1990 in British music

none December 2012 June 2021 1990 1990 British music This is a summary of 1990 in music in the United Kingdom, including the official charts from that year. Summary The first year of the 1990s saw a total of 17 singles top the chart. The first, "Hangin' Tough" by the boyband New Kids on the Block, which became the group's second chart-topper, set the record for lowest first-week sales for a number 1, with only 28,000 copies sold. Although January is usually a low sales month due to it being post-Christmas season, the vinyl single had been in severe decline in the UK since the late 1980s. In 1990 New Kids on the Block released a total of three albums and six singles (not including "Hangin' Tough") during the course of the year. Although their third album Step by Step topped the charts, their follow-up debut eponymous album was re-released and made only number six. The six singles released after their chart-topper in January all failed to top the charts, though four did make the top 5, the most successful, "Step By Step", reaching number two. The next No. 1 was Kylie Minogue's cover of the Little Anthony & the Imperials song "Tears on My Pillow", taken from the film The Delinquents, which became her fourth number one single in the UK and the final number one for production team Stock Aitken Waterman. Her album release for the year Rhythm of Love made number 9 on the UK Albums Chart with the lead single "Better the Devil You Know" making number two. Despite the huge success experienced by Stock Aitken Waterman the previous four years, 1990 saw a sharp decline in the popularity of their songs. With Jason Donovan's chart positions rapidly declining, both Sonia and Big Fun were dropped, Donna Summer reportedly fell-out with the trio and only Lonnie Gordon was able to go Top 10 with her number 4 single "Happenin' All Over Again", a song originally intended for Donna Summer. Kylie Minogue ended her run of Top 2's when "Step Back in Time" stalled at number 4, and new songs by Hazell Dean, Pat and Mick and Sybil missed the chart completely. Mike Stock revealed in his book "The Hit Factory" he felt it was Pete Waterman's fault their popularity plummeted after the outspoken Producer made several scathing attacks about the British Music Industry to the press. By the end of the year, rumours began circulating about unrest in the PWL camp and, next year, Matt Aitken would be the first to depart. The continued success of Kylie, and the Australian soap opera's Neighbours on BBC 1 and Home and Away on ITV, saw more actors releasing singles this year in the hope of replicating the success of Kylie and Jason Donovan. The most successful of these was Craig McLachlan (who notably appeared in both series) and his band Check 1–2 who scored a number 2 in the spring with "Mona" and went Top 20 with its follow-up, "Amanda". Madonna scored her 7th number 1 single with "Vogue", from her hit album I'm Breathless which made No. 2, charting in the same position as her follow-up single "Hanky Panky". Her album success did not end there, however, with The Immaculate Collection (greatest hits release) becoming her most successful album ever, topping the UK albums chart for 9 weeks and selling 3.6 million copies in the UK (10th best selling album of all-time) and promotional single "Justify My Love" giving her a second No. 2 hit, whose video caused some controversy and was banned from MTV. Showing something of a revival in popularity this year were Belinda Carlisle who followed three tracks that barely made the top 40 with a remix of a track from her 1989 album Runaway Horses, "(We Want) The Same Thing", which made number six. The album was subsequently re-released, peaking at the same position it had before, number four, and "Summer Rain" became the sixth and final hit from the album, making number 23 in December. Another comeback was from Elton John who got his first solo number 1 in June, and only his second overall (his first being "Don't Go Breaking My Heart" with Kiki Dee in 1976) with the charity single "Sacrifice"/"Healing Hands", with all the proceeds going to AIDS charities. Both tracks had previously failed to reach the top 40 when they