A Snapshot in Time

Before we dive into the albums, here’s what else was happening in the globe at this moment:

• The Cold War era was winding down — the Berlin Wall had fallen just weeks earlier in November 1989, and the world was witnessing change on a grand scale.

• In the United States, President George H. W. Bush had recently assumed office (January 1989) and the economy, technological adoption (e.g., computers & mobile phones), and cultural attitudes were rapidly evolving.

• The U.S. pop culture scene was deep in the MTV era: music videos had become major promotional weapons, and dance-pop, new jack swing, and slick production values were dominating radio and retail racks.

• The music industry was still heavily physical-media based (vinyl, cassettes, CDs), and record stores (yes — brick-and-mortar) were major traffic drivers for youth and adult buyers alike.

• In retail, holiday season sales were in full swing — December was a huge month for album purchases as people bought holiday gifts, and “must-have” albums often became part of the seasonal shopping frenzy.

Just as America was experiencing that moment of cultural flux and consumer buying, these were the albums spinning on turntables (or CD players) across our country.

If You Need A New Turntable, You May Like These!

This Week’s Top Ten Albums in America

1. Girl You Know It’s True – Milli Vanilli
   • Featured hits: “Girl You Know It’s True”, “Baby Don’t Forget My Number” Albumism
2. Storm Front – Billy Joel
   • Featured hits: “We Didn’t Start the Fire”, “The Downeaster ‘Alexa’” Wikipedia+1
3. Janet Jackson’s Rhythm Nation 1814 – Janet Jackson
   • Featured hits: “Miss You Much”, “Escapade”, “Black Cat” Wikipedia
4. …But Seriously – Phil Collins
   • Featured hits: “Another Day in Paradise”, “I Wish It Would Rain Down” Wikipedia
5. Forever Your Girl – Paula Abdul
   • Featured hits: “Straight Up”, “Forever Your Girl”
6. Hangin’ Tough – New Kids On The Block
   • Featured hits: “You’re My Dream Girl”, “Hangin’ Tough”
7. Pump – Aerosmith
   • Featured hits: “Love in an Elevator”, “Janie’s Got a Gun”
8. Cosmic Thing – The B‑52’s
   • Featured hits: “Love Shack”, “Roam”
9. Merry, Merry Christmas – New Kids On The Block
   • Featured hits: “This One’s for the Children”, “Give Love on Christmas Day”
10. Slip Of the Tongue – Whitesnake
    • Featured hits: “Fool for Your Lovin’ ’89”, “The Deeper The Love”

Album of the Week Spotlight

 Girl You Know It's True - Milli Vanilli

💿 Album of the Week Spotlight

Girl You Know It’s True – Milli Vanilli     

This album landed at No. 1 for the week of December 23, 1989, signaling how dance-pop and studio-slick production had become mainstream in North America. 

It also foreshadowed one of the biggest pop-industry controversies, so it’s culturally fascinating as well as musically significant. Music Charts Archive+1

Release Story & Chart Climb:
Released on March 7, 1989 in North America, Girl You Know It’s True was a reworked version of the European album All or Nothing. Wikipedia+1

The LP went on to produce multiple Top 5 singles. The album spent seven non-consecutive weeks atop the U.S. Billboard 200 and was certified 6 × platinum in the U.S. in January 1990. Albumism+1

Critical Reception & Cultural Significance:
Musically, it blended R&B, dance-pop and New Jack Swing elements for the mainstream.

It was a high-gloss production by producer Frank Farian and positioned the duo as slick pop stars ready for MTV and mass-market success. Wikipedia

But culturally, its rise and later fall (the lip‐sync scandal) cast a long shadow across the music business — about authenticity, image, and the limits of manufactured pop. People.com+1

Why It Mattered:

• It demonstrated how a dance-pop album could dominate the U.S. charts at the close of the ’80s.

• It highlighted the retail power of albums during the holiday season — with December purchases still pushing it to the top.

• It foreshadowed the shift into the 1990s when pop would become even more global, image-driven, and hybrid in genre.

• And while from a purely musical perspective it lit up the charts, from a retrospective view it reminds us how the back story of music can change our perception of it.

My Connection

At the time, I was the manager of Camelot Music – West Manchester Mall (York, PA).

I had transferred into the store about six months earlier. I was still getting a beat on what sells in this market.

