We’re very near the end of our Best of the ’80s Redux series of year-by-year song polls as we finally reach the year 1989, giving Slicing Up Eyeballs readers the chance to vote for their 25 favorites so that we can rank the 100 best songs released that year.
The Best of the ’80s Redux polls launched in 2015 and covered 1980 and 1981 before fizzling out (the site went on hiatus for almost two years). But in 2018 we resurrected the series, and relaunched it with polls over the last two years that ranked the best songs of 1982, 1983, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1987 and 1988.
VOTING: For the album polls (and our subsequent artist discography polls), we presented a list, sometimes hundreds of titles long, to choose from, plus the ability to offer write-ins. We inevitably missed titles, and some argued this skewed the results. So for the song polls, it’s a (mostly) free-for-all. You may vote for any songs you’d like — singles, B-sides, album cuts, etc. It’s all fill-in-the-blanks, not multiple choice.
A few important things to note:
- To be eligible, songs must have been released in some format — whether it be on an album, EP or a single — somewhere in the world for the first time during the year 1989. For example, Electronic’s “Getting Away With It” was released as a single in the U.K. in December 1989, but not in the U.S. until early 1990. That makes it eligible for the 1989 poll.
- But wait! There’s an exception. The so-called “Radio Free Europe” rule. Just as we allowed R.E.M.’s twice-released debut single to be voted on in two different years, we’ll let people vote twice for songs that are re-released in re-recorded versions — such as a-ha’s “Take On Me” and Pet Shop Boys’ “West End Girls,” which made the 1984 and 1985 lists.
- With the album polls, acknowledging the theme of this website, we limited voting to artists that fall under the very loose and ill-defined “alternative” banner, generally acts from the punk, post-punk, goth, college rock, indie, synthpop, industrial, New Wave and related genres. Not the case anymore — although that’s still likely how the results will skew. For the song polls, vote for whatever you want.
- Well, there is one limit. To prevent one-note fans from, say, simply listing every track off Disintegration, you may only vote for a maximum of two songs by the same artist when filling out your Top 25. Any ballots submitted with more than two songs by the same artist will be disqualified.
DEADLINE: Voting will be open through 5 p.m. Eastern on Friday, Jan. 8, and results will be posted at some point thereafter — after which we’ll launch the monster full-decade Best of the ’80s song poll with a ballot featuring the Top 100 of each year of the decade.
Sound good? Then vote away via the survey widget posted below. And if you have trouble with that embedded widget, you may vote directly on Crowdsignal’s site.
And because there’s not a pre-set list to choose from, we encourage you to lobby for your picks (list your whole ballot if you want), and maybe sway some votes, in the comments below.
Finally, if you’re drawing a blank on what came out that year, take a look back at our Top 100 albums of 1989 poll results, or check out these other resources:
- Wikipedia: 1989 singles
- Songfacts: Songs released in 1989
- Billboard’s Top 100 songs of 1989
- NME’s albums and tracks of the year: 1989
- WLIR & WDRE 92.7 FM Screamer & Shrieks of the Week
- KROQ’s Top 106.7 songs of 1989
- 91X’s Top 91 of 1989
PREVIOUSLY ON SLICING UP EYEBALLS
- Top 100 Songs of 1988: Slicing Up Eyeballs’ Best of the ’80s Redux — Part 9
- Top 100 Songs of 1987: Slicing Up Eyeballs’ Best of the ’80s Redux — Part 8
- Top 100 Songs of 1986: Slicing Up Eyeballs’ Best of the ’80s Redux — Part 7
- Top 100 Songs of 1985: Slicing Up Eyeballs’ Best of the ’80s Redux — Part 6
- Top 100 Songs of 1984: Slicing Up Eyeballs’ Best of the ’80s Redux — Part 5
- Top 100 Songs of 1983: Slicing Up Eyeballs’ Best of the ’80s Redux — Part 4
- Top 100 Songs of 1982: Slicing Up Eyeballs’ Best of the ’80s Redux — Part 3
- Top 100 Songs of 1981: Slicing Up Eyeballs’ Best of the ’80s Redux — Part 2
- Top 100 Songs of 1980: Slicing Up Eyeballs’ Best of the ’80s Redux — Part 1
- Slicing Up Eyeballs’ Best of the 1980s: The Top 100 albums from 1980-1989
TOP 25 SONGS OF 1989
Morrissey – The Last of the Famous International Playboys
Pixies – Here Comes Your Man
Kate Bush – The Sensual World
Madonna – Oh Father
2 Live Crew – Me So Horny
Elvis Costello – Veronica
XTC – Mayor of Simpleton
B-52’s – Roam
Eric Clapton – Pretending
Depeche Mode – Personal Jesus
Tom Petty – I Won’t Back Down
The Smithereens – A Girl Like You
Prince – Batdance
Tina Turner – The Best
Stone Roses – She Bangs the Drums
Cher – If I Could Turn Back Time
Deborah Harry – I Want That Man
The Cure – Lullaby
Black Sabbath – Headless Cross
Chris Isaak – Wicked Game
Sugarcubes – Speed Is the Key
Great White – Once Bitten, Twice Shy
Alice Cooper – Poison
Enuff Z’Nuff – New Thing
Peter Murphy – Deep Ocean, Vast Sea
BONUS 10
Jesus + Mary Chain – Head On
Technotronic – Pump Up the Jam
Queen – I Want It All
Phil Collins – Another Day In Paradise
Creatures – Standing There
Ocean Blue – Drifting, Falling
Camper Van Beethoven – Pictures of Matchstick Men
Julee Cruise – Floating
Throwing Muses – Dizzy
Roxette – The Look
I asked about “Head On” on the ’88 list. It is technically an ’89 release, except for a promo released in’88… does that disqualify it for ’89 (is a promo an actual release?)
Just wondering, as that could find its way on to my list, if qualified.
“Head On” was released as both a single and on the album in 1989 and can be voted on here. Promos don’t count as releases.
My first pass… one song per artist, tried to verify via Discogs that they were from 1989. Looking forward to reading everyone else’s list. I’ll wait to vote until I see what I might have forgotten to include.
