''See also:''
- 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 due to his injuries, the role was reduced down almost to a bit part.
- 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 .
- --- 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 3 - Freedom To Party Demonstration London , organised by Party Promoters including Genesis'88 Biology Parties Sunrise/Back To The Future for later club Licences and all night Music And Dance Licences for Large-scale Dance Parties Staged Free-party later that night in Watford UK (12,000 people).
- October 16 - Goo Goo Dolls released the album, Hold Me Up
- March 19 - Depeche Mode released the album Violator , one of the most well criticised and important albums of the alternatve music.
- March 20 - Gloria Estefan 's tour bus is involved in an accident. Estefan suffers several broken 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 13 - Madonna opens up her landmark, yet controversial, Blond Ambition Tour in Tokyo .
- 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
- May 27 - The Stone Roses stage a legendary concert at Spike Island, Cheshire
- '').
- June 2 - Vision Of Love , Mariah Carey 's debut single, is commercially released and reaches the top spot on the Billboard Hot 100 . She releases a further five singles, all of which reach number one in the US, making her the only artist ever to have their first five singles reach number one. She (as of 2006) scored another eleven number one singles, bringing her total to seventeen.
- July 7 - The Three Tenors give their first concert, at the Baths of Caracalla in Rome.
- July 14 - Jean Michel Jarre 's concert Paris La Defense attracts 2.5 million spectators.
- August 5 - Madonna ends her controversial Blond Ambition Tour in Nice , France .
- September - In the UK, two singles, "Groove is in the Heart" by Deee-Lite and "The Joker" by Steve Miller Band (featured in a current TV jeans commercial), are announced to have sold the same number of copies in one week and a tie-break is used to decide which should be number one. "The Joker" wins, as it had climbed the most from the previous week.
- September 11 - After a decade of performing in the Francophone world, Céline Dion makes her formal English-language debut when she releases her album '' Unison ''.
- October - Jamaaladeen Tacuma records '' Boss Of The Bass '', that will be a blockbuster in 1991
- October 22 - Pearl Jam , then named " Mookie Blaylock ," play their first show as a band at the Off Ramp club in Seattle , Washington .
- 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 begin recording '' Gish '', which will be a blockbuster album in 1991
- December 13 - Genesis'88 stage weekly Acid House night in Legally acquired Warehouse in Stratford, London under the Banner Imagine
- Dance Music breaks out.
- Madonna 's " Justify My Love " Music Video is banned by MTV . The singer appears on '' Nightline '' to defend the video.
- Pennywise signs a contract to their recent label Epitaph Records
- The poorly received '' Cop Rock '' premieres on television, TV's first (and last) musical police drama.
- Will Smith hits primetime television with the sitcom, '' The Fresh Prince Of Bel-Air ''.
- Christina Aguilera appears on Star Search .
- Garth Brooks releases his second album, "No Fences" and wins various awards across the music industry, including "best new country artist."
- Del Amitri 's second album, and first for five years, ''Waking Hours'' effectively relaunches their career. It provides them with the UK hit ''Nothing Ever Happens'' and the minor US hit ''Kiss This Thing Goodbye''.
- Sons Of Kyuss changed their named to Kyuss , add new members except Guitar ist Josh Homme .
- After a hiatus of 7 years, rock group Styx (band) reform to record a new album and tour without long time guitarist Tommy Shaw who was committed to Damn Yankees at the time. With his blessing, A&M recording artist Glen Burtnik joins Styx and release "Edge of The Century". The first single was Burnik's "Love Is The Ritual" which barely entered the Billboard 100. The follow-up single -- a religiously inspired ballad entitled "Show Me The Way" with Dennis DeYoung on vocals -- became a minor hit but then suddenly skyrocketed to the #1 spot on the Billboard 100 after radio stations took the liberty and produced their own versions of the song featuring comments from Operation: Desert Storm soldiers during the solo break -- a move that reportedly didn't sit well with the band, who believed it unfairly politicized their music, the Christian religious faith, and the sacrifices of the troops.
The following singles achieved the highest chart positions in 1990.
- January 18 - Melanie Appleby of British duo Mel And Kim , liver cancer
- January 23 - Allen Collins , Lynyrd Skynyrd guitarist, complications from pneumonia
- February 8 - Del Shannon , suicide by shotgun
- February 24 - Johnnie Ray , liver failure
- March 6 - Mala (Pakistani Singer)
- March 16 - Andrew Wood , Mother Love Bone
- April 3 - Sarah Vaughan , lung cancer
- June 20 - June Christy , US singer
- July 15 - Heavy D & The Boyz back-up singer Trouble T Roy misjudges the edge of the stage following a show and falls to his death.
- August 27 - Stevie Ray Vaughan , blues guitarist performer
- September 13 - Phil Napoleon , jazz trumpeter
- October 14 - Leonard Bernstein , American composer and conductor
- October 16 - Art Blakey , jazz drummer
- October 16 - Jorge Bolet , pianist
- November 3 - Mary Martin , US singer and actress
- December 2 - Aaron Copland , American composer
- December 18 - Paul Tortelier , cellist
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