# List of UK top-ten albums in 1990

The UK Albums Chart is one of many music charts compiled by the Official Charts Company that calculates the best-selling albums of the week in the United Kingdom. Before 2004, the chart was only based on the sales of physical albums. This list shows albums that peaked in the Top 10 of the UK Albums Chart during 1990, as well as albums which peaked in 1989 and 1991 but were in the top 10 in 1990. The entry date is when the album appeared in the top 10 for the first time (week ending, as published by the Official Charts Company, which is six days after the chart is announced).
One-hundred and nineteen albums were in the top ten this year. Fourteen albums from 1989 remained in the top 10 for several weeks at the beginning of the year, or re-entered during the year, while I'm Your Baby Tonight by Whitney Houston and The Singles Collection 1984/1990 by Jimmy Somerville were both released in 1990 but did not reach their peak until 1991. Forever Your Girl by Paula Abdul, Hangin' Tough by New Kids on the Block, Journeyman by Eric Clapton, Labour of Love II by UB40 and Sleeping with the Past by Elton John were the albums from 1989 to reach their peak in 1990. Eleven artists scored multiple entries in the top 10 in 1990. Alannah Miles, Betty Boo, The Charlatans and The Sundays were among the many artists who achieved their first UK charting top 10 album in 1990.
The 1989 Christmas number-one album, ...But Seriously by Phil Collins, remained at number-one for the first 3 weeks of 1990. The first new number-one album of the year was Colour by The Christians. Overall, seventeen different albums peaked at number-one in 1990, with Luciano Pavarotti (2) having the most albums hit that position.

## Background
### Multiple entries

One-hundred and nineteen albums charted in the top 10 in 1990, with one-hundred and three albums reaching their peak this year.
Eleven artists scored multiple entries in the top 10 in 1990.

