By 1989, the musical landscape had transformed beyond recognition from where the decade started. New Jack Swing—pioneered by producers like Teddy Riley—was dominating R&B, with Bobby Brown's "My Prerogative" and "Every Little Step" embodying the genre's confident swagger. Janet Jackson released Rhythm Nation 1814, a concept album that tackled social issues while producing seven Billboard Hot 100 singles, cementing her as one of the decade's defining artists.
Pop was in full bloom. Madonna delivered Like a Prayer, widely regarded as her artistic peak. Paula Abdul and New Kids on the Block represented pop's more commercial side, with NKOTB's "Hangin' Tough" becoming the year-end number one. Meanwhile, adult contemporary flourished: Richard Marx's "Right Here Waiting," Bette Midler's "Wind Beneath My Wings," and Mike + The Mechanics' "The Living Years" all reached number one.
Rock was splintering in exciting directions. The Cure released Disintegration, their goth-pop masterpiece. Tom Petty's Full Moon Fever produced "Free Fallin'" and "I Won't Back Down." Bon Jovi and Skid Row kept arena rock alive. And in the underground, a small Seattle band called Nirvana released their debut album Bleach on Sub Pop Records for $606.17, unknowingly planting the seed that would soon overthrow the entire musical establishment.
1989 music trivia offers a fascinating snapshot of a decade in transition. The Milli Vanilli scandal was about to erupt, the Berlin Wall fell while Scorpions were writing "Wind of Change," and hip-hop was asserting its cultural dominance. Our daily quiz pulls from this rich moment in time, testing your knowledge of chart positions, producers, album tracks, and the stories that made 1989 unforgettable.
Test yourself with 18 multiple-choice questions about the music of 1989.
1. Which song spent the most weeks at #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1989?
A) Like a Prayer — Madonna
B) Look Away — Chicago
C) Straight Up — Paula Abdul
D) My Prerogative — Bobby Brown
2. Bobby Brown's "My Prerogative" was from which album?
A) Bobby
B) Don't Be Cruel
C) Dance!...Ya Know It!
D) Forever
3. Which Madonna single from the "Like a Prayer" album reached #1 in 1989?
A) Express Yourself
B) Cherish
C) Like a Prayer
D) All three reached #1
4. The B-52s had their biggest hit in 1989 with which song?
A) Rock Lobster
B) Love Shack
C) Roam
D) Private Idaho
5. Which band released "Bleach," their debut album, in June 1989?
A) Pearl Jam
B) Soundgarden
C) Nirvana
D) Alice in Chains
6. Phil Collins had a #1 hit in 1989 with which ballad?
A) In the Air Tonight
B) Against All Odds
C) One More Night
D) Two Hearts
7. Which New Kids on the Block single was the #1 song on the 1989 year-end Hot 100?
A) Hangin' Tough
B) I'll Be Loving You (Forever)
C) You Got It (The Right Stuff)
D) Step by Step
8. Janet Jackson's "Miss You Much" was from which album?
A) Control
B) Rhythm Nation 1814
C) Janet
D) Design of a Decade
9. Which Richard Marx single spent 3 weeks at #1 in summer 1989?
A) Hold On to the Nights
B) Right Here Waiting
C) Satisfied
D) Don't Mean Nothing
10. Milli Vanilli's "Girl You Know It's True" album won the Grammy for Best New Artist in 1990, but the award was later revoked. Why?
A) Plagiarism
B) They didn't actually sing on the album
C) Contract fraud
D) They were not new artists
11. Which Tom Petty solo album and single were massive hits in 1989?
A) Damn the Torpedoes / "Refugee"
B) Full Moon Fever / "Free Fallin'"
C) Into the Great Wide Open / "Learning to Fly"
D) Wildflowers / "You Don't Know How It Feels"
12. Which Bon Jovi power ballad reached #1 in 1989?
A) Livin' on a Prayer
B) Wanted Dead or Alive
C) I'll Be There for You
D) Bad Medicine
13. The Cure released which critically acclaimed album in 1989?
A) Kiss Me, Kiss Me, Kiss Me
B) The Head on the Door
C) Wish
D) Disintegration
14. Which Bette Midler ballad from the movie "Beaches" became a #1 hit?
A) From a Distance
B) The Rose
C) Wind Beneath My Wings
D) The Glory of Love
15. Fine Young Cannibals had two #1 hits in 1989. "She Drives Me Crazy" was one. What was the other?
A) Good Thing
B) Ever Fallen in Love
C) Don't Look Back
D) I'm Not the Man I Used to Be
16. Which Roxette single from the "Look Sharp!" album reached #1 in the US in 1989?
A) It Must Have Been Love
B) Joyride
C) The Look
D) Listen to Your Heart
17. Skid Row released their self-titled debut in 1989. Which power ballad became their biggest hit?
A) Youth Gone Wild
B) I Remember You
C) 18 and Life
D) Monkey Business
18. Which Mike + The Mechanics song about a father-son relationship was a #1 hit in 1989?
A) Silent Running
B) All I Need Is a Miracle
C) Word of Mouth
D) The Living Years