1991 in music
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[edit] Events
[edit] Summary
The year 1991 is the year that grunge music made its popular breakthrough.[1] Nirvana's Nevermind, led by the surprise hit single "Smells Like Teen Spirit", becomes the most popular U.S. album of the year. Followed immediately by other grunge bands like Pearl Jam, Soundgarden, in 1992 by Alice in Chains and Stone Temple Pilots, grunge dominates the U.S. charts for the next few years. Its success effectively ended the reign of the glam metal groups that enjoyed massive success in the 1980s like Mötley Crüe, Poison, Warrant, Cinderella, and Ratt whose sales and critical viability were beginning to decline for about two years previously. Even so, the rock band Guns N' Roses's popularity flourishes with the release of their albums Use Your Illusion I & Use Your Illusion II, both selling over 15 million copies each. Def Leppard's next album Adrenalize, released in March 1992, would go on to reach multi-platinum status and prove to be the last major commercial success for 1980s pop metal. A Tribe Called Quest's Low End Theory is released this year; it would go on to be considered one of the best hip hop albums of the 1990s. A Tribe Called Quest, along with De La Soul, Dream Warriors, Gang Starr and the Poor Righteous Teachers, help define what comes to be known as alternative rap with important releases this year.
On 24 November both Kiss drummer Eric Carr and Queen frontman Freddie Mercury died. Mercury was at home in London on 24 November, due to AIDS complications. Rumors had been circulating that Mercury had AIDS, but the death comes as a shock to millions of fans and the music industry. The remaining members of Queen form the Mercury Phoenix Trust and the following year, a tribute concert is staged in Wembley Stadium. A sell-out crowd in attendance witness the three surviving members reuniting to play along with performances by the likes of David Bowie, Elton John, Guns N' Roses, Def Leppard, Metallica, Annie Lennox, and George Michael.
Queen's "Bohemian Rhapsody" goes to number one for the second time in the U.K., which is one of the few times a single has gone to number one in the same version more than once (another example is Chubby Checkers' "The Twist," which was No. 1 in 1960 & 1962). It is also the only time a single has gone to number one more than once on the UK Christmas charts. It has now spent a total of 14 weeks on top of the UK charts.
1991 is also the year CCM, or contemporary Christian music, reaches a new peak. Amy Grant, who had already crossed back and forth between CCM and Contemporary Pop in the mid-80s, achieves her first solo No. 1 hit on the pop charts with the hit single "Baby Baby," becoming the first single by a CCM artist to reach No. 1 (despite the fact the song was a pop song and was void of any Christian references). Another single, "That's What Love Is For," would also top the charts, this time in the Adult Contemporary field. Meanwhile, Grant's album Heart In Motion reaches No. 11 on the pop chart and No. 1 on the Christian chart despite its non-religious objective, and quickly becomes a best-seller. Another CCM crossover artist in 1991 is Michael W. Smith, who achieves a Top Ten pop hit with his single "Place In This World." The subsequent album, Go West Young Man, is also a hit. Jon Gibson's hit "Jesus Loves Ya" still holds the record as the longest playing hit single in Christian music history. The track spent eleven weeks at No. 1 and became the top selling CCM single of 1991.[2] Only three artists received more airplay on Christian radio stations in that year other than Gibson; Amy Grant, Michael W. Smith and BeBe & CeCe Winans.
The massive success of Garth Brooks in this year sets the stage for the mid-1990s influx of pop-oriented country musicians. In addition, several soon-to-be pivotal bands form or release debuts, including Dave Matthews Band, Live, Phish, Spin Doctors and stoner metal (Kyuss, Sleep, The Obsessed). Massive Attack's Blue Lines, while unique at the time, pioneers the sound that would eventually become known as trip hop. Entombed's Clandestine and Dismember's Like an Ever Flowing Stream are early releases from the Scandinavian metal scene. On the other side of the Atlantic, New York death metal band Suffocation release their debut full-length Effigy of the Forgotten, often considered one of the most influential extreme metal albums ever recorded. Trance music rises to prominence in the underground dance scene of Frankfurt, Germany, pioneered by such producers as Dance 2 Trance and Resistance D. U2 release their seventh album Achtung Baby, considered by many of their fans to be their best album. Metallica also release their most commercially successful self-titled album, and the Red Hot Chili Peppers break through to the mainstream with their critically and commercially acclaimed Blood Sugar Sex Magik. R.E.M. release their massive commercial breakthrough album Out of Time. 1991 also brought us the revolutionary Sailing the Seas of Cheese, the first release of a Primus album on a major label. When it came to music, 1991 was one of the most successful years of the 1990s.
[edit] Timeline
- 18 January – Three people are crushed to death during an AC/DC concert in Salt Lake City, Utah, when audience members rush the stage.
- 19 January – Janet Jackson with seventh single from Janet Jackson's Rhythm Nation 1814, "Love Will Never Do (Without You)", making her the only artist to have seven singles from the same album chart in the top five.
