1990 in music
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- 1990 in music (UK)
- Musical groups established in 1990
- Record labels established in 1990
- List of 'years in music'
Events
- January 21 - MTV's Unplugged premieres on cable television with musical guest, Squeeze
- February 6 - Billy Idol is involved in a serious motorcycle accident, resulting in several broken bones. Idol had been scheduled to have a major role in Oliver Stone's film The Doors, but due to his injuries, the role was reduced almost to a bit part.
- February 14 - 50,000 fans watch The Rolling Stones play the first of 10 concerts at Tokyo's Korakuen Dome, the beginning of the Stones' first ever tour of Japan.
- February 16
- Ike Turner is sentenced to 4 years in prison for possession of cocaine.
- Aerosmith appears in the Saturday Night Live sketch Wayne's World, where they perform the Wayne's World theme song.
- February 24 - The Byrds (Roger McGuinn, Chris Hillman and David Crosby) reunite, for the first time in 25 years, to perform at a Los Angeles, California tribute to Roy Orbison. The three are joined unexpectedly on stage by Bob Dylan, who sings "Mr. Tambourine Man" with the band.
- February 27 - In Time Magazine, Milli Vanilli "singer" Rob Pilatus states that their group is, "more talented than any Bob Dylan or Paul McCartney. Mick Jagger can't produce a sound. I'm the new Elvis."
- March 19 - Depeche Mode released the album Violator, one of the most critically sucsessful and important albums of the alternative music era.
- March 20 - Gloria Estefan's tour bus is involved in an accident. Estefan suffers several broken bones in her back.
- March 25 - Mötley Crüe's Tommy Lee is arrested for allegedly exposing his backside during a performance in Augusta, Georgia
- April 4 - Gloria Estefan returns to Miami, Florida after undergoing back surgery in March following a tour bus accident.
- April 6 - Mötley Crüe's Tommy Lee suffers a mild concussion after falling off of scaffolding above his elevated drum kit during a performance in New Haven, CT.
- April 7 - Neil Young, Elton John, Kris Kristofferson, Willie Nelson, John Mellencamp, Guns N' Roses and Jackson Browne perform at Farm Aid IV in Indiana. John dedicates "Candle in the Wind" to AIDS patient Ryan White during his performance. White died later that evening.
- April 13 - Madonna opens up her landmark, yet controversial, Blond Ambition Tour in Tokyo.
- April 16 - a massive tribute concert is held at Wembley Stadium for recently freed anti-apartheid activist Nelson Mandela, who makes a 45-minute speech at the event. Performers include Anita Baker, Tracy Chapman, Peter Gabriel, The Neville Brothers and Neil Young. The event is broadcast to 61 countries around the world.
- April 25 - Jimi Hendrix's Fender Stratocaster that he used to perform his famous version of the "Star Spangled Banner" at Woodstock, is auctioned off in London for $295,000
- May 8 - In Los Angeles, California, Tom Waits wins a $2.5 million lawsuit against Frito-Lay for unlawfully using a sound alike of Waits in its Doritos television commercials.
- May 18 - The Rolling Stones open their Urban Jungle European tour in Rotterdam, Netherlands.
- May 26 - Gin Blossoms sign a contract with A&M Records
- May 27 - The Stone Roses stage a legendary concert at Spike Island, Cheshire
- May 29 - Toronto police threaten to arrest Madonna if she performs her simulated masturbation scene during her performance of "Like a Virgin" on her Blond Ambition Tour. Madonna refuses to change her show, and the police decide not to press charges, later denying that they had ever threatened to press charges (a claim refuted by footage captured during the filming of Madonna's 1991 documentary Truth or Dare).
- June 2 - Vision of Love, Mariah Carey's debut single, enters the Billboard Hot 100 chart and will eventually reach the #1 spot for four consecutive weeks in the summer. She releases a further five singles, all of which reach number one in the US, making her the only artist ever to have their first five singles reach number one. She (as of 2006) scored another eleven number one singles, bringing her total to seventeen. She would then go on to become the most successful female artist in the history of music.
- June 10 - members of rap group 2 Live Crew are arrested and charged with obscenity after a performance in a Hollywood, Florida nightclub.
