A new charting method by Billboard and the explosion of Grunge on the national scene make 1991 the most influential year of the decade!
SoundScan Revolutionizes Billboard Charts
To most of us, it happened behind the scenes, but inside the music industry, it was revolutionary! In its May 25th issue, Billboard began using Neilsen's (a firm that takes data for radio and TV ratings) SoundScan system for compiling data for its weekly Billboard 200 album chart, and began using the system on all of its charts, including the Modern Rock chart, starting with the November 23rd issue. Prior to 1991, staff at Billboard called up radio station and record store managers to find out what albums and singles were selling and/or most popular. With SoundScan, a computerized system logged cash register sales and barcode scans at the various record stores across the country, with data stored in a national database. Billboard would then compile its weekly charts based on the SoundScan data.[1]
The new computerized system worked much more efficiently. First, it freed up staff at Billboard from making numerous phone calls to stores and radio stations. Second, it eliminated behind · the · scenes corruption of sales figures due to store manager bias and any payola schemes happening in the industry. SoundScan offered an accurate measure of an album or single's true popularity.[2]
The "Seattle Sound" Goes National
During most of the 1980's, a "commercialized" sound dominated Rock music. In 1991, this shifted dramatically, as the Seattle · based "grunge" sound emerged on the national rock scene! It returned Rock to a simpler sound, harkening to Rock's roots. Grunge derived its name from a loud, raspy sound, a sort · of middle ground between hard rock and heavy metal. Grunge emerged as the most influential style in Rock of the entire decade! The three pioneering bands who brought it national attention were Nirvana, Pearl Jam, and Alice In Chains. Unlike the other two bands, Alice In Chains wouldn't see their first success with a Modern Rock audience until 1992.
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Nirvana Nirvana is regarded by Rock historians as one of the most influential bands of the entire Rock era - a generation · defining group! Led by lead singer Kurt Cobain, Nirvana exploded on the scene in late 1991 and throughout 1992 with their first national hit album Nevermind churning out songs like Smells Like Teen Spirit, Come As You Are, In Bloom, and Lithium to enormous popularity among fans. The Grunge "revolution" was well underway! |
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Smells Like Teen Spirit |
Come As You Are |
In Bloom |
Lithium |
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Pearl Jam In terms of their influence and popularity with fans, Pearl Jam ranks right up with Nirvana as a genre · defining band in the Grunge world. Led by frontman Eddie Vedder, Pearl Jam's first album to achieve national success, Ten, was released late in the year, and over the next year, produced the hits Alive, Even Flow, Jeremy, and Black. Pearl Jam would remain one of Rock's most popular bands throughout the remainder of the decade! |
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Alive |