## Top-ten albums
### Key

| Symbol | Meaning |
| ‡ | Album peaked in 1989 but still in chart in 1990. |
| ♦ | Album released in 1990 but peaked in 1991. |
| (#) | Year-end top ten album position and rank |
| Entered | The date that the album first appeared in the chart. |
| Peak | Highest position that the song reached in the UK Albums Chart. |
| Entered (week ending) | Weeks in top 10 | Single | Artist | Peak | Peak reached (week ending) | Weeks at peak |
| Albums in 1989 |||||||
| 18 February 1989 | 17 | The Raw & the Cooked ‡ | Fine Young Cannibals | 1 | 18 February 1989 | 1 |
| 1 April 1989 | 12 | Like a Prayer ‡ | Madonna | 1 | 1 April 1989 | 2 |
| 15 April 1989 | 6 | Forever Your Girl | Paula Abdul | 3 | 12 May 1990 | 1 |
| 22 April 1989 | 17 | Club Classics Vol. One ‡ | Soul II Soul | 1 | 15 July 1989 | 1 |
| 13 May 1989 | 29 | Ten Good Reasons ‡ | Jason Donovan | 1 | 20 May 1989 | 4 |
| 23 September 1989 | 17 | Sleeping with the Past | Elton John | 1 | 28 July 1990 | 5 |
| 30 September 1989 | 18 | Foreign Affair ‡ | Tina Turner | 1 | 30 September 1989 | 1 |
| 21 October 1989 | 16 | Enjoy Yourself ‡ | Kylie Minogue | 1 | 21 October 1989 | 1 |
| 11 November 1989 | 20 | The Road to Hell ‡ | Chris Rea | 1 | 11 November 1989 | 3 |
| 11 November 1989 | 7 | Holding Back the River ‡ | Wet Wet Wet | 2 | 11 November 1989 | 1 |
| 18 November 1989 | 9 | Journeyman | Eric Clapton | 2 | 17 February 1990 | 2 |
| 25 November 1989 | 11 | The Best of Rod Stewart ‡ | Rod Stewart | 3 | 25 November 1989 | 1 |
| 2 December 1989 | 42 | ...But Seriously ‡ | Phil Collins | 1 | 2 December 1989 | 15 |
| 2 December 1989 | 16 | Affection ‡ | Lisa Stansfield | 2 | 2 December 1989 | 2 |
| 9 December 1989 | 7 | Jive Bunny: The Album ‡ | Jive Bunny | 2 | 9 December 1989 | 5 |
| 9 December 1989 | 9 | Hangin' Tough | New Kids on the Block | 2 | 20 January 1990 | 1 |
| 9 December 1989 | 12 | Labour of Love II | UB40 | 3 | 19 May 1990 | 1 |
| Albums in 1990 |||||||
| 27 January 1990 | 3 | Colour | The Christians | 1 | 27 January 1990 | 1 |
| 27 January 1990 | 1 | Reading, Writing and Arithmetic | The Sundays | 4 | 27 January 1990 | 1 |
| 27 January 1990 | 1 | The Love Songs | Dionne Warwick | 6 | 27 January 1990 | 1 |
| 3 February 1990 | 4 | The Very Best of Cat Stevens | Cat Stevens | 4 | 3 February 1990 | 1 |
| 10 February 1990 | 1 | A Bit of What You Fancy | The Quireboys | 2 | 10 February 1990 | 1 |
| 10 February 1990 | 2 | The Sweet Keeper | Tanita Tikaram | 3 | 10 February 1990 | 1 |
| 10 February 1990 | 1 | Vigil in a Wilderness of Mirrors | Fish | 5 | 10 February 1990 | 1 |
| 10 February 1990 | 6 | Pump Up the Jam | Technotronic | 2 | 10 March 1990 | 1 |
| 17 February 1990 | 1 | Carved in Sand | The Mission | 7 | 17 February 1990 | 1 |
| 17 February 1990 | 4 | Heart of Stone | Cher | 7 | 24 February 1990 | 2 |
| 17 February 1990 | 1 | The Language of Life | Everything But the Girl | 10 | 17 January 1990 | 1 |
| 24 February 1990 | 1 | Miss Saigon | Original London Cast | 4 | 24 February 1990 | 1 |
| 24 February 1990 | 1 | Waking Hours | Del Amitri | 6 | 24 February 1990 | 1 |
| 24 February 1990 | 1 | Running Free/Sanctuary (The First Ten Years) | Iron Maiden | 10 | 24 February 1990 | 1 |
| 3 March 1990 | 1 | Women in Uniform/Twilight Zone (The First Ten Years) | Iron Maiden | 10 | 3 March 1990 | 1 |
| 10 March 1990 | 1 | Purgatory/Maiden Japan (The First Ten Years) | Iron Maiden | 5 | 10 March 1990 | 1 |
| 10 March 1990 | 1 | The House of Love | The House of Love | 8 | 10 March 1990 | 1 |
| 17 March 1990 | 2 | Missing...Presumed Having a Good Time | The Notting Hillbillies | 2 | 17 March 1990 | 1 |
| 17 March 1990 | 1 | Run to the Hills/The Number of the Beast (The First Ten Years) | Iron Maiden | 3 | 17 March 1990 | 1 |
| 17 March 1990 | 10 | Vivaldi: The Four Seasons | Nigel Kennedy and the English Chamber Orchestra | 3 | 24 March 1990 | 1 |
| 17 March 1990 | 23 | Soul Provider | Michael Bolton | 4 | 8 September 1990 | 1 |
