family Stand. They would write and produce the majority of the album with Abdul joining them as co-writer on four tracks. Abdul also did a John Hiatt cover tune with producer Don Was and recorded one Prince song that was produced by folks in his Paisley Park stable. The LP started off well with its first two singles, "Rush, Rush" and "The Promise of a New Day," both hitting #1. Another Top 10 arrived with the #6 "Blowing Kisses in the Wind" followed by a couple of Top 20s. The album would spend two weeks at #1 and sell three million copies. Overall, it was a good result, but it couldn't get close to the success of her debut. After a break, Abdul would return in '95 with Head Over Heels. None of its singles would crack the Pop Top 30 and the album would stall at #18 and only go gold. To-date, Abdul has yet to release a fourth studio album. Her career floundered for a bit, but then in 2002 she got a major revival when she became a judge on the hugely successful reality competition show American Idol.

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"Another Day in Paradise" by Phil Collins

#1 Alert!

Gold Record Alert!

Grammy Alert!

Song#:  4099

Date:  11/04/1989

Debut:  43

Peak:  1 (4 weeks)

Weeks:  18

Genre:  Pop

Pop Bits:  After a sidestep into acting with the rom-com caper Buster and its soundtrack that featured the #1 hit cover of "Groovy Kind of Love," Collins returned to solo mode to record his fourth studio album. It would be the follow up to his Album of the Year Grammy winner No Jacket Required (1985, #1, 12x platinum). Working once again with producer Hugh Padgham, Collins would work up a set of songs that were more topical and less in the dance-pop style of his previous effort. He would then appropriately name the LP ...But Seriously. To kick things off, this ballad would be issued out. Despite its more dour mood and lyrics about the homeless, the song struck a nerve with listeners and it would quickly scale the Pop chart and reach #1. It would remain their for four weeks and sell well enough to go gold. The album would then spend four non-consecutive weeks at #1. By mid-January of '90, it would already be at the double-platinum sales mark. There would be three follow up singles all of which would go Top 5. The last one, "Something Happened on the Way to Heaven" (#4), would end up being Collins' final Pop Top 10 hit. The album would generate eight Grammy nominations for Collins including ones for Album of the Year and Song of the Year. He would win one for Record of the Year for "Another Day in Paradise." In the US, the album would eventually sell over 4 million copies making it his second best studio album behind No Jacket Required. In his UK homeland, the LP would end up being his biggest seller going 9x platinum.

ReduxReview:  This song was the last #1 of the 80s and also the first #1 of the 90s. Rupert Holmes did a similar thing at the beginning of the 80s. His "Escape (The Pina Colada Song)" was the last #1 of the 70s and then after a week at #2, it popped back up to #1 becoming the second #1 of the 80s. While I like Collins' tune, I can't say it is one of my favorites of his. I didn't mind hearing so much back then, but these days if it comes up in a shuffle of songs or in a Collins playlist, I will usually hit the forward button. It just kills the mood. For a #1 Pop hit, it is pretty bleak and depressing. While I understood some of the negative feedback the song generated (see below), I do think Collins' heart was in the right place and some good came out of it. My big issue with the tune has to do with a couple of words in the chorus. Collins shortened "because" to "'cause" and followed it up with "it's a." Then he kind of runs it all together when he sing it. Therefore, it comes out as "cuzitzah." It drive me bonkers - like nails-on-chalkboard kinda thing. The song is so serious yet he has to mush-mouth one of the main parts of the song. IMHO he should have just left the "'cause" out of it. He didn't need it. I guess that pickup note was important to him for the chorus. Yeesh. To this day I call it "The Cuzitzah Song." Oh Phil, why'd ya have to do that?

ReduxRating:  7/10

Trivia:  Double Shot!  1) Although this song was a Grammy-winning #1 hit, it still brought a bit of controversy Collins' way. He was chided in the press and by some critics for being a multi-millionaire and yet singing about the homeless. He was also slammed for the line "it's another day for you and me in paradise," which seemed to say that he as a very well-off superstar was equating himself to everyone else. Meanwhile, many others appreciated what Collins was trying to say. In a 2017 interview for the Evening Standard, Collins said that perhaps he could have been a big more eloquent in his lyrics, but stands by the song and his association with homeless issues and charities. According to the article, Collins at the time was collecting money from fans at concerts for homeless charities and whatever they donated, he would double it out of his own pocket.  2) Although Collins' solo career would cool off in the 90s on the Pop chart, he would still do very well at AC where he would score eight Top 10 hits including the #1 "You'll Be in My Heart." Collins wrote that song for the 1999 Disney animated hit Tarzan. The tune would go on to with the Oscar for Best Original Song. In the 2000s, Collins would earn three more AC Top 10s including the #1 "Can't Stop Loving You." In 1991, Collins would rejoin Genesis for one more album, We Can't Dance. It would be a #4 quad-platinum effort that spawned the band's final Pop Top 10 hit with the #7 "I Can't Dance." In 2010, Genesis would be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

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"How Am I Supposed to Live Without You" by Michael Bolton

#1 Alert!

Grammy Alert!

Song#:  4085

Date:  10/28/1989

Debut:  89

Peak:  1 (3 weeks)

Weeks:  23

Genre:  Pop, Adult Contemporary

Pop Bits:  Upon release, Bolton's sixth album, Soul Provider, didn't look like it was going to do any better than his previous effort, '87's The Hunger (#48). The title track first single stalled inside the Pop Top 20 (#18) and that left the album initially peaking at #42. Hoping to turn things around, this ballad was released as the next single. It was the right choice as it finally broke Bolton through to the masses. The song would not only become Bolton's first Pop Top 10 hit, but it would be his first to reach #1 where it would remain for three weeks. Thanks to the hit, the album would rebound and start climbing up the chart. It would quickly go gold and then in February of '90 reach the platinum mark. With a third single, "How Can We Be Lovers?," getting to #3 Pop/#3 AC, the album would finally reach a peak of #3. The follow up single "When I'm Back on My Feet Again" would also reach the Pop Top 10 peaking at #7 (#1 AC). By the fall of '90, the LP would reach the triple platinum sales mark. Over time it would double that amount and sell over six million copies. This #1 single would earn Bolton his first Grammy award. He would win for Best Male Pop Vocal Performance. The LP's fifth single, a remake of the standard "George on My Mind" (#36 Pop/#6 AC) would earn Bolton a Grammy nod in the same category in the following awards cycle.