Even Flow |
Jeremy |
Black |
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By mid · decade, Grunge evolved into Post · Grunge, spawning more new successful bands as the 1990's progressed! Stay tuned...
| Title | Artist | Peak | Date Of Entry |
|---|---|---|---|
| More | Sisters Of Mercy | # 1 | see 1990 list for chart entry date |
| Picadilly Palare | Morrissey | # 2 | see 1990 list for chart entry date |
| Kinky Afro | Happy Mondays | # 1 | see 1990 list for chart entry date |
| Then | The Charlatans UK | # 4 | see 1990 list for chart entry date |
| Night And Day | U2 | # 2 | see 1990 list for chart entry date |
| Stone Cold Yesterday | The Connells | # 3 | see 1990 list for chart entry date |
| Tomorrow Never Knows | Danielle Dax | # 5 | see 1990 list for chart entry date |
| Sweetness And Light | Lush | # 4 | see 1990 list for chart entry date |
| Only Tongue Can Tell | The Trash Can Sinatras | # 8 | see 1990 list for chart entry date |
| Been Caught Stealing | Jane's Addiction | # 1 | see 1990 list for chart entry date |
| Heaven Or Las Vegas | Cocteau Twins | # 9 | see 1990 list for chart entry date |
| Disappear | INXS | # 10 | see 1990 list for chart entry date |
| Enlighten Me | Echo And The Bunnymen | # 8 | see 1990 list for chart entry date |
| Don't Ask Me | Public Image LTD | # 2 | see 1990 list for chart entry date |
| Someone Take The Wheel | The Replacements | # 15 | see 1990 list for chart entry date |
| Hands Across The Ocean | The Mission U.K. | # 7 | see 1990 list for chart entry date |
| Celebrate | An Emotional Fish | # 4 | see 1990 list for chart entry date |
| Tragedy (For You) | Front 242 | # 18 | see 1990 list for chart entry date |
| Up & Down | The High | # 19 | see 1990 list for chart entry date |
| Wicked Game | Chris Issak | # 2 | see 1990 list for chart entry date |
| The Road | The Alarm | # 7 | see 1990 list for chart entry date |
| It Makes No Difference | The Darling Buds | # 13 | see 1990 list for chart entry date |
| Never Enough | The Cure | # 1 | see 1990 list for chart entry date |
| Come Together | Primal Scream | # 13 | see 1990 list for chart entry date |
| That Is Why | Jellyfish | # 11 | see 1990 list for chart entry date |
| The Sunny Side Of The Street | The Pogues | # 23 | see 1990 list for chart entry date |
| Mama Help Me | Edie Brickell & New Bohemians | # 17 | see 1990 list for chart entry date |
| Dig For Fire | Pixies | # 11 | see 1990 list for chart entry date |
| Candy | Iggy Pop | # 5 | see 1990 list for chart entry date |
| The Obvious Child | Paul Simon | # 24 | 1991-01-05 |
| There You Are | The Goo Goo Dolls | # 24 | 1991-01-12 |
| All This Time | Sting | # 1 | 1991-01-19 |
| Right Here, Right Now | Jesus Jones | # 1 | 1991-01-19 |
| This Love | Daniel Ash | # 2 | 1991-01-19 |
| Like A Drug | They Eat Their Own | # 10 | 1991-01-19 |
| When It Began | The Replacements | # 4 | 1991-01-26 |
| Classic Girl | Jane's Addiction | # 15 | 1991-01-26 |
| I'll Be Your Baby Tonight | Robert Palmer | # 24 | 1991-01-26 |
| Bitter Tears | INXS | # 6 | 1991-02-02 |
| Love Rears Its Ugly Head | Living Colour | # 8 | 1991-02-02 |
| White Shirt | The Charlatans UK | # 18 | 1991-02-02 |
| Grey Matter | An Emotional Fish | # 18 | 1991-02-02 |
