Albums: Now Yearbook ‘89

Now Yearbook ‘89

CD1: Queen – I Want It All; Billy Joel – We Didn’t Start The Fire; Tina Turner – The Best; Cher – If I Could Turn Back Time; Belinda Carlisle – Leave A Light On; Deborah Harry – I Want That Man; Chris Rea – The Road To Hell Part 2; Mike + The Mechanics – The Living Years; Simple Minds – Belfast Child; Gladys Knight – Licence To Kill (From Licence To Kill Soundtrack); Lisa Stansfield – All Around the World; Soul II Soul & Caron Wheeler – Back To Life (However Do You Want Me); Neneh Cherry – Buffalo Stance; Fine Young Cannibals – She Drives Me Crazy; Roxette – The Look; Holly Johnson – Love Train; Jason Donovan – Too Many Broken Hearts; Kylie Minogue – Hand On Your Heart; Bananarama – Help! (feat. Lananeeneenoonoo)
CD2: Almond & Gene Pitney – Something’s Gotten Hold Of My Heart; Jimmy Somerville Featuring June Miles Kingston – Comment Te Dire Adieu; Donna Summer – This Time I Know It’s For Real; Sonia – You’ll Never Stop Me Loving You; Bros – Too Much; Debbie Gibson – Electric Youth; London Boys – Requiem; Liza Minnelli – Losing My Mind; New Order – Round & Round; Kon Kan – I Beg Your Pardon (I Never Promised You A Rose Garden); Transvision Vamp – Baby I Don’t Care; Roachford – Cuddly Toy; Roy Orbison – You Got It; Sydney Youngblood – If Only I Could; Bobby Brown – On Our Own; New Kids On The Block – You Got It (The Right Stuff); UB40 – Homely Girl; The Beautiful South – Song For Whoever; Living In A Box – Room In Your Heart; The Christians, Holly Johnson, Paul McCartney, Gerry Marsden & Stock Aitken Waterman – Ferry ’Cross The Mersey.

CD3: Tears For Fears – Sowing The Seeds Of Love; Duran Duran – All She Wants Is; Electronic – Getting Away With It; R.E.M – Orange Crush; The Cure – Lullaby; Yello – Of Course I’m Lying; Pet Shop Boys – It’s Alright; 808 State – Pacific 707; The Beloved – The Sun Rising; The Stone Roses – Fools Gold; The Cult – Edie (Ciao Baby); Alice Cooper – Poison; Then Jerico – Big Area; Shakespears Sister – You’re History; Edie Brickell & New Bohemians – What I Am; Martika – Toy Soldiers; Will To Power – Baby I Love Your Way / Freebird (Free Baby); Boy Meets Girl – Waiting For A Star To Fall

CD4: Kylie Minogue & Jason Donovan – Especially For You; The Bangles – Eternal Flame; Sam Brown – Stop; Holly Johnson – Americanos; Paula Abdul – Straight Up; Donna Summer – I Don’t Wanna Get Hurt; Black Box – Ride On Time; Coldcut feat. Lisa Stansfield – People Hold On; Technotronic – Pump Up The Jam; The Beatmasters feat. Betty Boo – Hey DJ / I Can’t Dance (To That Music You’re Playing); Kym Mazelle And Robert Howard – Wait; Malcolm McLaren & The Bootzilla Orchestra – Waltz Darling; Neneh Cherry – Manchild; Soul II Soul & Caron Wheeler – Keep On Movin’; Milli Vanilli – Girl I’m Gonna Miss You; Simply Red – If You Don’t Know Me By Now; Richard Marx – Right Here Waiting
Gloria Estefan – Don’t Wanna Lose You; Cliff Richard – I Just Don’t Have The Heart; Jason Donovan – When You Come Back To Me; Band Aid II – Do They Know It’s Christmas?

(Sony Music/ EMI)

1989 was a classic year for pop music. The Britpop scene might have been a few years away, although the Stone Roses were laying the foundations for Oasis and the like with the track Fools Gold.

Dance music was beginning to make a mark in the charts with the big number one of the summer, Ride on Time, highlighting the craze for sampling old hits, although the vocal for this particular track was re-recorded by Heather Small, who went on to find fame with M People.

The old guard were still prominent, with Queen, Billy Joel, Tina Turner and Gladys Knight continuing to be popular.

The writing and production teams of Stock, Aitken, and Waterman reached a musical peak this year, with hits from Jason Donovan, Kylie Minogue, and Sonia. Even Cliff Richard wanted to work with the successful trio, having a big hit in the process with I Just Don’t Have the Heart.

Rock music had a renaissance too, with Alice Cooper making a comeback with Poison, whilst northern rockers The Cult had a stellar year with Edie (Ciao Baby).

Many of the artists contained here are still touring, with a few even recording new material. Mike and the Mechanics, Simple Minds, Duran Duran and Pet Shop Boys all have touring plans thirty-six years on from when these tracks were first released.

The one-hit wonders are here too, begging the question: Whatever happened to them? Only a few will remember Kon Kan, Will to Power and Martika.

Overall this new compilation provides a good overview of the end of one of the greatest decades in pop music.