1990 in British music
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| 1990s in music in the UK | |
| List of number one singles | |
| Summaries and charts: 1990, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999 | |
| ←1989 | 2000→ |
This is a summary of 1990 in music in the United Kingdom, including the official charts from that year.
Contents |
Summary
The first year of the 1990s saw 17 number 1 singles. The first was Hangin' Tough by the boyband New Kids on the Block. Due to January traditionally being a low sales month, the song set the record for the lowest selling number 1 ever in it's first week at the top, selling 28,000 copies. This record would remain until October 2004. The next #1 was Kylie Minogue's cover of the Little Anthony & the Imperials song Tears On My Pillow, taken from the film The Delinquents. This would be her last #1 for 10 years, and the last #1 produced by Stock Aitken Waterman.
This would also be the year which saw Madonna receive her last #1 for a while, with Vogue in April. Her next wouldn't be until 1998's Frozen. Dance music was one of the more popular genres of the year, with several songs of that type hitting #1 in the Spring, including Snap!'s The Power, the last record to jump from outside the top 10 to number 1.
Elton John got his first solo number 1 in June, and only his 2nd overall (his first being Don't Go Breaking My Heart with Kiki Dee in 1976) with the charity single Sacrifice / Healing Hands, with all the proceeds going to AIDS charities. He also enjoyed success with two number 1 albums, Sleeping With the Past in July, and The Very Best of Elton John in November.
A problem occured in September when two records - The Steve Miller Band's The Joker and Deee-Lite's Groove Is In the Heart - both tied for the number 1 position, selling exactly the same amount of copies. As the rules stated that in the event of this happening, the single which had climbed the highest would be the number 1, The Joker, re-issued after being featured in a Levi's advert, won out (having climbed five places instead of three). Due to the controversy that followed, with some saying that it was unfair to let a re-issue of an old song overtake the debut single of a new group, the rules were changed so that records would now be allowed to tie.
Four of the number 1s this year came from films. Kylie Minogue's Tears on My Pillow, mentioned earlier, Partners In Kryme's Turtle Power, from Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Maria McKee's Show Me Heaven, from Days of Thunder, and a re-issue of The Righteous Brothers' Unchained Melody (originally a number 14 hit in 1965) from Ghost, which was the biggest selling single of the year. A re-issue of the 1965 #1 You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin' in December was also successful, peaking at #3.
Cliff Richard scored the Christmas number one single with Saviour's Day, his 13th number 1, and his 100th top 40 hit. With this he became the only person to have a number 1 in the 1950s, 60s, 70s, 80s, and 90s.
Charts
Singles
| Issue Date | Song Title | Artist |
| 7 January | Hangin' Tough | New Kids on the Block |
| 14 January | Hangin' Tough | New Kids on the Block |
| 21 January | Tears On My Pillow | Kylie Minogue |
| 28 January | Nothing Compares 2 U | Sinéad O'Connor |
| 4 February | Nothing Compares 2 U | Sinéad O'Connor |
| 11 February | Nothing Compares 2 U | Sinéad O'Connor |
| 18 February | Nothing Compares 2 U | Sinéad O'Connor |
| 25 February | Dub Be Good To Me | Beats International featuring Lindy Layton |
| 4 March | Dub Be Good To Me | Beats International featuring Lindy Layton |
| 11 March | Dub Be Good To Me | Beats International featuring Lindy Layton |
| 18 March | Dub Be Good To Me | Beats International featuring Lindy Layton |
| 25 March | The Power | Snap! |
| 1 April | The Power | Snap! |
| 8 April | Vogue | Madonna |
| 15 April | Vogue | Madonna |
| 22 April | Vogue | Madonna |
| 29 April | Vogue | Madonna |
| 6 May | Killer | Adamski |
| 13 May | Killer | Adamski |
| 20 May | Killer | Adamski |
| 27 May | Killer | Adamski |
| 3 June | World in Motion | Englandneworder |
| 10 June | World in Motion | Englandneworder |
| 17 June | Sacrifice / Healing Hands | Elton John |
| 24 June | Sacrifice / Healing Hands | Elton John |
| 1 July | Sacrifice / Healing Hands | Elton John |
| 8 July | Sacrifice / Healing Hands | Elton John |
| 15 July | Sacrifice / Healing Hands | Elton John |
| 22 July | Turtle Power | Partners in Kryme |
| 29 July | Turtle Power | Partners in Kryme |
| 5 August | Turtle Power | Partners in Kryme |
| 12 August | Turtle Power | Partners in Kryme |
