This is a list of notable events in music that took place in the year 1990. This year was the peak of cassette sales in the United States, with sales declining year on year since then.

Specific locations

Specific genres

Events

January–March

April–June

July–September

October–December

Also in 1990

Bands formed

Bands disbanded

Albums released

January–March

April–June

July–September

October–December

Release date unknown

Biggest hit singles

The following songs achieved the highest positions in the charts of 1990.

Top 40 chart hit singles

Other chart hit singles

• "The Age of Love" – Age of Love • "Algo de mí en tu corazón" – Alejandro Lerner (ARG) • "Baila Esta Cumbia" – Selena y Los Dinos (MEX) • "Because I Love You (The Postman Song)" – Stevie B (#1 US, #2 CAN, #3 NLD) • "Been Caught Stealing" – Jane's Addiction • "Being Boring" – Pet Shop Boys (#3 FR, #4 Japan, #5 FIN) • "Better the Devil You Know" – Kylie Minogue (#1 (ISR), #2 (UK), #4 (Australia) • "Birdhouse In Your Soul" – They Might Be Giants (#6 UK) • "Bird on the Wire" – The Neville Brothers • "Blue Sky Mine" – Midnight Oil (#7 CAN, #8 Australia) • "Bo le lavabo" – Lagaf' (#1 (FR)) • "Burbujas de Amor" – Juan Luis Guerra • "C'est toi qui m'as fait" – François Feldman (#2 FR) • "Chain Reaction" – John Farnham (#3 Australia) • "De mí" – Charly García (ARG) • "De Música Ligera" – Soda Stereo (#1 ARG) • "Ding Dong" – Erste Allgemeine Verunsicherung • "Do Me!" – Bell Biv DeVoe (#3 US) • "El Cariño Es Como Una Flor" – Rudy La Scala (#1 US Latin) • "Epic" – Faith No More (#1 Australia, #2 NZ) • "Escapade" – Janet Jackson (#1 US, CAN) • "Fais-moi une place" – Julien Clerc (#8 FR) • "Falling" – Julee Cruise (#1 AUS, #2 SWE, #3 NOR) • "Fantasy" – Black Box (#3 AUS, IRL, #4 AUT, #5 UK) • "Forever" – Kiss (#8 US) • "Freedom! '90" – George Michael (#1 (SP), #2 (UK), #6 (Australia, IRL)) • "Friends In Low Places" – Garth Brooks (#3 IRL) • "Frente a Frente" – Chico & Roberta (#5 FR) • "Get Up! (Before the Night Is Over)" – Technotronic (#1 BE, CAN, SP) • "Gonna Make You Sweat (Everybody Dance Now)" – C+C Music Factory (#1 AUT, NLD, SWI, US) • "Groove Is In The Heart" – Deee-Lite (#1 AUS, #2 UK, NZ #4 US) • "Hacelo por mí" – Attaque 77 (#1 (ARG)) • "Hanky Panky" – Madonna (#1 FIN, #2 UK, #3 IRE, #5 ITA, #6 AUS, #10 US) • "Happenin' All Over Again" – Lonnie Gordon • "Have You Seen Her" – MC Hammer (#4 (US), #6 (FIN), #8 (UK)) • "Healing Hands" – Elton John • "Hear the Drummer (Get Wicked)" – Chad Jackson (#3 UK, #5 NLD) • "Heart of Stone" – Taylor Dayne • "Hello Afrika" – Dr. Alban (#1 AUT, #2 GER, #3 SWI) • "Here I Am (Come and Take Me)" – UB40 (#3 AUS, #6 NZ, #9 NLD) • "Here We Are" – Gloria Estefan • "High Enough" – Damn Yankees (#4 (POL)) • "Hijo de la Luna" – Mecano #3 (NLD)) • "Hiroshima" -Sandra (#4 GER, SWI) • "Hold On" – En Vogue (#2 US, #5 UK) • "Hold On" – Wilson Phillips (#1 US, #2 AUS, #3 CAN) • "Holy Smoke" – Iron Maiden (#3 UK, #4 IRL) • "How Am I Supposed to Live Without You" – Michael Bolton (#1 US, BE, #2 AUS) • "How Can We Be Lovers?" – Michael Bolton • "The Humpty Dance" – Digital Underground (#11 US) • "I Can't Stand It!" – Twenty 4 Seven (#2 AUT, IT, SWI) • "I Don't Have the Heart" – James Ingram • "I Don't Know Anybody Else" – Black Box (#2 IRL, #3 SWI, #4 NOR, UK) • "I Go to Extremes" – Billy Joel (#1 JAP, #3 CAN) • "I Promised Myself" – Nick Kamen (#1 AUT, SWE, #3 SWI) • "I Saw Red" – Warrant • "I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For" – The Chimes (#2 NOR, #6 UK, IRL, NZ) • "I Wanna Be Rich" – Calloway (#2 US) • "(I Wanna Give You) Devotion" – Nomad & MC Mikee Freedom (#2 UK) • "I Wish It Would Rain Down" – Phil Collins (#1 CAN, POL, #2 ZIM) • "Ice Ice Baby" – Vanilla Ice • "Ich hab' geträumt von dir" – Matthias Reim • "If Wishes Came True" – Sweet Sensation (#1 US) • "I'll Be Your Baby Tonight" – Robert Palmer & UB40 (#1 NZ, #4 AUS, #5 AUT, NLD, SWI) • "I'll Be Your Everything" – Tommy Page (#1 US) • "I'll Be Your Shelter" – Taylor Dayne (#1 CAN, #4 US, AUS) • "I'll Never Fall in Love Again" – Deacon Blue (#2 UK, #2 IRL) • "I'm Free" – The Soup Dragons & Junior Reid • "I'm Not in Love" – Will to Power (#7 US, #8 NOR) • "I'm Your Baby Tonight" – Whitney Houston (#1 IT, US, #2 BE, CAN, FIN, NLD) • "Impulsive" – Wilson Phillips • "Infinity" – Guru Josh (#1 SP, #2 BE, #3 NLD) • "Jukebox in Siberia" – Skyhooks (#1 AUS) • "Knockin' Boots" – Candyman • "Lay Down Your Guns" – Jimmy Barnes (#4 AUS) • "Le Jerk" – Thierry Hazard (#2 FR) • "Les hommes qui passent" – Patricia Kaas (#7 FR) • "Me siento mucho mejor" – Charly García • "Maldòn (la musique dans la peau)" – Zouk Machine (#1 FR, #9 NLD) • "Marie-Jeanne" – Michel Sardou (#2 FR) • "Megamix" – Technotronic (#4 IRL, #6 UK, #7 SWI) • "Mujer Amante" – Rata Blanca (ARG) • "Nah Neh Nah" – Vaya Con Dios (#3 ISR, CZ, #4 NLD, SWI) • "Obsesión" – Miguel Mateos (ARG) • "Odoru Pompokolin" – B.B.Queens (#1 JPN) • "On écrit sur les murs" – Demis Roussos (#4 FR) • "Only on the Radio" – The Osborn Sisters • "Oye Mi Canto (Hear My Voice)" – Gloria Estefan (#4 POL, #7 IRL, #9 NLD) • "Petit Frank" – François Feldman (#1 FR) • "Pourtant" – Roch Voisine (#3 FR) • "Se bastasse una canzone" – Eros Ramazzotti (#2 BE, #4 NLD, #7 SWI) • "Se Me Olvidó Otra Vez" – Maná (#5 US Latin) • "Serious" – Duran Duran (# 3 ITA, #48 UK, #69 GER) • "Star" - Erasure • "Taiyō no Komachi Angel" – B'z (#1 JPN) • "Tengo Todo Excepto a Tí" – Luis Miguel (#1 US Latin) • "That's Freedom" – John Farnham (#6 AUS) • "Un'estate italiana" – Edoardo Bennato & Gianna Nannini (#1 IT, SWI, #2 GER) • "Verdammt, ich lieb' dich" – Matthias Reim (#1 AUT, BE, CRO, GER, NLD, POL, SWI) • "Vous êtes fous!" – Benny B (#3 FR) • "What's a Woman?" – Vaya Con Dios (#1 BE, NLD, #5 FR) • "White and Black Blues" – Joëlle Ursull (#2 FR) • "Y dale alegría a mi corazón" – Fito Paez (ARG)

Notable singles

Other notable singles

• "Alimony" (re-recording) – The Hummingbirds • "Allison" – Pixies • "All Different Things" – Bark Psychosis • "Caroline" – Concrete Blonde • "Daydreaming" – Massive Attack • "Looking for Atlantis" – Prefab Sprout • "Planet" – The Sugarcubes • "Story of My Life" – Social Distortion • "True Fools Fall" – Died Pretty

Top singles of 1990

Other significant singles

Published popular music

Top ten best albums of the year

All albums have been named albums of the year for their hits in the charts.

Album charts

Classical music

Opera

Jazz

Musical theater

Musical films

Awards

Glenn Gould Prize

Music festivals

Births

Unknown:

Deaths