- June 30 - Step by Step, New Kids on the Block's first single from their new album reaches the top of the Billboard charts and will stay there for a total of 3 weeks. It would become the boy band pioneers' biggest selling single.
- July 7 - The Three Tenors give their first concert, at the Baths of Caracalla in Rome.
- July 14 - Jean Michel Jarre's concert Paris la Defense attracts 2.5 million spectators.
- July 24 - Pantera releases their major label debut, Cowboys from Hell, one of the pioneering albums of "groove metal," catapulting the group to the forefront of the metal scene.
- August 5 - Madonna ends her controversial Blond Ambition Tour in Nice, France.
- August 24 - A judge rules that heavy metal band Judas Priest is not responsible for the suicide and attempted suicide of two Nevada youths who shot themselves after listening to the band's music.
- September - In the UK, two singles, "Groove is in the Heart" by Deee-Lite and "The Joker" by Steve Miller Band (featured in a current TV jeans commercial), are announced to have sold the same number of copies in one week and a tie-break is used to decide which should be number one. "The Joker" wins, as it had climbed the most from the previous week.
- September 10 - Will Smith hits primetime television with the debut of the sitcom, The Fresh Prince Of Bel-Air.
- September 11 - After a decade of performing in the Francophone world, Céline Dion makes her formal English-language debut in the United States with the release of her album Unison.
- October - Jamaaladeen Tacuma records Boss of the Bass, that will be a blockbuster in 1991.
- October 22 - Pearl Jam, then named "Mookie Blaylock," play their first show as a band at the Off Ramp club in Seattle, Washington.
- October 31st - Fear Factory plays their first show.
- Fall - For the first time, Amy Grant and Gary Chapman hold a night of music at their Franklin, Tennessee Riverstone Farm, for local teenagers. Performers included Rich Mullins, Rick Elias, Charlie Peacock, Wes King and Michael W. Smith. The event becomes known as "The Loft".
- November 27 - "Vocal" group Milli Vanilli admits to lip-synching hits such as "Girl You Know It's True." They later have their Grammy award revoked.
- December - The Smashing Pumpkins begin recording Gish, which will be a blockbuster album in 1991.
- December 13 - Genesis'88 stage weekly Acid House night in legally acquired warehouse in Stratford, London under the banner imagine
- Dance music breaks out.
- Madonna's "Justify My Love" music video is banned by MTV. The singer appears on Nightline to defend the video.
- Pennywise signs a contract to their recent label Epitaph Records
- The poorly received Cop Rock premieres on television, TV's first (and last) musical police drama.
- Christina Aguilera appears on Star Search.
- Garth Brooks releases his second album, "No Fences" and wins various awards across the music industry, including "best new country artist."
- Del Amitri's second album, and first for five years, Waking Hours effectively relaunches their career. It provides them with the UK hit Nothing Ever Happens and the minor US hit Kiss This Thing Goodbye.
- Sons of Kyuss changed their named to Kyuss, add new members except guitarist Josh Homme.
- After a hiatus of 7 years, rock group Styx (band) reform to record a new album and tour without long time guitarist Tommy Shaw who was committed to Damn Yankees at the time. With his blessing, A&M recording artist Glen Burtnik joins Styx and release "Edge of The Century". The first single was Burnik's "Love Is The Ritual" which barely entered the Billboard 100. The follow-up single -- a religiously inspired ballad entitled "Show Me The Way" with Dennis DeYoung on vocals -- became a minor hit but then suddenly skyrocketed to the #1 spot on the Billboard 100 after radio stations took the liberty and produced their own versions of the song featuring comments from Operation: Desert Storm soldiers during the solo break -- a move that reportedly didn't sit well with the band, who believed it unfairly politicized their music, the Christian religious faith, and the sacrifices of the troops.
Bands formed
- The Corrs
- 311
- Allegiance
- Anathema
- At the Gates
- The Brian Setzer Orchestra
- Brisbane Birralee Voices
- Carpathian Forest
- D12
- Earth
- En Vogue
- The Frames
- Green Carnation
- Gumball
- Ilium
- In Flames
- Infectious Grooves
- Jellyfish
- LTK Commune
- Lagwagon
- Letters to Cleo
- Marduk
- moe.