I discovered that while the customer base in York was quite similar to Lancaster’s, there was one key difference: folks here were more into the new Dance/Rhythm hits and the fresh sounds coming up from the streets.

So when Girl You Know It’s True showed up, it didn’t just sell — it was a solid, steady good seller, week in week out.

I could count on good sales each week by carrying enough copies of it, to supply the demand for it every day.

It felt like we were witnessing a change: people were buying not just rock or classic pop — they were buying the beat, the look, the club vibe.

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🧠 Trivia Corner

Fun Fact 1:* Girl You Know It’s True produced five singles that entered the Top 5 on the Billboard Hot 100. Albumism

Fun Fact 2:* On Rhythm Nation 1814, Janet Jackson became the first solo artist to have singles hit #1 in three different calendar years from the same album.

Fun Fact 3:* Billy Joel’s Storm Front album features the song “We Didn’t Start the Fire” which lists dozens of historical events between 1949 and 1989 in its lyrics. Wikipedia

❓ Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Q: Why were these albums so important in December 1989?
A: December is a big sales season (holiday shopping), so albums that were still fresh in the autumn often surged. Also, the late-’80s stylistic changes were hitting mainstream; these albums represented current trends.

Q: How many weeks did Girl You Know It’s True stay at number 1?
A: It spent seven non-consecutive weeks at the top of the U.S. Billboard 200. Albumism+1

Q: What makes Rhythm Nation 1814 stand out musically?
A: It blended socially conscious lyrics, dance-floor beats, strong visuals and multiple hit singles — bridging pop, R&B and protest themes. Wikipedia

Q: Were record stores like Camelot Music important at this time?
A: Absolutely. Physical retail was still dominant; stores were the main discovery points for consumers, and managers like me were keenly aware of trends and local tastes.

A Snapshot in Time

Before we cue up the cassettes, here’s what was happening in the world the week of October 28, 1989:

• Janet Jackson’s Rhythm Nation 1814 hit No. 1 on the Billboard 200, beginning its four-week reign.

• East Germany was on the brink of transformation—mass demonstrations in Leipzig and Dresden foreshadowed the fall of the Berlin Wall just weeks later.

• In the U.S., President George H. W. Bush was navigating post–Cold War diplomacy, while debates over trade and crime dominated headlines.

• The San Francisco Bay Area was still reeling from the Loma Prieta earthquake (October 17), which disrupted the World Series between the Giants and the Athletics.

• At the movies, “Look Who’s Talking” topped the box office, and MTV was in its prime—music videos were now essential to an artist’s identity.

Just as the world was poised for change, the Billboard chart reflected that same energy—a mix of veteran legends, pop newcomers, and genre-crossing innovators.

This Week’s Top Ten Albums in America

1. Here’s what America was spinning on turntables and Walkmans during the last week of October 1989, along with the songs that drove each album’s success:

   1. Janet Jackson’s Rhythm Nation 1814 – “Miss You Much” and “Rhythm Nation” defined dance-pop precision and social consciousness.

   2. Girl, You Know It’s True – Milli Vanilli – Fueled by “Blame It on the Rain” and “Girl You Know It’s True,” this album was a chart juggernaut before controversy struck.

   3. Dr. Feelgood – Mötley Crüe – Hard rock roared back with “Kickstart My Heart” and “Dr. Feelgood.”

   4. Steel Wheels – The Rolling Stones – A triumphant comeback for the Stones, led by “Mixed Emotions” and “Rock and a Hard Place.”

   5. Forever Your Girl – Paula Abdul – Pop perfection with “Straight Up” and “Cold Hearted.” Its long climb to No. 1 made history.

   6. Pump – Aerosmith – The Boston rockers reinvented themselves with “Love in an Elevator” and “Janie’s Got a Gun.”

   7. Hangin’ Tough – New Kids On The Block – Teen pop took over the airwaves with “I’ll Be Loving You (Forever)” and “Hangin’ Tough.”