- 27 January – Whitney Houston sings "The Star-Spangled Banner" at the Super Bowl. The recording is then released and becomes a hit single.
- 27 February – James Brown is granted an early parole and released from jail, following his arrest after a high-speed car chase through two states in 1989. Pop Will Eat Itself documented the affair with their song, "Not Now James, We're Busy".
- 28 February – Hollywood's Record Plant Studios recording studio closes its doors. Among the albums recorded at the Record Plant were The Eagles' Hotel California, Fleetwood Mac's Rumours and Stevie Wonder's Songs in the Key of Life
- 11 March – Janet Jackson signs a $30 million (US) contract with Virgin Records, making her the highest paid female recording artist ever.
- 16 March – Seven members of country music singer Reba McEntire's band and her road manager are killed when their private plane crashes in California, near the U.S.-Mexico border. McEntire travels on a separate plane.
- 20 March
- Michael Jackson signs a contract with Sony which could generate 1 billion dollars for the company.[3]
- Eric Clapton's four-year-old son, Conor, dies after falling 49 stories from a New York City apartment window, which would inspire Clapton to write the hit single "Tears in Heaven".
- 24 March – The Black Crowes are dropped as the opening act of ZZ Top's tour for repeatedly insulting the tour's sponsor, Miller Beer.
- 27 March – New Kids on the Block star Donnie Wahlberg is arrested in Louisville, Kentucky for allegedly setting his hotel room on fire.
- 28 March – George Harrison, Phil Collins and others attend funeral services for Eric Clapton's late son, Conor.
- 28 April – Bonnie Raitt marries actor Michael O'Keefe in New York.
- 4 May – The Eurovision Song Contest 1991 is held in Rome, Italy and, after a highly controversial voting segment, Sweden's Fångad av en stormvind by Carola is declared the winner.
- 7 May – In Macon, Georgia, a judge dismisses a wrongful death lawsuit against Ozzy Osbourne. The suit was filed by a local couple that believed their son was inspired to attempt suicide by Osbourne's music.
- 10 May – Truth or Dare, a documentary chronicling singer Madonna's 1990 Blond Ambition Tour, is released to theatres.
- 24 May – Guns N' Roses kick off their 26 months world tour Use Your Illusion Tour in Alpine Valley in East Troy.
- 25 May – The Billboard 200 album chart starts incorporating electronically monitored sales data provided by Nielsen SoundScan, thus beginning what chart aficionados tag as the "SoundScan era".
- 28 May – The Smashing Pumpkins releases their debut album Gish, establishing the band as one of the most important of the alternative scene.
- 21 June – founding of the Mérida State Symphony Orchestra in Venezuela
- July
- Launch of the Australian Festival of Chamber Music.
- During the Use Your Illusion Tour, Axl Rose assaults a member of the audience watching the show on camera, after security fails to respond to the singer's orders to confiscate the camera. After the attack, Rose angrily stomps off stage saying, "Thanks to the lame-ass security, I'm goin' home!"[4]
- 13 July – Pianist Keith Jarrett records his Vienna Concert at the Vienna Staatsoper.
- 13 August – Metallica releases their most successful album, "Metallica" (also called "The Black Album"). This album is somewhat of a departure from the thrash metal sound they helped pioneer. It is one of the best-selling albums of all time[5]
- 15 August – Paul Simon's Concert in the Park, 15 August 1991, takes place in Central Park.
- 27 August
- Pearl Jam releases their debut album, "Ten". While initially slow to sell, it became No. 2 on the Billboard charts within a year and has since become certified thirteen times Platinum in the United States.[6]
- Dr. Dre pleads no contest to charges that he beat up a woman at a West Hollywood nightclub. Dr. Dre is sentenced to 24 months probation.
- Tupac Shakur's solo career begins with his first album, 2Pacalypse Now, however it does not do well. Six-year-old Qa'id Walker is shot dead by a stray bullet during a confrontation between Tupac's entourage and a rival group.
- 17 September – Rock band Guns N' Roses release their first full length follow up to their debut album Appetite for Destruction in the form of the double album Use Your Illusion 1 & Use Your Illusion 2. Both go on to sell a combined excess of 1.3 million on their first week of sale in the USA alone.
- 24 September – Seattle-based band Nirvana releases their second album Nevermind, that in the beginning of 1992 replaces Michael Jackson's album Dangerous at number one on the Billboard charts. Nevermind would then make the Grunge movement explode and become one of the most famous rock albums of all time. It is considered the emblem of the Generation X.
- 28 September- Miles Davis dies of a stroke.
- 25 October – Steely Dan spontaneously reunites.
- 7 November – Bryan Adams 16 week long stay at the top of the U.K. Singles Chart is finally ended by U2 single The Fly. Nevertheless, a new record is set for the longest consecutive stay at the top of the UK Singles Chart.