- Mortification
- My Dying Bride
- Opeth
- Pearl Jam
- Pigface
- Plaid Tongued Devils
- RAM
- Russian National Orchestra
- Septic Flesh
- Starkweather
- Stone Temple Pilots
- Sun Dial
- Take That
- The Aquanettas
- The Tea Party
- Tool
- Torture Squad
- Unwritten Law
- Vertical Horizon
- Wilson Philips
- .století
- Burn the Priest
Bands disbanded
- Camper Van Beethoven
- Eurythmics
- Guadalcanal Diary
- The Lurkers
- Mother Love Bone
- Pussy Galore
- Spandau Ballet
- Starship
- The Style Council
- The Vaselines
Albums released
January
| Day | Album | Artist | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5 | Flood | They Might Be Giants | - |
| 15 | Reading, Writing, and Arithmetic | The Sundays | UK |
| 16 | The Hit List | Joan Jett | Covers album |
| 23 | Stick It to Ya | Slaughter | - |
| 29 | A Bit of What You Fancy | The Quireboys | UK |
February
March
| Day | Album | Artist | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Poison | Bell Biv DeVoe | - |
| 6 | New Funky Nation | Boo-Yaa T.R.I.B.E. | - |
| 12 | Beg to Differ | Prong | - |
| 13 | Kid 'n Play's Funhouse | Kid 'n Play | - |
| Please Hammer Don't Hurt 'Em | MC Hammer | - | |
| Pretty Woman soundtrack | Various Artists | - | |
| Spiritual Healing | Death | - | |
| 19 | Blacks' Magic | Salt-N-Pepa | - |
| Manic Nirvana | Robert Plant | - | |
| My Romance | Carly Simon | Covers album | |
| Violator | Depeche Mode | - | |
| 20 | Changesbowie | David Bowie | Compilation |
| Fear of a Black Planet | Public Enemy | - | |
| I Do Not Want What I Haven't Got | Sinéad O'Connor | - | |
| 23 | Recycler | ZZ Top | - |
| 26 | Brigade | Heart | - |
| Sex Packets | Digital Underground | - | |
| Still Got the Blues | Gary Moore | - | |
| The Best of Van Morrison | Van Morrison | UK | |
| Unison | Celine Dion | Canada | |
| 27 | Forever Everlasting | Everlast | - |
| Livin' Like Hustlers | Above the Law | - | |
| Social Distortion | Social Distortion | - | |
April
| Day | Album | Artist | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | Born to Sing | En Vogue | - |
| 10 | Act III | Death Angel | - |
| Behind the Mask | Fleetwood Mac | - | |
| Days of Open Hand | Suzanne Vega | - | |
| Laura Branigan | Laura Branigan | - | |
| 11 | Songs for Drella | Lou Reed and John Cale | - |
| Vanity/Nemesis | Celtic Frost | - | |
| 16 | Hammerheart | Bathory | - |
| 17 | Johnny Gill | Johnny Gill | - |
| People's Instinctive Travels and the Paths of Rhythm | A Tribe Called Quest | - | |
| 23 | Life | Inspiral Carpets | - |
| 24 | Goodbye Jumbo | World Party | - |
| 25 | Back For Another Taste | Helix | - |
| 30 | The Internationale | Billy Bragg | Mini-LP |
May
| Day | Album | Artist | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Charmed Life | Billy Idol | - |
| The Winding Sheet | Mark Lanegan | - | |
| When the Storm Comes Down | Flotsam and Jetsam | - | |
| 5 | Now That's What I Call Music 17 (UK series) | Various Artists | UK; Compilation |
| 8 | Eclipse | Yngwie Malmsteen | US |
| Greatest Hits | The Bangles | Greatest Hits | |
| Shut Up and Dance | Paula Abdul | Remix album | |
| Tattooed Millionaire | Bruce Dickinson | - | |
| Wilson Phillips | Wilson Phillips | - | |
| Young Lions | Adrian Belew | ||
| 11 | Screaming Life/Fopp | Soundgarden | Compilation |