   8. The Seeds of Love – Tears for Fears – Expansive, artful pop led by “Sowing the Seeds of Love” and “Woman in Chains.”

   9. Full Moon Fever – Tom Petty – A solo triumph packed with radio staples “Free Fallin’” and “I Won’t Back Down.”

   10. Skid Row – Skid Row – The debut that made hair metal anthemic with “18 and Life” and “I Remember You.”

Album of the Week Spotlight

 Forever Your Girl- Paula Abdul

💿 Album of the Week Spotlight

Forever Your Girl – Paula Abdul

Why I Picked It:
Forever Your Girl was a slow-burning success story that became one of the defining pop albums of the late 1980s.

It wasn’t just the catchy songs—it was the choreography, visuals, and total performance package.

Paula Abdul bridged the gap between dance and pop, proving that MTV-driven visuals could drive album sales as powerfully as radio.

Release Story & Chart Climb:
Released in June 1988, Forever Your Girl took over a year to reach No. 1—an unprecedented 64-week climb.

Once there, it dominated, producing four No. 1 singles and establishing Abdul as a multi-platform performer: singer, dancer, and video star.

Her background as a choreographer for Janet Jackson’s Control and Rhythm Nation gave her an insider’s grasp on visual storytelling, a skill that reshaped pop promotion in the years that followed.

Why It Mattered:
The album’s success inspired a new wave of female pop stars and laid the groundwork for the dance-pop explosion of the early 1990s.

It showed that performance could be just as vital as production—and it helped solidify MTV as the center of pop culture.

Forever Your Girl on 1989 and beyond is seen in its influence on other artists, its innovative music videos, and its contribution to the rise of the late 80s and early 90s dance-pop genre.

While not a direct stylistic influence on boy bands, her crossover success as a dancer-turned-vocalist helped shape the aesthetic and market for choreographed pop acts that would become a defining feature of the 90s. 

 Choreography and aesthetic influence, Some Tidbits of Information, showing Paula's influence:

Janet Jackson:  Before her solo debut, Abdul was a highly successful choreographer for major acts, most notably for Janet Jackson's groundbreaking videos from the Control (1986) album. 

The high-energy, technically precise choreography that defined Jackson's videos was a direct precursor to Abdul's own success.

Boy bands: Following Abdul's success, 90s boy bands like the Backstreet Boys, *NSYNC, and others frequently employed complex, full-production choreography in their music videos and live performances.

This visual emphasis, championed by Abdul and Janet Jackson, became a staple of the boy band era.

My Connection

In late 1989, I was managing Camelot Music at West Manchester Mall in York, Pennsylvania.

You could literally see Forever Your Girl climb week by week—the demand never stopped.

Customers would come in asking for “the one with Straight Up” or “the cassette with that dance girl.”

It wasn’t just a Paula Abdul moment—it was an era of transformation in how people connected with music.

Artists like Janet Jackson, Paula Abdul, and Madonna brought movement, visuals, and choreography to the forefront. 

At the same time, rock acts like Aerosmith and Tom Petty were proving that reinvention could keep a legacy alive.

By 1989, the future of pop was on full display—diverse, visual, and driven by energy and storytelling.

🧠 Trivia Corner

• Fun Fact 1: Forever Your Girl took 64 weeks to reach No. 1—still one of the slowest climbs to the top in Billboard history.

• Fun Fact 2: Rhythm Nation 1814 remains the only album to produce seven top-five singles on the Billboard Hot 100.

• Fun Fact 3: Full Moon Fever was Tom Petty’s first solo album and his best-selling release, despite not carrying the “Heartbreakers” name.

❓ Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Q: Which album was No. 1 this week in 1989?
A: Rhythm Nation 1814 by Janet Jackson held the top spot on the Billboard 200 for October 28, 1989.

Q: Why was Paula Abdul’s Forever Your Girl so successful?
A: Its combination of catchy songwriting, stunning choreography, and nonstop MTV presence made it a slow-building but unstoppable pop hit.

Q: What genres dominated late 1989?
A: Dance-pop, glam metal, and classic rock were all strong. This was a rare era when Janet Jackson, Aerosmith, and Tom Petty could share the Top Ten.

Q: How did music videos influence album sales during this time?
A: Videos were crucial—MTV exposure could turn a single into a national obsession and push album sales through the roof.

A Snapshot in Time

Before diving into the music, here’s what else was happening in the world: January 1983 was buzzing with global and national change.
Just as America was experiencing these moments, these were the albums spinning on turntables nationwide.