- 24 November – Lead singer of Queen, Freddie Mercury, dies of bronchopneumonia, a complication of AIDS; he had revealed the previous day that he had the disease.
- 26 November- Pop music icon Michael Jackson releases his worldwide hit album Dangerous the album went on to sale over 7 million copies in the U.S. and more than 32 million worldwide becoming the second best seller of Jackson's career (following Thriller) and one of the biggest albums of all-time.
- 30 November – Following on the steps of the Billboard 200, the Billboard Hot 100 also begins a new era by incorporating and merging electronically measured sales and airplay data from SoundScan and BDS respectively.
- December – A Carnegie Hall Christmas Concert, featuring Kathleen Battle and Frederica von Stade, a jazz band led by Wynton Marsalis, and orchestra & chorus conducted by Andre Previn, is recorded for television.
[edit] Undated
- Country music legend Kenny Rogers starts his restaurant chain, "Kenny Rogers Roasters," serving up tasty chicken.
- Perry Farrell organizes the first Lollapalooza tour as a farewell for his just-dissolved band, Jane's Addiction
[edit] Bands formed
[edit] Bands reformed
[edit] Bands disbanded
[edit] Albums released
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Contents
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[edit] January
[edit] February
[edit] March
[edit] April
[edit] May
| Day | Album | Artist | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | Grippe | Jawbox | - |
| 7 | Star Time | James Brown | Box Set |
| 5,000,000 | Dread Zeppelin | - | |
| Hard at Play | Huey Lewis and the News | - | |
| Peggy Suicide | Julian Cope | US | |
| The Best of the Waterboys 81–90 | The Waterboys | US | |
| 9 | Ex:el | 808 State | - |
| 13 | Pop Life | Bananarama | UK |
| De La Soul Is Dead | De La Soul | - | |
| Positively Phranc | Phranc | - | |
| 14 | Spellbound | Paula Abdul | - |
| Mighty Like a Rose | Elvis Costello | - | |
| Schubert Dip | EMF | - | |
| Don't Rock the Jukebox | Alan Jackson | - | |
| O.G. Original Gangster | Ice T | - | |
| Yerself Is Steam | Mercury Rev | - | |
| God Fodder | Ned's Atomic Dustbin | - | |
| 17 | Whispers | Thomas Anders | - |
| 21 | Pink Bubbles Go Ape | Helloween | - |
| Slinky | Milltown Brothers | US | |
| 28 | Electronic | Electronic | - |
| Greatest Hits | Eurythmics | US | |
| The White Room | The KLF | US | |
| Niggaz4Life | N.W.A. | - | |
| Sailing the Seas of Cheese | Primus | - | |
| Gish | The Smashing Pumpkins | Debut | |
| Music From the Movie Jungle Fever | Stevie Wonder | - | |
| 29 | Like an Ever Flowing Stream | Dismember | - |
[edit] June
[edit] July
[edit] August
[edit] September
[edit] October
[edit] November
[edit] December
| Day | Album | Artist | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 | Forest of Equilibrium | Cathedral | - |
| 10 | Until the End of the World soundtrack | Various Artists | - |
| 15 | V | Legião Urbana | - |
| 25 | Mō Sagasanai | Zard | - |
| 31 | Mental Jewelry | Live | Debut |
| ? | Spine of God | Monster Magnet | - |
[edit] Release Date Unknown
- Pandora's Box (album) – Aerosmith (box set)
- Baby Animals – Baby Animals (debut)
- Spirit Electricity (EP) – Bad Brains
- War Master – Bolt Thrower
- Early On (1964-1966) – David Bowie
- Don't Fear the Reaper (EP) – Clint Ruin and Lydia Lunch
- Love's Secret Domain – Coil
- Woodface – Crowded House
- Island – Current 93 with HÖH
- 85-86 – Dag Nasty
- Open Doors, Closed Windows – Disco Inferno
- Believing in Better – Lennie Gallant
- On the Way Down from the Moon Palace – Lisa Germano
- Girly Sound – Liz Phair
- Hammerbox – Hammerbox
- Havana 3 am – Havana 3am
- BBC Radio 1 Live in Concert – Hawkwind
- Palace Springs – Hawkwind
- I'm on Your Side – Jennifer Holliday
- Mr. Lucky – John Lee Hooker
- Stars Crash Down – Hue & Cry
- Night of the Stormrider – Iced Earth
- The Beast Inside – Inspiral Carpets
- Page of Life – Jon & Vangelis
- Angst – Lacrimosa
- San Antorium – Lowlife
- It's... Madness Too – Madness
- Distant Plastic Trees – The Magnetic Fields
- Qui sème le vent récolte le tempo – MC Solaar
- Clown Heaven and Hell (EP) – Me Mom & Morgentaler
- Bullhead – The Melvins
- Daniela Mercury – Daniela Mercury
- Word of Mouth – Mike + The Mechanics
- Boys Will Be Boyz – Newsboys
- The Nymphs – The Nymphs
- Lunar Womb – The Obsessed
- All True Man Alexander O'Neal
- Orbital – Orbital
- The Commitments – Original Soundtrack
- Soul Show: Live at Delta 88 – Joan Osborne (live)
- Industrial – Pitchshifter
- World Outside – The Psychedelic Furs
- Border Drive-In Theatre – The Raindogs
- Architect of Fear – Raven
- The Big Wheel – Runrig
- Foxbase Alpha – Saint Etienne
- The First of Too Many – Senseless Things
- Themes and Dreams – The Shadows (compilation)
- Magia – Shakira
- Information Libre – Sham 69
- Suit suit...hehehe – Slank
- Volume One – Sleep
- The Best of Spandau Ballet – Spandau Ballet
- By Heart – Brenda K. Starr
- Jah Won't Pay the Bills – Sublime
- No Pocky for Kitty – Superchunk
- Tossing Seeds – Superchunk
- Raise – Swervedriver
- Voices – Kenny Thomas
- Ophelia's Shadow – Toyah
- The Promise – T'Pau
- The Commitments – Various Artists (soundtrack)
- Unsane – Unsane
- Surprise – Crystal Waters
[edit] Biggest hit singles
The following songs achieved the highest chart positions in the charts of 1991.
