This is a list of notable events in music that took place in the year 1991.

Specific locations

Specific genres

Events

Summary

Although the year 1991 is the year that grunge music made its popular breakthrough, heavy metal was still the dominant form of rock music for the year. Therefore, Nirvana's Nevermind, led by the surprise hit single "Smells Like Teen Spirit", was not the most popular U.S. album of the year. The most popular album was Metallica's self-titled "black album". Nirvana's success was eventually followed by other grunge bands like Pearl Jam, Soundgarden, Alice in Chains, and Stone Temple Pilots, as grunge climbed the U.S. charts for the next few years. Its success eventually ended the reign of the glam metal and other hard rock groups that enjoyed massive success in the 1980s like Mötley Crüe, Poison, Warrant, Cinderella, and Ratt, whose sales were still going strong by 1991. Also during the year, the rock band Guns N' Roses's popularity flourished with the release of their albums Use Your Illusion I & Use Your Illusion II, both selling over 15 million copies total. 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 hair 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 November 24, Queen front man Freddie Mercury died at home in London due to AIDS complications. Rumors had been circulating that Mercury had AIDS and he confirmed it to the press a day before his death, 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" (released as a double A-side with "These Are the Days of Our Lives") 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. During the year, Billboard started using Nielsen SoundScan for its sales source for the music charts. Nielsen SoundScan began tracking sales data for Nielsen on 1 March 1991. The 25 May issue of Billboard published Billboard 200 and Country Album charts based on SoundScan "piece count data," and the first Hot 100 chart to debut with the system was released on 30 November 1991. Previously, Billboard tracked sales by calling stores across the U.S. and asking about sales – a method that was inherently error-prone and open to outright fraud. Indeed, while transitioning from the calling to tracking methods, the airplay and sales charts (already monitored by Nielsen) and the Hot 100 (then still using the calling system) often did not match (for instance Paula Abdul's "Promise of a New Day" and Roxette's "Fading Like a Flower" reached much higher Hot 100 peaks than their actual sales and airplay would have allowed them to). Although most record company executives conceded that the new method was far more accurate than the old, the chart's volatility and its geographical balance initially caused deep concern, before the change and the market shifts it brought about were accepted across the industry. Tower Records, the country's second-largest retail chain, was originally not included in the sample because its stores are equipped with different technology to measure sales. At first, some industry executives complained that the new system – which relied on high-tech sales measurement rather than store employee estimates – was based on an inadequate sample, one that favored established and mainstream acts over newcomers. 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. 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.

January–March

April–June

July–September

October–December

Also in 1991

Bands formed

Bands disbanded

Bands reformed

Albums released

January–March

April–June

July–September

October–December

Release date unknown

Biggest hit singles

The following songs achieved the highest chart positions in the charts of 1991.

