What was going on in 1989 on the US pop charts? Well, as usual, there were some huge hits that were extremely deserving of their popularity. And, quite frankly, some songs that hit big that year haven’t aged all that well.
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A quick search of those charts also shows that there were plenty of songs that we love dearly that didn’t quite hit the heights. Here are some non-Top 40 songs from 1989 that deserve your attention, in case you missed them back then.
“Jackie Brown” by John Mellencamp
John Mellencamp had mostly shed his pop image in favor of singer-songwriter authenticity by 1989. Although, even when he tried to get out, the charts pulled him back in. “Pop Singer”, the lead single from his Big Daddy album, protested about playing the charts game and still ended up in the Top 20. The follow-up single, “Jackie Brown”, was a much quieter, more contemplative affair. Mainstream radio mostly ignored it, as it only made it to No. 48 on the pop charts. But it’s an absolute stunner. Mellencamp tells the story of a poor soul who never had much chance in life to rise out of his impoverished background.
“Closer To Fine” by Indigo Girls
By 1989, the music scene had become just scattered enough that a song could leave a wide cultural imprint without doing much on the pop charts. “Closer To Fine”, with its No. 52 chart position, could easily serve as Exhibit A for this phenomenon. Coming from the Indigo Girls’ second album, the song features some fast-talking lyrics courtesy of Emily Saliers. These lyrics depict the narrator futilely trying to find meaning as life goes whirling past. But because of the gorgeous harmonies of Saliers and Amy Ray, you don’t leave “Closer To Fine” feeling frustrated by the lack of answers. You feel exhilarated by the thrill of the search.
“I Want It All” by Queen
The Miracle, the album Queen released in 1989, came during a rough personal patch for the band. Freddie Mercury was dealing with his HIV diagnosis, while Brian May was coming off a difficult divorce. As you might expect, the LP comes off a bit unfocused at times. But with first single “I Want It All”, the band easily summoned up some of the old majesty. That included some searing guitar work from May, who wrote the song. And even though Roy Thomas Baker no longer produced the band, some of the wailing vocal harmonies that he brought to the table resurface here on “I Want It All”, which only made it to No. 50 in the US.
“I’m Not The Man I Used To Be” by Fine Young Cannibals
We admit that this one might be way off the beaten path. Fine Young Cannibals took the US by storm with their 1989 album The Raw & The Cooked, their sophomore album. The British trio went back-to-back to the top of the charts with “She Drives Me Crazy” and “Good Thing”. “Don’t Look Back” followed up by hitting No. 11. Expecting a fourth single to chart in the US was always going to be a long shot. But “I’m Not The Man I Used To Be” holds up as well as any of the others despite only landing at No. 54. Roland Gift’s mesmerizingly soulful vocal emoting makes sure of it.
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