| # | Artist | Title | Year | Country | Chart Entries |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bryan Adams | (Everything I Do) I Do it For You | 1991 |  |
UK 1 – Jun 1991, US BB 1 of 1991, US CashBox 1 of 1991, Holland 1 – Jul 1991, Sweden 1 – Aug 1991, Austria 1 – Aug 1991, Switzerland 1 – Jul 1991, Norway 1 – Jul 1991, Poland 1 – Jul 1991, Germany 1 – Jan 1992, Éire 1 – Jul 1991, New Zealand 1 for 8 weeks Aug 1991, Australia 1 for 11 weeks Oct 1991, US BB 3 of 1991, Australia 3 of 1991, POP 3 of 1991, Europe 5 of the 1990s, TOTP 6, Global 7 (10 M sold) – 1991, Italy 9 of 1991, Germany 9 of the 1990s, Scrobulate 30 of ballad, Virgin 60, Party 70 of 2007, RYM 73 of 1991, Poland 96 of all time, OzNet 121, Belgium 150 of all time |
| 2 | Michael Jackson | Black Or White | 1991 |  |
UK 1 – Nov 1991, US BB 1 of 1991, Sweden 1 – Nov 1991, Switzerland 1 – Nov 1991, Norway 1 – Nov 1991, Poland 1 – Nov 1991, Éire 1 – Nov 1991, New Zealand 1 for 8 weeks Nov 1991, Australia 1 for 8 weeks Feb 1992, Austria 2 – Nov 1991, Germany 2 – Jan 1992, Holland 3 – Nov 1991, Italy 3 of 1991, US BB 19 of 1991, POP 19 of 1991, Australia 24 of 1992, US CashBox 29 of 1992, RYM 96 of 1991, Germany 115 of the 1990s |
| 3 | Roxette | Joyride | 1991 |  |
US BB 1 of 1991, Holland 1 – Mar 1991, Sweden 1 – Mar 1991, Austria 1 – Mar 1991, Switzerland 1 – Mar 1991, Norway 1 – Mar 1991, Germany 1 – Mar 1991, Australia 1 for 3 weeks Jul 1991, Poland 3 – Apr 1991, UK 4 – Mar 1991, France 7 – Apr 1991, Australia 13 of 1991, Italy 24 of 1991, Germany 24 of the 1990s, US CashBox 33 of 1991, US BB 35 of 1991, POP 37 of 1991 |
| 4 | Scorpions | Wind of Change | 1991 |  |
Holland 1 – Apr 1991, Sweden 1 – Mar 1991, Austria 1 – Jun 1991, Switzerland 1 – Feb 1991, Norway 1 – Apr 1991, Poland 1 – Mar 1991, Germany 1 of the 1990s, Germany 1 – Apr 1991, UK 2 – Sep 1991, US BB 4 of 1991, Scrobulate 9 of ballad, France 10 – Dec 1990, US BB 24 of 1991, Europe 26 of the 1990s, POP 26 of 1991, RYM 142 of 1990 |
| 5 | R.E.M. | Losing My Religion | 1991 | |
Holland 1 – Mar 1991, Poland 1 – Apr 1991, Europe 1 of the 1990s, US BB 4 of 1991, Norway 4 – Jun 1991, Sweden 5 – Mar 1991, RYM 5 of 1991, Austria 7 – Aug 1991, Switzerland 11 – Oct 1991, Belgium 12 of all time, UK 19 – Mar 1991, US BB 28 of 1991, Virgin 30, US CashBox 39 of 1991, 39 in 2FM list, Poland 44 of all time, Acclaimed 44, POP 61 of 1991, Scrobulate 69 of rock, Italy 70 of 1991, OzNet 90, WXPN 106, RIAA 143, Rolling Stone 169 |
[edit] Top hits
- "3 a.m. Eternal" – The KLF
- "À nos actes manqués" – Fredericks, Goldman, Jones
- "A Roller Skating Jam Named "Saturdays"" – De La Soul
- "Alive" – Pearl Jam
- "All the Man That I Need" – Whitney Houston
- "All This Time" – Sting
- "Always on the Run" – Lenny Kravitz
- "American Music" – Violent Femmes
- "Baby Baby" – Amy Grant
- "Beauty and the Beast" - Celine Dion & Peabo Bryson
- "Black Or White" – Michael Jackson
