Mother Love Bone: Chloe (1989)

"Chloe/Crown of Thorns" is Mother Love Bone's most famous song. It appeared in Say Anything with John Cusak, but did not break into the public consciousness until Singles three years later. It proved the late Andrew Wood's greatest moment. It also led to a spate of babies named Chloe.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lH0gnwtSEGI

Eric Clapton: Pretending (1989)

"Pretending" features some of Clapton's greatest vocal work. It also contains a great riff and hook. It marked a transition between 80s pop and Clapton's move back to his blues roots.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zm2PvnM7Vds

Top 10 songs of 1989

My favorites.

1. Rockin' in the Free World- Neil Young
2. Running Down a Dream- Tom Petty
3. Armageddon It- Def Leppard
4. Chloe- Mother Love Bone
5. I Won't Back Down- Tom Petty
6. We Didn't Start the Fire- Billy Joel
7. Beds Are Burning- Midnight Oil
8. Free Fallin'- Tom Petty
9. Dirty Blvd- Lou Reed
10.Dr. Feelgood- Motley Crue

Top 25 song of 1989 (#11-20)

My favorites again...

11. Living in Sin- Bon Jovi
12. A Girl Like You- The Smithereens
13. This Monkey's Gone To Heaven- The Pixies
14. All I Want Is You- U2
15. Figure of Eight- Paul McCartney
16. Personal Jesus- Depeche Mode
17. Higher Ground- RHCP
18. Pop Singer- John Mellencamp
19. Get Up- REM
20. Pop Song '89-REM

Top 25 songs of 1989 (#21-25)

My favorites...

21. Fire Woman- The Cult
22. Paradise City- GnR
23. My Brave Face- Paul McCartney
24. You Got It- Roy Orbison
25. Zombie Zoo- Tom Petty

R.E.M.: Get Up (1989)

Michael Stipe wrote "Get Up" about Mike Mills propensity for oversleeping. Mills did not find this out for a decade.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ia3pyBGDYx0

U2: All I Want Is You (1989)

U2 closes the 80s in style. The video for this work is based on 1951's "The Life and Death of George Wilson".

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Gwahh04Y1Y

Don Henley: The Heart of the Matter (1989)

A song about longing, regret, and a cry for forgiveness. "The Heart of the Matter" is bittersweet and reminds me of the end of high school.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ncF6q3QeltU

The House is Rockin' by Stevie Ray Vaughan (1989)

Stevie Ray Vaughan reached his full potential as a songwriter with the In Step album. Then, he perished in a helicopter accident. One critic called the situation "bittersweet." This is the lead track from In Step.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-G84P5K-W1c

Paul McCartney: Figure of Eight (1989)

Paul McCartney used "Figure of Eight" to open many of his live shows on the Flowers in the Dirt tour. The song broke the Billboard Hot 100 in the US peaking at #92 while it finished at #42 in Britain. The album and tour marked McCartney's return as a major touring act. The 1989-90 whirlwind was his first world tour since 1975-76.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dlwLo8txw1k

Queen: I Want It All (1989)

“I Want It All” is classic 80s. It can be interpreted as a rebel song or as an anthem for someone that wants everything out of life. It served as an anti-apartheid theme in South Africa, but could also represent a Wall Street broker.  The band did not play it live until April 20, 1992 at The Freddie Mercury Tribute Concert. Mercury died of AIDS the previous November giving the song yet another possible meaning. Roger Daltrey and Tony Iommi joined Queen on stage for the performance.

Studio:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1pm4fQRl72k

Tribute Concert:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hCzkT5H7Udg

Paul McCartney: My Brave Face (1989)

Elvis Costello cowrote "My Brave Face" with McCartney. The song went on to be Paul's last Top 40 hit in America. It is also the last song by a former Beatle to crack the Top 40. The Spanish loved it and sent it to #1. "My Brave Face" is on the underrated Flowers in the Dirt album and is worth checking out if you are a Beatles fan.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h85OGkCaKIg

Jesus and Mary Chain: Head On (1989)

"Head On" did better in America than in Britain. In 1989, The Jesus and Mary Chain enjoyed success in Britain and were basic unknowns in America. The song reached #2 on the Billboard Modern Rock charts and recieved airplay on MTV in the states while peaking at #57 in the mother country. For me, the song represents a transition from the 80s to the 90s. The Pixies covered "Head On" in 1991 with their version winning an award for breakthrough video.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eGp47YwDZ48&ob=av2e

The Pixies:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7F5TZ7z7tJs

The Replacements: I'll Be You (1989)

The Replacements are an iconic band. Despite this, they made only one appearance on Billboard's Hot 100 charts. It came in 1989 with "I'll Be You." A couple of years later, Paul Weterberg's contributions to the Singles soundtrack broke into the mainstream.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k6cud1gp4RE

Bob Seger: Little Drummer Boy (1989)

Posted Johnny Cash's version yesterday...now it's time for Bob Seger's. IMO, this is the best version of this song ever recorded.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qOe6REmAf8g

The Cult: Edie (Ciao Baby) (1989)

Edie is Edie Sedgwick of Andy Warhol fame. She starred in a number of Warhol shorts and became an "It girl." She became addicted to drugs and alcohol and OD'd in 1971. The Cult's Ian Astbury visited New York in the 80s and became interested in Warhol and his gang.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zpkVt9XTdtg

Cinderella: Coming Home (1989)

Here's a forgotten tune from 1989....of course, most of what Cinderella did is forgotten nowadays. At the time, they were a huge act and became one of the early 90s casualties when the music industry changed.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j-qG6o5N7oQ

801. Personal Jesus by Depeche Mode (1989)

Priscilla Presley's book Elvis and Me inspired "Personal Jesus" by Depeche Mode. In this context, Elvis is the center of worship for Priscilla in an extremely unhealthy way.  The song's video places the band in what appears to be a Mexican brothel.

On a side note, the eighties witnessed a rise in televangelists and some interpreted "Personal Jesus" as a critique of that phenomenon especially with they lyric "Reach out and touch faith."

Johnny Cash produced an interesting take on the song in 2002. For that recording, he was joined by The Red Hot Chili Peppers' John Frusciante and Mike Campbell from Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers.

Depeche Mode:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u1xrNaTO1bI

Johnny Cash:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jQcNiD0Z3MU

803. The End of the Innocence by Don Henley (1989)

Don Henley laments the loss of youth and innocence. The song is a bittersweet and melancholy remembrance. At the same time, Henley takes shots at Ronald Reagan and the 80s arms buildup ("they're beating plowshares into swords, for the tired old man that we elected king"). There's also references to divorce and personal turmoil. Essentially, it is a baby boomer looking back to simpler times.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NLONgF8a_Ig

958. Fight the Power by Public Enemy (1989)

"Fight the Power" appeared in Spike Lee's Do the Right Thing. It's a call for revolution against the abuse of power. VH-1 named it the greatest Hip Hop song of all time. The most controversial parts of the song slam Elvis and John Wayne providing an indictment of the white community and America in general.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8PaoLy7PHwk