25. Red Hot Chili Peppers, “Higher Ground”
24. Public Enemy, “Fight the Power”
23. 10,000 Maniacs, “Trouble Me”
22. Peter Murphy, “Cuts You Up”
21. Tears for Fears, “Year of the Knife”
20. King Swamp, “The Mirror”
19. The Pixies, “Monkey Gone to Heaven”
18. New Model Army, “Stupid Questions”
17. Todd Rundgren, “For the Want of a Nail”
16. Michael Penn, “This & That”
15. A Different Drum, “Peter Gabriel”
14. Concrete Blonde, “God is a Bullet”
13. Throwing Muses, “Dizzy”
12. The The, “Beyond Love”
11. Chris Isaak, “Wrong to Love You”
10. The Cure, “Lovesong”
9. Nine Inch Nails, “Sanctified”
8. Pop Will Eat Itself, “Can U Dig It?”
7. Hoodoo Gurus, “Come Any Time”
6. Kate Bush, “Love and Anger”
5. The Blue Nile, “Downtown Lights”
4. Stone Roses, “I Wanna Be Adored”
3. Depeche Mode, “Personal Jesus”
2. Bob Mould, “Heartbreak a Stranger”
1. An Emotional Fish, “Celebrate”
Nearly made the list, and worthy of inclusion…
The Tragically Hip, “Blow at High Dough”
Roy Orbison, “You Got It”
Poi Dog Pondering, “Postcard from a Dream (Toast & Jelly)”
The Ocean Blue, “Between Something and Nothing”
Guadalcanal Diary, “…Vista”
The Beautiful South, “Song for Whoever”
Sarah McLachlan, “Vox”
The Alarm, “Sold Me Down the River”
The Sundays, “Can’t Be Sure”
Elvis Costello, “Veronica”
Love and Rockets, “So Alive”
Public Image Ltd., “Disappointed”
Tom Petty, “Free Fallin’”
Bruce Cockburn, “If a Tree Falls”
Soul II Soul, “Keep on Movin’”
Johnny Clegg & Savuka, “Talk to the People”
The B-52s, “Deadbeat Club”
Beastie Boys, “The Sounds of Science”
Blake Babies, “Rain”
De La Soul, “Me Myself And I”
Joe Jackson, “Nineteen Forever”
Laurie Anderson, “Strange Angels”
Michelle Shocked, “(Don’t You Mess Around With” My Little Sister”
Ministry, “Burning Inside”
Tim Finn, “Show a Little Mercy”
The BoDeans, “You Don’t Get Much”
Faith No More, “Epic”
The Godfathers, “She Gives Me Love”
The Lightning Seeds, “Pure”
The Primitives, “Sick of It”
The Smithereens, “A Girl Like You”
Well NC, that was quite a nugget you put at number one!!! Completely forgot about that track and what a great track that is!!! I remember seeing that video and immediately went out and bought the album/CD. Some great Can-Con in your secondary list as well.
And Bruce Cockburn’s If Tree Falls is from 1988, Big Circumstance album.
re: Tree Falls… so it is. Thanks for noting that, but it hadn’t made the ballot anyway.
Great that somebody else remembers An Emotional Fish! Their debut is in my Top 10 for the decade.
Neil Carver, i’d hope they count promo release if it got a ton of airplay. to me, the spirit of these polls is the year many people remember hearing them for the first time.
Well, I’d agree, but songs like “Under the Milky Way” and “Birthday” and “Man with a Gun” were all disallowed in ’88, despite that being the big year they were known… due to earlier in releases in ’87 and before. So, the spirit has been sacrificed to specificity before… just checking this time around.
Very important question: does fool’s gold by The Stone Roses count as a 1989 released?
If so, I expect every reasonable minded voter to vote it as number one. Alternatively, we can just call the best song of the decade. Either way is fine by me.
Fools Gold counts as 1989
Just what I felt when I went through 1989 the first time.
For Your Consideration:
The woefully underrated 9and forgotten) Simple Minds album “Street Fighting Years.”
So many gems, many should make the final cut, but “This Is Your Land” especially so.
And just a few others that had eligible music in 1989 to remind you of (it has been 31 years!):
The Beautiful South
Kirsty MacColl
The Pogues
Maria McKee
Michael Penn
The Connells
1989. Moving on after college. The big Nirvana breakthrough that would bring much of the music we loved into the mainstream (and leave so much of it behind as well) was still 2 full years away. As I look over the list I have made to sort though (there are more than 25 songs) I see lots of great stuff, but no obvious standout for my #1. I’m glad I’ve got a couple of weeks before the deadline to finish this process.
Funny… I considered myself a pretty big Simple Minds fan, having everything from Life in a Day to Once Upon a Time, but I never owned Street Fighting Years. Even though I do have Real Life and Good News… I remember being horribly disappointed with Street when I checked it out on one of those new-fangled Listening Stations back in ’89… and never listened to it again.
Maybe I should give it another try.
I’ll admit it wasn’t an album I latched onto immediately — it took a few spins.
I bought it shortly after its release and while I loved the single “This Is Your Land” (with guest vocal on the bridge from Lou Reed) but the rest struck me a just sort of being there. Time and patience turned it into a major favorite. It certainly halted their career momentum in the US at the time, but it’s beautiful and heartfelt.
I just spent the afternoon listening to Street Fighting Years (hey… season days and COVID… what else am I going to do?) It was very rich, musically, with some wonderful soundscapes… but there is nothing that grabs me. The one song that actually had some oomph, “Kick It In” was great and then half-way through they drop the beat into this soupy, mellow droning line.
I don’t mind sonically challenging listens, but this was rather ponderous… and the cover of Biko… bleh!
What Simple Minds would go on to with Real Life and Good News… I rather enjoyed… and some of their later stuff… Cry and Big Music… were quite good. Oh well, all a matter of taste, after all.
Yeah, it really is all a matter of tastes. Thanks for giving it another chance.
I will agree with you thought that the cover of “Biko” was totally unnecessary and pointless.
My list…
01 The Stone Roses “Fools Gold”
02 The Cure “Pictures Of You”
03 Public Enemy “Fight The Power”
04 Love And Rockets “So Alive”
05 The Stone Roses “She Bangs The Drums”
06 Nine Inch Nails “Head Like A Hole”
07 Depeche Mode “Personal Jesus”
08 The Cure “Fascination Street”
09 Janet Jackson “Love Will Never Do (Without You)”
10 N.W.A. “Express Yourself”
11 Pixies “Gouge Away”
12 Peter Murphy “Cuts You Up”
13 Madonna “Express Yourself”
14 Michael Penn “No Myth”
15 Tears For Fears “Sowing The Seeds Of Love”
16 Beastie Boys “Shadrach”
17 Neil Young “Rockin’ In The Free World”
18 The Jesus And Mary Chain “Head On”
19 Lou Reed “Dirty Blvd.”
20 The Tragically Hip “Blow At High Dough”
21 The Adventures Of Stevie V “Dirty Cash (Money Talks)”
22 Technotronic “Pump Up The Jam”
23 808 State “Pacific”
24 Chris Isaak “Wicked Game”
25 Soul II Soul f. Caron Wheeler “Keep On Movin’”
In no particular order . . .
The Cure, “Fascination Street”
Bob Mould, “Lonely Afternoon”
Bob Mould, “Whichever Way the Wind Blows”
Pixies, “Debaser”
Pixies, “Monkey Gone to Heaven”
B-52’s, “Channel Z”
B-52’s, “Roam”
Lou Reed, “Dirty Blvd.”