ReduxReview:  Nope. Just nope. There was nothing wrong with the song. I am just not a fan of Bolton's vocal delivery. This one was not quite as bad as his excruciating take on "(Sittin' On) The Dock of the Bay," but it still was a painful listen for me. Like many of his other tracks it always sounds to me like someone has Bolton's junk in a vice and in order to access his higher register, he has the person give a good squeeze so he can get up there. It truly sounds like Bolton is mewing in pain. To his credit, Bolton wrote a quality ballad and it was one I enjoyed when recorded by Laura Branigan. She also had a big voice, but she didn't overdo her vocal. She knew when to be expressive and when to be subtle. Bolton is about as subtle as a sledgehammer. Yet there were scads of folks who loved his nut busting delivery and he ended up at #1 with this tune along with a Grammy. It basically kickstarted Bolton mania, which lasted throughout most of the 90s, unfortunately.

ReduxRating:  2/10

Trivia:  Double Shot!  1) If you are going to do a remake, why not cover your own song? That is what Bolton did with this track. Written by Bolton and Doug James, the song was hawked and got picked up by Arista's Clive Davis who wanted to have Air Supply record it. However, Davis wanted changes to the lyrics/title. Bolton said no to Davis' request, which was pretty gutsy for a writer/performer who hadn't had a hit yet. Not surprisingly, Davis sent Bolton and the song packin'. Luckily, Atlantic Records picked up the tune and shuffled it over to Laura Branigan. She recorded it for her second album, '83's Branigan II. It would be issued out as the LP's second single and it would get to #12 Pop/#1 AC. It would be Bolton's first major hit as a songwriter. Six years later, Bolton chose to cover the song that helped him gain traction in the music business and it made him a solo star.  2) Of course, Bolton's career took off in a big way after this hit and Soul Provider. His next three studio albums would all become multi-platinum hits with '91's Time, Love and Tenderness becoming a career best effort that reached #1 and would eventually sell over eight million copies. Along the way he would grab four more Pop Top 10 hits including the Grammy-winning #1 cover "When a Man Loves a Woman." He would also earn seven more AC #1s.

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"We Didn't Start the Fire" by Billy Joel

#1 Alert!

Gold Record Alert!

Song#:  4073

Date:  10/14/1989

Debut:  58

Peak:  1 (2 weeks)

Weeks:  19

Genre:  Pop, Rock

Pop Bits:  Joel's '86 album The Bridge signaled a bit of a downturn in popularity. Although the LP would reach #7, featured a pair of Top 10 singles, and go double-platinum, it wasn't particularly well-received and didn't get close to the five million (later seven million) sales mark of his previous effort An Innocent Man. Feeling the need to branch out and make changes, Joel parted ways with his long time producer Phil Ramone and chose to work with Foreigner guitarist Mick Jones. He also scrapped most of his backing band in favor of new musicians. The resulting LP, Storm Front, was a slightly darker and denser affair, which was highlighted by this intense first single. The rapid fire history-lesson-in-five-minutes track piqued the interest of radio listeners and it wasn't long before the song was bolting up the Pop chart. It would become Joel's third (and final) #1 at Pop while also getting to #5 AC and #6 Rock. It would sell well enough to go gold. The hit would help send the album to #1 for a week. It was Joel's third #1 and first since 1980's Glass Houses. "We Didn't Start the Fire" would earn three Grammy nods including for Record and Song of the Year. The following year, the album would get Joel nominations for Best Male Pop Vocal Performance and Producer of the Year. The LP would eventually reach the 4x platinum mark. Helping it along was a second hit "I Go to Extremes" (#6 Pop/#4 AC/#10 Rock). Three other singles would reach the charts including the ballad "And So It Goes" (#5 AC/#37 Pop). During its time on the charts "We Didn't Start the Fire" would go gold, but over the years it became a sort of cultural touchstone and the tune's digital version would reach the triple-platinum mark in 2021 thanks in part to a viral tweet (see below).

ReduxReview:  I have to say that when this song first arrived, I was all about it. I got the single and played it to the point where I had the lyrics down pat. If karaoke was around at the time in my area I would have killed with this tune! I thought it was a truly interesting song and I liked its message, which was basically that every generation is fucked up in its own way. I remember some reviewers dismissing the song for delivering a message like that but offering no solution. Like, what was he supposed to do? Provide a wish list of future initiatives and then sing "we can stop the fire?" It was ridiculous. As much as I still like the tune, I have to say it is one that I can't hear a lot anymore. It's a fun lark once in a great while to see how many of the lyrics I remember, but it was a song of a certain time and place. At least for me. However, the song still gets used and parodied in various ways and even went viral in 2020 thanks to a TV writing using Twitter to point out all the shitty things that happened on a specific day (March 11, 2020). His tweet was simple: "Today was like if 'We Didn't Start The Fire' was a day."

ReduxRating:  8/10

Trivia:  Double Shot!  1) Joel got the idea for this song during a visit with John Lennon's son Sean and his 21-year-old friend. It seems the friend was talking about how bad the times were as he was growing up and that it seemed like everything was more or less hunky dory in the 50s. Joel disputed the assumption saying that growing up in the 50s was just as bad and cited several historical events. That conversation sparked Joel's creativity and he decided to continue to list out various historical events (or people involved) in a mostly chronological over a 40 year period from Joel's birth year of 1949 through to 1989. The song mentions 118 people/events from the worlds of politics, entertainment, science, and pop culture. The references sent many listeners scrambling to find out more about certain items in Joel's list. Even some history classes in schools would use the song as a springboard for lessons and discussions. Yet despite its teachable moments, weeks at #1, and multiple Grammy nods, the song would later find its way on a few "worst of" lists and the one person seemingly in partial agreement was Joel. When interviewed about the song, Joel once said of the music that "if you take the melody by itself, terrible. Like a dentist drill." He said he also forgets the lyrics often when performing it and relies on the audience to help along.  2) Joel's upturn of success with Storm Front would continue with his next album, '93's River of Dreams. It would reach #1 and sell over 5 million copies thanks mainly to the #3 gold title-track single. The LP would earn a Grammy nod for Album of the Year while the single would receive three nods including Record and Song of the Year. And then just like that, it was over. According to an interview with Joel, he got bored of writing 3-minute pop songs and wanted to do something different. While he could continue to tour on his own and with Elton John over the years, Joel would spend time coming up with that "different" thing. It would finally see the light of day in 2001 when Joel unveiled his first classical compositions with Fantasies & Delusions. The effort would get a mixed critical reaction, but it did reach #1 on the Classical chart and even got to #83 at Pop. As of this posting date, it remains Joel's last studio album. Since the time of River of Dreams, Joel has only released a couple of new pop songs. Both came in 2007. Joel wrote "All My Life" as an anniversary gift for his third wife Katie Lee. He would also write the charity single "Christmas in Fallujah." While the song was credited to Billy Joel, the vocals were done by singer Cass Dillon. Joel thought a younger voice would portray the lyrics much better. In addition to record breaking tours and stints at Madison Square Gardens, Joel would be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2008.