- "Bohemian Rhapsody/These Are the Days of Our Lives" – Queen
- "Brenda's Got a Baby" – 2Pac
- "Bring The Noise" – Public Enemy and Anthrax
- "Call My Name" – OMD
- "Calling Elvis" – Dire Straits
- "Can't Stop This Thing We Started" – Bryan Adams
- "Can't Let Go" – Mariah Carey
- "Caribbean Blue" – Enya
- "Check the Rhime" – A Tribe Called Quest
- "Chocolate Cake" – Crowded House
- "Chorus" – Erasure
- "Come and Talk to Me" – Jodeci
- "Coming Out of the Dark" – Gloria Estefan
- "Cover My Eyes" – Marillion
- "Crazy" – Seal
- "Cream" – Prince
- "Crucified" – Army of Lovers
- "Cry for Help" – Rick Astley
- "Deep, Deep Trouble" – The Simpsons
- "Désenchantée" – Mylène Farmer
- "Dizzy" - Vic Reeves & The Wonder Stuff
- "Do the Bartman" – The Simpsons
- "Do You Remember?" – Phil Collins
- "Do Anything" – Natural Selection
- "Don't Cry" – Guns N' Roses
- "Emotions" – Mariah Carey
- "Enter Sandman" – Metallica
- "Every Heartbeat" – Amy Grant
- "Everybody's Free (To Feel Good)" – Rozalla
- "Everyday Sunshine" – Fishbone
- "(Everything I Do) I Do It for You" – Bryan Adams
- "Fading Like a Flower (Every Time You Leave) – Roxette
- "Fall at Your Feet" – Crowded House
- "Finally" – CeCe Peniston
- "Forever My Lady" – Jodeci
- "Get Here" – Oleta Adams
- "Get Ready for This" – 2 Unlimited
- "Get The Funk Out" – Extreme
- "Gett Off" – Prince
- "The Globe" – Big Audio Dynamite II
- "Gonna Make You Sweat (Everybody Dance Now)" – C&C Music Factory
- "God Bless the Child" – The Simpsons
- "Good For Me" – Amy Grant
- "Good Times" – INXS and Jimmy Barnes
- "Good Vibrations" – Marky Mark & the Funky Bunch
- "Give it Away" – Red Hot Chili Peppers
- "Gypsy Woman (She's Homeless)" – Crystal Waters
- "Hellraiser" – Ozzy Osbourne
- "Holding On" – Beverley Craven
- "How Can I Ease the Pain" – Lisa Fischer
- "How I Could Just Kill a Man" – Cypress Hill
- "Hunger Strike" – Temple of the Dog
- "I Adore Mi Amor – Color Me Badd
- "I Can't Make You Love Me" – Bonnie Raitt
- "I Don't Wanna Cry" – Mariah Carey
- "I Like the Way (The Kissing Game)" – Hi-Five
- "I Love Your Smile" – Shanice
- "Innuendo" – Queen
- "I Touch Myself" – Divinyls
- "I Wanna Sex You Up" – Color Me Badd
- "It Ain't Over 'til It's Over" – Lenny Kravitz
- "It's in His Kiss (The Shoop Shoop Song)" – Cher
- "It's Only Natural" – Crowded House
- "It's So Hard to Say Goodbye to Yesterday" – Boyz II Men
- "I've Been Thinking About You" – Londonbeat (Released in 1990)
- "Jeremy" – Pearl Jam
- "Jerry Was a Racecar Driver" – Primus
- "Jesus Christ Pose" – Soundgarden
- "Joyride" – Roxette
- "Last Train To Trancentral" – The KLF
- "Learning to Fly" – Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers
- "Let's Talk About Sex" – Salt-N-Pepa
- "Let There Be Love" – Simple Minds
- "Live and Let Die" – Guns N' Roses
- "Feed My Frankenstein" – Alice Cooper
- "Live For Loving You" – Gloria Estefan
- "Losing My Religion" – R.E.M.