Lou Reed, “There Is No Time”
Beastie Boys, “Hey Ladies”
Replacements, “Achin’ to Be”
Replacements, “I’ll Be You”
XTC, “The Mayor of Simpleton”
XTC, “King for a Day”
The The, “The Beat(en) Generation”
The The, “Armageddon Days are Here (Again)”
Public Image Ltd., “Disappointed”
The Smithereens, “A Girl Like You”
The Sugarcubes, “Regina”
Robyn Hitchcock, “One Long Pair of Eyes”
Ramones, “Merry Christmas (I Don’t Want to Fight Tonight)”
The Alarm, “Sold Me Down the River”
Tone-Loc, “Wild Thing”
Nirvana, “About a Girl”
Peter Murphy, “Cuts You Up”
Ramones “Merry Christmas” was first released as the “I Wanna Live” single B-side in 1987, but the 1989 “Brain Drain” album version might be different. Can we get a ruling?
I am fairly certain that the Brain Drain version is a re-recording, and differs from the version on the B-side of the UK single of “I Wanna Live.”
I believe this is the ’87 version: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pnhgVD7V__M
So I’ll allow “Merry Christmas” in the ’89 poll unless someone who has the “I Wanna Live” 7-inch tells me I’m wrong.
In no particular order…
1. Fine Young Cannibals – She Drives Me Crazy
2. Fine Young Cannibals – Good Thing
3. The B-52s – Love Shack
4. Love and Rockets – So Alive
5. Tears for Fears – Sowing the Seeds of love
6. The Cure – Love Song
7. REM – Stand
8. Enya – Orinoco Flow
9. XTC – King for a Day
10. Tom Petty – Free Fallin
11. Smithereends – Girl Like You
12. Pixies – This Monkey’s Gone to Heaven
13. Living Colour – Cult of Personality
14. Indigo Girls – Closer to Fine
15. Pixies – Here Comes Your Man
16. 10,000 Maniacs – Trouble Me
17. Red Hot Chili Peppers – Higher Ground
18. Elvis Costello – Veronica
19. Depeche Mode – Personal Jesus
20. Kate Bush – Sensual World
21. Lisa Stansfield – All Around The World
22. Chris Isaac – Wicked Game
23. Peter Murphy – Cuts You Up
24. Pop Will Eat Itself – Can U Dig It?
25. They Might Be Giants – Birdhouse in your Soul
“Stand” first appeared on the Green album in 1988.
Fine Young Cannibals album the Raw and the Cooked was ’88… so that frees up a couple spots.
According to Wikipedia, FYC’s The Raw And The Cooked was released in january 1989. ;)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Raw_%26_the_Cooked_(album)
Yeah, unfortunately, Wikipedia isn’t as exact as Discogs. I had this problem in previous years… but you can see here there is are multiple issues in 1988 of The Raw and the Cooked, by both London Records and IRS.
https://www.discogs.com/Fine-Young-Cannibals-The-Raw-The-Cooked/master/70185
Would love to vote for Living Colour but it’s 1988.
Here we go again, another list. These are my favorites:
1 – Camouflage – Love is a Shield
2 – Depeche Mode – Personal Jesus
3 – Madonna – Like a Prayer
4 – Soul II Soul – Back to Life
5 – New Order – Vanishing Point
6 – New Order – Mr. Disco
7 – The Cure – Lullaby
8 – Erasure – Drama
9 – Electronic – Getting Away With It
10 – Pixies – Here Comes Your Man
11 – Indochine – More
12 – Chris Isaak – Wicked Game
13 – Inspiral Carpets – Joe
14 – Fine Young Cannibals – Good Thing
15 – Erasure – Brothers and Sisters
16 – Throwing Muses – Dizzy
17 – Tears for Fears – Johnny Panic and the Bible of Dreams
18 – Simple Minds – This is Your Land
19 – Transvision Vamp – Baby I Don’t Care
20 – The Beloved – The Sun Rising
21 – The B-52’s – Channel Z
22 – The Cure – Fascination Street
23 – Indochine – Le Baiser
24 – Kon Kan – I Beg Your Pardon
25 – Peter Murphy – Cuts You Up
Bonus:
Pixies – Monkey Gone to Heaven
The B-52’s – Roam”
The Sugarcubes – Regina”
The Cure – Pictures Of You
Love And Rockets – So Alive
The Stone Roses – She Bangs The Drums
Madonna – Express Yourself
Tears For Fears – Sowing The Seeds Of Love
Depeche Moode – Dangerous
New Order – Round & Round
1. The Stone Roses – I Wanna Be Adored
2. The Cure – Fascination Street
3. The The – Beat(en) Generation
4. Pixies – Monkey Gone to Heaven
5. Dramarama – Last Cigarette
6. The Stone Roses – Waterfall
7 The Cure – The Same Deep Water As You
8. The Sundays – Can’t Be Sure
9. The Beautiful South – Song For Whoever
10. XTC – Mayor of Simpleton
11. Peter Murphy – Cuts You Up
12. Tears Run Rings – Marc Almond
13. The Ocean Blue – Between Something and Nothing
14. The Replacements – I’ll Be You
15. Jesus And Mary Chain – Head On
16. New Model Army – Stupid Questions
17. The Cult – Edie (Ciao Baby)
18. Galaxie 500 – Strange
19. Robyn Hitchcock – Madonna Of The Wasps
20. Pixies – Here Comes Your Man
21. Kirsty MacColl – Days
22. Morrissey – Interesting Drug
23. Peter Murphy – Strange Kind of Love
24. The Lightning Seeds – Pure
25. Vagabonds – New Model Army
Tears Run Rings is #69 on the 1988 list, so that frees up a spot on your list.
New Order – Love Less
Goddamn this was hard. I had to leave out a ton of good stuff. In no particular order:
Tears for Fears, “Sowing the Seeds of Love”
Janet Jackson, “Miss You Much”
B-52’s, “Deadbeat Club”
The Cure, “Lovesong”
Peter Murphy, “Cuts You Up”
De La Soul, “Me, Myself and I”
Electronic, “Getting Away with It”
Elvis Costello, “Veronica”
Lightning Seeds, “Pure”
Pixies, “Debaser” (this should be the default number 1 for obvious reasons)
Pixies, “Here Comes Your Man”
Indigo Girls, “Closer to Fine”
New Order, “Round and Round”
808 State, “Pacific State”
Beastie Boys, “Hey Ladies”
Bob Mould, “See a Little Light”
Stone Roses, “I Wanna Be Adored”
NIN, “Something I Can Never Have”
10,000 Maniacs, “Trouble Me”
Faith No More, “Epic”
Lenny Kravitz, “Let Love Rule”
Neneh Cherry, “Manchild”
Michael Penn, “No Myth”
XTC, “Mayor of Simpleton”
TMBG, “Birdhouse in Your Soul”
Let us not forget Lush and Pale Saints, both making their first appearance in 1989 with EP’s.