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"Blame It on the Rain" by Milli Vanilli

#1 Alert!

Platinum Record Alert!

Song#:  4067

Date:  10/07/1989

Debut:  65

Peak:  1 (2 weeks)

Weeks:  23

Genre:  Pop

Pop Bits:  Milli Vanilli were definitely on a hot streak. Their debut album Girl You Know It's True had just spent a couple weeks at #1 in September of '89 and the previous two singles from the LP had also topped the Pop chart and gone gold. It seemed like things couldn't get any better, but then this fourth single was issued out. It would catch on quickly and become the duo's third straight #1 on the Pop chart. It also topped out at #14 R&B and #27 AC. It sold well enough to become their second platinum single. The hit drove sales of the album and it would return to the #1 spot in November where it would stay for an additional five non-consecutive weeks. As 1990 began, the LP would reach the 6 million sales mark. It seemed the duo were unstoppable, but it ended up they were...in a very big, bad way.

ReduxReview:  By this point in time, I really didn't care for Milli Vanilli. While I liked "Girl You Know It's True," their next two singles didn't do it for me at all and I proceeded to ignore the duo. So when this single came out, I didn't give it much attention. However, listening to it now I can hear that it was a nicely penned track from Warren (see below). The mid-tempo tune has a nice feel and features a solid, catchy chorus. Now, why Warren put in that quirky key change in the pre-chorus I do not know. When first listening to the song it kind of threw me for a loop and made my ears twitch. It was like - where the hell is this tune going? Then on later listens, it became a twisty part that I kind of look forward to and when it happens I have to chuckle a bit. Odd changes like that are not really common in big pop hits but leave it to Warren to toss a curve ball. I also don't mind Farian's production on the track. It fit the song well for the time period. Is it something I want to keep hearing? No. But I can listen to it differently now and appreciate Warren's work.

ReduxRating:  6/10

Trivia:  This song was written by Diane Warren who had been on a hot streak since hitting #1 for the first time with Starship's "Nothing's Gonna Stop Us Now." She would hit a milestone and set a record when this Milli Vanilli track topped the chart. The two weeks prior, the #1 song was "When I See You Smile" by Bad English, which was written by Warren. So when "Blame it on the Rain" replaced that song at the top of the Pop chart, Warren became the first female songwriter to have two consecutive #1s on the chart. Warren's hit streak would continue well into the 90s and as of this posting date she has amassed a whopping 32 Pop Top 10 hits including 9 #1s. Milli Vanilli ended up with this song by chance. Warren had written the tune for The Jets, but they ended up turning down the song. Warren then took the tune to Arista's Clive Davis. Davis had just signed Milli Vanilli for US distribution and along with that came certain demands from Davis. Instead of just releasing MV's European debut album All or Nothing as it was, Davis wanted to repackage it and include two new tracks. One was a remake of The Isley Brothers' 1969 #2 Pop/#1 R&B hit "It's Your Thing." The other was this Diane Warren track that she had just submitted. Producer and Milli Vanilli creator Frank Farian acquiesced and the two tunes were included on the duo's US debut album Girl You Know It's True. Through Davis, Warren earned her fourth #1 Pop hit when "Blame It on the Rain" got issued out.

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"When I See You Smile" by Bad English

#1 Alert!

Gold Record Alert!

Song#:  4035

Date:  09/16/1989

Debut:  72

Peak:  1 (2 weeks)

Weeks:  22

Genre:  Rock

Pop Bits:  This supergroup starring John Waite, Jonathan Cain, and Neal Schon kicked off their self-titled debut album with the #2 Rock hit "Forget Me Not." While the tune would get on the Pop chart, it stalled shy of the Top 40 at #45. Hoping to better that result, this power ballad was next up for release. It would become the band's mainstream breakthrough getting to #10 Rock and #11 AC while hitting #1 on the Pop chart for two weeks. The single would sell well enough to go gold. With that result, the album would peak at #21 and by the beginning of November it would go gold.

ReduxReview:  With the songwriting capabilities of the band's members, I'm pretty sure none of them said, "hey, let's go find a hit song for the album written by someone else!" It totally wreaks of label/A&R folks pushing the band to record a potential hit because they didn't hear one within the band's compositions. Bad English then opted to take on this Diane Warren power ballad and did their best to rock it up. The end result was a solid piece of commercial pop/rock that was bound to light up the charts. Lead singer John Waite sold it well and it became his biggest hit since his own #1, 1984's "Missing You." It would easily become the band's most recognizable tune and it is one that still gets a lot of airplay today.

ReduxRating:  8/10

Trivia:  This song was penned by Diane Warren. It was only one of two tracks on the Bad English album where a band member was not listed as a composer. Warren had been on a hot streak for the past couple of years earning #1 songs in '87 ("Nothings Gonna Stop Us Now" by Starship) and in '88 ("Look Away" by Chicago). While other songs she wrote did well in '89 she had yet to grab a #1 through the majority of the year. Then this Bad English track did the job making it three years in a row that Warren had penned a #1 Pop single.

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"Miss You Much" by Janet Jackson

#1 Alert!

Platinum Record Alert!

Song#:  4024

Date:  09/02/1989

Debut:  42

Peak:  1 (4 weeks)

Weeks:  20

Genre:  R&B, Dance-Pop

Pop Bits:  Jackson certainly made a statement with her third solo album Control. Headed up by the production team of Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis, the LP was a major breakthrough reaching #1, spawning five Pop Top 5 hits, and selling over 5 million copies. Next came the task of trying to follow up that success. Of course Jackson's label, A&M Records, wanted a rinse and repeat effort, but she wasn't having it. Jackson wanted to expand her vision and do songs that had more depth and a bit of social commentary. She headed back into the studio late in '88 with Jam & Lewis and near the end of summer Janet Jackson's Rhythm Nation 1814 was finished. Anticipation was high for the LP and so a lot of focus was put on this first single. Luckily it met expectation. The tune would debut just outside of the Pop Top 40 and then make a beeline to the top spot where it remained for four weeks. It also made it to #1 at R&B and at Dance. The album would also zoom to #1 and stay there for four weeks. A month after this song ended its run at the top of the chart, the album would be certified double-platinum.

ReduxReview:  Although several tracks on the album discussed social issues, there were a few that kept up the commercial-leaning dance-pop found on Control. This initial single was one of them and it was the perfect choice to kick off the album. The slammin' track was hard to ignore with all its hooks and beats. When it came on the radio, you knew exactly what it was. Jam & Lewis' production skills had improved since Control and it showed on meaty tracks like this one. It would spend four weeks at #1 on the Pop chart, which would be the longest reign at the top for any single in '89. With Control, Jackson said "hey - I'm here." With Rhythm Nation, she basically said, "now listen up, bitches!"

