Classic rock was still at the top of the charts at the end of the 1980s, and 1989 boasted some really incredible work in heartland rock, gothic rock, and good ol’ classic hard rock. Let’s look at just a few classic rock songs from 1989 that still shake the ground we stand on!
“I Won’t Back Down” by Tom Petty
Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers make this list with a total classic. “I Won’t Back Down” might just be Petty’s most well-known song outside of “Free Fallin’”. That classic came out in 1989 too, but I think “I Won’t Back Down” deserves a bit more love for how good it is. This heartland rock track was the lead single from Full Moon Fever, and it peaked at No. 12 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in 1989.
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“Black Velvet” by Alannah Myles
This country rock jam is on the underrated side, in my opinion. I rarely hear this bluesy rock tune on classic rock radio nowadays, and that’s crazy, considering how much of a smash hit “Black Velvet” by Alannah Myles was back in the day. The song hit No. 1 on the Hot 100 and a number of international charts. Myles took home a Grammy for the song as well in 1991.
“Fascination Street” by The Cure
Remember this gem from The Cure? The year 1989 was a great one for the gothic rock band, as it was the year they dropped their now-legendary album Disintegration. “Fascination Street” was one of several singles released off that album, but it was only issued in North America. It was a fast hit in the US regardless. “Fascination Street” peaked at No. 1 on the Alternative Airplay chart. It didn’t quite make it to the Top 40 on the Hot 100, where it peaked at No. 46.
“The End Of The Innocence” by Don Henley
Don Henley continued to prove he stood out without The Eagles in a big way through the 1980s. “The End Of Innocence” is just one of many excellent rock songs he released as a solo artist in the 1980s that did quite well on the charts. This entry on our list of amazing classic rock songs from 1989 peaked at No. 8 on the Hot 100 chart. And it definitely still shakes the ground we stand on.
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