What were you doing in June 1989? Maybe, if you already joined us here on Earth, you were listening to some music that came out during that month. In fact, considering the outstanding records that emanated from that 30-day time period, we’d say that’s a good bet.
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We chose five albums from June 1989 that haven’t just stood the test of time, they’ve passed it with flying colors. See how many of these you have in your collection.
Flowers in the Dirt by Paul McCartney
Paul McCartney’s previous solo album (Press to Play) had proven to be a disappointment. He rebuilt and reloaded with the help of new collaborator Elvis Costello. Although Costello only co-wrote four songs on the album, they included the standouts like the punchy opening track “My Brave Face” and the downcast ballad “That Day Is Done.” Aside from those, McCartney just seemed more inspired in general on the record. Other highlights include the lovely folk song “Put It There” and the bouncy rockers “This One” and “Figure of Eight.”
The End of the Innocence by Don Henley
Don Henley was deliberate, waiting five years to follow up his 1984 hit album Building the Perfect Beast. When he returned, he laid off some of the synth-heavy productions of the previous LP and leaned into sparer, singer/songwriter styled efforts. That was a wise move, because his writing was at the top of its game. The title track, with music by Bruce Hornsby, finds Henley pondering the aftermath of personal and political disappointments, while “The Heart of the Matter,” featuring Mike Campbell’s music and lyrical help from Henley’s old Eagles buddy JD Souther, deals with lost love in epically profound fashion.
In Step by Stevie Ray Vaughan and Double Trouble
Sadly, this would be Vaughan’s final release before his death in a plane crash in 1990. It’s an album where he’s so at ease as both a frontman and cohesive member of the instrumental unit that it’s undoubtedly a peak, even as it felt like he still had masterpieces yet to come. Of course, the guitar work was incendiary, but the advances in the rest of his skill set is what was so exciting. As a vocalist, he took charge of every song in front of him, while his originals like “Tightrope” showed he was bound to start writing more classics in addition to just interpreting them.
Cosmic Thing by B-52s
The death of founding member Rickey Wilson could easily have torpedoed this band. As it was, it took them three years to come back from it. But when they did, they sounded as refreshingly anarchic as ever, even bringing their arch party music to the pop charts with the indelible “Love Shack.” Instead of trying to find someone new to replace Wilson, Keith Strickland moved from drums to guitar, and the transition was seamless. Meanwhile, Kate Pierson and Cindy Wilson’s gleeful harmonies played off Fred Schneider’s hammy intonations perfectly on tracks like “Deadbeat Club” and “Channel Z.”
Heart Shaped World by Chris Isaak
Isaak was already two albums into his career without much more than critical acclaim to show for it when he released this record. But he trusted his formula, one that found him forever heartsick in some crossroads between Roy Orbison Street and David Lynch Boulevard, would pay off. Of course, a hit single (and a sultry video) never hurts, and Isaak scored big with “Wicked Game.” But Heart Shaped World is anything but one song and filler. Instead, Isaak’s surehanded style pays off again and again, especially on forlorn ballads like “Don’t Make Me Dream About You” and “Blue Spanish Sky.”
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