ReduxRating:  9/10

Trivia:  When the album first came out, the 1814 part of the title seemed a bit odd and cryptic to many folks. What did it mean? Was it a date or something else? Some people went so far as to say the "R" in rhythm was the 18th letter of the alphabet and the "N" in nation was the 14th.  While that was true, it was just a happy accident. Jackson herself was cagey about what 1814 meant, but then later spilled the beans. It seems that while recording "Rhythm Nation," Jackson told Jam & Lewis that the tune could be a national anthem of sorts for the 90s. That spurred them to find out when "The Star-Spangled Banner" was written. After seeing that Francis Scott Key wrote the anthem in 1814, they decided to tag that on to the album's title.

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"Listen to Your Heart" by Roxette

#1 Alert!

Song#:  4014

Date:  08/26/1989

Debut:  64

Peak:  1 (1 week)

Weeks:  22

Genre:  Pop

Pop Bits:  The second single from the Swedish duo's album Look Sharp!, "Dressed for Success," did fairly well making the Pop Top 20 (#14). Therefore, a third single was called for and the label took a chance on this power ballad. It was the exact right choice with the tune making it all the way to #1. It was the duo's second chart topper following their US debut single "The Look." The song would also get to #2 at AC. The hit would help sell more albums and at the turn of the new year, it would reach the platinum mark.

ReduxReview:  I've always found this tune to be a cousin to Heart's chart topping "Alone." It may not have been quite as powerful as Heart's song, but Roxette certainly did their best to try and reach that same level. The results were solid and it was the perfect choice for a single. There were hooks and drama galore and it reeled you in on just one listen. There was little doubt that this would become another hit for the duo.

ReduxRating:  8/10

Trivia:  This was the first single to reach #1 on the Pop chart to be only available for purchase as a cassette single. The standard vinyl 45 was not printed for the release. With the advent of the CD and the popularity of cassette players like Sony's Walkman, sales of vinyl product was quickly decreasing. The same week this song hit #1, the album Touch Me Tonight - The Best of Shooting Star by the US rock band Shooting Star debuted on the Album chart. It was the first charting album that was only commercially available on cassette or CD. No vinyl LPs were printed for the release. The trend would continue with CDs eventually taking over the market share leaving both vinyl and cassettes in the dust. It seems the worst time for vinyl was round 2005-2006 when it seems like the format was basically done and dead. However, as things do, vinyl started to gain favor again just a few years later. The trend would catch on with artists and labels putting more of their work back on vinyl. Each years sales increased and in 2020, vinyl records outsold CDs for the first time since 1986. While digital product and streaming still lead the marketplace, the resurgence of vinyl has created a nice revenue stream for artists and labels.

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"Girl I'm Gonna Miss You" by Milli Vanilli

#1 Alert!

Gold Record Alert!

Song#:  3990

Date:  08/05/1989

Debut:  53

Peak:  1 (2 weeks)

Weeks:  21

Genre:  Pop

Pop Bits:  The duo were able to reach the top of the Pop chart for a week with their second US single "Baby Don't Forget My Number." Taken from their debut album Girl You Know It's True, the song would be a gold seller. Next up for single release was this track. It would do slightly better on the Pop chart spending two weeks at #1 while also going gold. Additionally, the tune would get to #20 R&B and #21 AC. Just a week or so after this song debuted on the chart, the album would pass the double-platinum mark but it had yet to reach #1. This single would finally help the LP reach #1 for two weeks at the end of September. A fourth single would drive the album back to the top in late November.

ReduxReview:  At this point, the Milli Vanilli train was still rollin' along en route to its inevitable crash. Before that, the duo would score a second #1 with this ballad. I had lost interest in them at the time with the second single and this one did zero (or less if possible) in bringing me back on board. The sung/spoken/kinda rap verse over tinkling synths was pretty bad. The bridge with a female vocal soured things further. The chorus was better, but it had enough cheeze to load a few spray cans. In other words, I ran screaming from this song. How this snoozy concoction, co-written and produced by the creator and ruse mastermind of Milli Vanilli Frank Farian, made it to #1 is beyond me. The piddly tune still sounds as awful today as it did then.

ReduxRating:  1/10

Trivia:  The last single released from Milli Vanilli's debut album was "All or Nothing," which was co-written and produced by Frank Farian. The song would be the fifth Top 5 (#4) from the LP and the duo's last before the lip sync scandal later in 1990. As that implosion was in the works, Farian would also get into trouble with this song. It seems like a chunk of the song resembled a former hit just a little bit too much. David Clayton-Thomas, lead singer and songwriter for Blood, Sweat & Tears, was tipped off by a friend's kid that a song by Milli Vanilli sounded like "Spinning Wheel," the 1969 #2 hit by Blood, Sweat & Tears written by Clayton-Thomas. Not knowing the Milli Vanilli song, Clayton-Thomas went out and bought the record. After hearing the tune, he called his publisher and informed them of an infringement. In early December of 1990, a lawsuit was filed for copyright infringement. In the end, a settlement would be reached with Clayton-Thomas walking away with an undisclosed amount.

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"Hangin' Tough" by New Kid on the Block

#1 Alert!

Platinum Record Alert!

Song#:  3965

Date:  07/15/1989

Debut:  71

Peak:  1 (1 week)

Weeks:  17

Genre:  Pop

Pop Bits:  It took a while, but the boy band finally started to break through with the first two singles from their second album Hangin' Tough, both of which made the Pop Top 10. However, it would be the third single, "I'll Be Loving You (Forever)," that would get to #1 and kick NKOTB mania into high gear. They would follow up that hit with this title track single. It would end up replicating the success of their previous single by spending a week at the top of the Pop chart. However, it would sell twice as many copies and would end up going platinum. The week this song reached its peak, the album would also made it to #1. It did so after having been on the chart for over a year (it hit the top spot in its 55th week). It would stay at #1 for two weeks. With those results, NKOTB became the first teen group to have a #1 single and a #1 album in the same week.