Major Events from the Week of January 22, 1983:

1. President Ronald Reagan announced plans for major federal budget cuts to curb inflation.

2. The Apple Lisa computer — one of the first with a graphical user interface — was released, signaling the dawn of modern personal computing.

3. The Washington Redskins defeated the Miami Dolphins in Super Bowl XVII.

4. Tensions escalated in the Cold War as U.S.–Soviet nuclear talks continued in Geneva.

5. Michael Jackson’s Thriller music video was in production, setting up what would become a global pop culture phenomenon.

This Week’s Top Ten Albums in America

1. Business As Usual – Men At Work
   Featuring the hits: “Who Can It Be Now?” and “Down Under”

2. Built For Speed – Stray Cats
   Featuring the hits: “Rock This Town” and “Stray Cat Strut”

3. H2O – Hall & Oates
   Featuring the hits: “Maneater” and “One on One”

4. Get Nervous – Pat Benatar
   Featuring the hits: “Shadows of the Night” and “Little Too Late”

5. Thriller – Michael Jackson
   Featuring the hits: “Billie Jean” and “Beat It”

6. Coda – Led Zeppelin
   Featuring the hits: “We're Gonna Groove” and “I Can’t Quit You Baby (Live)”

7. Combat Rock – The Clash
   Featuring the hits: “Rock the Casbah” and “Should I Stay or Should I Go”

8. The Distance – Bob Seger & The Silver Bullet Band
   Featuring the hits: “Shame on the Moon” and “Even Now”

9. Long After Dark – Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers
   Featuring the hits: “You Got Lucky” and “Change of Heart”

10. Hello, I Must Be Going – Phil Collins
    Featuring the hits: “You Can’t Hurry Love” and “I Don’t Care Anymore”

Album of the Week Spotlight

 Business As Usual - Men At Work

💿 Album of the Week Spotlight

Business As Usual – Men At Work

This was Australia’s biggest breakout moment on the U.S. charts.

While Air Supply had opened the door for Aussie pop, Men At Work brought a rock edge with a distinctive sound that mixed humor, tight musicianship, and a global flavor.

With hits like Down Under and Who Can It Be Now?, it dominated airwaves and album sales for months.

Released in late 1981 in Australia and 1982 in the U.S., Business As Usual spent 15 consecutive weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 — a feat few debut albums have matched.

Critics praised its witty lyrics and breezy sound, while MTV helped catapult its videos into heavy rotation, cementing Men At Work as one of the decade’s defining acts.

My Connection

I was managing Camelot Music at Eastview Mall that winter.

Business As Usual stood out immediately — a fresh, clean sound that caught your attention the moment it played in-store.

My staff loved it, and customers did too. By early 1983, most sales had shifted from vinyl to cassette, and this album moved fast off the shelves in that format.

8-tracks were nearly gone — we had stopped stocking them entirely by then. It truly was the beginning of a new music era.

🧠 Trivia Corner

• Fun Fact 1: Business As Usual was the first debut album by an Australian band to hit No. 1 in both the U.S. and U.K.

• Fun Fact 2: Colin Hay, the band’s lead singer, later became a cult favorite for his acoustic solo work featured on Scrubs.

• Fun Fact 3: Men At Work’s saxophonist, Greg Ham, created the signature “whoo-whoo” riff in Who Can It Be Now? in one take.

❓ Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Q: How long did “Business As Usual” stay at No. 1 in the U.S.?
A: It held the top spot for 15 consecutive weeks — an incredible achievement for a debut album.

Q: What genre is Men At Work’s music considered?
A: It’s mainly classified as New Wave and pop rock, known for its quirky humor and reggae-inspired rhythms.

Q: Were cassettes more popular than vinyl in 1983?
A: Yes — by this time, cassette sales were overtaking vinyl due to their portability and compatibility with car players.

Q: What other albums challenged “Business As Usual” that year?
A: Michael Jackson’s Thriller and The Police’s Synchronicity would soon battle it for chart dominance later in 1983.

When legends unite: how Volume One by the Traveling Wilburys captured a moment in rock memory.

As 1989 dawned, amid big arena rock and slick R&B, a loose alliance of icons cracked into the top ten—reminding us that even giants can come together and make something fresh, fun, and culturally resonant.