I agree with an earlier comment about Simple Minds’ Street Fighting Years….great CD from start to finish. Here are my 25 in no order:
P.I.L. – Disappointed, Warrior
The Cure – Fascination Street, Pictures Of You
Simple Minds – Belfast Child
Rush – Presto, Show Don’t Tell
The Stone Roses – I Wanna Be Adored, Fools Gold
Peter Murphy – Cuts You Up, Crystal Wrists
The Ocean Blue – Between Something And Nothing
10,000 Maniacs – Headstrong
The Blue Nile – Headlights On The Parade
Kate Bush – Love And Anger
Hoodoo Gurus – Come Anytime
The B-52’s – Channel Z
The Mighty Lemon Drops – At Midnight, Into The Heart Of Love
Wire – Eardrum Buzz
Midge Ure – Dear God
Flesh For Lulu – Time And Space
Pop Will Eat Itself – Def Con One, Can U Dig It
The Cult – Fire Woman
In no particular order
Chris Isaak “Wicked Game”
Pixies “Monkey Gone To Heaven”
Pixies “Gouge Away”
The Cure “Love Song’
The Cure “Fascination Street”
The Stone Roses “I Wanna Be Adored”
The Stone Roses “Fools Gold”
New Order “Fine Time”
New Order “Round and Round”
Beastie Boys “Hey Ladies”
Peter Murphy “Cuts You Up”
Love And Rockets “So Alive”
The Cult “Sun King”
The Cult “Sweet Soul Sister”
Michael Penn “No Myth”
The Replacements “I’ll Be You”
Red Hot Chili Peppers “Higher Ground”
Soundgarden “Hands All Over”
Soundgarden “Loud Love”
Prince “Batdance”
Depeche Mode “Personal Jesus”
Tears For Fears “Sowing The Seeds Of Love”
Fine Young Cannibals “Good Thing”
Morrisey “The Last Of The Famous International Playboys”
Electronic “Getting Away With It”
Concrete Blonde, “Happy Birthday”
10,000 Maniacs, “Trouble Me”
Throwing Muses, “Dizzy”
Red Hot Chili Peppers, “Knock Me Down”
Rickie Lee Jones, “Satellites”
Sugarcubes, “Regina”
PIL, “Disappointed”
Neneh Cherry, “Kisses On The Wind”
808 State, “Pacific State”
Indigo Girls, “Closer To Fine”
Madonna, “Like A Prayer”
REM, “Get Up”
Adrian Belew, “Oh Daddy”
B-52s, “Channel Z”
Innocence Mission, “Black Sheep Wall”
New Order, “Round & Round”
10,000 Maniacs, “Eat For Two”
Creatures, “Standing There”
Squeeze, “If It’s Love”
XTC, “Mayor Of Simpleton”
Psychedelic Furs, “House”
The Cure, “Fascination Street”
Morrissey, “Interesting Drug”
The The, “The Beat(en) Generation”
Pixies, “Here Comes Your Man”
Enjoyed sifting through the memory banks to come up with this list. Several of these were among the first CDs I ever bought. Limiting myself to one song per artist and in vaguely alphabetical order:
The Cure, “Lullaby”
Depeche Mode, “Personal Jesus”
Electronic, “Getting Away With It”
Erasure, “Blue Savannah”
Ian McCulloch, “Proud To Fall”
Indigo Girls, “Closer To Fine”
KMFDM, “Virus”
Love and Rockets, “Motorcycle”
Lush, “Etheriel”
Martin L. Gore, “Compulsion”
Ministry, “So What”
Morrissey, “The Last Of The Famous International Playboys”
New Order, “Love Less”
Nine Inch Nails, “Sin”
Nirvana, “About A Girl”
Nitzer Ebb, “Control I’m Here”
The Orb, “A Huge Ever Growing Pulsating Brain That Rules From The Centre Of The Ultraworld – Loving You (Orbital Mix)”
Peter Murphy, “Cuts You Up”
Pixies, “Debaser”
Public Enemy, “Fight The Power”
The Replacements, “Anywhere’s Better than Here”
Skinny Puppy, “Worlock”
The Smithereens, “A Girl Like You”
The Stone Roses, “I Wanna Be Adored”
The Wonder Stuff, “Don’t Let Me Down Gently”
Wondering if INXS Mystify counts? It was released as a single in 1989, but from a 1987 album.
That would be no according to the rules. To be eligible, a song has to be released “for the first time” in the year we are voting on. So Mystify would have been eligible on the ’87 poll, not ’89. (It was on that list, at #88, in fact.)
I am gobsmacked that ‘I Wanna Be Adored’ isn’t on everyone’s list so far! #StoneRoses
This was the hardest list. I felt like I was leaving out some bangers:
1. Depeche Mode “Personal Jesus”
2. The Cure “Pictures of You”
3. Skinny Puppy “Rodent”
4. Ministry “Thieves”
5. New Order “Round and Round”
6. KMFDM “More and Faster”
7. The Cure “Disintegration”
8. Nine Inch Nails “Down In It”
9. Pixies “Debaser”
10. Pixies “Wave of Mutilation”
11. Madonna “Like a Prayer”
12. Nine Inch Nails “Sin”
13. Faith No More “Epic”
14. Meat Beat Manifesto “Storm in the Studio, Pt. 2”
15. Skinny Puppy “Hexonxonx”
16. New Order “Mr. Disco”
17. Jesus and Mary Chain “Head On”
18. The Sugarcubes “Regina”
19. Nitzer Ebb “Control I’m Here”
20. Kate Bush “Love and Anger”
21. Xymox “Imagination”
22. Tears for Fears “Sowing the Seeds of Love”
23. The House of Love “I Don’t Know Why I Love You”
24. Front Line Assembly “Digital Tension Dementia”
25. B52’s “Roam”
It was so hard to narrow this down to 25.
10,000 Maniacs – Trouble Me
The B-52’s – Cosmic Thing
Baby Ford – Children of the Revolution
Bel Canto – A Shoulder to the Wheel
The Beloved – Your Love Takes Me Higher
Concrete Blonde – Little Conversations
The Creatures – Standing There
The Cure – Plainsong
Death in June – Giddy Giddy Carousel
Electronic – Getting Away with It
Erasure – Brother and Sister
Erasure – Drama!
Eurythmics – Don’t Ask Me Why
Fuzzbox – Fast Forward Futurama
The Lightning Seeds – All I Want
Lush – Etheriel
Madonna – Like a Prayer
Ian McCulloch – Faith and Healing
Michael Penn – No Myth
Red Flag – I Don’t Know Why
Severed Heads – All Saints Day
Stacey Q – Incognito
The Stone Roses – I Wanna Be Adored
Xymox – Evelyn
Xymox – Imagination
What an incredible year – this one was too hard to break down to only 25 songs.