| Fly Me Courageous | Drivin' N' Cryin' | # 15 | 1991-02-02 |
| This Is How It Feels | Inspiral Carpets | # 22 | 1991-02-02 |
| I Touch Myself | The Divinyls | # 2 | 1991-02-09 |
| Sadeness Part 1 | Enigma | # 6 | 1991-02-09 |
| X, Y & Zee | Pop Will Eat Itself | # 11 | 1991-02-09 |
| Obscurity Knocks | The Trash Can Sinatras | # 12 | 1991-02-09 |
| Get A Gun | The Connells | # 24 | 1991-02-09 |
| Libertine | Buck Pets | # 25 | 1991-02-09 |
| Drive That Fast | Kitchens Of Distinction | # 12 | 1991-02-09 |
| Taste | Ride | # 24 | 1991-02-09 |
| Unbelievable | EMF | # 3 | 1991-02-16 |
| November Comes | The Hollow Men | # 16 | 1991-02-16 |
| Till I Am Myself Again | Blue Rodeo | # 19 | 1991-02-16 |
| Valerie Loves Me | Material Issue | # 3 | 1991-02-16 |
| Gone, Gone, Gone | Echo And The Bunnymen | # 23 | 1991-02-16 |
| Reach The Rock | Havana 3 A.M. | # 6 | 1991-02-16 |
| Alice Everyday | Book Of Love | # 21 | 1991-02-16 |
| How Much Is Enough | The Fixx | # 10 | 1991-02-23 |
| Sproston Green | The Charlatans UK | # 25 | 1991-02-23 |
| Native Son | The Judybats | # 9 | 1991-02-23 |
| Bed Of Roses | Screaming Trees | # 23 | 1991-02-23 |
| Detonation Boulevard | Sisters Of Mercy | # 17 | 1991-03-02 |
| De·Luxe | Lush | # 14 | 1991-03-02 |
| Losing My Religion | R.E.M. | # 1 | 1991-03-09 |
| Unreal World | The Godfathers | # 6 | 1991-03-09 |
| Our Frank | Morrissey | # 2 | 1991-03-16 |
| The Person You Are | John Wesley Harding | # 8 | 1991-03-16 |
| The Soul Cages | Sting | # 9 | 1991-03-16 |
| See The Lights | Simple Minds | # 1 | 1991-03-23 |
| Rose Of Jericho | Eleventh Dream Day | # 27 | 1991-03-23 |
| Highwire | The Rolling Stones | # 28 | 1991-03-23 |
| International Bright Young Thing | Jesus Jones | # 6 | 1991-03-23 |
| Bob's Yer Uncle | Happy Mondays | # 23 | 1991-03-23 |
| Counting Backwards | Throwing Muses | # 11 | 1991-03-30 |
| Cloud 8 | Frazier Chorus | # 17 | 1991-03-30 |
| Miss Freelove '69 | Hoodoo Gurus | # 3 | 1991-04-06 |
| 3 Strange Days | School Of Fish | # 6 | 1991-04-06 |
| Always On The Run | Lenny Kravitz | # 8 | 1991-04-06 |
| The Wagon | Dinosaur Jr. | # 22 | 1991-04-06 |
| Sooner Or Later | The Feelies | # 13 | 1991-04-06 |
| Sunless Saturday | Fishbone | # 7 | 1991-04-13 |
| There She Goes | The La's | # 2 | 1991-04-13 |
| Quick As Rainbows | Kitchens Of Distinction | # 18 | 1991-04-13 |
| American Music | Violent Femmes | # 2 | 1991-04-13 |
| Phoenix Of My Heart | Xymox | # 16 | 1991-04-13 |
| I Want More | Dave Wakeling | # 12 | 1991-04-20 |
| I Believe | EMF | # 10 | 1991-04-27 |
| Diane | Material Issue | # 6 | 1991-04-27 |
| Make Out Alright | Divinyls | # 19 | 1991-04-27 |
| All Together Now | The Farm | # 7 | 1991-04-27 |
| Crush Story | Too Much Joy | # 17 | 1991-04-27 |
| Get The Message | Electronic | # 1 | 1991-04-27 |
| Obvious Song | Joe Jackson | # 2 | 1991-05-04 |
| Beautiful Love | Julian Cope | # 4 | 1991-05-04 |
| Psych Out | The Seers | # 16 | 1991-05-04 |
| The Other Side Of Summer | Elvis Costello | # 1 | 1991-05-11 |
| Raw | The Alarm | # 15 | 1991-05-11 |
| My Definition Of A Boom | The Dream Warriors | # 24 | 1991-05-11 |
| The People's Drug | John Wesley Harding | # 29 | 1991-05-11 |
| Shoot You Down | Birdland | # 12 | 1991-05-11 |
