1990 in music

Events

• January 21 - MTV's Unplugged[?] premieres on cable television with musical guest, Squeeze
• February 6 - Billy Idol is involved in a serious motorcycle accident, resulting in several broken bones. Idol had been scheduled to have a major role in Oliver Stone's film The Doors, but had to back out of the project due to his injuries.
• February 8 - 50 year old songwriter Del Shannon dies of a self-inflicted gunshot wound.
• February 14 - 50,000 fans watch The Rolling Stones play the first of 10 concerts at Tokyo's Korakuen Dome[?], the beginning of the Stones' first ever tour of Japan.
• February 16 - Ike Turner is sentenced to 4 years in prison for possession of cocaine.
• February 17 - Aerosmith appears in the Saturday Night Live sketch Wayne's World, where they perform the Wayne's World theme song.
• February 24 - The Byrds (Roger McGuinn, Chris Hillman[?] and David Crosby) reunite, for the first time in 25 years, to perform at a Los Angeles, California tribute to Roy Orbison. The three are joined unexpectedly on stage by Bob Dylan, who sings "Mr. Tambourine Man" with the band.
• February 27 - In Time Magazine, Milli Vanilli "singer" Rob Pilatus[?] states that their group is, "more talented than any Bob Dylan or Paul McCartney. Mick Jagger can't produce a sound. I'm the new Elvis."
• March 20 - Gloria Estefan's tour bus is involved in an accident. Estefan suffers several broken several bones in her back.
• March 25 - Mötley Crüe's Tommy Lee is arrested for allegedly exposing his backside during a performance in Augusta, Georgia
• April 4 - Gloria Estefan returns to Miami, Florida after undergoing back surgery in March following a tour bus accident.
• April 6 - Mötley Crüe's Tommy Lee suffers a mild concussion after falling off of scaffolding above his elevated drum kit during a performance in New Haven, CT.
• April 7 - Neil Young, Elton John, Kris Kristofferson, Willie Nelson, John Mellencamp, Guns N' Roses and Jackson Browne perform at Farm Aid[?] IV in Indiana. John dedicates "Candle in the Wind" to AIDS patient Ryan White during his performance. White died later that evening
• April 25 - Jimi Hendrix's Fender Stratocaster that he used to perform his famous version of the "Star Spangled Banner" at Woodstock, is auctioned off in London for $295,000
• May 8 - In Los Angeles, California, Tom Waits wins a $2.5 million lawsuit against Frito-Lay[?] for unlawfully using a sound alike of Waits in its Doritos television commercials.
• May 26 - Gin Blossoms sign a contract with A&M Records
• October - Jamaaladeen Tacuma records Boss of the Bass[?], that will be a blockbuster in 1991
• Fall - For the first time, Amy Grant and Gary Chapman[?] hold a night of music at their Franklin, Tennessee Riverstone Farm, for local teenagers. Performers included Rich Mullins, Rick Elias, Charlie Peacock[?], Wes King[?] and Michael W. Smith. The event becomes known as "The Loft".
• November 27 - "Vocal" group Milli Vanilli admits to lip-synching hits such as "Girl You Know It's True." They later have their Grammy award revoked.
• December - The Smashing Pumpkins records Gish, which will be a blockbuster album in 1991
• Madonna's "Justify My Love" music video is banned by MTV. The singer appears on Nightline to defend the video.
• The poorly received Cop Rock preimieres on television, TV's first (and last) musical police drama.
• Will Smith hits primetime television with the sitcom, The Fresh Prince Of Bel-Air[?].
• Spin Doctors' begins performing
• Pearl Jam's career begins
• Ash forms
• Blue Meanies forms
• Blink-182 forms
• Face To Face forms
• Vertical Horizon forms
• Master Sound forms
• Rage Against the Machine forms
• Ricky Martin's career begins
• The Prodigy's career begins
• Mariah Carey's career begins
• Leaders of the New School (including Busta Rhymes) forms
• Master Sound forms
• Face To Face finishes recoring their demos

Albums Released

• Persistence of Time - Anthrax
• Against the Grain - Bad Religion
• Megatop Phoenix[?] - Big Audio Dynamite
• Some Gave All[?] - Billy Ray Cyrus
• Shake Your Money Maker - The Black Crowes
• Ichabod and I[?] - The Boo Radleys
• Eaten Back To Life[?] - Cannibal Corpse
• Vanity/Nemesis[?] - Celtic Frost
• Changesbowie[?] - David Bowie
• If There Was a Way[?] - Dwight Yoakam
• ...But Seriously[?] - Phil Collins
• The Real Thing - Faith No More
• Slappy[?] - Green Day
• Ritual de lo Habitual - Jane's Addiction
• Live at Hammersmith '84[?] - Jethro Tull
  • (A recording made in 1984 and released in 1990)
• Ah Via Musicom - Eric Johnson
• Faith Hope Love[?] - King's X
• Time's Up[?] - Living Colour
• Please Hammer Don't Hurt 'Em[?] - MC Hammer
• Rust In Peace - Megadeth
• The Mind Is a Terrible Thing to Taste - Ministry
• Brother's Keeper[?] - The Neville Brothers
• Baghdad - The Offspring
• Cowboys from Hell - Pantera
• Frizzle Fry[?] - Primus
• Fear of a Black Planet[?] - Public Enemy
• Play - Ride
• Here Comes Trouble[?] - Scatterbrain[?]
• Vision Thing[?] - The Sisters Of Mercy[?]
• Up for Grabs[?] - Spin Doctors
• No Depression[?] - Uncle Tupelo[?]
• Passion and Warfare[?] - Steve Vai
• Best of '81-'85[?] - Y&T
• Ten - Y&T
• GodWeenSatan: The Oneness[?] - Ween

Top Hits

• "I Wish It Would Rain Down" - Phil Collins
• "I Go To Extremes" - Billy Joel
• "Nothing Compares 2 U" - Sinead O'Connor
• "Opposites Attract" - Paula Abdul
• "Janie's Got A Gun" - Aerosmith
• "Burning Inside" - Ministry
• "U Can't Touch This" - M.C. Hammer
• "The Wagon" - Dinosaur Jr.
• "Epic" - Faith No More

Births

Deaths

• January 23 - Allen Collins[?], Lynyrd Skynyrd guitarist, complications from pneumonia
• February 8 - Del Shannon, suicide
• February 25 - Johnnie Ray[?], liver failure
• March 16 - Andrew Wood[?], Mother Love Bone
• April 3 - Sarah Vaughn[?], lung cancer
• August 27 - Stevie Ray Vaughan, blues guitarist performer
• October 14 - Leonard Bernstein, American composer and conductor
• October 16 - Art Blakey, jazz drummer
• December 2 -- Aaron Copland, American composer

Awards

• The following artists are inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame: Hank Ballard, Bobby Darin, The Four Seasons, The Four Tops, The Kinks, The Platters, Simon and Garfunkel and The Who
• Grammy Awards of 1990[?]
• Eurovision Song Contest 1990