were originally released in 1989, but significant airplay on Radio 2 ensured the songs were re-issued and became massive hits.vague February 2016 He also enjoyed success with two number 1 albums, Sleeping With the Past in July, and The Very Best of Elton John in November. The latter went on to sell 2.7 million copies in the UK, becoming the 17th-best-selling album of all-time. An obscure British house-dance act DNA revived Suzanne Vega's fortunes this year with a smash hit remix of 1987 album track "Tom's Diner" which peaked at number two in July. The track was an international hit, peaking in the top 10 all over the world. European dance music was one of the most popular genres of the year, with several songs of that type hitting number 1, including, from Germany, Snap!'s "The Power", the last record to jump from outside the top 10 to number 1 until 2006, discounting imports. Although their album, World Power, made only number 21 upon initial release, Snap went on to have a further three top 10 singles, "Ooops Up" (No.5, June), "Cult of Snap" (No.8, October) and "Mary Had a Little Boy" (No.8, December) and this caused the album to re-chart and peak at number 10. Belgian house music was very popular in 1990 with artists like Technotronic powering the charts with songs like No.2 smash "Get Up ! (Before the Night Is Over)" and "Rockin' Over the Beat", a big summer No.9 hit, and finally a "Megamix" rounded off the year, making number 6 in October. From Italy, 49ers scored two of the biggest dance hits of the year; "Touch Me" peaked at number 3, and the follow-up, "Don't You Love Me", which contained a sample from Jody Watley's song "Don't You Want Me", made number 12. Meanwhile, Dutch trio Twenty 4 Seven hit the Top 20 twice with their two hits, "I Can't Stand It" (No.7) and "Are You Dreaming" (No.17); both tracks were fronted by US rapper, Captain Hollywood. Manchester in the UK was the base of 808 State who scored two Top 10 hits this year, one with fellow Mancunian rapper MC Tunes, "The Only Rhyme That Bites", and one on their own, "Cubik/Olympic", both tracks reached No.10. Londonbeat hit the charts in the summer of 1990 with "I've Been Thinking About You" and The Adventures Of Stevie V released the summer anthem of 1990 "Dirty Cash" which reached No.2 in July. The KLF, who were formerly in the charts as The Timelords back in 1988, had a huge club and chart comeback with "What Time is Love?" which made No.5 in September. This started a successful run of hits that continued through to 1992. A problem occurred in September when two records – Steve Miller Band's "The Joker" and Deee-Lite's "Groove Is in the Heart" – both tied for the number one position, selling exactly the same number of copies. As the rules stated that in the event of this happening, the single which had climbed the highest would be the number 1, "The Joker", re-issued after being featured in a Levi's advert, won out (having climbed five places instead of three). Due to the controversy that followed, with some saying that it was unfair to let a re-issue of an old song overtake the debut single of a new group, the rules were changed so that records would now be allowed to tie. Four of the number ones this year came from films. Kylie Minogue's "Tears on My Pillow", mentioned earlier, Partners In Kryme's "Turtle Power", from Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Maria McKee's "Show Me Heaven", from Days of Thunder, and a re-issue of The Righteous Brothers' "Unchained Melody" (originally a number 14 hit in 1965) from Ghost, which was the biggest selling single of the year. A re-issue of the 1965 No. 1 "You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin'" in December was also successful, peaking at #3. Cliff Richard scored the Christmas number one single with "Saviour's Day", his 13th number one, and his 100th top 40 hit. With this he became the only person to have a number one in the 1950s, 60s, 70s, 80s, and 90s. Merseyside composer John McCabe produced a flute concerto, written for James Galway and premièred by the London Symphony Orchestra who had commissioned it; it was not recorded until 1999. Another Lancashire composer, John Pickard, produced his best-known work The Flight of Icarus. Simon Rattle became musical director of the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, of which he had been Principal Conductor since 1980. Events 18 February – Fine Young Cannibals win two Brit awards, but they soon return them in protest after a video message from Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher appears at the ceremony. 