- "Love To Hate You" – Erasure
- "Mama Said Knock You Out" – LL Cool J
- "Man in the Box" – Alice In Chains
- "Mind Playing Tricks on Me" – Geto Boys
- "More Than Words" – Extreme
- "More to Life" – Cliff Richard
- "Motownphilly" – Boyz II Men
- "Mysterious Ways" – U2
- "New Jack Hustler (Nino's Theme)" – Ice-T
- "No More Tears" – Ozzy Osbourne
- "No Son of Mine" – Genesis
- "Obsession – Army of Lovers
- "One More Try" – Timmy T
- "O.G. Original Gangster" – Ice-T
- "O.P.P." – Naughty by Nature
- "Outshined" – Soundgarden
- "Qui a le droit... (live)" – Patrick Bruel
- "Pandora's Box" – OMD
- "People Are Strange" – Echo & the Bunnymen
- "Pop Goes the Weasel" – 3rd Bass
- "Promise Me" – Beverley Craven
- "Poundcake" – Van Halen
- "Radio Song" – R.E.M.
- "Radio Wall of Sound" – Slade
- "Right Now" – Van Halen
- "Right Here, Right Now" – Jesus Jones
- "Rescue Me" – Madonna
- "Rhythm of My Heart" – Rod Stewart
- "Romantic" – Karyn White
- "Running Back to You" – Vanessa L. Williams
- "Rush" – Big Audio Dynamite II
- "Rush Rush" – Paula Abdul
- "Saga Africa" – Yannick Noah
- "Sailing on the Seven Seas" – OMD
- "Scenario" – A Tribe Called Quest
- "Set Adrift on Memory Bliss" - P.M. Dawn
- "Sexuality" – Billy Bragg
- "Senza una donna" – Zucchero & Paul Young
- "Send Me An Angel" – Scorpions
- "Shameless" – Garth Brooks
- "Shiny Happy People" – R.E.M.
- "Sit Down" – James
- "Smells Like Teen Spirit" – Nirvana
- "Someday" – Mariah Carey
- "Something Got Me Started" – Simply Red
- "Something To Talk About" – Bonnie Raitt
- "Spending My Time" – Roxette
- "Stars" – Simply Red
- "Strike It Up" – Black Box
- "Summertime" – DJ Jazzy Jeff & the Fresh Prince
- "Sunless Saturday – Fishbone
- "Temptation" – Corina
- "That's What Love Is For" – Amy Grant
- "The Big L." – Roxette
- "The Comfort Zone" – Vanessa L. Williams
- "The Choice Is Yours (Revisited)" – Black Sheep
- "The Fly" – U2
- "The Motown Song" – Rod Stewart
- "The One and Only" – Chesney Hawkes
- "The Unforgiven" – Metallica
- "The Shoop Shoop Song (It's in His Kiss)" – Cher
- "The Show Must Go On" – Queen
- "There's No Other Way" – Blur
- "Top of the World" – Van Halen
- "Touch Me (All Night Long)" – Cathy Dennis
- "Train in Vain (Stand By Me)" – The Clash
- "Twist and Shout" – Deacon Blue
- "Uhh Ahh" – Boyz II Men
- "Unbelievable" – EMF
- "Under The Bridge" – Red Hot Chili Peppers
- "Walking in Memphis" – Marc Cohn
- "We Should Be Together" – Cliff Richard
- "When Something's Wrong With My Baby" – John Farnham + Jimmy Barnes
- "Who Said I Would" – Phil Collins
- "When a Man Loves a Woman" – Michael Bolton
- "What Time is Love?" – The KLF
- "What Comes Naturally" – Sheena Easton
- "Where Does My Heart Beat Now" – Celine Dion
- "Where the Streets Have No Name(I Can't Take My Eyes off You)" – Pet Shop Boys
- "Wind of Change" – Scorpions
- "Violent Blue" – Chagall Guevara
- "You" – Ten Sharp
- "You Could Be Mine" – Guns N' Roses
- "You Got the Love" – Candi Staton
See also: Hot 100 No. 1 Hits of 1991
[edit] Top ten best albums of the year
All albums been named albums of the year for their hits in the charts.[7]
- Nirvana – Nevermind
- Pearl Jam – Ten
- My Bloody Valentine – Loveless
- U2 – Achtung Baby
- Red Hot Chili Peppers – Blood Sugar Sex Magik
- Metallica – Metallica
- Primal Scream – Screamadelica
- Slint – Spiderland
- A Tribe Called Quest – The Low End Theory
- Massive Attack – Blue Lines
[edit] Published popular music
- "Dreamland" w. Alan Bergman & Marilyn Bergman m. Dave Grusin
- "Look Around" w. Betty Comden & Adolph Green m. Cy Coleman from the musical The Will Rogers Follies
[edit] Classical music
- John Corigliano – Symphony no. 1
- George Crumb – Easter Dawning for carillon
- Mario Davidovsky – Simple Dances for flute, two percussion, piano, and cello
- Joël-François Durand – un feu distinct for flute, clarinet, piano, violin and cello
- Lorenzo Ferrero – Concerto for Piano and Orchestra
- Karel Goeyvaerts –
- Opbouw (Construction), for orchestra
- De Zang van Aquarius, version for symphony orchestra
- Ulrich Leyendecker – Symphony No. 3
- Witold Lutosławski – Chantefleurs et Chantefables
- Joan Tower – Concerto for Orchestra
[edit] Opera
- John Adams – The Death of Klinghoffer
- Harrison Birtwistle – first performance of the opera Gawain at the Royal Opera House, London.