| 14 | DAAS Icon | Doug Anthony All Stars | - |
| 15 | Lock up the Wolves | Dio | - |
| Reflections of Passion | Yanni | Compilation | |
| Ten | Y&T | - | |
| 16 | AmeriKKKa's Most Wanted | Ice Cube | - |
| World Power | Snap! | - | |
| 21 | Vol. II: 1990 - A New Decade | Soul II Soul | - |
| 22 | I'm Breathless | Madonna | - |
| 25 | Hell to Pay | Jeff Healey | Canada |
| 29 | Bloodletting | Concrete Blonde | - |
| 31 | Scumdogs of the Universe | GWAR | - |
June
| Day | Album | Artist | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5 | Step by Step | New Kids on the Block | - |
| 7 | Sumerian Cry | Tiamat | - |
| 11 | A Catholic Education | Teenage Fanclub | - |
| Live It Up | Crosby, Stills & Nash | - | |
| 12 | Holy Water | Bad Company | - |
| I'll Give All My Love to You | Keith Sweat | - | |
| Mariah Carey | Mariah Carey | - | |
| Standard Time Vol. 3 - The Resolution Of Romance | Wynton Marsalis | - | |
| 14 | Amarok | Mike Oldfield | - |
| 18 | Alias | Alias | - |
| 19 | A Night on the Town | Bruce Hornsby and the Range | - |
| 22 | New Art Riot | Manic Street Preachers | EP |
| 25 | Deicide | Deicide | - |
| Livonia | His Name Is Alive | - | |
| Sudden Stop | Colin James | Canada | |
| 26 | After The Rain | Nelson | - |
| Danzig II: Lucifuge | Danzig | - | |
| Goo | Sonic Youth | - | |
| Real Men... Wear Black | Cameo | - | |
| 30 | Biohazard | Biohazard | - |
| Lonely Avenue | Barney Bentall and the Legendary Hearts | - | |
July
| Day | Album | Artist | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | Are You Okay? | Was (Not Was) | - |
| Lights...Camera...Revolution! | Suicidal Tendencies | - | |
| Lofty's Roach Souffle | Harry Connick, Jr. | - | |
| Love & Emotion | Stevie B | - | |
| Seven Turns | Allman Brothers Band | - | |
| Spirits Dancing in the Flesh | Santana | - | |
| The Hard Way | Steve Earle | - | |
| We Are in Love | Harry Connick, Jr. | - | |
| 10 | Bonafide | Maxi Priest | US |
| Brick by Brick | Iggy Pop | - | |
| Flesh and Blood | Poison | - | |
| Pandemonium | The Time | - | |
| 13 | Banned in the U.S.A. | 2 Live Crew | - |
| Naked Thunder | Ian Gillan | - | |
| 16 | Tales from the Twilight World | Blind Guardian | - |
| 19 | Apple | Mother Love Bone | - |
| Lovegod | The Soup Dragons | - | |
| 24 | Cowboys from Hell | Pantera | - |
| In the Heart of the Young | Winger | - | |
| Take a Look Around | Master Ace | - | |
| Un-Led-Ed | Dread Zeppelin | - | |
August
| Day | Album | Artist | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 | World Clique | Deee-Lite | - |
| 7 | Bellybutton | Jellyfish | - |
| Blaze of Glory | Jon Bon Jovi | Young Guns II soundtrack | |
| Brother's Keeper | The Neville Brothers | - | |
| Pornograffiti | Extreme | - | |
| 13 | Bossanova | Pixies | - |
| 16 | 100 Miles and Runnin' | N.W.A. | EP |
| 17 | Eaten Back To Life | Cannibal Corpse | - |
| 20 | Graffiti Bridge | Prince | Soundtrack |
| Liberty | Duran Duran | - | |
| Tyr | Black Sabbath | - | |
| 21 | Against the Law | Stryper | - |
| Detonator | Ratt | - | |
| Facelift | Alice in Chains | - | |
| FireHouse | FireHouse | - | |
| Persistence of Time | Anthrax | - | |
| Ritual de lo Habitual | Jane's Addiction | - | |
| Short Dog's in the House | Too Short | - | |