| 24 March 1990 | 4 | I Do Not Want What I Haven't Got | Sinéad O'Connor | 1 | 24 March 1990 | 1 |
| 24 March 1990 | 6 | Changesbowie | David Bowie | 1 | 31 March 1990 | 1 |
| 24 March 1990 | 1 | Flight of Icarus/The Trooper (The First Ten Years) | Iron Maiden | 7 | 24 March 1990 | 1 |
| 24 March 1990 | 14 | The Essential Pavarotti | Luciano Pavarotti | 1 | 23 June 1990 | 4 |
| 31 March 1990 | 3 | Violator | Depeche Mode | 2 | 31 March 1990 | 1 |
| 31 March 1990 | 13 | Only Yesterday – Richard & Karen Carpenter's Greatest Hits | The Carpenters | 1 | 7 April 1990 | 7 |
| 31 March 1990 | 2 | Cosmic Thing | The B-52s | 8 | 7 April 1990 | 1 |
| 7 April 1990 | 3 | The Best of Van Morrison | Van Morrison | 4 | 7 April 1990 | 2 |
| 7 April 1990 | 1 | Running Free/Run to the Hills (The First Ten Years) | Iron Maiden | 9 | 7 April 1990 | 1 |
| 14 April 1990 | 4 | Brigade | Heart | 3 | 14 April 1990 | 1 |
| 14 April 1990 | 1 | Wasted Years/Stranger in a Strange Land (The First Ten Years) | Iron Maiden | 9 | 14 April 1990 | 1 |
| 21 April 1990 | 6 | Behind the Mask | Fleetwood Mac | 1 | 21 April 1990 | 1 |
| 21 April 1990 | 3 | Absolutely | ABC | 7 | 21 April 1990 | 1 |
| 21 April 1990 | 1 | Can I Play with Madness/The Evil That Men Do (The First Ten Years) | Iron Maiden | 10 | 21 April 1990 | 1 |
| 28 April 1990 | 5 | Alannah Myles | Alannah Myles | 3 | 28 April 1990 | 1 |
| 28 April 1990 | 1 | Fear of a Black Planet | Public Enemy | 4 | 28 April 1990 | 1 |
| 28 April 1990 | 1 | Days of Open Hand | Suzanne Vega | 7 | 28 April 1990 | 1 |
| 5 May 1990 | 3 | Life | Inspiral Carpets | 2 | 5 May 1990 | 1 |
| 5 May 1990 | 2 | Everybody Knows | Sonia | 7 | 5 May 1990 | 1 |
| 12 May 1990 | 2 | A Pocketful of Dreams | Big Fun | 7 | 19 May 1990 | 1 |
| 26 May 1990 | 5 | Through a Big Country: Greatest Hits | Big Country | 2 | 26 May 1990 | 1 |
| 2 June 1990 | 7 | Vol. II: 1990 – A New Decade | Soul II Soul | 1 | 2 June 1990 | 3 |
| 2 June 1990 | 8 | I'm Breathless: Music from and Inspired by the Film "Dick Tracy" | Madonna | 2 | 2 June 1990 | 2 |
| 2 June 1990 | 1 | Passion and Warfare | Steve Vai | 8 | 2 June 1990 | 1 |
| 9 June 1990 | 7 | Between the Lines | Jason Donovan | 2 | 9 June 1990 | 2 |
| 9 June 1990 | 5 | Natural History: The Very Best of Talk Talk | Talk Talk | 3 | 16 June 1990 | 1 |
| 16 June 1990 | 1 | Other Voices | Paul Young | 4 | 16 June 1990 | 1 |
| 16 June 1990 | 1 | Home | Hothouse Flowers | 5 | 16 June 1990 | 1 |
| 23 June 1990 | 10 | Summer Dreams | The Beach Boys | 2 | 23 June 1990 | 1 |
| 23 June 1990 | 8 | Greatest Hits | The Bangles | 4 | 23 June 1990 | 1 |
| 30 June 1990 | 12 | Step by Step | New Kids on the Block | 1 | 30 June 1990 | 1 |
| 30 June 1990 | 4 | Wilson Phillips | Wilson Phillips | 7 | 7 July 1990 | 1 |
| 7 July 1990 | 7 | Hot Rocks 1964-1971 | The Rolling Stones | 3 | 14 July 1990 | 1 |
| 14 July 1990 | 1 | Compositions | Anita Baker | 7 | 14 July 1990 | 1 |
| 21 July 1990 | 3 | Flesh and Blood | Poison | 3 | 21 July 1990 | 1 |
| 21 July 1990 | 1 | Goodnight L.A. | Magnum | 9 | 21 July 1990 | 1 |
| 4 August 1990 | 4 | Please Hammer, Don't Hurt 'Em | MC Hammer | 8 | 11 August 1990 | 2 |
| 11 August 1990 | 2 | Craig McLachlan & Check 1-2 | Craig McLachlan & Check 1-2 | 10 | 11 August 1990 | 2 |
| 18 August 1990 | 2 | Lovegod | The Soup Dragons | 7 | 18 August 1990 | 1 |
| 25 August 1990 | 4 | Young Guns II: Blaze of Glory | Jon Bon Jovi | 2 | 25 August 1990 | 1 |
| 25 August 1990 | 2 | Bossanova | Pixies | 3 | 25 August 1990 | 1 |
| 1 September 1990 | 2 | Graffiti Bridge | Prince | 1 | 1 September 1990 | 1 |
| 1 September 1990 | 22 | Carreras Domingo Pavarotti in Concert | José Carreras, Placido Domingo and Luciano Pavarotti | 1 | 8 September 1990 | 5 |
| 1 September 1990 | 1 | Liberty | Duran Duran | 8 | 1 September 1990 | 1 |
| 1 September 1990 | 5 | Look Sharp | Roxette | 4 | 15 September 1990 | 1 |
| 8 September 1990 | 1 | Jordan: The Comeback | Prefab Sprout | 7 | 8 September 1990 | 1 |