Top 40 Chart hit singles

Other Chart hit singles

• "Anasthasia" – T99 • "Baby Baby" – Amy Grant (#1 US, #2 CAN, NZ, UK) • "Bacardi Feeling (Summer Dreamin')" – Kate Yanai (#1 AUT, GER, #2 SWI) • "Baila Me" – Gipsy Kings (#5 NLD, #7 BE, #10 AUT) • "Beauty and the Beast" – Celine Dion & Peabo Bryson (#2 CAN, #8 NZ, #9 US) • "Buenos Amigos" – Alvaro Torres & Selena (#1 US Latin) • "The Big L." – Roxette (#9 IRL, #10 SWE) • "Black or White" – Michael Jackson • "Bohemian Rhapsody" – Queen (#1 UK, IRL, NLD, #5 AUS) • "Bring Your Daughter... to the Slaughter" – Iron Maiden (#1 UK, FIN, #5 IRL) • "Calling Elvis" – Dire Straits (#1 POL, #2 BE, NOR, SWI) • "Call My Name" - OMD • "Can't Stop This Thing We Started" – Bryan Adams (#1 CAN, #2 NLD, US) • "Can't Let Go" – Mariah Carey (#2 US, #3 CAN) • "Caribbean Blue" – Enya (#8 IRL) • "Change" – Lisa Stansfield (#2 IT, #6 SP, #7 NLD) • "Chorus" – Erasure (#1 ARG, SING, #3 UK) • "Colour of Love" – Snap! (#3 IT, #4 AUT, SWI, #6 SWE) • "Coming Out of the Dark" – Gloria Estefan (#1 US, CAN, SP, #4 JAP) • "Crazy" – Seal (#1 BE, NLD, SWE, SWI) • "Cream" – Prince (#1 US, #2 AUS, #3 NOR, SWI) • "Crucified" – Army of Lovers (#1 BE, #2 NLD, #3 AUT) • "Cry for Help" – Rick Astley (#4 CAN, #7 UK, US) • "Danca tago-mago" – Kaoma (#3 FR, #6 BE, POR) • "Darlin'" – Roch Voisine (#2 FR, #5 BE) • "Deep, Deep Trouble" – The Simpsons (#1 IRL, #7 UK, #10 NZ) • "Déjeuner en paix" – Stephan Eicher (#2 FR, #8 BE) • "Désenchantée" – Mylène Farmer (#1 FR, #9 CAN) • "Dis-moi bébé" – Benny B feat. DJ Daddy K (#4 FR, BE) • "Dizzy" – Vic Reeves & The Wonder Stuff (#1 UK) • "Do the Bartman" – The Simpsons (#1 AUS, IRL, NZ, NOR, UK) • "Do You Remember?" – Phil Collins (#4 US) • "Do Anything" – Natural Selection (#2 US) • "Don't Cry" – Guns N' Roses (#1 FIN, IRL, #2 NZ, NOR) • "Don't Let the Sun Go Down on Me" – George Michael & Elton John (#1 CAN, FR, IT, NLD, NOR, SWI, UK, US) • "E vado via" – Félix Gray & Didier Barbelivien (#5 FR) • "Emotions" – Mariah Carey (#1 CAN, US, #3 NZ) • "Enter Sandman" – Metallica (#1 FIN, #2 NOR, #4 POL, #5 UK) • "Esperança do natal" – Chico & Roberta (#3 FR) • "Every Heartbeat" – Amy Grant (#2 US, #7 CAN) • "Everybody's Free (To Feel Good)" – Rozalla (#2 BE, CAN, NLD, SP, #3 SWI, #6 GER, SWE, UK) • "(Everything I Do) I Do It for You" – Bryan Adams • "Fångad av en stormvind" – Carola Häggkvist • "Fading Like a Flower (Every Time You Leave)" – Roxette • "Finally" – CeCe Peniston (#2 UK, #5 US, IRL, #6 NLD) • "The First Time" – Surface • "The Fly" – U2 (#1 AUS, IRL, NZ, NOR, SP, UK) • "From a Distance" – Bette Midler (#6 UK, #8 AUS) • "Future Love Paradise" – Seal (#6 NLD, #7 SWI, #8 IRL, #9 NOR) • "Get Here" – Oleta Adams (#5 UK, US) • "Get Ready for This" – 2 Unlimited (#2 AUS, SP, UK, #3 IRL) • "Gett Off" – Prince (#4 UK, #8 AUS) • "G.L.A.D" – Kim Appleby • "Gonna Make You Sweat (Everybody Dance Now)" – C+C Music Factory (#3 US) • "Good Vibrations" – Marky Mark & the Funky Bunch (#1 US, #1 SWI, #2 NOR) • "The Grease Megamix" – John Travolta & Olivia Newton-John (#1 AUS, SP, #3 NLD, UK) • "Give it Away" – Red Hot Chili Peppers (#9 UK) • "Gypsy Woman (She's Homeless)" – Crystal Waters (#1 NLD, IT, SP, SWI) • "Here We Go (Let's Rock & Roll)" – C+C Music Factory (#3 US, #4 SP, #9 NZ) • "Highwire" – The Rolling Stones • "Hold You Tight" – Tara Kemp (#3 US) • "Hole Hearted" – Extreme • "How to Dance" – Bingoboys & Princessa • "I Adore Mi Amor" – Color Me Badd (#1 US, #8 CAN, NZ) • "I Believe" – EMF • "I Don't Wanna Cry" – Mariah Carey (#1 