Rewind to
1989
33 different songs reached #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1989. The year opened with Every Rose Has Its Thorn by Poison at the top, and Miss You Much by Janet Jackson held #1 the longest — 4 weeks in 1989.
Prices rose 4.8% over 1988. One dollar in 1989 buys about what $2.60 buys in 2025.
A gallon of regular gas averaged $1.02, up 8% from 1988. In 2025 dollars that is $2.65, against an actual 2025 average of $3.26.
Mailing a letter took a 25¢ stamp (it is 73¢ in 2025), and the federal minimum wage was $3.35 an hour.
Songs that hit #1
33
Gallon of gas
$1.02
2025: $3.26
Inflation
4.8%
change in CPI vs 1988
$1 then is
$2.60
in 2025 dollars
Every #1 hit of 1989
| Song | Artist | First week at #1 | Weeks at #1 in 1989 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Every Rose Has Its Thorn | Poison | Jan 7 | 1 |
| My Prerogative | Bobby Brown | Jan 14 | 1 |
| Two Hearts | Phil Collins | Jan 21 | 2 |
| When I'm With You | Sheriff | Feb 4 | 1 |
| Straight Up | Paula Abdul | Feb 11 | 3 |
| Lost In Your Eyes | Debbie Gibson | Mar 4 | 3 |
| The Living Years | Mike + The Mechanics | Mar 25 | 1 |
| Eternal Flame | The Bangles | Apr 1 | 1 |
| The Look | Roxette | Apr 8 | 1 |
| She Drives Me Crazy | Fine Young Cannibals | Apr 15 | 1 |
| Like A Prayer | Madonna | Apr 22 | 3 |
| I'll Be There For You | Bon Jovi | May 13 | 1 |
| Forever Your Girl | Paula Abdul | May 20 | 2 |
| Rock On (From "Dream A Little Dream") | Michael Damian | Jun 3 | 1 |
| Wind Beneath My Wings (From "Beaches") | Bette Midler | Jun 10 | 1 |
| I'll Be Loving You (Forever) | New Kids On The Block | Jun 17 | 1 |
| Satisfied | Richard Marx | Jun 24 | 1 |
| Baby Don't Forget My Number | Milli Vanilli | Jul 1 | 1 |
| Good Thing | Fine Young Cannibals | Jul 8 | 1 |
| If You Don't Know Me By Now | Simply Red | Jul 15 | 1 |
| Toy Soldiers | Martika | Jul 22 | 2 |
| Batdance (From "Batman") | Prince | Aug 5 | 1 |
| Right Here Waiting | Richard Marx | Aug 12 | 3 |
| Cold Hearted | Paula Abdul | Sep 2 | 1 |
| Hangin' Tough | New Kids On The Block | Sep 9 | 1 |
| Don't Wanna Lose You | Gloria Estefan | Sep 16 | 1 |
| Girl I'm Gonna Miss You | Milli Vanilli | Sep 23 | 2 |
| Miss You Much | Janet Jackson | Oct 7 | 4 |
| Listen To Your Heart | Roxette | Nov 4 | 1 |
| When I See You Smile | Bad English | Nov 11 | 2 |
| Blame It On The Rain | Milli Vanilli | Nov 25 | 2 |
| We Didn't Start The Fire | Billy Joel | Dec 9 | 2 |
| Another Day In Paradise | Phil Collins | Dec 23 | 2 |
Weeks are counted within 1989; a song that carried over from 1988 or into 1990 shows only its 1989 weeks.
What things cost in 1989
| Item | 1989 price | In 2025 dollars | Actual 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gallon of regular gas | $1.02 | $2.65 | $3.26 |
| Dozen large eggs | $1.00 | $2.59 | $4.25 |
| Loaf of white bread (per lb) | $0.67 | $1.73 | $1.87 |
| Ground beef (per lb) | $1.44 | $3.74 | $6.09 |
| Whole chicken (per lb) | $0.93 | $2.41 | $2.06 |
| Bacon (per lb) | $1.77 | $4.59 | $7.02 |
| Ground coffee (per lb) | $3.07 | $7.98 | $8.18 |
| Bananas (per lb) | $0.45 | $1.17 | $0.65 |
| Sugar (per lb) | $0.40 | $1.04 | $1.02 |
| Potatoes (per lb) | $0.34 | $0.89 | $0.96 |
| Flour (per lb) | $0.24 | $0.64 | $0.56 |
| Electricity (per kWh) | $0.08 | $0.21 | $0.18 |
| Federal minimum wage (per hour) | $3.35 | $8.70 | $7.25 |
| Median new home sale price | $120,425 | $312,744 | $415,400 |
| First-class stamp | 25¢ | 65¢ | 73¢ |
Compare 1989 prices with any amount → · Find the #1 song on any day in 1989 →
The internet in 1989
Websites in existence
0
The first web page goes live in December 1990.
- March 1989A proposal at CERN — Tim Berners-Lee submits "Information Management: A Proposal" at CERN. His boss writes "Vague but exciting" on the cover. source