ReduxReview:  Okay, I admit their previous hits, especially in retrospect, were pretty good. I wasn't a fan, but recognized that they along with producer/songwriter Maurice Starr were tossing out some fluffy teen ear candy. However, I drew the line at this one. At the time I thought it was awful and was amazed that it actually went to #1. I blame MTV and teen girls for that. By the point this single came out, the group had become huge teen idols and they were boiling hot, so most anything they put out was going to do well; and it was proven with this track. With a lead vocal by Donnie Wahlberg, this lumbering, goofy thing I think was supposed to give them a little more street cred and sort of take a little shine off of their glimmering teen image. It came off like kids pretending to be something they were definitely not. From the music, to the horrible lyrics, to the thin production, to the pseudo rap sections, this tune was only for a certain crowd and that crowd did not include me. It's still just as cringe-worthy today as it was back then. I'm glad they got a #1 out of it and that many folks enjoyed it, but it was a painful listen for me.

ReduxRating:  1/10

Trivia:  The group would receive a lone Grammy nomination during their career. They would get a nomination in the Best Music Video - Long Form category. It was for the Hangin' Tough tape, which included the videos for four of their hits along with behind the scenes footage. Released in the summer of '89 just as this title track single was taking off, it would be a big seller going 11x platinum (roughly the equivalent of 1.1 million copies). The boys would lose the Grammy to the long form video for Janet Jackson's Rhythm Nation 1814 album.

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"Right Here Waiting" by Richard Marx

#1 Alert!

Platinum Record Alert!

Song#:  3963

Date:  07/08/1989

Debut:  44

Peak:  1 (3 week)

Weeks:  21

Genre:  Soft Rock

Pop Bits:  Marx's second album Repeat Offender got a big boost when its first single, "Satisfied," became his second #1 Pop hit. Hot on the heels of that success came this second single. The ballad would end up being Marx's biggest hit spending three weeks at #1 on the Pop chart while hitting #1 at AC. It was Marx's third consecutive Pop #1. The single would sell well enough to go platinum. The hit certainly boosted album sales and the week after this song ended its run at #1, the album would finally top the chart for a week. Two months later it would reach the triple-platinum sales mark. The song would earn Marx a Grammy nomination for Best Pop Vocal Performance, Male.

ReduxReview:  I knew this quiet ballad was going to be an easy chart topper. It was a nicely written tune with an indelible chorus. It was a perfect choice to follow up his #1 rocker "Satisfied." The opening piano riff, which was the melody of the chorus, was a great arrangement choice and it made the song instantly recognizable. The song would provide Marx with the peak moment of his career.

ReduxRating:  8/10

Trivia:  This song nearly was recorded by a legendary singer. Marx has relayed the story of this song in several interviews. He wrote the intimate piano ballad while out on tour as more or less a cathartic exercise. His girlfriend at the time (and soon to be wife), actress/singer Cynthia Rhodes, was out of the country working on a film and Marx was making plans to see her, but things fell through and he was unable to go. Having not seen her for a couple months, Marx sat down and wrote this tune. He didn't think much of his little song and had zero intentions on recording it. Later on, he was contacted by Barbra Streisand's manager. She wanted to meet him and when the pair got together, she asked if he would write her a song. Not long after their meeting, Marx remember the piano ballad that he had set aside and thought it would be a good option for Streisand. He sent her the demo and the next day she called Marx and left him a voice message about the song. She said that she thought the music and melody were just beautiful, but that the lyrics would have to be change as she wasn't going to be right here waiting for anybody! Marx opted to not rewrite the lyrics and so Streisand passed on the song. Marx maintained that he wasn't going to record the song, but then after some friends heard it, they encouraged him to give it a try. He finally did and it would later go on to become his biggest hit. Marx said he has thanked Streisand several times for passing on the song. Later on for her 1999 album A Love Like Ours, Streisand would record a Richard Marx song. Streisand would duet with country star Vince Gill on "If You Ever Leave Me," a song written by Marx and produced by him along with David Foster. The song was pushed to country radio and it was able to reach #62 on the Country charts. It was Streisand's second time on the Country chart. The first was when her 1977 duet single with Neil Diamond, "You Don't Bring Me Flowers" (#1 Pop/#3 AC), got to #70 Country.

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"Don't Wanna Lose You" by Gloria Estefan

#1 Alert!

Gold Record Alert!

Song#:  3962

Date:  07/08/1989

Debut:  55

Peak:  1 (1 week)

Weeks:  18

Genre:  Pop, Adult Contemporary

Pop Bits:  For the 1987 #6 multi-platinum album Let It Loose, Gloria Estefan would get top billing above the Miami Sound Machine. By that point in time, there was only one original MSM member still remaining, Enrique "Kiki" Garcia. When '88 rolled around, Garcia chose to depart and that basically left MSM as more of an assembled backing band than an actual group. Because of that and Gloria Estefan's rising popularity, it was decided that Estefan would slide into a solo career. By the summer of '89, her debut solo album Cuts Both Ways was set for release. This first single was issued out and it would become a significant hit reaching #1 and #2 AC. It would sell well enough to go gold. The album would quickly take off and reach a peak of #8. By the fall it would hit platinum status. This song would earn Estefan a Grammy nomination for Best Pop Vocal Performance, Female.

ReduxReview:  It was slightly unusual to kick off an album with a ballad, but this really was the best song on the album and the one that had the most chart potential. It was the logical choice and it paid off quite well. Written by Estefan, it was another solid, aching ballad on which she gave a lovely vocal performance.

ReduxRating:  8/10

Trivia:  For her 2020 album Brazil305, Estefan would remake this hit. The album had Estefan re-recording her biggest hits in Brazilian rhythms. Some of the tracks were also performed in a different language than their original versions. Four new songs would also be recorded for the project. The album would end up winning the Latin Grammy for Best Contemporary Tropical Album. It was Estefan's fifth Latin Grammy. She also had three standard Grammys to her name.

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"Cold Hearted" by Paula Abdul

#1 Alert!

Gold Record Alert!

Song#:  3947

Date:  06/24/1989

Debut:  65

Peak:  1 (1 week)

Weeks:  21

Genre:  Dance-Pop

Pop Bits:  By this point in time Abdul's debut album Forever Your Girl had been out for a year. Typically, a hit album would have already wrapped things up and been in decline, but Abdul's effort wasn't close to being done. After a very slow start, it began to take off thanks to an unexpected pair of #1 Pop hits including the gold-selling title track. With Abdul on a roll, a follow-up was necessary and this track was selected as the LP's fifth single. It was the perfect choice with the song becoming Abdul's third in a row to top the Pop chart while getting to #19 Dance. Once again it would sell well enough to go gold. The album would get to the double-platinum mark in July. However, Abdul wasn't done yet. The LP had a lot more gas left in the tank.