3 April – Jupiter Landing, a music theatre piece by Peter Maxwell Davies, is performed for the first time at the Queen Elizabeth Hall in London. 12 April – The Stone Roses are fined £6,000 for causing damage and vandalism to the offices of their former label, FM Revolver, after the band took offence to a video their former label made for the re-release of their "Sally Cinnamon" single 18 May – Clarissa, an opera by Robin Holloway, is performed for the first time at the London Coliseum. 27 May – The Stone Roses play an outdoor concert at Spike Island in Widnes, Cheshire. 7 June – The first complete performance of Gerald Finzi’s Requiem da camera, composed in the mid 1920s, takes place at the Spitalfields Festival with the City of London Sinfonia, BBC Northern Singers, soloist Stephen Varcoe and conductor Richard Hickox. 1 August – UB40 are deported from Seychelles after being arrested on suspicion of marijuana possession. 2 August – Three world premieres are given at a concert commemorating the Queen Mother's 90th birthday in Buckingham Palace: The Thistle and the Rose, a song cycle by Patrick Doyle; Suite for Violin by Patrick Gowers; and the Romanza for Cello and Orchestra by David Matthews. 24 August – Thrinos for cello by John Taverner is performed for the first time in Edinburgh. 5 October – Rainbow for orchestra by Thea Musgrave is performed for the first time, in Royal Concert Hall, Glasgow. 9 October – Radio stations worldwide play "Imagine" by John Lennon, honouring him on what would have been his 50th birthday. 3 December – Ibbs and Tillett goes into voluntary liquidation. Charts Number-one singles Chart date(week ending)SongArtist(s)Sales 6 January"Do They Know It's Christmas?"Band Aid II 38,709 13 January"Hangin' Tough"New Kids on the Block 28,067 20 January 50,320 27 January"Tears on My Pillow"Kylie Minogue 59,262 3 February"Nothing Compares 2 U"Sinéad O'Connor 81,192 10 February 114,155 17 February 108,375 24 February 107,083 3 March"Dub Be Good to Me"Beats International 72,029 10 March 84,133 17 March 62,968 24 March 44,982 31 March"The Power"Snap! 53,380 7 April 80,053 14 April"Vogue"Madonna 67,643 21 April 75,225 28 April 60,605 5 May 51,680 12 May"Killer"Adamski featuring Seal 51,782 19 May 82,297 26 May 73,882 2 June 60,860 9 June"World in Motion"New Order 67,371 16 June 77,149 23 June"Sacrifice" / "Healing Hands"Elton John 74,205 30 June 107,899 7 July 111,129 14 July 93,908 21 July 60,945 28 July"Turtle Power"Partners in Kryme 59,211 4 August 76,636 11 August 51,918 18 August 46,852 25 August"Itsy Bitsy Teeny Weeny Yellow Polka Dot Bikini"Timmy Mallett with Bombalurina 52,190 1 September 67,439 8 September 54,825 15 September"The Joker"Steve Miller Band 44,118 22 September 60,911 29 September"Show Me Heaven"Maria McKee 44,455 6 October 75,463 13 October 74,480 20 October 65,807 27 October"A Little Time"The Beautiful South 60,996 3 November"Unchained Melody"The Righteous Brothers 167,331 10 November 175,933 17 November 127,330 24 November 98,430 1 December"Ice Ice Baby"Vanilla Ice 100,759 8 December 113,560 15 December 89,845 22 December 89,539 29 December"Saviour's Day"Cliff Richard 100,946 Number-one albums Chart date(week ending)AlbumArtist 6 January...But SeriouslyPhil Collins 13 January 20 January 27 JanuaryColourThe Christians 3 February...But SeriouslyPhil Collins 10 February 17 February 24 February 3 March 10 March 17 March 24 MarchI Do Not Want What I Haven't GotSinéad O'Connor 31 MarchChangesbowieDavid Bowie 7 AprilOnly Yesterday: Their Greatest HitsThe Carpenters 14 April 21 AprilBehind the MaskFleetwood Mac 28 AprilOnly Yesterday: Their Greatest HitsThe Carpenters 5 May 12 May 19 May 26 May 2 JuneVol. II: 1990 – A New DecadeSoul II Soul 9 June 16 June 23 JuneThe Essential PavarottiLuciano Pavarotti 30 JuneStep by