| Sing Your Life | Morrissey | # 10 | 1991-05-18 |
| Don't Fix What Ain't Broke | Gang Of Four | # 14 | 1991-05-18 |
| Texarkana | R.E.M. | # 4 | 1991-05-18 |
| Kiss Them For Me | Siouxsie And The Banshees | # 1 | 1991-05-25 |
| Vote Elvis | The Popinjays | # 17 | 1991-05-25 |
| Caravan | Inspiral Carpets | # 15 | 1991-05-25 |
| Ripple | Jane's Addiction | # 13 | 1991-05-25 |
| Woman With The Strength Of | Peter Himnmelman | # 18 | 1991-06-01 |
| Heaven (I Want You) | Camouflage | # 18 | 1991-06-01 |
| Bertha | Los Lobos | # 24 | 1991-06-08 |
| Unkind | The Mighty Lemon Drops | # 28 | 1991-06-08 |
| Chocolate Cake | Crowded House | # 2 | 1991-06-15 |
| Crazy | Seal | # 5 | 1991-06-15 |
| Flowers In The Rain | Stress | # 7 | 1991-06-15 |
| Better Back Off | Marshall Crenshaw | # 17 | 1991-06-15 |
| Which Way Should I Jump? | Milltown Brothers | # 10 | 1991-06-15 |
| Kozmik | Ziggy Marley & The Melody Makers | # 6 | 1991-06-22 |
| Stand By Love | Simple Minds | # 4 | 1991-06-22 |
| Everyday Sunshine | Fishbone | # 14 | 1991-06-22 |
| I Wanna Be A Boss | Stan Ridgway | # 13 | 1991-06-22 |
| Shiny Happy People | R.E.M. | # 3 | 1991-06-29 |
| Marble | House Of Love | # 5 | 1991-06-29 |
| Pearl | Chapterhouse | # 7 | 1991-06-29 |
| Submarine Song | The Candy Skins | # 9 | 1991-06-29 |
| Groovy Train | The Farm | # 15 | 1991-06-29 |
| I Feel So Good | Richard Thompson | # 15 | 1991-07-06 |
| Rush | Big Audio Dynamite II | # 1 | 1991-07-06 |
| Walking Down Madison | Kirsty MacColl | # 4 | 1991-07-06 |
| Rockaway | Ric Ocasek | # 19 | 1991-07-06 |
| East Easy Rider | Julian Cope | # 25 | 1991-07-06 |
| Timeless Melody | The La's | # 12 | 1991-07-13 |
| Oh Well | Joe Jackson | # 20 | 1991-07-13 |
| Caught In My Shadow | The Wonder Stuff | # 8 | 1991-07-13 |
| Chorus | Erasure | # 4 | 1991-07-13 |
| Jerry Was A Race Car Driver | Primus | # 23 | 1991-07-13 |
| Tighten Up | Electronic | # 6 | 1991-07-13 |
| Sex On Wheelz | My Life With The Thrill Kill Kult | # 23 | 1991-07-13 |
| Until She Comes | The Psychedelic Furs | # 1 | 1991-07-20 |
| Man Scared | The Fat Lady Sings | # 20 | 1991-07-20 |
| Happy | Ned's Atomic Dustbin | # 11 | 1991-07-20 |
| Talkin' Loud And Sayin' Nothing | Living Colour | # 12 | 1991-07-27 |
| Children | EMF | # 26 | 1991-07-27 |
| Satisfied | Squeeze | # 3 | 1991-08-03 |
| Sit Down | James | # 9 | 1991-08-03 |
| Pandora's Box (It's A Long, Long Way) | O.M.D. | # 19 | 1991-08-03 |
| Real Real Real | Jesus Jones | # 26 | 1991-08-03 |
| Red Hills Road | Candy Flip | # 19 | 1991-08-03 |
| Sam | Meat Puppets | # 13 | 1991-08-10 |
| Human Nature | Gary Clail | # 10 | 1991-08-10 |
| Julie's Blanket | Mary's Danish | # 14 | 1991-08-10 |
| It's Only Natural | Crowded House | # 5 | 1991-08-17 |
| (I Just Wanna) B With U | Transvision Vamp | # 14 | 1991-08-17 |
| So You Think You're In Love | Robyn Hitchcock/Egyptians | # 1 | 1991-08-24 |
| Backlash | Joan Jett | # 7 | 1991-08-24 |
| One Shot | Tin Machine | # 3 | 1991-08-31 |
| Monsters And Angels | Voice Of The Beehive | # 8 | 1991-08-31 |
| Can You Dig It | The Mock Turtles | # 19 | 1991-08-31 |
| Take 5 | Northside | # 5 | 1991-08-31 |
| Top Of The Pops | The Smithereens | # 2 | 1991-09-07 |
| Family Man | Nitzer Ebb | # 21 | 1991-09-07 |