- Daniel Catán – Rappaccini’s Daughter
- John Corigliano – The Ghosts of Versailles
- Daron Hagen – Shining Brow
- Meredith Monk – Atlas
[edit] Musical theater
- Miss Saigon (Claude-Michel Schönberg and Alain Boublil) – Broadway production opened at the Broadway Theatre on 11 April and ran for 4097 performances
- The Secret Garden – Broadway production opened at the St. James Theatre on 25 April and ran for 706 performances
- Song of Singapore – off-Broadway production opened at the Irving Place Theatre on 7 May and ran for 459 performances
- Will Rogers Follies – Broadway production opened at the Palace Theatre on 1 May and ran for 983 performances
[edit] Musical films
- Beauty and the Beast animated feature
- The Commitments
- For the Boys
[edit] Births
- January 12 – Pixie Lott, British singer
- February 1 – Martha Heredia, Dominican singer
- February 10 – Ceng De Ping, Taiwanese singer
- February 11 – Never Shout Never (Christofer Ingle), American musician
- March 4 – Diandra Newlin, American actress, singer, and model
- March 8 – Devon Werkheiser, American actor and musician
- [[March 11] – Qian Lin, Chinese singer
- March 28 – Amy Bruckner, American actress and singer
- April 3 – Hayley Kiyoko, actress, singer and dancer
- April 8 – Andrea Ross, American singer and actress
- April 10 – Amanda Michalka, American singer and actress
- April 15 – Daiki Arioka, Japanese singer (Hey! Say! JUMP)
- April 18 – Joey Gaydos, American actor and guitarist
- April 28 – Aleisha Allen, American actress and singer
- May 17 – Daniel Curtis Lee, American actor and rapper
- May 19 – Jordan Pruitt, American singer
- May 23 – Lena Meyer-Landrut, German singer
- May 24 – Erika Umeda, Japanese singer
- May 27 – Channii, Dutch singer-songwriter
- May 29 – Kristen Alderson, American actress and singer
- June 16 – Joe McElderry, British singer
- June 28 – Seohyun, member of South Korean pop girl group Girls' Generation
- July 9 – Mitchel Musso, American actor and musician
- July 10 – María Chacón, Mexican actress and singer
- July 29 – Miki Ishikawa, American actress and singer
- July 30 – Diana Vickers, British singer
- August 21 – Tess Gaerthé, Dutch singer and actress
- October 4 – Nicolai Kielstrup, Danish singer
- October 15 – Gabriella Cilmi, Australian singer-songwriter
- October 17 – Brenda Asnicar, Argentine actress and singer
- October 31 – Jordan-Claire Green, American actress and musician
- November 22 – Saki Shimizu, Japanese singer
- December 7 – Dori Sakurada, Japanese actor and singer
- December 13 – Jay Greenberg, American composer
- December 19 – Declan Galbraith, British singer
[edit] Deaths
- January 8 – Steve Clark, guitarist of Def Leppard, 30 (overdose of codeine)
- January 14 – Chitragupta, film composer, 73
- February 6 – Danny Thomas, singer and actor, 79
- February 13 – Flaviano Labò, operatic tenor, 64
- February 17 – Gitta Alpár, operatic soprano, 88
- February 20 – Isabelle Delorme, pianist, composer and music teacher, 90
- February 21 – Margot Fonteyn, ballerina, 71
- February 26 – Slim Gaillard, jazz musician, 75
- March 2 – Serge Gainsbourg, singer and songwriter, 62 (heart attack)
- March 13 – Jimmy McPartland, 83, jazz musician
- March 14
- Jerome Doc Pomus, songwriter, 65
- Howard Ashman, lyricist, 40 (AIDS-related)
- March 15 – Bud Freeman, jazz musician, 84
- March 18 – Dezider Kardoš, Slovak composer, 76
- March 21 – Leo Fender, inventor of the electric guitar, 81
- March 25 – Eileen Joyce, pianist, 83
- April 1 – Martha Graham, 96, American dancer and choreographer
- April 4 – Louis Guglielmi, 75, French composer
- April 7 – Ruth Page, 92, American dancer and choreographer
- April 8 – Per Yngve Ohlin, aka 'Dead', vocalist of Mayhem, 22 (suicide)
- April 13 – Wilhelm Lanzky-Otto, horn virtuoso, 82
- April 17 – Jack Yellen, 98, American lyricist
- April 18 – Barry Rogers, 55, American jazz and salsa trombonist
