ARIA Charts Throwback: 5 August 1990

Yo, sound the bell, school's in, sucka! Check out the hits of August 1990!

August 1990 saw Gloria Estefan, The Angels, 1927, Peter Blakeley, The Bangles, Gary Moore and more holding strong in the Top Ten on the ARIA Albums Chart.

For the first half of the month, a rapper with big pants and a big ego was untouchable at #1 on the Singles Chart.

10. Faith No More - Epic

American band Faith No More took out the first of their two #1s on the ARIA Singles Chart when ‘Epic’ had a three-week run at #1 in August/September 1990. The San Francisco band’s first single to chart locally, ‘Epic’ was lifted from Faith No More’s second album, The Real Thing (#2 Aug. ’90), the band’s first release to feature singer Mike Patton.

9. Concrete Blonde - Joey

‘Joey’ became the only Top Ten hit in Australia for Californian alt-rock band Concrete Blonde when it peaked at #2 at the end of August 1990. It was also the group’s biggest hit in the US and Canada.

8. Mark Williams - Show No Mercy

Written by ARIA Hall Of Fame members Harry Vanda and George Young, ‘Show No Mercy’ became the only Australian Top Ten for New Zealand singer Mark Williams when it peaked at #8. Now the vocalist for Dragon, Williams is also known as being one of the singers on the original Home & Away theme.

7. Poison - Unskinny Bop

Hair metal band Poison achieved their biggest success on the ARIA Singles Chart when ‘Unskinny Bop’ reached #7 in August 1990. It was the first single from the album Flesh And Blood which peaked at #2, becoming their highest-charting album.

6. Jimmy Barnes - Lay Down Your Guns

The first single released from Jimmy Barnes’ fifth #1 solo album, Two Fires, ‘Lay Down Your Guns’ became his sixth Top Ten single when it peaked at #4 in August 1990. He scored another Top Ten from the album when the track When Your Love Is Gone peaked at #6 in June 1991.

5. Hi Tek 3 - Spin That Wheel

A side project of Belgian electronic act Technotronic, Hi Tek 3 took out their only appearance in the ARIA Singles Chart when ‘Spin That Wheel’ hit #5. The track appeared on the soundtrack to the first Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles movie.

4. Absent Friends - I Don't Want To Be With Nobody But You

Featuring members of Models, INXS, and Machinations, short-lived Australian supergroup Absent Friends scored their biggest hit when their cover of Eddie Floyd’s ‘I Don't Want To Be With Nobody But You’ hit #4. The track won Single Of The Year at the fifth ARIA Awards.

3. Wilson Phillips - Hold On

With their debut single, American vocal group Wilson Phillips scored their only Top Ten on the ARIA Singles Chart when it hit #2. In the US, ‘Hold On’ was the first of three singles by the trio to hit #1. The three members of the group are offspring of famous musicians with Carnie and Wendy Wilson the daughters of Brian Wilson of The Beach Boys and Marilyn Rovell of The Honeys, and Chynna Phillips the daughter of John and Michelle Phillips of The Mamas & the Papas.

2. Roxette - It Must Have Been Love

Swedish duo Roxette scored three #1s on the ARIA Singles Chart between 1989 and 1991, of which ‘It Must Have Been Love’ was the second. The track featured on the soundtrack to Pretty Woman (#1 Jul. ’90). A countrified version was later released on the album Tourism (#3 Sept. ’92).

1. MC Hammer - U Can't Touch This

MC Hammer’s only #1 on the ARIA Charts came when ‘U Can't Touch This’ spent five consecutive weeks at the top of the chart in mid-1990. The track debuted at #42 in June and progressed up the chart to take the prime spot in its fifth week in the top 50. It spent a total of 21 weeks in the top 50, including 14 weeks in the top ten. It went on to receive a Platinum accreditation and reach #2 on the 1990 ARIA End Of Year Singles Chart.