When looking back at the year 1991, one could still sense that the music world would not let go of 80s music acts such as Madonna (her “Justify My Love” and “Rescue Me” were major hits); Michael Jackson (“Black or White” might have sounded hypocritical from him, but certainly didn’t fail to reach number one); Prince (“Cream”); Janet Jackson (“Love Will Never Do Without You”); and Whitney Houston (“All the Man That I Need” and “Miracle.”).
While all the hit singles from these artists charted well, they were not considered groundbreaking. But that didn’t stop up-and-coming acts from releasing groundbreaking records that stood the test of time.
Nirvana Breakthrough
Most rock music historians would agree that Nirvana’s “Smells Like Teen Spirit” was the most influential single released in1991. The song was from their breakthrough album Nevermind. Many consider this the song that began the Grunge/Alternative music scene that took over the early and mid 90s. Kurt Cobain revealed to Rolling Stone Magazine that "Smells Like Teen Spirit" was an attempt to write a song in the style of the Pixies, a band he greatly admired.
Seal Breakthrough
Another groundbreaking record of 1991 was Seal’s “Crazy,” which took over the airwaves during the summer of that year. This record sounds like nothing that was on the airwaves at the time. The lyrics of this song might have been very vague, but that hardly mattered. The song’s bass-heavy beats along with a constantly building up keyboard rift perfectly fit Seal’s soulful voice. The video, which featured multiple versions of Seal in front of a black background, was even more mysterious.
Styx Comeback
Another groundbreaking record during 1991 was “Show Me the Way” by Styx, a band who peaked in the late 1970s and early 1980s. This song was used as the theme for the Persian Gulf War that started in early 1991. The song questions God’s existence in a world “so filled with hatred.” Some lyrics include: “And as I slowly drift to sleep, for a moment dreams are sacred/I close my eyes and know there’s peace in a world so filled with hatred”“
Queensryche Debut
Queensryche’s “Silent Lucidity” was another major musical milestone in 1991, not only winning several MTV Video Music Awards, but touching listeners with its symphonic and dreamy music, hard rock beats, and child comforting lyrics that include “Hush now don’t cry/Wipe away the teardrop from your eye/You’re lying safe in bed; It was all a bad dream spinning in your head.”
Cathy Dennis Debut
Cathy Dennis became a household name on the music scene in 1991 and released one of the most critically acclaimed singles of the early 1990s, “Too Many Walls.” The song could be analyzed as a relationship between a man and woman of a different race or two people of the same sex. Some of the lyrics include “Too many walls have been built in between us/Too many dreams have been shattered around us/If I seem to give up they'll still never win.”
Conclusion: 1991 – Year of Popular Music in Review
1991 was the beginning of the Alternative Music Era thanks to Nirvana. It terms of popular music, 1991 is considered the “calm before the storm” since popular music in the following years would radically change pop culture. Still, there are many memorable records from this year that still get airplay on radio stations today.
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