US, #2 CAN) • "I Like the Way (The Kissing Game)" – Hi-Five (#1 US) • "I Love Your Smile" – Shanice (#1 NLD, #2 CAN, US, UK) • "I Touch Myself" – Divinyls (#1 AUS, #4 US, #8 IRL) • "I Wanna Sex You Up" – Color Me Badd (#1 NZ, UK, #2 US) • "I Wonder Why" – Curtis Stigers (#5 UK, #9 US) • "Il faut laisser le temps au temps" – Félix Gray & Didier Barbelivien (#1 FR) • "Innuendo" – Queen (#1 UK, #3 SWI, #4 NLD, IRL, IT) • "It Ain't Over 'til It's Over" – Lenny Kravitz (#2 CAN, US) • "It's Grim Up North" – The Justified Ancients of Mu Mu • "It's So Hard to Say Goodbye to Yesterday" – Boyz II Men (#2 US) • "I've Been Thinking About You" – Londonbeat (#1 AUS, AUT, BE, CAN, FIN, GER, IT, NLD, SP, SWE, SWI, US) • "J'ai des doutes" – Sara Mandiano (#10 FR) • "J'ai peur" – François Feldman and Joniece Jamison (#7 FR) • "Joyride" – Roxette • "Just A Groove" – Nomad (#6 NLD, #10 BE, SWI) • "Just the Way It Is, Baby" – The Rembrandts (#6 GER, #9 AUT, FR) • "Kiss Them for Me" – T'Pau (#1 UK, #2 US) • "La Berceuse du petit diable" – Roch Voisine (#3 FR, #6 BE) • "La Zoubida" – Lagaf' (#1 FR) • "Last Train to Trancentral" – The KLF • "Le Dormeur" – Pleasure Game (#5 BE, #9 FR) • "Learning to Fly" – Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers (#1 FIN, #2 UK, NLD, #4 GER, NOR) • "Let There Be Love" – Simple Minds (#4 NLD, #5 IRL, #6 UK) • "Let's Talk About Sex" – Salt-n-Pepa (#1 AUS, AUT, BE, NLD, SWI) • "Losing My Religion" – R.E.M. • "Love and Understanding" – Cher (#6 AUT, #7 IRL, #9 BE, NLD) • "Love Is a Wonderful Thing" – Michael Bolton (#2 CAN, #4 US) • "Love of a Lifetime" – FireHouse • "Love... Thy Will Be Done" – Martika (#1 AUS, #4 NZ, #7 CAN) • "Love to Hate You" – Erasure (#4 FIN, SWE, UK, #5 IRL, #6 AUT) • "Mea Culpa (Part II)" – Enigma (#4 FR, #7 GER, IT, SP) • "Mega Mix" – Snap! (#5 NLD, SWI, #7 NZ, #10 SP) • "Mercy Mercy Me (The Ecology)" / "I Want You" – Robert Palmer • "Mistadobalina" – Del tha Funkee Homosapien • "More Than Words" – Extreme (#1 BE, CAN, NLD, NZ, US) • "The Motown Song" – Rod Stewart (#1 CAN, #10 US) • "Motownphilly" – Boyz II Men (#3 US) • "Move Any Mountain" – The Shamen (#4 UK, SWI, #5 FIN, #8 BE) • "Move That Body" – Technotronic (#3 IRL, #10 SWI) • "Mysterious Ways" – U2 (#1 IRL, #3 AUS, NZ) • "No Son of Mine" – Genesis (#1 CAN, #3 GER, #4 NOR) • "Now That We Found Love" – Heavy D & the Boyz (#2 NL, SWE, UK, #4 GER, SWI) • "Obsession" – Army of Lovers (#2 SWE, #5 FIN, SWI, #7 GER) • "The One and Only" – Chesney Hawkes (#1 UK, AUT, #2 SWE) • "One More Try" – Timmy T (#1 US, #2 NLD, #5 SWE) • "O.P.P." – Naughty by Nature (#4 CAN, #6 SWI, US) • "Pandora's Box" – Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark (#7 AUT, SWE, UK) • "Piece of My Heart" – Tara Kemp (#7 US) • "Place in This World" – Michael W. Smith (#6 US) • "Place des grands hommes" – Patrick Bruel (#4 FR) • "Poupée psychédélique" – Thierry Hazard (#2 FR) • "Promise Me" – Beverley Craven (#2 BE, #3 UK, #6 FR) • "The Promise of a New Day" – Paula Abdul (#1 US, CAN) • "Qu'est-ce qu'on fait maintenant ?" – Benny B feat. DJ Daddy K (#2 FR, BE) • "Qui a le droit... (live)" – Patrick Bruel (#1 FR) • "Radio Song" – R.E.M. (#5 IRL) • "Regrets" – Mylène Farmer and Jean-Louis Murat (#2 BE, #3 FR) • "Ride Like the Wind" – East Side Beat (#3 UK, #4 BE, IRL, #6 NLD) • "Right Here, Right Now" – Jesus Jones (#2 US) • "Ring Ring Ring (Ha Ha Hey)" – De La Soul (#1 FIN, SWI, #2 NLD) • "Rescue Me" – Madonna (#3 UK, IRL, #9 US) • "Rhythm of My Heart" – Rod Stewart (#1 CAN, IRL, #2 AUT) • "Rocket