| 15 September 1990 | 19 | Listen Without Prejudice Vol. 1 | George Michael | 1 | 15 September 1990 | 1 |
| 15 September 1990 | 3 | Mariah Carey | Mariah Carey | 6 | 15 September 1990 | 1 |
| 15 September 1990 | 2 | Stepping Out: The Very Best of Joe Jackson | Joe Jackson | 7 | 15 September 1990 | 1 |
| 22 September 1990 | 4 | Ooh Las Vegas | Deacon Blue | 3 | 22 September 1990 | 2 |
| 22 September 1990 | 4 | Boomania | Betty Boo | 4 | 22 September 1990 | 2 |
| 29 September 1990 | 2 | Room to Roam | The Waterboys | 5 | 29 September 1990 | 1 |
| 29 September 1990 | 1 | Heaven or Las Vegas | Cocteau Twins | 7 | 29 September 1990 | 1 |
| 6 October 1990 | 3 | X | INXS | 2 | 6 October 1990 | 1 |
| 6 October 1990 | 1 | The Razors Edge | AC/DC | 4 | 6 October 1990 | 1 |
| 6 October 1990 | 1 | Rust in Peace | Megadeth | 8 | 6 October 1990 | 1 |
| 13 October 1990 | 2 | No Prayer for the Dying | Iron Maiden | 2 | 13 October 1990 | 1 |
| 13 October 1990 | 5 | Reflection | The Shadows | 5 | 27 October 1990 | 1 |
| 13 October 1990 | 1 | Doctor Adamski's Musical Pharmacy | Adamski | 8 | 13 October 1990 | 1 |
| 20 October 1990 | 2 | Some Friendly | The Charlatans | 1 | 20 October 1990 | 1 |
| 20 October 1990 | 9 | Rocking All Over the Years | Status Quo | 2 | 20 October 1990 | 2 |
| 20 October 1990 | 1 | Enlightenment | Van Morrison | 5 | 20 October 1990 | 1 |
| 27 October 1990 | 10 | The Rhythm of the Saints | Paul Simon | 1 | 27 October 1990 | 2 |
| 27 October 1990 | 1 | Recycler | ZZ Top | 8 | 27 October 1990 | 1 |
| 27 October 1990 | 1 | Bona Drag | Morrissey | 9 | 27 October 1990 | 1 |
| 27 October 1990 | 2 | Led Zeppelin Remasters | Led Zeppelin | 10 | 27 October 1990 | 2 |
| 3 November 1990 | 2 | Behaviour | Pet Shop Boys | 2 | 3 November 1990 | 1 |
| 3 November 1990 | 2 | Cornerstones: 1967–1970 | Jimi Hendrix | 5 | 3 November 1990 | 1 |
| 3 November 1990 | 1 | New Kids on the Block | New Kids on the Block | 6 | 3 November 1990 | 1 |
| 3 November 1990 | 2 | Trip on This: The Remixes | Technotronic | 7 | 10 November 1990 | 1 |
| 10 November 1990 | 20 | The Very Best of Elton John | Elton John | 1 | 10 November 1990 | 2 |
| 10 November 1990 | 3 | Choke | The Beautiful South | 2 | 10 November 1990 | 1 |
| 17 November 1990 | 12 | Serious Hits... Live! | Phil Collins | 2 | 17 November 1990 | 1 |
| 17 November 1990 | 1 | Pills 'n' Thrills and Bellyaches | Happy Mondays | 4 | 17 November 1990 | 1 |
| 17 November 1990 | 10 | I'm Your Baby Tonight ♦ | Whitney Houston | 4 | 19 January 1991 | 1 |
| 17 November 1990 | 1 | Mixed Up | The Cure | 8 | 17 November 1990 | 1 |
| 17 November 1990 | 8 | From a Distance: The Event | Cliff Richard | 3 | 29 December 1990 | 1 |
| 24 November 1990 | 27 | The Immaculate Collection | Madonna | 1 | 24 November 1990 | 9 |
| 24 November 1990 | 9 | The Singles Collection 1984/1990 ♦ | Jimmy Somerville | 4 | 5 January 1991 | 1 |
| 24 November 1990 | 1 | Rhythm of Love | Kylie Minogue | 9 | 24 November 1990 | 1 |
| 1 December 1990 | 4 | The Very Best of the Bee Gees | Bee Gees | 8 | 8 December 1990 | 2 |

## Entries by artist

The following table shows artists who achieved two or more top 10 entries in 1990, including albums that reached their peak in 1989. The figures only include main artists, with featured artists and appearances on compilation albums not counted individually for each artist. The total number of weeks an artist spent in the top ten in 1990 is also shown.
| Entries | Artist | Weeks | Albums |
| 9 | Iron Maiden | 10 | Can I Play with Madness/The Evil That Men Do (The First Ten Years), Flight of Icarus/The Trooper (The First Ten Years), No Prayer for the Dying, Purgatory/Maiden Japan (The First Ten Years), Run to the Hills/The Number of the Beast (The First Ten Years), Running Free/Run to the Hills (The First Ten Years), Running Free/Sanctuary (The First Ten Years), Wasted Years/Stranger in a Strange Land (The First Ten Years), Women in Uniform/Twilight Zone (The First Ten Years) |