StepNew Kids on the Block 7 JulyThe Essential PavarottiLuciano Pavarotti 14 July 21 July 28 JulySleeping with the PastElton John 4 August 11 August 18 August 25 August 1 SeptemberGraffiti BridgePrince 8 SeptemberIn ConcertCarreras, Domingo, Pavarotti (The Three Tenors)Orchestra Del Maggio Musical FiorentinoOrchestra Del Teatro Dell'Opera Di Roma Zubin Mehta 15 SeptemberListen Without Prejudice Vol. 1George Michael 22 SeptemberIn ConcertCarreras, Domingo, Pavarotti (The Three Tenors)Orchestra Del Maggio Musical FiorentinoOrchestra Del Teatro Dell'Opera Di Roma Zubin Mehta 29 September 6 October 13 October 20 OctoberSome FriendlyThe Charlatans 27 OctoberThe Rhythm of the SaintsPaul Simon 3 November 10 NovemberThe Very Best of Elton JohnElton John 17 November 24 NovemberThe Immaculate CollectionMadonna 1 December 8 December 15 December 22 December 29 December Number-one compilation albums Chart date(week ending)Album 6 January Now 16 13 January 5 May Now 17 4 August Now Dance 902 1 December Now 18 Year end charts Best-selling singles of 1990 1990 Top 100 Singles Music Week Spotlight Publications London, England 41 2 March 1991 No. Number Title Artist Peakposition 1 "Unchained Melody" The Righteous Brothers 1 2 "Nothing Compares 2 U" Sinéad O'Connor 1 3 "Sacrifice"/"Healing Hands" Elton John 1 4 "Ice Ice Baby" Vanilla Ice 1 5 "Killer" Adamski 1 6 "Show Me Heaven" Maria McKee 1 7 "Dub Be Good to Me" Beats International 1 8 "Vogue" Madonna 1 9 "World in Motion" England New Order 1 10 "The Power" Snap! 1 11 "Nessun Dorma" Luciano Pavarotti 2 12 "A Little Time" The Beautiful South 1 13 "Turtle Power" Partners in Kryme 1 14 "It Must Have Been Love" Roxette 3 15 "U Can't Touch This" MC Hammer 3 16 "Itsy Bitsy Teeny Weeny Yellow Polka Dot Bikini" Bombalurina 1 17 "Get Up! (Before the Night Is Over)" Technotronic featuring Ya Kid K 2 18 "Black Velvet" Alannah Myles 2 19 "Dirty Cash (Money Talks)" The Adventures of Stevie V 2 20 "Don't Worry" Kim Appleby 2 21 "Saviour's Day" Cliff Richard 1 22 "Mona" Craig McLachlan & Check 1–2 2 23 "Love Shack" The B-52's 2 24 "The Joker" The Steve Miller Band 1 25 "Opposites Attract" Paula Abdul and The Wild Pair 2 26 "Groove Is in the Heart"/"What Is Love" Deee-Lite 2 27 "Blue Velvet" Bobby Vinton 2 28 "How Am I Supposed to Live Without You" Michael Bolton 3 29 "I've Been Thinking About You" Londonbeat 2 30 "Unbelievable" EMF 3 31 "Naked in the Rain" Blue Pearl 4 32 "Tom's Diner" DNA featuring Suzanne Vega 2 33 "Ooops Up" Snap! 5 34 "Tears on My Pillow" Kylie Minogue 1 35 "Kingston Town" UB40 4 36 "The Anniversary Waltz – Part One" Status Quo 2 37 "Take My Breath Away" Berlin 3Reached number 1 in 1986 38 "Better the Devil You Know" Kylie Minogue 2 39 "Tonight" New Kids on the Block 3 40 "I'm Free" Soup Dragons featuring Junior Reid 5 41 "Lily Was Here" David A. Stewart featuring Candy Dulfer 6 42 "Blue Savannah" Erasure 3 43 "Justify My Love" Madonna 2 44 Four Bacharach & David Songs EP Deacon Blue 2 45 "Hold On" En Vogue 5 46 "Hear the Drummer (Get Wicked)" Chad Jackson 3 47 "Fantasy" Black Box 5 48 "What Time Is Love? (Live at Trancentral)" The KLF featuring the Children of the Revolution 5 49 "Got to Have Your Love" Mantronix featuring Wondress 4 50 "Step On" Happy Mondays 5 Best-selling artist albums of 1990 1990 Top 100 Albums Music Week Spotlight Publications London, England 39 2 March 1991 Position Title Artist Peakposition 1 ...But Seriously Phil Collins 1 2 The Immaculate Collection Madonna 1 3 In Concert José Carreras/Placido Domingo/Luciano Pavarotti 1 4 The Very Best of Elton John Elton John 1 5 Soul Provider Michael Bolton 4 6 The Essential Pavarotti Luciano Pavarotti 1 7 Only Yesterday Carpenters 1 8 Sleeping with the Past Elton John 1 9 Serious Hits... Live! Phil Collins 2 10 Listen Without Prejudice Vol. 1 George Michael 1 11 The Rhythm of the Saints Paul Simon 1 12 Vivaldi: The Four Seasons Nigel Kennedy with the English Chamber Orchestra 3 13 Foreign Affair Tina Turner 3Reached number 1 in 1989 14 Rocking All Over the Years Status Quo 2 15 Labour of Love II UB40 3 16 I Do Not Want What I Haven't Got Sinéad O'Connor 1 17 From a Distance: The Event Cliff Richard 3 18 The Singles Collection 1984/1990 