Decided to go with some under the radar faves, one per artist, at the expense of some truly massive faves. Truth is 1989 was a major return to form with so many great songs that 25 can never do it justice (nor can a top 100 either)
New Order – Vanishing Point
The Cure – Untitled
Love & Rockets – So Alive
Electronic – Getting Away With It
XTC – King For A Day
Martin Gore – Compulsion
Morrissey – Interesting Drug
Tears For Fears – Sowing The Seeds Of Love
China Crisis – St Saviour Square
The Blue Nile – The Downtown Lights
Mighty Lemon Drops – Into The Heart Of Love
Beastie Boys – Hey Ladies
De La Soul – Me Myself & I
Wire – Eardrum Buzz
Stone Roses – She Bangs The Drums
The Sundays – Can’t Be Sure
Ocean Blue – Between Something & Nothing
808 State – Pacific State
Bob Mould – See A Little Light
The Fixx – Driven Out
Xymox – Blind Hearts
Pixies – Monkey Gone To Heaven
The Snake Corps – Calling You
Howard Jones – Everlasting Love
Level 42 – Take Care Of Yourself
Some others:
Psychedelic Furs – House
New Order – Round & Round
Stone Roses – I Wanna Be Adored
De La Soul – The Magic Number
Morrissey – The Last Of Famous International Playboy
The The & Sinead O’Connor – Kingdom Of Rain
The Cure – Disintegration
The Cure – Love Song
Depeche Mode – Personal Jesus
Love & Rockets – Motorcycle
Public Image Ltd – Disappointed
XTC – Mayor Of Simpleton
Pixies – Here Comes Your Man
Pixies – Debaser
I usually try to verify all my choices on these, but I believe I have been wrong a couple of times. It would be a nice feature of the polls to add 2 or 3 “backup” choices after the main 25 that would not count if the original 25 all worked but could substitue otherwise.
808 State – Cobra Bora
Adventures Of Stevie V – Dirty Cash
B-52s – Roam
The Cure – Love Song
The Cure – Pictures Of You
Faith No More – From Out Of Nowhere
Goodbye Mr. Mackenzie – The Rattler
The House Of Love – I Don’t Know Why I Love You
Invincible Spirit – Devil Dance
The Jesus & Mary Chain – Blues From A Gun
The Jesus & Mary Chain – Head On
Morrissey – Last Of The Famous Int. Playboys
New Model Army – I Love The World
New Model Army – Vagabonds
N.I.N – Head Like A Hole
Pale Saints – Sight Of You
Peter Murphy – Cuts You Up
Peter Murphy – Strange Kind Of Love
Pixies – Monkey Gone To Heaven
Psyche – Misery
The Snake Corps – Calling You
The Stone Roses – I Wanna Be Adored
The Stone Roses – Made Of Stone
Technotronic – Pump Up The Jam
Transvision Vamp – Baby I Don’t Care
25. “Your Friend is Insane”- Urge Overkill
24.”Waiting for the Winter”- Popguns
23. “Love and Anger”- Kate Bush
22. “The World Spins”- Julee Cruise
21. “Birthday”- Sugarcubes
20. “Lament”- Blake Babies
19. “Cult of Personality”- Living Colour
18. “Batdance”- Prince
17. “From Out of Nowhere”- Faith No More
16. “About a Girl”- Nirvana
15. “Lovesong”- The Cure
14.”Dizzy”- Throwing Muses
13. “Sowing the Seeds of Love”- Tears for Fears
12.”Into the Night”- Julee Cruise
11. “Tramp the Dirt Down”- Elvis Costello
10. “No Myth”- Michael Penn
9. “Santa Claus”- Throwing Muses
8. “Veronica”-Elvis Costello
7. “Chief Barrel Belly”- Guided by Voices
6. “Abysmal Popcorn Wall”- Shudder to Think
5. “Lovecraft”- The Vaselines
4. “Navigating Flood Regions”- Guided by Voices
3. “Hey”- The Pixies
2. “Madonna of the Wasps”-Robyn Hitchcock & the Egyptians
1. “Debaser”-The Pixies
Birthday and Cult of Personality were from earlier years than 1989… so you could replace them with other songs if you want.
1989 was one of my favorite years for music. It’s the year I graduated college, and started earning real money, so I bought a lot f CDs. I also bought my first guitar, so I learned how to fumble my way through many of these songs, so they still have a special place in my heart to this day.
Here is my list, in not exactly priority order, though the first song on the list might be my favorite song, depending on my mood.
XTC, “The Mayor Of Simpleton”
Tears For Fears, “Sowing The Seeds Of Love”
The Call, “Let The Day Begin”
Tom Petty, “Runnin’ Down A Dream”
Indigo Girls, “Closer To Fine”
Bonnie Raitt, “Thing Called Love”
Todd Rundgren, “Can’t Stop Running”
Anderson Bruford Wakeman Howe, “Brother Of Mine”
Tom Petty, “Free Fallin”
The B-52’s, “Love Shack”
Elvis Costello, “Veronica”
Van Morrison, “Have I Told You Lately”
The Smithereens, “A Girl Like You”
Michael Penn, “No Myth”
Stevie Ray Vaughn and Double Trouble, “Crossfire”
The Stone Roses, “Fools Gold”
The Pixies, “Here Comes Your Man”
Red Hot Chili Peppers, “Higher Ground”
The Pixies, “Monkey Gone To Heaven”
Beastie Boys, ‘Hey Ladies”
The Replacements, “I’ll Be You”
Todd Rundgren, “The Want Of A Nail”
Neil Young, “Rockin In The Free World”
Rush, “The Pass”
Eric Clapton, Bad Love”
And I could have easily gone 50 deep for this year. So much great music. The 80s went out with a BANG!
We are the same age (same year graduating college at least)… and so I have a very wistful feeling for most of these songs… as it was a great loss, leaving college, and so much of this music was there during the horrible transition from college to the real world, loss of friends, trying to find work during a recession, general anxiety about “What the hell am I going to do now?”
Great music, but it stirs up a lot of conflicting emotions for me.
Alannah Myles, “Black Velvet”
Alice Cooper, “Poison”
Chris Isaak, “Wicked Game”
Chris Rea, “The Road to Hell”
Depeche Mode, “Personal Jesus”
Faith No More, “Epic”
Fine Young Cannibal, “She Drives Me Crazy”
Madonna, “Like A Prayer”
Ministry, “Breathe”
New Model Army, “I Love The World”
New Model Army, “Vagabonds”
Nine Inch Nails, “Terrible Lie”
Nine Inch Nails, “Sin”
Nirvana, “About a Girl”
Pixies, “Wave Of Mutilation”
Pixies, “Monkey Gone To Heaven”
Queen, “I Want It All”
Ramones, “Pet Sematary”
Tears for Fears, “Sowing the Seeds of Love”
Texas, “I Don’t Want A Lover”
The B-52’s, “Love Shack”
The Cure, “Fascination Street”
The Cure, “Prayers For Rain”
The Jesus And Mary Chain “Head On”
Here’s my list, in sort of an alphabetical order, trying to pick one track from each artist (just couldn’t do it for The The though, my kryptonite!!):
An Emotional Fish – Celebrate
The B-52’s – Roam
Concrete Blonde – Scene Of A Perfect Crime
The Cult – Fire Woman
The Cure – Fascination Street
Del Amitri – Stone Cold Sober
Depeche Mode – Personal Jesus
Chris Isaak – Wicked Game
James – Sit Down
Paul Kelly & The Messengers – Careless
Love & Rockets – So Alive
Morrissey – Interesting Drug
Peter Murphy – Cut You Up
New Order – Fine Time
Pixies – Here Comes Your Man
Psychedelic Furs – House
Red Hot Chili Peppers – Higher Ground
Replacements – Achin’ To Be
Soundgarden – Hands All Over
Stone Roses – Fools Gold
The The – Kingdom Of Rain
The The – Violence of Truth
Tragically Hip – When the Weight Comes Down
Wonder Stuff – Don’t Let Me Down, gently
XTC – Mayor Of Simpleton
Tough ones to miss the cut:
54-40 – MIss You
The Cure – a bunch from Distinegration
The Cult – Edie (Ciao Baby)
Eat – Mr & Mrs Smack
Tin Machine – Amazing
XTC – King For A Day
B-52’s – Love Shack
Elvis Costello – Veronica
PiL – Happy?