ReduxReview:  Written and produced by Elliot Wolff, who provided Abdul with her first #1 "Straight Up," this was a hard hitting track that had great production and an excellent arrangement. Wolff performed everything except for the guitar and I think he knocked it out of the park. At the time this came out I wasn't really into Abdul at all so I didn't pay too much attention to this song. Nowadays I think it ranks right along side her previous two #1s as the best tracks from the LP. The darkly menacing urgent tune was a perfect follow up to the sunny "Forever Your Girl" and thanks in part to a highly successful video that was all over MTV, the song was an easy #1.

ReduxRating:  8/10

Trivia:  The video for this song was directed by future Oscar nominee David Fincher. It was a riff on a scene from the 1979 musical drama All That Jazz directed by Bob Fosse and starring Roy Scheider. Co-written by Fosse, it was loosely based on his experience of simultaneously editing a film (1974's Lenny) while staging an upcoming Broadway musical (1975's Chicago). In one scene, the producers of the musical show up to see a number. The first half of "Take Off with Us" plays like a standard Fosse crowd-pleasing musical number that the producers love. But then the second half of the number starts and it turns into a dark erotic piece that is basically about having casual sex, which shocks the producers. Abdul's video basically mimics the whole scene, albeit in a more TV friendly way. All That Jazz would do well at the box office and would be a critical success as well. It would win the Palme d'Or at the Cannes Film Festival and go on to received nine Oscar nominations including Best Picture. It would win four including one for Best Original Song Score. The film would be the last live-action musical to be nominated for Best Picture for 22 years. In 2002, Moulin Rouge! would finally break the drought. However, the animated musical Beauty and the Beast would get a nod in 1992.

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"Batdance" by Prince

#1 Alert!

Platinum Record Alert!

Song#:  3939

Date:  06/17/1989

Debut:  53

Peak:  1 (1 week)

Weeks:  18

Genre:  R&B, Funk, Pop, Soundtrack

Pop Bits:  In mid-1988, Prince wasn't really in a good spot. His album Lovesexy was not received well and by Prince standards it tanked missing the Top 10 and only going gold. Due to that and a costly tour, Prince's finances were not in good shape. He began working on songs for another album, but his manager didn't think a new LP was going to right the ship. Prince needed a commercial win to boost his career and finances. An opportunity came when his label, Warner Bros., took on the job of making a film version of Batman. Tim Burton was to direct and Danny Elfman would do the score. Warner wanted to get a hot artist to contribute songs to the film and the idea of getting Prince came up. Burton, a fan of Prince, wasn't so hot on the idea as he didn't want to be forced to use specific songs in the film, but then the idea was hatched to have Prince write an album of songs that were "inspired" by the film. Elfman could do his full score and then Burton could incorporate some of the Prince songs where it seemed appropriate. Prince saw a rough cut of the film and was left a tape of it. He got to work and fleshed out a set of songs that were based on the characters in the film. Burton liked what he heard, but asked for a couple of replacements and Prince obliged. When the film was set for release, there were two soundtrack albums ready to go. One was Elfman's original score and the other was Batman by Prince. One of the first tracks Prince recorded for the LP was this initial single. Prince took parts of other songs he had been working on along with snippets of raw dialog from the rough cut of the film to create a sort of promo track for the movie. An edit of the 6-minute song would be pushed out as a single prior to the film's opening. Thanks to the film taking off at the box office, the song quickly ran up the chart and reached #1 in a short eight weeks (#1 R&B/#1 Dance/#18 Modern Rock). The album would then get to #1 and remain there for six weeks (#5 R&B). It would end up being a double-platinum seller. The tactic to get Prince back on top had worked.

ReduxReview:  The Batman movie ushered in a few things that still are happening today. While there had been a few superhero movies prior, like Superman, Batman took things to a new level. The franchise would continue while others would soon follow. The film also introduced the concept of having an album of "inspired by" music along with a separate release for the actual film score. Batman was influential as was Prince's LP at the time with this nearly avant garde promo single leading the way. However, in the long run, the LP and especially this song are looked at as curiosities in Prince's catalog. This song worked at the time, but once the movie's run was done, no one really wanted to hear it. Other songs from the album suffered the same fate as well. The LP got the job done for Prince and the film, but it wasn't nearly in the same league as Prince's classic Purple Rain soundtrack. It is kind of a fun nostalgic exercise to hear the LP once in a great while, but in general it was product for a purpose. This single was just bat-shit crazy (pun intended). It was a weird, messy mash up of songs, dialog, and other things that kind of worked in a Prince-ly way. I'm not sure another artist at the time could have pulled this off and grabbed a #1 hit. Really, I'm not sure any artist had the balls to do this so to Prince's credit, he certainly played into the spectacle of the movie and nailed it. That said, do I really want to voluntarily hear this now? Not really. I might toss it in a playlist as something fun and odd to creep up on you, but other than that, it was a song for a specific time and reason.

ReduxRating:  7/10

Trivia:  While the Batman album was a boost for Prince's career, it wasn't exactly the most perfect situation. Since the movie was a Warner Bros. project, they definitely wanted a share of any music that was to be associated with the film. Therefore, they wanted the publishing rights to Prince's contributions. Weighing the good vs. the bad, Prince and his team agreed to the terms. That meant that if anyone wanted to use any Prince song from the Batman album, they would have to deal with Warner, not Prince. Because of that, none of the charting singles from the album were included on any Prince compilation. It wasn't until after Prince's death that "Batdance" finally was allowed to be on a compilation. It was the only single from Batman to make 4Ever, the first release of any kind that came out after Prince's death in April of 2016.

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"Toy Soldiers" by Martika

#1 Alert!

Gold Record Alert!

Song#:  3906

Date:  05/20/1989

Debut:  69

Peak:  1 (2 weeks)

Weeks:  20

Genre:  Pop

Pop Bits:  This former TV kids show star (Kids Incorporated) moved into a solo music career and her first single, "More Than You Know," did well getting to #18 Pop/#12 Dance. It was a good start and so her label, Columbia, decided to take a chance on this ballad as a second single. It ended up being the right move. The tune quickly found an audience and proceeded up the chart until it reached #1 (#37 AC). By the time it hit that apex, the single was already certified gold. The song's success boosted sales of Martika's self-titled debut album and it would eventually find its way to #15. The LP would also go gold.

ReduxReview:  Martika was still in her teens when she co-wrote this song and it was kind of a deep subject for a young artist. Teen pop stars like Debbie Gibson certainly weren't writing songs about addiction, so it was kind of refreshing to have Martika thinking beyond the typical subjects like boys and puppy love. The song was well-crafted and Martika turned in an excellent vocal performance. She set a high standard for herself with this tune. Unfortunately she wasn't able to match it again. Still, this song became a classic of the late 80s and that certainly wasn't a bad thing.