Jimmy Somerville 4 19 The Road to Hell Chris Rea 4Reached number 1 in 1989 20 Step By Step New Kids on the Block 1 21 Hangin' Tough 2 22 Pump Up the Jam: The Album Technotronic 2 23 Choke The Beautiful South 2 24 Vol. II: 1990 – A New Decade Soul II Soul 1 25 I'm Your Baby Tonight Whitney Houston 4 26 Changesbowie David Bowie 1 27 I'm Breathless Madonna 2 28 Heart of Stone Cher 7 29 The Very Best of the Bee Gees Bee Gees 6 30 Affection Lisa Stansfield 2 31 The Best of Rod Stewart Rod Stewart 6Reached number 3 in 1989 32 Journeyman Eric Clapton 2 33 Summer Dreams: 28 Classic Tracks The Beach Boys 2 34 Look Sharp! Roxette 4 35 X INXS 2 36 Please Hammer Don't Hurt 'Em MC Hammer 8 37 Cuts Both Ways Gloria Estefan 11Reached number 1 in 1989 38 Between the Lines Jason Donovan 2 39 Violator Depeche Mode 2 40 Behind the Mask Fleetwood Mac 1 41 Cosmic Thing The B-52s 8 42 Boomania Betty Boo 4 43 Waking Hours Del Amitri 6 44 Reflection The Shadows 5 45 Natural History: The Very Best of Talk Talk Talk Talk 3 46 Greatest Hits The Bangles 4 47 The Stone Roses The Stone Roses 9 48 Wild! Erasure 12Reached number 1 in 1989 49 Shaking the Tree: Sixteen Golden Greats Peter Gabriel 11 50 To the Extreme Vanilla Ice 4 Notes: Classical music John Rutter – Magnificat Colin Matthews – Strugnell's Haiku Opera Jonathan Dove – Hastings Spring John Metcalf – Tornrak Judith Weir – The Vanishing Bridegroom Births 1 February – Laura Marling, singer-songwriter 17 February – Alex Banfield, operatic tenor 29 April – Loick Essien, singer 17 June – Laura Wright, singer (All Angels) 11 July – George Craig, English singer-songwriter and model (One Night Only) 12 July – Maverick Sabre, singer-songwriter 18 July – Dan Croll, singer-songwriter 24 July – Jay McGuiness, English singer 4 September – Danny Worsnop, singer-songwriter (Asking Alexandria and We Are Harlot) 17 September – Pixie Geldof, model and singer, daughter of Bob Geldof and Paula Yates 26 November Rita Ora, singer Chip, rapper Deaths 18 January – Melanie Appleby, singer and dancer (Mel and Kim), 23 19 January – Alberto Semprini, pianist, conductor and composer, 81 1 February – Peter Racine Fricker, composer, 69 12 March – Harry South, jazz pianist, composer and arranger, 60 17 March – Ric Grech, bass guitarist (Family, Blind Faith), 43 (liver cirrhosis) 5 May – Sir Reginald Goodall, conductor, 88 6 June – Joe Loss, bandleader, 80 16 June – Dame Eva Turner, operatic soprano, 98 21 June – Elizabeth Harwood, operatic soprano, 52 (cancer) 16 July – Sidney Torch, pianist, organist, conductor, arranger and composer, 82 (suicide) 12 August – Roy Williamson, Scottish songwriter and musician (The Corries), writer of "Flower of Scotland", 54 28 August – Pamela Harrison, pianist, music teacher and composer, 74 (car accident)Sadie Julie Anne Samuel Rhian The Norton/Grove Dictionary of Women Composers https://archive.org/details/nortongrovedicti00sadi/page/210 1994 W. W. Norton & Company New York 0-393-03487-9 210–211 registration 25 September – Wilfred Burns, film composer, 73 4 October – Alyn Ainsworth, conductor, 66NME BiographyJune 2017 InternetArchiveBot yes 8 October – B. J. Wilson, drummer of Procol Harum, 43 (pneumonia) 13 November – Richard Lewis, operatic tenor, 76 date unknown – Leslie Osborne, composer of TV and radio themes, 85 Music awards Brit Awards The 1990 Brit Awards winners were: Best British Producer: Dave Stewart Best Classical Recording: Simon Rattle – George Gershwin's "Porgy and Bess" Best International Artist: Neneh Cherry Best Music Video: The Cure – "Lullaby" Best Soundtrack: Batman British Album: Fine Young Cannibals – The Raw and the Cooked British Breakthrough Act: Lisa Stansfield British Female Solo Artist: Annie Lennox British Group: Fine Young Cannibals British Male Solo Artist: Phil Collins British Single: Phil Collins – "Another Day in Paradise" International Breakthrough Act: Neneh Cherry International Group: U2 Outstanding Contribution: Queen See also 1990 in British radio 1990 in British television 1990 in the United Kingdom List of British films of 1990 References External links BBC Radio 1's Chart Show The Official Charts Company British music Music Category:British music by year