A Snapshot in Time

Before we spin the records, here’s what else was happening around the world during that week:

• On January 7, Emperor Hirohito of Japan passed away, and his son Akihito succeeded him as the 125th Emperor—ushering in the end of the Shōwa era and the start of the Heisei era. Wikipedia+2Wikipedia+2

• That same day, an international Conference on the Limitation of Chemical Weapons opened in Paris. On This Day

• In sports, the Cleveland Cavaliers blocked 21 shots from the New York Knicks—tying an NBA record for most blocks in a regulation game. On This Day+1

• In the Philippines, a standoff ended: mutinous policemen holding hostages in Zamboanga City were dislodged by government forces on January 7. Wikipedia

• On television entertainment, WWE’s Saturday Night’s Main Event aired from Tampa, FL, featuring an Intercontinental Championship match (Ultimate Warrior vs. Honky Tonk Man). WWE

Just as these moments were shaping geopolitics, sports, and media, Americans were also turning on their stereos—and here’s what was on their decks.

This Week’s Top Ten Albums in America

1. Giving You the Best That I’ve Got — Anita Baker

2. Cocktail — Movie Soundtrack

3. Rattle and Hum — U2

4. New Jersey — Bon Jovi

5. Volume One — Traveling Wilburys

6. Hysteria — Def Leppard

7. Appetite for Destruction — Guns N’ Roses

8. Don’t Be Cruel — Bobby Brown

9. Open Up and Say…Ahh! — Poison

10. Silhouette — Kenny G

Album of the Week Spotlight

 Volume One - Traveling Wilburys

Album of the Week Spotlight – Volume One by the Traveling Wilburys

Released October 18, 1988, Volume One was instantly something of a curiosity: a supergroup comprised of Bob Dylan, George Harrison, Jeff Lynne, Tom Petty, and Roy Orbison. Wikipedia+2Wikipedia+2

What makes this album particularly special:

• Unexpected commercial success. Despite its informal roots, Volume One climbed to #3 on the US Billboard 200 and went on to be certified triple platinum. Wikipedia+2ChartMasters+2

• A bittersweet twist. Roy Orbison, one of the founding voices of the group, died December 6, 1988—just weeks after the album’s release. His passing cast a poignant shadow over its success. ChartMasters+2Wikipedia+2

• Cultural resonance. The album’s friendly, low-pressure approach—famously born of a “bonus track” idea—gave rock fans a rare sense of witnessing something playful and collaborative among legends. Critics often framed it as one of the great “what-if” supergroup moments. Wikipedia+2Wikipedia+2

• Longevity. Volume One remained on the US charts for nearly 50 weeks, solidifying its place not just as a curiosity but a lasting success. Wikipedia+2Facebook+2

My Connection

In my retail days, Volume One wasn’t a blockbuster in our region—sales were modest.

The core buyers who did grab it tended to skew younger (16–34) and were often fans of one or more members (Dylan, Harrison, Petty).

It felt like an album driven more by word-of-mouth enthusiasm than heavy radio play or mass appeal in stores.

Trivia Corner

Fun Fact 1: Volume One sold over 11 million equivalent album sales globally, making it one of 1988’s most successful albums. ChartMasters

Fun Fact 2: The Traveling Wilburys adopted humorous pseudonyms (e.g. “Nelson Wilbury,” “Lefty Wilbury”) and called themselves half-brothers from a fictional travelling family—just part of the casual spirit behind the project. Wikipedia+1

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Q: Why didn’t Volume One score more hit singles?
A: The album’s singles had modest chart impact (e.g. “Handle With Care” peaked around #45 on the Hot 100), likely because radio formats favored more conventional pop or rock acts. Still, its album sales speak to deeper fan interest. Wikipedia+2Billboard+2

Q: Did the Wilburys continue making music after this?
A: They did release one more album (curiously titled Vol. 3) in 1990, though they never officially toured. The group was largely dormant after 1991. Wikipedia+2Wikipedia+2

Q: How did critics respond at the time?
A: Reviews were surprising gentle and appreciative: critics praised the relaxed chemistry and considered it a refreshing break from overproduction. Many considered it a “happy accident” turned triumph. Wikipedia

Q: How has Volume One aged over time?
A: It’s often cited as one of the great supergroup debuts. The reissue in 2007, packaged with Vol. 3, brought renewed attention and confirmed its lasting appeal. Wikipedia+1