In 1989, the legendary sound of 80s rock was on its way out, but it was still an important part of the decade. The 80s saw some of the best songs released, including these three soft rock songs. All out in 1989, every 80s kid definitely still knows them all by heart today.
“The End Of The Innocence” by Don Henley
“The End Of The Innocence” is the title track of Don Henley’s third solo album. The song was written by Henley and Bruce Hornsby.
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A No. 1 single, “The End Of The Innocence” says, “You can lay your head back on the ground / And let your hair fall all around me / Offer up your best defense / But this is the end / This is the end of the innocence.“
Hornsby plays piano on this track. He also performs it in his own live shows.
“After All” by Cher and Peter Cetera
Cher teams up with Peter Cetera for “After All”. The sweet love song, a chart-topping single, is part of Cher’s Heart Of Stone project. The duet is also on the soundtrack for the 1989 film, Chances Are. Dean Pitchford and Tom Snow are the writers of “After All”.
A song about two people who seem destined to be together, “After All” says, “And after all that we’ve been through / It all comes down to me and you / I guess it’s meant to be / Forever you and me / After all.”
“After All” was followed by “If I Could Turn Back Time” by Cher. Also on Heart Of Stone, “If I Could Turn Back Time” became Cher’s final No. 1 single for nine years. In 1998, she returned to the top spot on the charts with “Believe”.
“Another Day In Paradise” by Phil Collins
“Another Day In Paradise” by Phil Collins is a soft rock song, but it’s definitely not a love song. Written by Collins, “Another Day In Paradise” is part of …But Seriously, his fourth album as a solo artist.
The thought-provoking song says, “She calls out to the man on the street / He can see she’s been crying / She’s got blisters on the soles of her feet / She can’t walk, but she’s trying / Oh, think twice / ‘Cause it’s another day / For you and me in paradise.”
Sadly, Collins was inspired to write “Another Day In Paradise” after encountering homeless people all over the world, including while he was in Washington, DC, to perform
“Washington was almost at a standstill, “Collins recalls. “And these people were trying to sleep on the grills where all the hot air was coming up, and you could see that it was in the shadow of Capitol Hill. I thought it was an extraordinary contradiction.”
“Another Day In Paradise” is Collins’ final No. 1 single.
Photo by Jeff Kravitz/FilmMagic, Inc
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