- April 20 – Steve Marriott, singer, songwriter and guitarist (Small Faces and Humble Pie), 44 (killed in house fire)
- April 21 – Willi Boskovsky, conductor, 81
- April 23 – Johnny Thunders, rock guitarist and singer, 38 (drug-related)
- April 26
- Leo Arnaud, composer, 86
- Carmine Coppola, flautist and composer, 80
- April 28 – Ken Curtis, American singer and actor, 74
- April 29– Gonzaguinha, Brazilian singer and composer, 45 (car accident)
- May 3 – Mohammed Abdel Wahab, Egyptian singer and composer (b. 1907)
- May 8
- Jean Langlais, composer, 84
- Rudolf Serkin, pianist, 88
- May 9? – Yanka Dyagileva, poet and singer, 24 (drowned)
- May 19 – Odia Coates, singer, 49 (breast cancer)
- May 23 – Wilhelm Kempff, pianist and composer, 95
- May 24
- Dirk Schoufs, a member of Belgian Band Vaya Con Dios (AIDS-related)
- Gene Clark, singer-songwriter (The Byrds), 46 (heart attack)
- May 27 – Leopold Nowak, musicologist, 86
- June 1 – David Ruffin, singer (The Temptations), 50 (overdose of cocaine)
- June 4 – MC Trouble, rapper, 20 (epileptic seizure)
- June 6 – Stan Getz, US saxophonist, 64
- June 9 – Claudio Arrau, pianist, 88
- June 14 – Joy Finzi, founder of the Finzi Trust, 84
- July 5 – Camarón de la Isla, flamenco singer, 41 (lung cancer)
- July 6 – Herminio Giménez, composer, 86
- July 11 – Honorata de la Rama, singer, 89
- July 15 – Bert Convy, American game show host, actor, and singer, 57 (brain tumor)
- August 28 – Vince Taylor, rock and roll singer, 52 (cancer)
- September 4
- Charlie Barnet, US bandleader, 77
- Dottie West, American country singer, 58 (car accident)
- September 8 – Alex North, composer, 80
- September 17 – Zino Francescatti, violinist, 89
- September 25 – Sydney MacEwan, singer of traditional Scottish and Irish songs, 82
- September 28
- Miles Davis, jazz trumpeter and composer, 65
- Eugène Bozza, composer, 86
- October 6 – Igor Talkov, Russian singer/songwriter, 34 (murdered)
- October 9 – Roy Black, 48, singer and actor (heart failure)
- October 16 – Ole Beich, guitarist and bassist, 36 (drowned)
- October 17 – Tennessee Ernie Ford, country musician, 72
- October 27 – Sir Andrzej Panufnik, Polish composer, 75
- October 31 – Joseph Papp, Broadway producer, 70
- November 2 – Mort Shuman, songwriter, 54 (complications following a liver operation)
- November 8 – Frances Faye, singer, 79
- November 11 – Morton Stevens, film composer, 62
- November 15 – Jacques Morali, disco composer, 44 (AIDS)
- November 24
- Freddie Mercury, singer, 45 (AIDS)
- Eric Carr, drummer, 41 (cancer)
- December 13 – Stuart Challender, conductor, 44 (AIDS-related)
- December 22 – Édouard Woolley, tenor, actor, composer and music educator
- date unknown
- Tom Anderson, Shetland fiddler
- Garvin Bushell, multi-instrumentalist
- M. Ranga Rao, Indian film composer and music director
[edit] Awards
- The following artists are inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame: LaVern Baker, The Byrds, John Lee Hooker, The Impressions, Wilson Pickett, Jimmy Reed and Ike and Tina Turner
- Grammy Awards of 1991
- Eurovision Song Contest 1991
- Kumar Sanu – Filmfare Best Male Playback Award
- 33rd Japan Record Awards
[edit] References
- ^ "'Nevermind,' never again?". CNN. 23 September 2011. http://www.cnn.com/2011/09/23/showbiz/music/nirvana-nevermind/index.html. Retrieved 27 October 2011.
- ^ amazon.com – "Love Education"
- ^ New York Times
- ^ http://www.spinner.com/2009/11/10/freakiest-concert-moments/
- ^ RIAA.com Diamond Certified Albums
- ^ "Top Pop Catalog". Billboard. Archived from the original on 4 April 2009. http://www.billboard.com/bbcom/charts/chart_display.jsp?g=Albums&f=Top+Pop+Catalog. Retrieved 2 April 2009.
- ^ "Best albums of 1991". besteveralbums. 2005. http://www.besteveralbums.com/yearstats.php?y=1991. Retrieved 31 December 2011.
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