1990 in music
See also: 1989 in music, other events of 1990, 1991 in music and the list of 'years 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 gun shot 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 posession of cocaine.
- "Vocal" group Milli Vanilli admits to lip-synching hits such as "Girl You Know Its True." They later have their Grammy award revoked.
- 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
- Blue Meanies forms
- Blink-182 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
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
- 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
- March 16 - Andrew Wood, Mother Love Bone
- 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