Time can go past in the blink of an eye – and so it’s somewhat alarming to realise three decades have passed since the 80s ended. As 1989 became 1990, genres old and new jostled alongside each other on the ARIA singles chart, with that summer’s biggest hits running the gamut from on-trend dance cuts to monster hits by some old school stars.
 
Floor fillers

Dance had been a dirty word in Australia in some quarters for years, but as we entered the 1990s, there was no holding back the tide of Euro-dance and other forms of electronic music any longer. Although neither reached the top of the ARIA chart, “Ride On Time” by Black Box (number 2) and Technotronic featuring Felly’s “Pump Up The Jam” (number 4) were the sound of summer parties. Both acts would face issues with questionable sampling and vocal crediting practices, as would another of that season’s big artists, Milli Vanilli (“Baby Don’t Forget My Number” and “Girl I’m Gonna Miss You” were massive) – but at the time, they sure got us in the mood for dancing.

Power ballads

At the other end of the BPM spectrum, ballads dominated the chart that holiday season. Falling just short of the number 1 spot, there was the sweet sentiment of “Don’t Know Much” by Linda Ronstadt and Aaron Neville, and the lovesick pain of Michael Bolton’s “How Am I Supposed To Live With You” – a song that’d previously reached the top 50 in a version by Laura Branigan, before Michael, who wrote it, recorded it himself. On a rockier tip, Bad English took “When I See You Smile” into the top 5 while Aerosmith went all the way to number 1 with “Janie’s Got A Gun”.

70s icons

Cher’s “If I Could Turn Back Time” had first reached number 1 in mid-October 1989, but held down the top spot for most of December, and where she led, other acts that’d come to prominence in the 1970s infiltrated the top 10. There were major comebacks from Alice Cooper with “Poison” (number 3) and The B-52’s, who took over from Cher at number 1 with “Love Shack”. Held off the top by both Cher and The B-52’s, Billy Joel enjoyed his biggest hit in years with “We Didn’t Start The Fire”, while Deborah Harry also added to her solo success with “I Want That Man” (number 2).

Pop princesses

Fresh-faced pop stars catered to the younger end of the music buying demographic, with Kylie Minogue continuing to churn out hits from her Enjoy Yourself album – both “Never Too Late” and “Tears On My Pillow” reached the top 20. Coming off the back of her breakthrough with “Toy Soldiers”, Martika injected new life into the Carole King classic “I Feel The Earth Move” (number 2), while Belinda Carlisle made 31 look like 21 as she returned with “Leave A Light On”, the lead single of her most successful album in Australia, Runaway Horses.

New faces

Some brand new talent stormed into the upper reaches of the ARIA chart during the summer of 89-90, including local singer Peter Blakeley, who, after years of trying, finally broke through with “Crying In The Chapel” (number 3). British singer Lisa Stansfield also made a name for herself with trans-Atlantic smash “All Around The World” (number 9), while Canada’s Alannah Myles had two simultaneous hits in the form of “Love Is” (number 12) and “Black Velvet” (number 3). 

A cartoon rabbit

And then there was Jive Bunny and the Mixmasters, whose medley of rock ‘n’ roll-era classics “Swing The Mood” remained in the top 10 throughout December after its run at number 1, and was quickly joined by the Hawaii Five-O theme-sampling follow-up, “That’s What I Like”. Over the next couple of years, all manner of medleys and megamixes would visit the chart, with, er, mixed success.

Love the 80s? Check out our Hist of The 80s playlists!

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