What classic rock song held the number one spot for the longest in 1989?
Classic rock peaked in the 1960s and ‘70s. In the former, it was established; in the latter, it was expanded upon.
While there was a lot of good music made prior to the ‘60s, this was the decade when it felt like people realised just how wide the parameters of different genres actually were. Rock became incredibly popular, as it cemented itself as the most listened to style in the world, with headbangers around the globe becoming obsessed with the sound’s ruggedness and exciting nature.
As rock music became more popular, you had fans of that music who wanted to start making it, and in doing so, they stumbled upon new ways that they could present it. The fundamentals of rock ‘n’ roll remained, but new genres were added to it to give listeners something unique; the means by which bands presented themselves changed, and it seemed that there was no idea too big or small that couldn’t find a home within rock.
Led Zeppelin are one example out of many. Throughout the ‘70s, they became one of the most popular bands on the planet, and while their commitment to rock music played a big part in that, so too did their willingness to embrace it in different ways also help. Jimmy Page didn’t want to be a carbon copy of the bands he liked, he wanted to do so much more, and the band succeeded in this pursuit.
“I wanted Zeppelin to be a marriage of blues, hard rock and acoustic music topped with heavy choruses – a combination that had never been done before,” explained Page. “Lots of light and shade in the music.”
By the ‘80s, while people still very much loved rock music, it started to slightly go down in popularity. The genre wasn’t pushing for new ideas as much as it did in the decades prior, and therefore, a lot of listeners dismiss this period when it comes to rock music. However, while it may not have been the most inventive time for rock, there were still a lot of great songs out there, which are tough to deny.
Despite being inundated with new genres of music, the public still yearned for good rock here and there, so when it came out, you best believe that people bought it. Loads of great examples of rock music climbed the charts all the way to the back end of the decade, as even when the ‘90s loomed on the horizon, that hunger for rock music raged on, and it certainly benefited one artist in particular.
What classic rock song was number one for the longest in 1989?
The year was good for a lot of artists. For instance, Bon Jovi had a number one hit with ‘I’ll Be There For You’, a track the band will no doubt bring out on their massive reunion tour happening this year. Meanwhile, Poison released ‘Every Rose Has Its Thorn’, Don Henley brought out ‘The End of the Innocence’, and Fine Young Cannibals gave the public ‘She Drives Me Crazy’. While these are good listens, they didn’t top the charts for the longest time, as this part of the podium was reserved for Phil Collins and his track ‘Another Day in Paradise’.
Collins had learnt all about writing songs before he had even joined a band, then working with Genesis allowed him to take a step back and better understand arranging. “The spirit of Genesis was Tony, Mike and Peter,” he said. “I didn’t regard myself as a songwriter then. But there were things in Genesis I was highly influential in. My strength was arranging […] I was very into the first line-up of Yes – the one with [guitarist] Peter Banks. I remember listening to them and loving the way they took other people’s songs […] And did something different with them.”
With all of this experience under his belt, by the time he was releasing music towards the back of the ‘80s, not only did he have a big fan base, but the music he was putting out was a real treat. While these may not have been the formative years for classic rock, there were still a lot of great artists doing what they did best.
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