Stone Roses – I Wanna Be Adored
James – Come Home
Simple Minds – Mandela Day
Smithereens – A Girl Like You
Ministry – So What, Thieves, Burning Inside
New Order – Round & Round, Vanishing Point
Pixies – all of Doolittle
Replacements – Talent Show, Back To Back, I’ll Be You
The The – rest of Mind Bomb
10,000 Maniacs – Eat For Two, Trouble Me
Tin Machine – Amazing
Tragically Hip – New Orleans is Sinking, Blow At High Dough
Ian McCulloch – Proud To Fall
Hoodoo Gurus – Come Anytime
Nice to see another vote for An Emotional Fish. One of my all time favorite albums, but I never find anyone else who has heard of them!
Here’s my list in no particular order:
The Beloved – The Sun Rising
The Blue Nile – Downtown Lights
Kate Bush – Sensual World
Elvis Costello – Veronica
The Cure – Lullaby
De La Soul – Eye No
Electronic – Getting Away With It
Happy Mondays – Hallelujah (club mix)
House of Love – I don’t know why I love you
Indigo girls – Closer to fine
Lightning Seeds – Pure
Kirsty MacColl – Free World
Morrissey – Last of the Famous International Playboys
New Order – Vanishing Point
Pixies – Monkey Gone To Heaven
Public Enemy – Fight The Power
Lou Reed – Romeo Had Juliette
Stone Roses – Fools Gold
Stone Roses – I Am The Resurrection
The Sundays – Can’t Be Sure
The The – The Beat(en) Generation
The Wedding Present -Kennedy
XTC – Mayor of Simpleton
Neil Young – Rockin’ In The Free World
808 State – Pacific State
Just a first draft… gotta find out what I’ve overlooked.
Alphaville, “Mysteries Of Love ”
Cyndi Lauper, “I Drove All Night ”
Depeche Mode, “Personal Jesus”
Morrissey, “Ouija Board, Ouija Board”
Morrissey, “The Last of the Famous International Playboys”
New Order, “”Round And Round
Peter Murphy, “Cuts You Up”
Stan Ridgway, “Goin’ Southbound”
The B-52’s, “Channel Z”
The B-52’s, “Roam”
The Beautiful South, “Song For Whoever”
The Beautiful South, “Woman In The Wall”
The Lightning Seeds, “Pure”
The Ocean Blue, “Drifting, Falling”
The Ocean Blue, “Vanity Fair”
The Smithereens, “A Girl Like You”
The Sugarcubes, “Regina”
The The, “Armageddon Days are Here (Again)”
The The, “Kingdom Of Rain”
They Might Be Giants, “Birdhouse In Your Soul”
Wire, “Eardrum Buzz”
XTC, “King for a Day”
XTC, “The Mayor of Simpleton”
Xymox, “Imagination”
Yello, “Of Course I’m Lying”
Just noticed that New Order, “”Round And Round is 1988. Replaced with House Of Love, “I Don’t Know Why I Love You”, but considering Hoodoo Gurus, “Come Anytime”.
-thumbs up-
Always consider the Hoodoo Gurus!
My List, countdown style. If anyone can verify if all qualify for the list before I formally vote it would be appreciated.
25. All I Want – The Lightning Seeds
24. The Big Parade – 10,000 Maniacs
23. Love and Anger – Kate Bush
22. See A Little Light – Bob Mould
21. Free Fallin’ – Tom Petty
20. Sista Rosa – The Neville Brothers
19. Breathe – Maria McKee
18. Young Ned Of The Hill – The Pogues
17. Pictures Of You – The Cure
16. Song For Whoever – The Beautiful South
15. Marlene Dietrich’s Favorite Poem – Peter Murphy
14. Closer To Fine – Indigo Girls
13. Belfast Child – Simple Minds
12. Upside Down – The Connells
11. Hold On – Lou Reed
10. Man In The Long Black Coat – Bob Dylan
9. Panic Beach – Maria McKee
8. Veronica – Elvis Costello
7. The Sensual World – Kate Bush
6. Homesick – The Cure
5. No Myth – Michael Penn
4. Free World – Kirsty MacColl
3. Cuts You Up – Peter Murphy
2. This Is Your Land – Simple Minds
1. Dirty Blvd. – Lou Reed
Just missed the cut, or eliminated due to the nor more than two songs per artist rule (in no particular order):
Mandela Day – Simple Minds
Street Fighting Years – Simple Minds
Soul Crying Out – Simple Minds
Kick It In – Simple Minds
Here Comes Your Man- The Pixies
The Fog – Kate Bush
Pure – The Lightning Seeds
Strange Kind of Love – Peter Murphy
Deep Ocean, Vast Sea – Peter Murphy
Love Shack – The B-52s
Roan – The B-52s
Deadbeat Club – The B52s
Eat For Two – 10,000 Maniacs
Trouble Me – 10,000 Maniacs
Madonna Of The Wasps – Robyn Hitchcock
Misty Morning Albert Bridge – The Pogues
London You’re a Lady – The Pogues
Hey Wow – The Connells
Don’t Come The Cowboy With Me Sonny Jim – Kirsty Macoll
Into The Heart of Love – Mighty Lemon Drops
Under a Stormy Sky – Daniel Lanois
Jolie Louise – Daniel Lanois
Thing Called Love – Bonnie Raitt
Nobody’s Girl – Bonnie Raitt
Respect for including The Beautiful South. They are criminally overlooked in America and probably one of the finest bands ever to come out of England. Their first five albums are masterpieces.
I was a bit late to them but found them via the Housemartins.
The Cure – Plainsong
The Cure – Lullaby
Since The Church are ineligible for this year their members’ solo releases were worthy of mention.
Steve Kilbey – Like A Ghost
Marty Willson-Piper – Questions Without Answers
Pixies – Gouge Away
New Order – Run
Stone Roses – I Wanna Be Adored
Nine Inch Nails – Sin
Nine Inch Nails – Get Down Make Love
REM – I Remember California
REM – World Leader Pretend
The Go Betweens – Love Goes On
The Go Betweens – Streets of Your Town
The Go Betweens are widely regarded as the most influential indie band from Australia. The two songs listed were re-issued in 1989 as a single after the band broke up making them eligible in this list. I strongly urge that at least on of their songs make the final cut because their legacy is great.
