American Songwriter has picked out four rock songs from 1989 that it says remain instantly recognisable to those who grew up in the 1980s. The feature highlights how, by the end of the decade, rock's sound was beginning to shift towards a more modern style, yet 1989 still produced tracks that have endured in popular memory decades on.

– "Lay Your Hands On Me" by Bon Jovi — a Top 10 power ballad written by Jon Bon Jovi and Richie Sambora, taken from the New Jersey album.
– "Close My Eyes Forever" by Lita Ford and Ozzy Osbourne — Ford's biggest hit, co-written with Osbourne, from her third album, Lita.
– "18 And Life" by Skid Row — the band's only Top 5 single, written by Rachel Bolan and Dave Sabo, telling the story of a young man imprisoned for murder and reportedly inspired by Sabo's brother's struggles after returning from Vietnam.
– "Angel Eyes" by The Jeff Healey Band — written by Fred Koll and John Hiatt, and the standout single from the band's debut album, See The Light.