List of Hot Adult Contemporary number ones of 1990

Last updated

The Righteous Brothers topped the chart with their 1965 recording of "Unchained Melody", which was re-released after being featured in the film Ghost. TheRighteousBrothersperformingKBF.jpg
The Righteous Brothers topped the chart with their 1965 recording of "Unchained Melody", which was re-released after being featured in the film Ghost .

Adult Contemporary is a chart published by Billboard ranking the top-performing songs in the United States in the adult contemporary music (AC) market. In 1990, 18 songs topped the chart, then published under the title Hot Adult Contemporary, based on playlists submitted by radio stations. [1]

Contents

In the issue of Billboard dated January 6, Michael Bolton reached number one with "How Am I Supposed to Live Without You", displacing the final number one of 1989, "Another Day in Paradise" by Phil Collins. [2] Bolton's song held the top spot for one further week before being replaced by Rod Stewart's recording of the Tom Waits song "Downtown Train". [3] Stewart was one of five acts to achieve two number ones during the year, as he returned to the top of the chart in April with "This Old Heart of Mine (1989 version)". The song featured additional vocals by Ronald Isley, whose group the Isley Brothers had recorded the original version of the song in the mid-1960s. [4] Michael Bolton, Mariah Carey, Gloria Estefan and Wilson Phillips also took two songs to number one during the year. Estefan and Stewart each spent a total of six weeks atop the chart, tying for the most weeks spent at number one during the year with Bette Midler, who spent six consecutive weeks in the top spot with "From a Distance", the year's longest unbroken run at number one.

In the second half of the year, Mariah Carey achieved the feat of taking her first two singles not only to the top of the Hot Adult Contemporary chart but also to number one on Billboard's all-genre listing, the Hot 100, [5] beginning a recording career which would ultimately make her the biggest-selling female performer of all time. [5] She would achieve six AC number ones in the first half of the 1990s, [6] before her music began to move in a more heavily R&B and hip hop-influenced direction. [5] In October the Righteous Brothers reached number one with their 1965 recording of the song "Unchained Melody", which was re-released after it was prominently featured in the film Ghost . [7] Following the song's appearance on the film's soundtrack, the duo recorded a new version of the song, and both recordings entered the Hot 100, [7] but it was the original rendition which gained sufficient airplay on adult contemporary radio to enter and ultimately top the AC chart. [8] [9] The year's final number one was also taken from a film soundtrack. "You Gotta Love Someone" by Elton John, which spent the last three weeks of 1990 at number one, appeared in the film Days of Thunder . [10]

Chart history

Bette Midler had the year's longest-running number one with "From a Distance". BetteMidler90cropped.jpg
Bette Midler had the year's longest-running number one with "From a Distance".
Ronald Isley guested on Rod Stewart's recording of "This Old Heart of Mine", originally recorded by the Isley Brothers. Ron Isley.jpg
Ronald Isley guested on Rod Stewart's recording of "This Old Heart of Mine", originally recorded by the Isley Brothers.
"Love Will Lead You Back" was a chart-topper for Taylor Dayne. Taylor Dayne Performing.JPG
"Love Will Lead You Back" was a chart-topper for Taylor Dayne.
Key
Indicates best-performing AC song of 1990 [11]


Issue dateTitleArtist(s)Ref.
January 6"How Am I Supposed to Live Without You" Michael Bolton [2]
January 13 [12]
January 20"Downtown Train" Rod Stewart [13]
January 27"Here We Are" Gloria Estefan [14]
February 3 [15]
February 10 [16]
February 17 [17]
February 24 [18]
March 3"All My Life" Linda Ronstadt featuring Aaron Neville [19]
March 10 [20]
March 17 [21]
March 24"Love Will Lead You Back" Taylor Dayne [22]
March 31 [23]
April 7 [24]
April 14 [25]
April 21"This Old Heart of Mine" Rod Stewart featuring Ronald Isley [26]
April 28 [27]
May 5 [28]
May 12 [29]
May 19 [30]
May 26"Hold On" Wilson Phillips [31]
June 2"Do You Remember?" Phil Collins [32]
June 9 [33]
June 16 [34]
June 23 [35]
June 30 [36]
July 7"When I'm Back on My Feet Again" Michael Bolton [37]
July 14 [38]
July 21 [39]
July 28"Cuts Both Ways" Gloria Estefan [40]
August 4"Vision of Love" Mariah Carey [41]
August 11 [42]
August 18 [43]
August 25"Come Back to Me" Janet Jackson [44]
September 1 [45]
September 8 [46]
September 15"Release Me" Wilson Phillips [47]
September 22"Oh Girl" Paul Young [48]
September 29 [49]
October 6 [50]
October 13"Unchained Melody" The Righteous Brothers [51]
October 20 [52]
October 27"Love Takes Time" Mariah Carey [53]
November 3"From a Distance" Bette Midler [54]
November 10 [55]
November 17 [56]
November 24 [57]
December 1 [58]
December 8 [59]
December 15"You Gotta Love Someone" Elton John [60]
December 22 [61]
December 29 [62]

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">I'll Be There (Jackson 5 song)</span> 1970 single by The Jackson 5

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Can't Let Go (Mariah Carey song)</span> 1991 single by Mariah Carey

"Can't Let Go" is a song by American singer-songwriter Mariah Carey from her second studio album, Emotions (1991). It was released as the album's second single on October 23, 1991, by Columbia Records in the United States and the first quarter of 1992 elsewhere. It was written and produced by Carey and Walter Afanasieff. The protagonist of this synthesizer-heavy ballad laments an ex-lover who has moved on, and though she tries she "can't let go."

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Someday (Mariah Carey song)</span> 1990 single by Mariah Carey

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Love Takes Time</span> 1990 single by Mariah Carey

"Love Takes Time" is a song recorded by American singer-songwriter Mariah Carey for her eponymous debut studio album (1990). Written by Carey and Ben Margulies, while produced by Walter Afanasieff, the song was released as the second single from the album on August 22, 1990, by Columbia Records. An adult contemporary-influenced ballad, the song follows its protagonist lamenting the loss of a lover and confesses that "love takes time" to heal and that her feelings for her ex-lover remain.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Vision of Love</span> 1990 single by Mariah Carey

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">One Sweet Day</span> 1995 single by Mariah Carey and Boyz II Men

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">This Old Heart of Mine (Is Weak for You)</span> 1966 single by the Isley Brothers

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Endless Love (song)</span> 1981 single by Lionel Richie and Diana Ross

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Here We Are (Gloria Estefan song)</span> 1989 single by Gloria Estefan

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cuts Both Ways (song)</span> 1990 single by Gloria Estefan

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Oh Santa!</span> 2010 single by Mariah Carey

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<i>I Dont Remember Ever Growing Up</i> 2007 studio album by Andy Williams

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References

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See also