Man" – Kate Bush • "Romantic" – Karyn White (#1 US) • "Romantic World" – Dana Dawson (#4 FR) • "Rush" – Big Audio Dynamite II (#1 AUS, NZ) • "Rush Rush" – Paula Abdul (#1 CAN, US, #2 AUS) • "Saga Africa" – Yannick Noah (#2 FR) • "Sailing on the Seven Seas" – OMD (#3 UK, #9 GER) • "Saltwater" – Julian Lennon (#6 UK) • "Secret Love" – Bee Gees (#2 AUT, GER, #5 BE, UK) • "Set Adrift on Memory Bliss" – P.M. Dawn (#1 NZ, US) • "Senza una donna" – Zucchero & Paul Young (#1 BE, IT, NOR, SWE) • "Send Me An Angel" – Scorpions (#3 POL, #4 NLD, SWE, #5 GER) • "Shiny Happy People" – R.E.M. (#2 IRL, #5 CAN, #6 UK) • "Shocked" – Kylie Minogue (#1 SLO, #2 IRL, #6 SA, UK) • "The Shoop Shoop Song (It's in His Kiss)" – Cher (#1 AUT, IRL, NOR, UK) • "Should I Stay or Should I Go" – The Clash (#1 UK, #2 IRL, NZ, #3 BE, NLD, NOR, POL) • "The Show Must Go On" – Queen (#2 FR, #3 POL, #7 GER, NLD) • "Silent Lucidity" – Queensrÿche • "Sit Down" – James (#2 UK) • "Smells Like Teen Spirit" – Nirvana (#1 BE, FR, NZ, SP, #2 GER, NOR) • "So Sad" – Gregorian (#1 POR, #9 FR) • "Someday" – Mariah Carey (#1 CAN, US) • "Something Got Me Started" – Simply Red (#5 AUT, NLD, IT, #6 SWI) • "Spending My Time" – Roxette (#9 GER, IT) • "Stars" – Simply Red (#8 UK) • "Strike It Up" – Black Box (#4 NLD, #8 IRL, US) • "Summertime" – DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince (#4 US, #5 NZ) • "Sunshine on a Rainy Day" – Zoë • "That's What Love Is For" – Amy Grant (#7 US) • "There Will Never Be Another Tonight" – Bryan Adams (#2 CAN) • "There's No Other Way" – Blur (#8 UK) • "These Are the Days of Our Lives" – Queen • "Things That Make You Go Hmmm..." – C+C Music Factory (#2 NZ, #4 UK, US) • "Too Blind to See It" – Kym Sims • "Too Legit to Quit" – MC Hammer (#4 NZ, #5 US, #6 UK) • "Touch Me (All Night Long)" – Cathy Dennis (#2 US, #5 UK, #9 CAN) • "Tout c'qui nous sépare" – Jil Caplan (#6 FR) • "Twist and Shout" – Deacon Blue (#10 UK) • "Unbelievable" – EMF (#1 US, #3 SWI, UK) • "Under the Bridge" – Red Hot Chili Peppers (#1 AUS, BE, NLD, #2 NZ) • "Unfinished Sympathy" – Massive Attack (#1 NLD, #9 SWI) • "Unforgettable" – Natalie Cole & Nat King Cole (#2 AUS, #7 NZ, #10 IRL) • "The Unforgiven" – Metallica (#2 GR, #9 POL) • "Walking in Memphis" – Marc Cohn (#7 IRL) • "We Should Be Together" – Cliff Richard (#9 IRL, #10 UK) • "What Do I Have to Do" – Kylie Minogue • "What Time Is Love?" – The KLF (#5 UK, #6 GER) • "What Comes Naturally" – Sheena Easton (#3 AUS) • "When a Man Loves a Woman" – Michael Bolton • "When Something Is Wrong with My Baby" – John Farnham + Jimmy Barnes (#3 AUS, #6 NZ) • "When You Tell Me That You Love Me" – Diana Ross (#1 IRL, #2 UK) • "Where Does My Heart Beat Now" – Celine Dion (#4 NOR, US, #6 CAN) • "Where the Streets Have No Name (I Can't Take My Eyes off You)" – Pet Shop Boys (#2 FIN, IRL, SP, #3 SWI, #4 UK) • "Wildside" – Marky Mark and the Funky Bunch • "Wind of Change" – Scorpions • "You" – Ten Sharp (#1 FR, NOR, SWE) • "You Could Be Mine" – Guns N' Roses (#1 FIN, IRL, NZ, SP) • "You're in Love" – Wilson Phillips

Notable singles

Other Notable singles

• "Alive And Living Now" – The Golden Palominos • "D.C." – Died Pretty • "Hieronymous" b/w "Lucy's Eyes" – The Clouds • "I Think I Love You" – Voice of the Beehive • "Squirrel" b/w "It's Time" – Levitation

Top best albums of the year

All albums have been named albums of the year for their hits in the charts. '

Published popular music

Classical music

Opera

Jazz

Musical theater

Musical films

Births

Deaths

Awards

Charts