| Sexuality | Billy Bragg | # 2 | 1991-09-07 |
| Come Inside | The Thompson Twins | # 23 | 1991-09-07 |
| She's A Girl And I'm A Man | Lloyd Cole | # 7 | 1991-09-07 |
| There's No Other Way | Blur | # 5 | 1991-09-14 |
| Lies | EMF | # 27 | 1991-09-14 |
| Safe From Harm | Massive Attack | # 28 | 1991-09-14 |
| Sheriff Fatman | Carter U.S.M. | # 29 | 1991-09-14 |
| Wild Hearted Son | The Cult | # 4 | 1991-09-21 |
| Give It Away | The Red Hot Chili Peppers | # 1 | 1991-09-21 |
| Shadowtime | Siouxsie And The Banshees | # 13 | 1991-09-21 |
| Smells Like Teen Spirit | Nirvana | # 1 | 1991-09-21 |
| Rocking Chair | House Of Freaks | # 11 | 1991-09-28 |
| Calling Elvis | Dire Straits | # 25 | 1991-09-28 |
| Feel Every Beat | Electronic | # 27 | 1991-09-28 |
| Cerulean | The Ocean Blue | # 16 | 1991-09-28 |
| The Globe | Big Audio Dynamite II | # 3 | 1991-10-05 |
| Alive And Living Now | The Golden Palominos | # 14 | 1991-10-05 |
| Yr Own World | The Blue Aeroplanes | # 13 | 1991-10-05 |
| I Am Here | The Grapes Of Wrath | # 27 | 1991-10-05 |
| Movin' On Up | Primal Scream | # 2 | 1991-10-12 |
| Thirteenth Disciple | Five Thirty | # 14 | 1991-10-12 |
| Haven't Got A Clue | Dramarama | # 6 | 1991-10-12 |
| Naked Rain | This Picture | # 10 | 1991-10-12 |
| Don't Be A Girl | The Psychedelic Furs | # 13 | 1991-10-19 |
| Letter To Memphis | Pixies | # 6 | 1991-10-19 |
| Grey Cell Green | Ned's Atomic Dustbin | # 24 | 1991-10-19 |
| Love To Hate You | Erasure | # 6 | 1991-10-19 |
| Move Any Mountain | The Shamen | # 4 | 1991-10-19 |
| What About Now | Robbie Robertson | # 28 | 1991-10-19 |
| The Fly | U2 | # 1 | 1991-10-26 |
| Crying In My Sleep | Squeeze | # 14 | 1991-10-26 |
| That Ain't Bad | Ratcat | # 27 | 1991-10-26 |
| Tell Me When Did Things Go So Wrong | The Smithereens | # 11 | 1991-11-02 |
| In My Heart | Texas | # 14 | 1991-11-02 |
| Baby Universal | Tin Machine | # 21 | 1991-11-02 |
| Shining Star | INXS | # 4 | 1991-11-09 |
| Rocket Man | Kate Bush | # 11 | 1991-11-09 |
| Coast Is Clear | Curve | # 12 | 1991-11-09 |
| Rhinoceros | Smashing Pumpkins | # 27 | 1991-11-09 |
| Ballerina Out Of Control | The Ocean Blue | # 3 | 1991-11-16 |
| You Woke Up In My Neighbourhood | Billy Bragg | # 16 | 1991-11-16 |
| Mysterious Ways | U2 | # 1 | 1991-11-23 |
| Planet Love | The Dylans | # 10 | 1991-11-23 |
| A Dream Like Mine | Bruce Cockburn | # 22 | 1991-11-23 |
| Heart Of Soul | The Cult | # 21 | 1991-11-23 |
| Oceanside | Robyn Hitchcock | # 29 | 1991-11-23 |
| Star Sign | Teenage Fanclub | # 4 | 1991-11-30 |
| Jesus Built My Hotrod | Ministry | # 19 | 1991-11-30 |
| I Give To You | Nitzer Ebb | # 27 | 1991-11-30 |
| #1 Dominator | Top | # 17 | 1991-11-30 |
| Caribbean Blue | Enya | # 3 | 1991-12-07 |
| Heavy Fuel | Dire Straits | # 22 | 1991-12-07 |
| Hey That's No Way To Say Goodbye | Ian McCulloch | # 13 | 1991-12-07 |
| Suck My Kiss | The Red Hot Chili Peppers | # 15 | 1991-12-14 |
| Tell Your Sister | Lloyd Cole | # 14 | 1991-12-14 |
| It Won't Be Long | Alison Moyet | # 29 | 1991-12-14 |
| Nothing Natural | Lush | # 22 | 1991-12-28 |
| Diving Intervention | Matthew Sweet | # 23 | 1991-12-28 |
| Sax And Violins | Talking Heads | # 1 | 1991-12-28 |
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2. ibid.