- Jan 2 "Superwoman" single released by Karyn White (Billboard Song of the Year 1989)
- Jan 8 "42nd Street" closes at Winter Garden Theater NYC after 3,486 performances
- Jan 8 "Starlight Express" closes at Gershwin Theater in NYC after 761 performances
- Jan 14 "Romance/Romance" closes at Helen Hayes Theater NYC after 297 performances
"Ain't Misbehavin'"
Jan 15 Revival of musical revue "Ain't Misbehavin'", highlighting songs of Fats Waller, closes at Ambassador Theater NYC after 176 performances
4th Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
Jan 18 4th Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductees: Dion; Otis Redding; The Rolling Stones; The Temptations; Stevie Wonder; The Ink Spots; Bessie Smith; The Soul Stirrers; and Phil Spector
- Jan 26 "Black & Blue" opens at Minskoff Theater NYC for 829 performances
16th American Music Awards
Jan 30 16th American Music Awards: Randy Travis and George Michael win
A Better Man
Feb 18 "A Better Man" single released by Clint Black (Billboard Song of the Year 1989)
- Feb 19 Peter Allen's musical "Legs Diamond" closes at Mark Hellinger Theater, NYC, after 64 performances
- Feb 22 1st Spanish commercial on network TV (Pepsi-Cola-CBS Grammy Award)
- Feb 22 31st Grammy Awards: "Don't Worry Be Happy" by Bobby McFerrin; "Faith"by George Michael; and Tracy Chapman win
Music History
Feb 26 "Jerome Robbins' Broadway" opens at Imperial Theater, NYC; runs for 634 performances
Academy of Country Music Awards
Apr 10 24th Academy of Country Music Awards: Hank Williams Jr, George Strait, and K.T. Oslin win
Soul Train Music Awards
Apr 12 3rd Soul Train Music Awards: Anita Baker, Bobby Brown win
- Apr 13 "Welcome to the Club" opens at Music Box Theater NYC for 12 performances
- Apr 22 "Welcome to the Club" closes at Music Box Theater NYC after 12 performances
- Apr 27 Barry Keating's musical "Starmites" opens at Criterion Center Stage Right Theater, NYC; runs for 60 performances
- May 2 "Killin' Time" debut album by Clint Black is released (Billboard Album of the Year, 1990)
- May 6 34th Eurovision Song Contest: Riva for Yugoslavia wins singing "Rock Me" in Lausanne
Sports History
May 8 Paul McCartney releases remake of "Ferry Cross the Mersey" in aid of those affected by the Hillsborough disaster, which claimed the lives of 96 Liverpool football fans
- May 15 Revival of Mitch Leigh and Ted Allen's musical closes at Ritz Theater, NYC, after 45 performances
Music Recording
May 24 Weird Al Yankovic records three tracks for his UHF soundtrack
- May 25 Weird Al Yankovic records parody song "She Drives Like Crazy"
- Jun 4 43rd Tony Awards: "The Heidi Chronicles" (play) and "Jerome Robbins' Broadway" (musical) win
Music City News Awards
Jun 5 23rd Music City News Country Awards: Ricky Van Shelton & Randy Travis win
- Jun 5 Paul McCartney releases "Flowers in the Dirt", his eighth solo studio album, featuring the Elvis Costello collaboration "My Brave Face"
Music History
Jun 13 Piano playing rock singer Jerry Lee Lewis gets a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame
Music History
Jun 14 "You've Got A Friend" singer-songwriter Carole King gets a star on Hollywood's Walk of Fame
Ghostbusters II
Jun 16 "Ghostbusters II", American supernatural comedy film sequel, directed by Ivan Reitman, starring Bill Murray and Dan Aykroyd premieres
Glastonbury Festival
Jun 16 Glastonbury Festival in Pilton, England opens: Elvis Costello, Van Morrison, and Suzanne Vega headline; other performers include: Bhundu Boys, Fairground Attraction, Hothouse Flowers, Fela Anikulapo-Kuti, Mahlathini and the Mahotella Queens, Yossou N'Dour, Pixies, The Proclaimers, Throwing Muses, The Waterboys, Lucinda Williams, Womack & Womack, and Flaco Jiménez
- Jun 18 Barry Keating's musical "Starmites" closes at Criterion Center Stage Right Theater, NYC, after 60 performances
- Jun 30 "Great Balls of Fire!" a quasi-biographical drama film starring Dennis Quaid as rockabilly pioneer Jerry Lee Lewis premieres; Lewis hates the film and the book from which it is sourced, but praises Quaid's performance