| 27 | No Fences | Garth Brooks | - |
| 28 | Time's Up | Living Colour | - |
| Up from the Ashes | Don Dokken | - | |
September
October
November
| Day | Album | Artist | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kool-Aid | Big Audio Dynamite II | - |
| 5 | Don't Explain | Robert Palmer | UK |
| Mixed Up | The Cure | UK; Remix album | |
| Pills 'n' Thrills and Bellyaches | Happy Mondays | UK | |
| Serious Hits... Live! | Phil Collins | Live | |
| Tripping the Live Fantastic | Paul McCartney | Live | |
| 6 | Coma of Souls | Kreator | - |
| Crazy World | Scorpions | - | |
| I'm Your Baby Tonight | Whitney Houston | - | |
| Put Yourself in My Shoes | Clint Black | - | |
| Refugees of the Heart | Steve Winwood | - | |
| Stick It Live | Slaughter | Live EP | |
| 8 | Casino | Blue Rodeo | - |
| 12 | Rhythm Of Love | Kylie Minogue | - |
| 13 | Anything Is Possible | Debbie Gibson | - |
| Five Man Acoustical Jam | Tesla | Live | |
| The Immaculate Collection | Madonna | Greatest Hits | |
| Vision Thing | The Sisters of Mercy | - | |
| 15 | Naïve | KMFDM | - |
| 20 | Back from Hell | Run-D.M.C. | - |
| Heartbreak Station | Cinderella | - | |
| Shaking the Tree | Peter Gabriel | Greatest Hits | |
| 23 | Against the Grain | Bad Religion | - |
| 26 | A Social Grace | Psychotic Waltz | - |
December
| Day | Album | Artist | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Now! That's What I Call Music 18 (UK series) | Various Artists | UK; Compilation |
| 3 | MCMXC a.D. | Enigma | - |
| 4 | Home Alone Soundtrack | John Williams | - |
| One for All | Brand Nubian | - | |
| The Simpsons Sing the Blues | The Simpsons | - | |
| 8 | Mermaids soundtrack | Various Artists | US; Soundtrack |
| 13 | Gonna Make You Sweat | C+C Music Factory | - |
- Seraut Wajah - Ebiet G. Ade
- Pepe Aguilar Con Tambora - Pepe Aguilar
- Albi Achikah - Ragheb Alama
- Enchanted - Marc Almond
- Humanap Ka Ng Panget - Andrew E.
- America-South Africa - Art Ensemble of Chicago
- Yellow Man With Heart With Wings - Robert Ashley
- Riverside - Luka Bloom
- Black Milk - Beasts of Bourboun
- Maria Bethânia (25 anos) - Maria Bethânia
- Victorious against Personal Demons - Beyond
- You Lucky People - Big Pig
- Rabindra samgita - Debabrata Biswas
- Gling-Gló - Björk
- Highlights & Lowlives - Blue Cheer
- Too Much Sleep - Bongwater
- Ichabod and I - The Boo Radleys
- Brand New Heavies - Brand New Heavies
- As I Came Of Age - Sarah Brightman
- The Sinking of the Titanic - Gavin Bryars
- Dead City Radio(spoken word) - William S. Burroughs
- Pump Action - The Butcher Shop
- Groovy, Laidback and Nasty - Cabaret Voltaire
- 101 Damnations - Carter the Unstoppable Sex Machine
- Dear Agnes - Carpenters collection - Agnes Chan
- Waiting For You - Danny Chan
- Songbird - Nadia Chan
- Freefall (ep) - Chapterhouse
- Ezi Oyi Akama - Chief Stephen Osita Osadebe & his Nigerian Sound Makers International
- Dreaming - Leslie Cheung
- The Decomposition of Violets - Christian Death
- In A Live - The Clean
- Unnatural History - Coil
- Some Like It Cold - Coldcut
- Jungle Bass - Bootsy Collins
- The Myth Of Rock - Consolidated
- Trudge - Controlled Bleeding
- Consumer Revolt - Cop Shoot Cop
- Droolian - Julian Cope - May 1990
- Skellington - Julian Cope