The Go Betweens are indeed an amazing band. However, unless the versions on the single are different versions than previous, I don’t think they qualify for this list.
And R.E.M.’s Green came out in ’88 as well.
Michael – So I went through all of the guidelines listed, going back to previous lists.
The versions do NOT have to be different to be included.
Based on the rules in the website, if an album or single was released in 1988. But also released for the “first time” in another part of the world in 1989 that still makes it eligible.
So in that case Michael, “Streets of Your Town is ineligible. However the 7” single for “Love Goes On” was released by Beggars Banquet for the FIRST TIME in 1989. So that submission is still valid.
I would amend my submission of Streets of Your Town and replace with my favorite song “Was There Anything I could Do?” which was the b-side, however voting is closed. So I concede, but at least Love Goes On is valid.
REMs Green (released in the US in 1988) was released in 1989 by Warner Brothers Record for the first time in Brazil.
So the Green submissions, I hope still remain valid.
Thanks.
Morrissey – The Last of the Famous International Playboys
Pixies – Here Comes Your Man
B-52’s – Roam
Depeche Mode – Personal Jesus
The Smithereens – A Girl Like You
The Cure – Lullaby
Chris Isaak – Wicked Game
Jesus and The Mary Chain – Head On
Technotronic – Pump Up the Jam
Public Enemy – Fight the Power
Stone Roses – I Wanna Be Adored
Love and Rockets – So Alive
Tom Petty -Free Fallin
Faith No More – Epic
The Lightning Seeds – Pure
The Cure – Pictures Of You
Nine Inch Nails – Head Like A Hole
The Cure – Fascination Street
Tears For Fears – Sowing The Seeds Of Love
Neil Young – Rockin’ In The Free World
Living Colour – Cult of Personality
The Ocean Blue – Between Something and Nothing
Galaxie 500 – Strange
Bob Mould – See a Little Light
The Cult – Fire Woman
Living Colour was ’88… “Cult of Personality” is #30 on that list. Opens up a spot, if you haven’t voted yet.
1 – The Wedding Present – Bewitched
2 – The Stone Roses – I Wanna Be Adored
3 – The Jesus and Mary Chain – Between Planets
4 – The Wedding Present – Kennedy
5 – The Cure – Prayers for Rain
6 – The Stone Roses – This Is the One
7 – The Cure – Pictures of You
8 – The Jesus and Mary Chain – Head On
9 – Fugazi – Margin Walker
10 – Soundgarden – Hands All Over
11 – The Primitives – All the Way Down
12 – The Ocean Blue – Between Something and Nothing
13 – The Replacements – Achin’ To Be
14 – Fugazi – Provisional
15 – Pixies – Debaser
16 – Soundgarden – Loud Love
17 – The House of Love- I Don’t Know Why I Love You
18 – Morrissey – The Last of the Famous International Playboys
19 – The Replacements – Talent Show
20 – Ministry – Thieves
21 – Morrissey – Interesting Drug
22 – Nine Inch Nails – Sanctified
23 – Pixies – Here Comes Your Man
24 – Psychedelic Furs. – House
25 – Ian McCulloch – Proud to Fall
I try not to use covers in these lists, but the Shangri-La Kinks tribute is just too good to ignore, was tempted to include something from the Shonen Knife tribute too. Oh well, here are your 25:
Tragically Hip “Blow At High Dough”
The Wedding Present, “Be Honest”
Guadalcanal Diary, “The Likes Of You”
Stan Ridgway, “The Last Honest Man”
Wire, “In Vivo”
Chris Rea, “Texas”
Television Personalities, “Salvador Dali’s Garden Party”
Robyn Hitchcock, “One Long Pair Of Eyes”
New Model Army, “225”
Treat Her Right, “Hank”
Cud, “Lola”
Tin Machine, “Baby Can Dance”
Evan John’s and the H Bombs, “Tired Of Trash”
Julian Cope, “Great White Wonder”
Psychedelic Furs, “Entertain Me”
Joe Jackson, “Blaze Of Glory”
Jason and the Scorchers, “Bible and a Gun”
Dramarama, “70s TV”
The Jazz Butcher, “Bicycle Kid”
Peter Murphy, “Cuts You Up”
The Dragsters, “Surfing With The Godz”
The House Of Love, “I Don’t Know Why I Love You”
The Godfathers, “Those Days Are Over”
Pere Ubu, “Wine Dark Sparks”
Screaming and Messiahs, “Four Engines Burning Over The USA”
225 is my favorite NMA song.
Still need to re-listen to The Creatures and Shudder to Think, but this is my list right now. Anything on here that isn’t eligible?
All About Eve – Scarlet
The Blue Nile – From a Late Night Train
The Blue Nile – The Downtown Lights
Breathless – Here by Chance
Breathless – Smash Palace
Chris Isaak – Wicked Game
The Cure – Disintegration
The Cure – Fascination Street
Depeche Mode – Personal Jesus
The Field Mice – Sensitive
Fields of the Nephilim – Psychonaut
Galaxie 500 – Decomposing Trees
Galaxie 500 – Plastic Bird
Gigi Masin – Clouds
Innocence Mission – Black Sheep Wall
Julee Cruise – Falling
Love and Rockets – Motorcycle
Lush – Scarlet
Pixies – Debaser
Pixies – Monkey Gone to Heaven
The Stone Roses – Fools Gold
The Stone Roses – I Wanna Be Adored
The Sundays – Can’t Be Sure
The Wedding Present – Brassneck
XTC – Across This Antheap
Late to the Party, but I’ll give it a go.. During this timeframe I was all over the place musicwise so my list reflects that:
Information Society, “Repetition”
The Replacements, “I’ll Be You”
BOBBY BROWN, “My Prerogative”
De La Soul, “Me Myself and I”
Fugazi, “Margin Walker”
Skinny Puppy, “Worlock”
XYMOX ,”Imagination”
The Cult, “Fire Woman”
CAMOUFLAGE, “Love is a shield”
Nitzer Ebb, “Control, I’m Here” – Still one of my Favs!
New Order, “Round and Round”
Skid Row, “18 and Life” – I have history with this one.
Peter Murphy, “Cuts You Up”
Nine Inch Nails, “Head Like a Hole”
Soundgarden, “Loud Love” – Thanks KTRU radio for this one!
Beastie Boys, “Shadrach”
Nirvana, “Love Buzz” – See Soundgarden
When In Rome, “The Promise” – Memories of Astroworld
King’s X, “Over My Head” – Houston guys so yeah
Bad Religion, “No Control”
Nine Inch Nails, “Sanctified”
Ministry, “Burning Inside”
CONCRETE BLONDE, “God is a Bullet”
LIVING COLOUR, “Cult of Personality” – CM Punk anyone?
