1989

Europe's year was the one people still point to when they say history moved quickly. Communist rule gave way across the Eastern Bloc, from Poland and Hungary to the opening of the Berlin Wall in November, then Czechoslovakia and Romania in December. Tiananmen Square went the other way, and the first commercial internet providers and a written proposal for the World Wide Web quietly arrived.

Rock was busy sorting itself into the shapes of the next decade. Nirvana's Bleach in June was a murky, raw debut, while Soundgarden's Louder Than Love and Green Day's 1,000 Hours showed where the underground was heading. Nine Inch Nails brought industrial rock to a wider crowd with Pretty Hate Machine, and Faith No More's The Real Thing mixed funk and metal in a way few could copy. Faith No More, Soundgarden and Voivod toured the US together, which now looks like a rather good bill. Sepultura's Beneath the Remains sharpened thrash towards death metal, Anthrax and Black Sabbath (Headless Cross) kept the older guard working, and Queen put out The Miracle. The Grammys created a hard rock and metal award and gave it to Jethro Tull, to boos from the audience.

The comings and goings were plentiful. Steve Vai left David Lee Roth for Whitesnake, Rick Rozz left Death and James Murphy replaced him, and Schmier quit Destruction. Dokken and Quiet Riot called it a day, though both returned later. Adrian Smith's solo project preceded his exit from Iron Maiden, with Janick Gers taking his place. Jason Becker was diagnosed with ALS, and the Moscow Music Peace Festival put Bon Jovi, Ozzy Osbourne and Mötley Crüe on a Soviet stage.