| 19 August | Itsy Bitsy Teeny Weeny Yellow Polka Dot Bikini | Bombalurina |
| 26 August | Itsy Bitsy Teeny Weeny Yellow Polka Dot Bikini | Bombalurina |
| 2 September | Itsy Bitsy Teeny Weeny Yellow Polka Dot Bikini | Bombalurina |
| 9 September | The Joker | The Steve Miller Band |
| 16 September | The Joker | The Steve Miller Band |
| 23 September | Show Me Heaven | Maria McKee |
| 30 September | Show Me Heaven | Maria McKee |
| 7 October | Show Me Heaven | Maria McKee |
| 14 October | Show Me Heaven | Maria McKee |
| 21 October | A Little Time | The Beautiful South |
| 28 October | Unchained Melody | The Righteous Brothers |
| 4 November | Unchained Melody | The Righteous Brothers |
| 11 November | Unchained Melody | The Righteous Brothers |
| 18 November | Unchained Melody | The Righteous Brothers |
| 25 November | Ice Ice Baby | Vanilla Ice |
| 2 December | Ice Ice Baby | Vanilla Ice |
| 9 December | Ice Ice Baby | Vanilla Ice |
| 16 December | Ice Ice Baby | Vanilla Ice |
| 23 December | Saviour's Day | Cliff Richard |
| 30 December | Bring Your Daughter...To The Slaughter | Iron Maiden |
Albums
| Issue Date | Album Title | Artist |
| 7 January | But Seriously... | Phil Collins |
| 14 January | But Seriously... | Phil Collins |
| 21 January | Colour | The Christians |
| 28 January | But Seriously... | Phil Collins |
| 4 February | But Seriously... | Phil Collins |
| 11 February | But Seriously... | Phil Collins |
| 18 February | But Seriously... | Phil Collins |
| 25 February | But Seriously... | Phil Collins |
| 4 March | But Seriously... | Phil Collins |
| 11 March | But Seriously... | Phil Collins |
| 18 March | I Do Not Want What I Haven't Got | Sinéad O'Connor |
| 25 March | Changesbowie | David Bowie |
| 1 April | Only Yesterday - Richard & Karen Carpenter's Greatest Hits | Carpenters |
| 8 April | Only Yesterday - Richard & Karen Carpenter's Greatest Hits | Carpenters |
| 15 April | Behind the Mask | Fleetwood Mac |
| 22 April | Only Yesterday - Richard & Karen Carpenter's Greatest Hits | Carpenters |
| 29 April | Only Yesterday - Richard & Karen Carpenter's Greatest Hits | Carpenters |
| 6 May | Only Yesterday - Richard & Karen Carpenter's Greatest Hits | Carpenters |
| 13 May | Only Yesterday - Richard & Karen Carpenter's Greatest Hits | Carpenters |
| 19 May | Only Yesterday - Richard & Karen Carpenter's Greatest Hits | Carpenters |
| 27 May | Volume II (1990 a New Decade) | Soul II Soul |
| 3 June | Volume II (1990 a New Decade) | Soul II Soul |
| 10 June | Volume II (1990 a New Decade) | Soul II Soul |
| 17 June | The Essential Pavarotti | Luciano Pavarotti |
| 24 June | Step By Step | New Kids on the Block |
| 1 July | The Essential Pavarotti | Luciano Pavarotti |
| 8 July | The Essential Pavarotti | Luciano Pavarotti |
| 15 July | The Essential Pavarotti | Luciano Pavarotti |
| 22 July | Sleeping With the Past | Elton John |
| 29 July | Sleeping With the Past | Elton John |
| 5 August | Sleeping With the Past | Elton John |
| 12 August | Sleeping With the Past | Elton John |
| 19 August | Sleeping With the Past | Elton John |
| 26 August | Graffiti Bridge | Prince |
| 2 September | In Concert | Carreras Domingo Pavarotti (The Three Tenors) Orchestra Del Maggio Musical Fiorentino Orchestra Del Teatro Dell'Opera Di Roma Zubin Mehta |
| 9 September | Listen Without Prejudice Vol. 1 | George Michael |
| 16 September | In Concert | Carreras Domingo Pavarotti (The Three Tenors) Orchestra Del Maggio Musical Fiorentino Orchestra Del Teatro Dell'Opera Di Roma Zubin Mehta |
| 23 September | In Concert | Carreras Domingo Pavarotti (The Three Tenors) Orchestra Del Maggio Musical Fiorentino Orchestra Del Teatro Dell'Opera Di Roma Zubin Mehta |
| 30 September | In Concert | Carreras Domingo Pavarotti (The Three Tenors) Orchestra Del Maggio Musical Fiorentino Orchestra Del Teatro Dell'Opera Di Roma Zubin Mehta |
| 7 October | In Concert | Carreras Domingo Pavarotti (The Three Tenors) Orchestra Del Maggio Musical Fiorentino Orchestra Del Teatro Dell'Opera Di Roma Zubin Mehta |
| 14 October | Some Friendly | The Charlatans |
| 21 October | The Rhythm of the Saints | Paul Simon |
| 28 October | The Rhythm of the Saints | Paul Simon |
| 4 November | The Very Best of Elton John | Elton John |
| 11 November | The Very Best of Elton John | Elton John |
| 18 November | The Immaculate Collection | Madonna |
| 25 November | The Immaculate Collection | Madonna |
| 2 December | The Immaculate Collection | Madonna |
| 9 December | The Immaculate Collection | Madonna |
| 16 December | The Immaculate Collection | Madonna |
| 23 December | The Immaculate Collection | Madonna |
| 30 December | The Immaculate Collection | Madonna |