The Cure, “Love Song”
Here’s my list:
The B-52’s, Channel Z
The B-52’s, Deadbeat Club
Beastie Boys, “Hey Ladies”
The Creatures, “Standing There”
The Cure, “Fascination Street”
The Cure, “Plainsong”
Electronic, “Getting Away With It”
Erasure, “Drama!”
Earsure, “Blue Savannah”
The Jesus ans Mary Chain, “Head On”
Love and Rockets, “So Alive”
Love and Rockets, “No Big Deal”
Lush, “Thoughtforms”
Madonna, “Like a Prayer”
Ministry, “Thieves”
Mylène Farmer, “À quoi je sers…”
Nine Inch Nails, “Head Like a Hole”
Nine Inch Nails, “Sin”
Peter Murphy, “A Strange Kind Of Love”
Pixies, “Debaser”
Pixies, “Here Comes Your Man”
Pop Will Eat Itself, ” Wise Up! Sucker”
The Pursuit Of Happiness, “I’m An Adult Now”
The Stone Roses, “I Wanna Be Adored”
Tears For Fears, “Sowing the Seeds of Love”
Xymox, “Evelyn”
Xymox, “Imagination”
TPOH’s Love Junk was 1988, so that opens a slot in your list.
My list in ABC order;
Kate Bush – Love and Anger
David Byrne – Make Believe Mambo
Elvis Costello – Veronica
The Creatures – Standing There
Dinosaur Jr. – Just Like Heaven
Guadalcanal Diary – Always Saturday
Robyn Hitchcock & the Egyptians – Madonna of the Wasps
Indigo Girls – Closet to Fine
The Jesus and Mary Chain – Head On
Ian McCulloch – Proud to Fall
Ministry – So What?
Bob Mould – See a Little Light
Peter Murphy – Cuts You Up
My Life with the Thrill Kill Kult – Kooler Than Jesus
Nine Inch Nails – Head Like a Hole
Nirvana – About a Girl
Mojo Nixon & Skid Roper – Debbie Gibson is Pregnant with My Two-Headed Love Child
Michael Penn – No Myth
Pixies – Gouge Away
Pop Will Eat Itself – Can U Dig It?
Ramones – Pet Sematary
Lou Reed – Dirty Blvd.
The Replacements – Back to Back
They Might Be Giants – Birdhouse in Your Soul
XTC – King for a Day
“closet I am to find! yeah!” – sorry couldn’t resist. great song. Hey it beats “stain in the place where you lived,” OK? thanks for picking the better XTC single too and not forgetting robyn hitchcock.
Dang it. I posted that list from my phone when I was 1/2 asleep. I pored over irt before I posted and didn’t realize that I typed (or the autocorrect changed it) to “Closet”. I guess it is a slight bit humorous for the Indigo Girls. Thanks about Robyn Hitchcock. Always loved that song. King for a Day is far better than Mayor of Simpleton. Never cared for that one.
The Wedding Present – “Kennedy”
The Pogues – “White City”
XTC – “Mayor Of Simpleton”
Pixies – “Debaser”
The Triffids – “Goodbye Little Boy”
Joe Strummer – “Gangsterville”
Big Audio Dynamite – “Contact”
Simple Minds – “Mandela Day”
Elvis Costello – “Veronica”
Nirvana – “About a Girl”
Pop Will Eat Itself – “Def Con One”
Carter The Unstoppable Sex Machine – “Sheriff Fatman”
Throwing Muses – “Dizzy”
McCarthy – “Keep an Open Mind or Else”
The The – “Armageddon Days (Are Here Again)”
Ramones – “Pet Sematary”
The Cure – “Lullaby”
Prefab Sprout – “Life Of Surprises”
The Wonder Stuff – “30 Years In The Bathroom”
The Godfathers – “She Gives Me Love”
Public Image Ltd. – “Disappointed”
Jesus Jones – “Never Enough”
Kitchens of Distinction – “The 3rd Time We Opened the Capsule”
Public Enemy – “Fight The Power”
Kirsty MacColl – “Free World”
I see a lot of votes for Pop Will Eat Itself’s Def Con One. The album it’s on came out in ’89, but it was released as a single in ’88.
01 Fight The Power – Public Enemy
02 Memphis, Egypt – The Mekons
03 What “U” Waitin’ “4”? – Jungle Brothers
04 Rockin’ in the Free World – Neil Young
05 Me Myself and I – De La Soul
06 3AM Eternal – The KLF
07 Madonna of the Wasps – Robyn Hitchcock & the Egyptians
08 Hey Ladies – Beastie Boys
09 Kid Fears – Indigo Girls
10 Compulsion – Martin Gore
11 Blue Thunder – Galaxie 500
12 Prisoner of Love – Tin Machine
13 Getting Away With It – Electronic
14 Deeper Shade of Soul – Urban Dance Squad
15 Flower Web – Screaming Trees
16 White Coats – New Model Army
17 Floating – Julee Cruise
18 18 and Life – Skid Row
19 Saved – Swans
20 Truth Is Out Of Style – MC 900 Ft. Jesus and DJ Zero
21 Back to Life (However Do You Want Me) – Soul II Soul
22 You Keep It All In – The Beautiful South
23 So Alive – Love & Rockets
24 No Myth – Michael Penn
25 Debaser – Pixies
Trying to make my list reflect what I was listening to at the time, while recognizing a few greats that may tend to be overlooked. But basically it’s just a lot of rock and rap!
There is a lot more on this playlist, tho
https://open.spotify.com/playlist/0UpSwu20E437rL7kEnQAbZ?si=SdZTax0IS1m7JffOFjgQYg
The Jesus And Mary Chain “Blues from a Gun”
The Cure “Lullaby”
10,000 Maniacs “Trouble Me”
The Connells “Something To Say”
Peter Murphy “Cuts You Up”
The Cult “Edie (Ciao Baby)”
New Order “Round and Round”
Indigo Girls “Closer To Fine”
The House of Love “I Don’t Know Why I Love You”
Morrissey “The Last of the Famous International Playboys”
The Smithereens “A Girl Like You”
Indigo Girls “Land of Canaan”
Dramarama “Last Cigarette”
Camper Van Beethoven “Pictures of Matchstick Men”
They Might Be Giants “Birdhouse in Your Soul”
Love and Rockets “So Alive”
Nine Inch Nails “Head Like A Hole”
Kirsty MacColl “Days”
The Lightning Seeds “Pure”
Lou Reed “Dirty Boulevard”
The Ocean Blue “Between Something and Nothing”
The Stone Roses “I Wanna Be Adored”
The Stone Roses “Fools Gold”
Peter Murphy “Crystal Wrists”
Enya “Orinoco Flow”
Orinoco Flow was release Oct.’88 tho
Any chance of following this with a survey for 1990? Not the 80s, obviously, but many of the songs will have been written in the 80s.
Hi there @ slicingupeyeballs:
Wondering when this list is going to be posted….
-nudge-
-nudge-