ReduxRating:  8/10

Trivia:  Triple Shot!  1) Most of the songs on Martika's debut album were written by her producer Michael Jay. However, she did co-write four tracks on the album and "Toy Soldiers" was one of them. A friend of Martika's had been battling a cocaine addition and he was the inspiration for the song. Apparently the friend did eventually overcome the addiction.  2) Background vocals on this track were performed by some of her former Kids Incorporated co-stars including Stacey Ferguson, who would later be known as Fergie of Black Eyed Peas fame.  3) For his 2004 album Encore, rapper Eminem would sample "Toy Soldiers" for his track "Like Toy Soldiers." The song would be issued out as a single and get to #34 Pop/#64 R&B. While it fared okay in the US, it was a far bigger hit across the pond. The single would become Eminem's sixth #1 in the UK.

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"Satisfied" by Richard Marx

#1 Alert!

Song#:  3891

Date:  05/06/1989

Debut:  39

Peak:  1 (1 week)

Weeks:  15

Genre:  Rock

Pop Bits:  Marx's 1987 self-titled debut album became a triple-platinum #8 hit thanks to four Top 3 hits including the #1 "Hold on to the Nights." With such a success came the pressure to record a follow-up that would do just as well. After a lengthy tour, Max went into the studio and came out with Repeat Offender. It not only performed well, but would end up surpassing his debut in both peak position and sales. To help kick off the LP, this first single was issued out. It would debut inside the Pop Top 40 and eight weeks later would hit #1. It would also get to #5 at Rock. With that result, Marx was definitely on his way to beating the dreaded sophomore slump.

ReduxReview:  It was odd that the fourth single from Marx's debut album became his biggest hit to-date hitting #1. Usually, the label will try to follow it up with another single, but I think they realized that there wasn't another surefire hit on the LP and decided to call it good. It was a smart move and it set Marx up for success with this single. People were anxious for a new tune from Marx and having this rocker come on the heels of a hit ballad was the right choice. It was an exciting intro to the new album. The song had solid hooks and it played well on radio. Honestly, I had kind of forgotten about this track. It is one you rarely hear. Marx's ballad hits seem to be the ones getting the most attention, but he was able to pen some good commercial rockers along the way and this was one.

ReduxRating:  7/10

Trivia:  Although Marx was a solo recording star now, that didn't mean he wasn't still writing tunes for other artists. As a composer, Marx would earn a couple of hits in between his two albums. In '88, he would supply (with Fee Waybill) "Edge of a Broken Heart" for Vixen (#26 Pop). Then in '89, his co-write with Ross Vanelli, "Surrender to Me" would become a #6 hit for Ann Wilson and Robin Zander. Marx would also co-write a couple of songs with Paul Anka that Anka would record. Marx would also co-write a song with his wife Cynthia Rhodes that would be recorded by her group Animotion for their '89 self-titled album (the second line-up of Animotion, not the original group who hit with "Obsession").

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"Good Thing" by Fine Young Cannibals

#1 Alert!

Song#:  3888

Date:  05/06/1989

Debut:  69

Peak:  1 (1 week)

Weeks:  17

Genre:  Pop, Soul

Pop Bits:  This Brit trio picked up their first #1 Pop hit in the States with "She Drives Me Crazy." The single, which was taken from their second album The Raw and the Cooked, would sell well enough to go gold and help the album reach the platinum level. For a follow-up, this next track was selected. It would catch on and eventually become their second #1 at Pop. It would also get to #2 Modern Rock, #12 AC, #20 Dance, and #39 Rock. The success of the single helped push the album to #1 at the beginning of June and it would remain at the top spot for seven weeks. The boost in sales would send it to the double-platinum mark.

ReduxReview:  While I liked the groovy "She Drives Me Crazy," this next single failed to draw me in. Its punchy, retro Motown sound didn't thrill me and I ended up ignoring the tune and losing interest in FYC. I still don't connect with the song even now, but I don't dislike it. I was actually surprised it did so well on the Pop chart. The tune was so different from "She Drives Me Crazy" and usually a big shift in sound or style following a major hit will not be greeted well by pop listeners. However, the song was strong enough to stand on its own and keep folks rollin' with FYC.

ReduxRating:  5/10

Trivia:  Four tracks on The Raw and the Cooked made their debuts in films prior to be included on the album. The song "Ever Fallen in Love" would be picked up for use in the 1986 Jonathan Demme comedy flick Something Wild, which starred Melanie Griffith and Jeff Daniels. It would appear on the film's soundtrack and be issued out as a single. In the US, the song would not chart at Pop but would make it to #11 Dance. The tune would get to #9 in the UK. Then for the 1987 Barry Levinson comedy Tin Men that starred Richard Dreyfuss and Danny DeVito, the band would not only supply four songs for the film, but would appear as the house band of a night club. Three of the songs used in the movie would then be placed on The Raw and the Cooked including "Good Thing." It would be the first appearance of the songs on a record because there was no soundtrack album released for the film. Both Something Wild and Tin Men would receive positive notices from critics and do moderately well at the box office. However, Something Wild later turned into a sort of cult film especially after Griffin hit it big with 1988's Working Girl and after Demme's 1992 Oscar-winner The Silence of the Lambs.

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"If You Don't Know Me By Now" by Simply Red

#1 Alert!

Grammy Alert!

Song#:  3886

Date:  05/06/1989

Debut:  81

Peak:  1 (1 week)

Weeks:  22

Genre:  Blue-Eyed Soul

Pop Bits:  The English group's third album A New Flame was not burning up the chart when initially released. Its first single, "It's Only Love," would be a bit of a dud only reaching #57 Pop. They needed something much stronger to prompt album sales and they gave it a go with this cover tune second single. It took a minute for the song to catch on, but it was able to scale the Pop chart and eventually become the band's second #1 hit. It would also top the AC chart while peaking at a minor #38 at R&B. Thanks to the success of the single, the album rebounded and was able to reach #22. It would then be certified gold. Follow up singles would fail to chart at Pop, but the track "You've Got It" would get to #7 at AC. This single would earn the band a Grammy nod for Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group. The song, despite being a remake of a previous hit, would win the Grammy for Best R&B Song.

ReduxReview:  I wasn't a fan of Simply Red. While I appreciated their other #1 "Holding Back the Years," little else from them grabbed my ear. When this single came out, I thought it might be a good fit for the band and in general it was with the tune becoming their second #1. However, their take on the classic didn't do much for me. While I liked the stripped back approach of the arrangement, I thought the tune just dragged. Frankly, it bored me. Mick Hucknall's restrained vocal was good and appropriate for the way the song was performed, but I feel he could have added some minor fireworks to keep the song interesting. Obviously no one is going to beat the original version with Teddy Pendergrass' incredible, yearning vocal, but I expected something a bit better than this sleepy take from Simply Red.