- Inside Out - Chick Corea Electric Band
- Plural - Gal Costa
- Paradise Discotheque - Crime and the City Solution
- Ritmo en el Corazon - Celia Cruz and Ray Barretto
- Looney Runes - Current 93
- Pyst - Datblygu
- Charlotte - Miles Davis
- Nu Thang - dc Talk
- The Flower That Shattered The Stone - John Denver
- Christmas Like a Lullaby - John Denver
- Sieben Tage Sonnenschein - Die Flippers
- Every Brilliant Eye - Died Pretty
- World Sinfonia - Al Di Meola
- Fire In The Night - Dion DiMucci
- Rising - Donovan
- The Classics Live - Donovan
- Gloryline - Dreams So Real
- Strike the Balance - Dub Syndicate
- Obey The Time - The Durutti Column
- Blood Guts & Pussy - The Dwarves
- The North At Its Heights - 808 State
- Utd State 90 - 808 State
- Dare To Be Different - Tommy Emmanuel
- Left Hand Path - Entombed
- Business as Usual - EPMD
- Diez Años de Esplendor - Esplendor Geometrico
- Distino di Belita - Cesária Évora
- The Massacre - The Exploited
- Kantata Takwa - Iwan Fals
- Five - Fancy
- The River - Ali Farka Toure
- Chain Reaction - John Farnham
- Brahms: Lieder - Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau
- Set The Booty Upright (ep) - Fishbone
- American Grafishy - Flipper
- Hispanic Causing Panic - Kid Frost
- Repeater - Fugazi
- This Is Our Music - Galaxie 500
- Cancer Planet Mission - Gaye Bykers on Acid
- Tokyo Anal Dynamite - The Gerogerigegege
- Ghost - Ghost
- Concierto en vivo con Pete Seeger - León Gieco
- Live at the Royal Festival Hall 1989 - Dizzy Gillespie
- I was the Hunter and I was the Prey - Dave Graney 'n' The Coral Snakes
- 1,039/Smoothed Out Slappy Hours - Green Day
- Slappy - Green Day
- Pastoral Hide And Seek - The Gun Club
- Allegria - Gypsy Kings
- A Bag of Cats - The Hafler Trio
- Dislocation - The Hafler Trio
- Naked In Garden Hills - Harry Crews (band)
- Strap It On - Helmet (band)
- Shuffletown - Joe Henry
- The House of Love - The House of Love
- A Spy in the House of Love - The House of Love
- Collected Works - Hunters & Collectors
- Que Te Vaya Bien - Cheo Hurtado
- Iced Earth - Iced Earth (debut) - Released in Europe only.
- Feedback of N.M.S. - Incapacitants
- La Baiser - Indochine
- The best of Rhoma Irama - Rhoma Irama
- Jaka Swara - Rhoma Irama
- Red Warrior - Ronald Shannon Jackson
- Gold Mother - James
- Arvo Pärt, Tabula Rasa - Keith Jarrett
- Waiting for Cousteau - Jean Michel Jarre
- Live at Hammersmith '84 - Jethro Tull
- (A recording made in 1984 and released in 1990)
- Jonathon Goes Country - Jonathan Richman
- Neighbourhood Threat - Johnny Crash (one and only album)
- 1990 - Daniel Johnston
- Live at the Opera House - Kamahl
- Isambe Monie - Kanda Bongo Man
- World Beat - Kaoma
- Yiyin Efendiler - Cem Karaca
- Parakou - Angélique Kidjo
- Extremities, Dirt and Various Repressed Emotions - Killing Joke
- Door to Door - Albert King
- Authority - King Sunny Ade & His New African Beats
- I've Got That Old Feeling - Alison Krauss
- Black Angels - Kronos Quartet
- Today Wonder - Ed Kuepper
- Confusion Break Bones - Fela Kuti
- Loving You, Never Stop - Aaron Kwok
- ZIZS - Kalle Laar, Kazamaki Takashi
- This Christmas - Patti LaBelle
- Two Worlds, One Heart - Ladysmith Black Mambazo
- Macbeth - Laibach
- The Last Temptation of Reid - Lard
- The La's -