By 1989, the tide in music was shifting with the looming advent of a new decade. But the year still had some great songs, including these three rock songs. They are all so incredibly good that they make me want to travel back in time to listen to them again and again.
“I’ll Be There For You” by Bon Jovi
On Bon Jovi’s New Jersey record is “I’ll Be There For You”. A softer, more emotional song, not typical of the band, “I’ll Be There For You” is written by band members Jon Bon Jovi and Richie Sambora.
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“I’ll Be There For You” says, “I’ll be there for you, these five words I swear to you / When you breathe, I want to be the air for you, I’ll be there for you / I’d live and I’d die for you, I’d steal the sun from the sky for you / Words can’t say what love can do, I’ll be there for you.”
The success of “I’ll Be There For You”, Bon Jovi’s fourth No. 1 single, is a bit surprising, since the song is 5:34 in length. It is the longest song to hit No. 1 in 1989.
“Sowing The Seeds Of Love” by Tears for Fears
On Tears for Fears’ Seeds Of Love album is Sowing The Seeds Of Love”. Written by band members Roland Orzabal and Curt Smith, “Sowing The Seeds Of Love” is the group’s final No. 1 single.
“Sowing The Seeds Of Love” says, “ Sowing the seeds of love, seeds of love / Anything is possible when you’re sowing the seeds of love / Sowing the seeds / Sowing the seeds of love / Anything is possible / Seeds of love / Sowing the seeds of love / Sowing the seeds.”
“Rocket” by Def Leppard
Def Leppard’s only single in 1989, “Rocket” appears on their Hysteria album. Written by band members Joe Elliott, Phil Collen, Steve Clark, Rick Savage, and producer Robert John “Mutt” Lange, “Rocket” is also the band’s final single until “Let’s Get Rocked” was released in 1992.
“Rocket” says in part, “Jack Flash, rocket man / Sergeant Pepper and the band / Ziggy, Benny and the Jets / Take a rocket, we just gotta fly.”
Although diehard Def Leppard fans count “Rocket” among their favorites, it was not as much of a commercial success as some of their previous singles. The final single from Hysteria, the record also includes “Pour Some Sugar On Me”, “Armageddon It”, and the title track, all massive hits for Def Leppard.
Photo by Koh Hasebe/Shinko Music/Getty Images
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