- Jul 2 South African Mbongeni Ngema and Hugh Masekela's musical "Sarafina!", based on the Soweto Uprising against apartheid, closes at the Cort Theater, NYC, after 597 performances
Music History
Jul 5 British singer Rod Stewart hits his head on a lighting fixture while on stage and knocks himself out in Pine Knob, Michigan [1]
- Jul 7 Concert by the Grateful Dead with Bruce Hornsby & the Range becomes final event at JFK Stadium in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, six days before structure is condemned
French Revolution
Jul 14 Jessye Norman sings French national anthem, La Marseillaise at the Place de la Concorde, Paris, to celebrate 200th anniversary of the French Revolution
- Jul 17 Paul McCartney releases single "This One", from his album "Flowers In The Dirt"
Music Concert
Jul 23 Ringo Starr's first All-Starr Band debuts in concert; members include Joe Walsh, Nils Lofgren, Rick Danko, Levon Helm, Clarence Clemons, Dr. John, Billy Preston, and Jim Keltner
Cuts Both Ways
Jul 28 Singer Gloria Estefan releases her debut solo album "Cuts Both Ways"
Oh! Calcutta! - The Bare Facts
Aug 6 Revival of musical revue "Oh! Calcutta!" closes at Edison Theater, NYC, after 5959 performances: Broadway’s longest-running musical revue
Anything Goes
Sep 1 Revival of Cole Porter's musical "Anything Goes" closes at Beaumont Theater, NYC, after 804 performances
Into the Woods
Sep 3 Stephen Sondheim's musical "Into the Woods" closes at Martin Beck Theater, NYC, after 764 performances and 3 Tony Award wins
- Sep 6 6th MTV Video Music Awards: Living Colour wins
Janet Jackson's Rhythm Nation 1814
Sep 19 "Janet Jackson's Rhythm Nation 1814" 4th studio album by Janet Jackson is released (Grammy Award Best Long Form Music Video 1990, Billboard Album of the Year 1990)
Miss Saigon
Sep 20 Musical "Miss Saigon" premieres in London, created by Claude-Michel Schönberg and Alain Boublil
Music History
Sep 29 Glenn Frey joins Eagles bandmate Don Henley on stage, for 1st time since 1981
Country Music Association Awards
Oct 9 23rd Country Music Association Awards: George Strait & Kathy Mattea win
- Oct 12 Musical "Buddy" with Paul Hipp premieres in London
Storm Front
Oct 17 Columbia Records releases "Storm Front", singer-songwriter Billy Joel's eleventh studio album
Best of Dark Horse 1976-89
Oct 23 George Harrison releases "Best of Dark Horse 1976-89" album
- Nov 2 Musical "Meet Me In St Louis", based on the 1944 film, opens at Gershwin Theater, NYC; runs for 253 performances
Music History
Nov 5 Revival of Bertolt Brecht and Kurt Weil's "Threepenny Opera" opens at Lunt-Fontanne Theater, NYC; runs for 65 performances
- Nov 11 Don Sebesky and Gloria Nissenson's musical "Prince of Central Park", starring Jo Anne Worley, closes at Belasco Theater, NYC, after 4 performances
- Nov 12 George Forrest's musical "Grand Hotel" opens at Martin Beck Theater, NYC; runs for 1018 performances and wins 5 Tony Awards
- Nov 13 Paul McCartney releases single "Figure of 8" & "Ou Est Le Soleil"
- Nov 15 "Few Good Men" opens at Music Box Theater NYC for 497 performances
- Nov 16 Revival of Jules Styne and Stephen Sondheim's musical "Gypsy" starring Tyne Daly, opens at St James Theater, NYC; runs for 476 performances, winning 2 Tony Awards
- Nov 27 George Harrison releases music singles "Cheer Down" and "Poor Little Girl"
All Hail the Queen
Nov 28 Queen Latifah releases her debut hip hop album "All Hail the Queen" featuring single "Ladies First"
Fall of the Berlin Wall
Dec 25 Leonard Bernstein conducts Beethoven's Symphony No. 9 in East Berlin's Schauspielhaus to celebrate fall of the Berlin Wall. Broadcast worldwide to audience of 100 million.
- Dec 31 "Me & My Girl" closes at Marquis Theater NYC after 1420 performances
- Dec 31 "Threepenny Opera" closes at Lunt-Fontanne Theater NYC after 65 performances
Country Singers
Jazz Musicians
Opera Singers
Pop Stars
Rappers
Rockers