# List of Hot Adult Contemporary number ones of 1989

In 1989, Billboard magazine published a chart ranking the top-performing songs in the United States in the adult contemporary music (AC) market. The chart, which in 1989 was published under the title Hot Adult Contemporary, has undergone various name changes during its history but has been published as Adult Contemporary since 1996. In 1989, 19 songs topped the chart based on playlists submitted by radio stations.
In the year's first issue of Billboard the number one song was "Two Hearts" by Phil Collins, which was in its third week at number one, and would go on to spend three weeks at number one in 1989. Collins also spent four weeks in the top spot with "Another Day in Paradise"; the seven weeks which he spent at number one during the year was the most by any act. The only other artist to achieve more than one chart-topper in 1989 was Cher, who spent a single week at number one with "If I Could Turn Back Time" and a further four with "After All", a duet with Peter Cetera. Two songs tied for the longest unbroken run at number one during the year, each spending six weeks atop the chart. The British group Simply Red topped the chart for six weeks in June and July with "If You Don't Know Me by Now" and the American vocalist Richard Marx had a similar run in August and September with "Right Here Waiting".
In February, the Canadian band Sheriff's song "When I'm with You" spent a single week at number one. The song had originally been a minor success in the United States six years earlier, but was re-released in 1989, several years after the band had broken up, as part of a fad of radio programmers reviving songs from earlier in the decade which had not achieved success. The re-issued song went on to top not only the AC listing but also Billboard's pop singles chart, the Hot 100. AC number ones by Phil Collins, Mike and the Mechanics, Simply Red, the Bangles and Richard Marx also topped the Hot 100. Roy Orbison, who had died the previous December, achieved a posthumous Hot Adult Contemporary number one in February when "You Got It" topped the chart. Acts to top the Hot Adult Contemporary listing for the first time in 1989 included the southern rock group 38 Special. The uncharacteristic ballad "Second Chance", which spent two weeks in the top spot, was the only AC chart entry which the band achieved in its career.

## Chart history

| Issue date | Title | Artist(s) |
| January 7 | "Two Hearts" | Phil Collins |
| January 14 | "Two Hearts" | Phil Collins |
| January 21 | "Two Hearts" | Phil Collins |
| January 28 | "As Long as You Follow" | Fleetwood Mac |
| February 4 | "Holding On" | Steve Winwood |
| February 11 | "Holding On" | Steve Winwood |
| February 18 | "When I'm with You" | Sheriff |
| February 25 | "The Living Years" | Mike and the Mechanics |
| March 4 | "The Living Years" | Mike and the Mechanics |
| March 11 | "The Living Years" | Mike and the Mechanics |
| March 18 | "The Living Years" | Mike and the Mechanics |
| March 25 | "You Got It" | Roy Orbison |
| April 1 | "You Got It" | Roy Orbison |
| April 8 | "Eternal Flame" | The Bangles |
| April 15 | "Eternal Flame" | The Bangles |
| April 22 | "After All" | Cher and Peter Cetera |
| April 29 | "After All" | Cher and Peter Cetera |
| May 6 | "After All" | Cher and Peter Cetera |
| May 13 | "After All" | Cher and Peter Cetera |
| May 20 | "Second Chance" | 38 Special |
| May 27 | "Second Chance" | 38 Special |
| June 3 | "Miss You Like Crazy" | Natalie Cole |
| June 10 | "Everlasting Love" | Howard Jones |
| June 17 | "Everlasting Love" | Howard Jones |
| June 24 | "If You Don't Know Me by Now" | Simply Red |
| July 1 | "If You Don't Know Me by Now" | Simply Red |
| July 8 | "If You Don't Know Me by Now" | Simply Red |
| July 15 | "If You Don't Know Me by Now" | Simply Red |
| July 22 | "If You Don't Know Me by Now" | Simply Red |
| July 29 | "If You Don't Know Me by Now" | Simply Red |
| August 5 | "Right Here Waiting" | Richard Marx |
| August 12 | "Right Here Waiting" | Richard Marx |
| August 19 | "Right Here Waiting" | Richard Marx |
| August 26 | "Right Here Waiting" | Richard Marx |
| September 2 | "Right Here Waiting" | Richard Marx |
| September 9 | "Right Here Waiting" | Richard Marx |
| September 16 | "One" | Bee Gees |
| September 23 | "One" | Bee Gees |
| September 30 | "If I Could Turn Back Time" | Cher |
| October 7 | "Cherish" | Madonna |
| October 14 | "Cherish" | Madonna |
| October 21 | "Healing Hands" | Elton John |
| October 28 | "Don't Know Much" | Linda Ronstadt and Aaron Neville |
| November 4 | "Don't Know Much" | Linda Ronstadt and Aaron Neville |
| November 11 | "Don't Know Much" | Linda Ronstadt and Aaron Neville |
| November 18 | "Don't Know Much" | Linda Ronstadt and Aaron Neville |
| November 25 | "Don't Know Much" | Linda Ronstadt and Aaron Neville |
| December 2 | "Another Day in Paradise" | Phil Collins |
| December 9 | "Another Day in Paradise" | Phil Collins |
| December 16 | "Another Day in Paradise" | Phil Collins |
| December 23 | "Another Day in Paradise" | Phil Collins |
| December 30 | "How Am I Supposed to Live Without You" | Michael Bolton |