ReduxRating:  4/10

Trivia:  Double Shot!  1) This is a remake of a song originally recorded by Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes. Their 1972 version would reach #1 R&B/#3 Pop and go gold. Taken from the group's debut album I Miss You, it would be their breakthrough single. Over the next few years, the group would earn three more R&B #1s and one more Pop Top 10. The lead singer for the track was Teddy Pendergrass, who would later go on to have a successful solo career. Written by the famous team of Kenny Gamble and Leon Huff, the tune was originally written for the R&B vocal trio Labelle, but they did not record it. The song was then pushed over to Melvin and his group. To-date, Simply Red has been the only other artist to reach the Pop chart with a version of the song. In 2009, a cover by Seal would get to #8 AC.  2) Simply Red's next album, 1991's Stars, would prove to be the biggest selling of their career. It was a massive hit in many countries including the UK where it reached #1 and was certified 12x platinum. In the US, the album would featured the band's last Pop Top 40 single, the #23 "Something Got Me Started," and that was enough for the LP to go gold despite its low #76 peak. While Simply Red continued to have success at home in the UK and in Europe, their fortunes quickly dwindled in the US. However, they would earn three #1s at Dance and a pair of AC Top 10s over the years.

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"I'll Be Loving You (Forever)" by New Kids on the Block

#1 Alert!

Gold Record Alert!

Song#:  3854

Date:  04/01/1989

Debut:  68

Peak:  1 (1 week)

Weeks:  21

Genre:  Pop

Pop Bits:  After the initial failure of their self-titled '86 debut album, NKOTB were able to finally break through with their second album, Hangin' Tough. By this point in time the LP boasted a pair of Pop Top 10 hits including the #3 gold-selling "You Got It (The Right Stuff)." For a third single, the label opted to push out this ballad. Written and produced by the group's Svengali, Maurice Starr, the tune quickly caught on and made its way up the Pop chart. It would eventually peak at the top becoming NKOTB's first #1 single. It would also have success at AC (#3) and R&B (#12). The hit would give the group their second gold seller. During the run of this song, the album would reach an initial peak of #7 and would go triple-platinum. Both of those stats would go up later in the year.

ReduxReview:  This sweet tune was a perfect vehicle for the teen idols. Jordan Knight's swoon-worthy falsetto lead vocal was a highlight and it certainly played a part in getting the tune to #1. The song itself was sort of a throwback to the smooth R&B group ballads of the 70s enhanced with a little bit of bubblegum pop. Starr crafted a good tune for the boys and it turned into a #1 hit.

ReduxRating:  7/10

Trivia:  This track had a lead vocal done by group member Jordan Knight. His falsetto take on the tune was reminiscent of of R&B groups like The Stylistics and singers like Smokey Robinson. After NKOTB broke up in '95, Knight was one of the members to later give a solo career a shot. In 1999, he would release a self-titled debut solo album. A part of the album was a collaboration with the songwriting/production team Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis. The balance of the album was a collaboration between Knight and and another singer/songwriter that would soon have his own successful career, Robin Thicke. The first single from the album would be "Give It to You." The song was co-written by Jam & Lewis along with Knight and Thicke, and produced by Jam & Lewis. The track would reach #10 Pop (#35 Dance) and become a gold-selling single. The album would get to #29 and also go gold. "Give It to You" would end up being Knight's only single to reach the Pop chart, which sort of made him a one-hit wonder in regards to his solo career.

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"Like a Prayer" by Madonna

#1 Alert!

Platinum Record Alert!

Rated 10 Alert!

Song#:  3841

Date:  03/18/1989

Debut:  38

Peak:  1 (3 weeks)

Weeks:  16

Genre:  Pop

Pop Bits:  Over the course of three studio albums, Madonna became a music and cultural icon. Yet she didn't follow the path that some suddenly successful pop artist do and simply pump out songs similar to the ones that made them famous. Madonna paved her own road that took her into new territories. No one could really predict where she was headed to next and that was key to her continued success. After the #1 multi-platinum showing of her third studio album, 1986's True Blue, Madonna took a little time to do other things like film and stage work, but there would be the inevitable return and as the spring of '89 came along, she was ready to unleash her next effort Like a Prayer. To kick things off, the title track would be released as the LP's first single. It was treated like an event with a Pepsi promotion and heavy coverage on MTV. The song made an immediate impact on the Pop chart debuting inside the Top 40 and then making a beeline for the top spot where it would remain for three weeks. It was Madonna's seventh #1 and her first single to go platinum. The album debuted at #11 and two weeks later would reach #1. It remained there for six weeks, which still remains the longest run at the top spot for a Madonna album. By the end of May, it would already be certified at double-platinum.

ReduxReview:  Like a Prayer was Madonna's most introspective and mature album to-date. She was already a music star, but it was this LP that folks began to truly regard her as an artist. Filled with personal themes, it was certainly a lot different from her previous works with even the music and arrangements taking steps forward. This dark track was certainly the highlight. From its dramatic opening to the stop/start of beats between the verses and the chorus to the joyful gospel choir section, it wasn't like anything that Madonna had previously done. It was art pop as were several other tracks on the album. Yet Madonna was smart enough to make sure there was still some juicy commercial hits among the songs, but even those had a more mature feel. After this, there was no going back. She laid down her artistic statement and set a new bar for herself that for me she wouldn't hit again until '98's Ray of Light. I still think this song easily remains as one of Madonna's career and artistic high points.

ReduxRating:  10/10

Trivia:  Madonna was certainly not a stranger to controversy and it accompanied her when "Like a Prayer" came out. Prior to its release, Pepsi entered into a deal with Madonna for a cross promotion. They would not only be the sponsor of her upcoming Blond Ambition tour, but they would feature her and the song in a commercial. Madonna wanted to use the ad for the launch of the single and so a two-minute ad was created. The commercial even had a title ("Make a Wish") and a storyline that had Madonna revisiting her childhood. The ad was treated as an event and made its debut during the Grammy telecast in February of '89, then again during an airing of The Cosby Show, which was the biggest show on TV at the time. It all was going great until the actual music video for "Like a Prayer" was released. Religious groups were immediately up in arms saying that the video's use of Christian imagery was blasphemous. Even the Vatican protested the video. Groups began to organize protests against Pepsi for endorsing Madonna and eventually they folded under and chose to cancel their deal with Madonna (although she got to keep a $5 million advance they had already given her). Regardless of the reactions from religious organizations, MTV supported Madonna and the video and it went immediately into heavy rotation. Of course the controversy only sparked more interest in Madonna, the video, and the song, all of which came out pretty much unscathed.

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