1991: A Year of Transition
In 1991, I shifted from mainstream top 40 music to more alternative rock music. This was the year that pop music transitioned to more rap and hip hop songs, hence the transition to alternative rock.
The songs on my Top 100 Hits of 1991 were all popular for different reasons.
Nirvana's "Smells Like Teen Spirit" was a cultural phenomenon that helped define the grunge movement and generation. It turned out to be the band's first and only #1 hit and became their signature song.
"Valerie Loves Me" by Material Issue was a catchy power pop song that started the band's foray into titles named after women. R.E.M.'s "Losing My Religion" was a more thoughtful and introspective song that resonated with many people in 1991.
Prince and the New Power Generation's "Cream" was a danceable and funky rock track that was perfect for parties. "Caribbean Blue" by Enya was a beautiful and ethereal ballad that transported listeners to another world.
Seal's "Crazy" was a soulful and passionate love song that was sure to stir emotions, while EMF's "Unbelievable" was a quirky and experimental track that was ahead of its time.
"Justified and Ancient" by The KLF and Tammy Wynette was a strange and unexpected collaboration that merged dance, funk and country into an unexpected but memorable hit.
Sting's "All This Time" was a moving and heartfelt ballad about love and loss.
Yes, 1991 was a year of great musical transition. The rise of grunge and alternative rock challenged the dominance of synth-pop and hair metal, while hip hop and R&B continued to evolve. Meanwhile, genres like electronica and world music were also gaining ground.
THE TOP 100 HITS OF 1991
| No. | Title | Artist(s) |
| 1 | Smells Like Teen Spirit | Nirvana |
| 2 | Valerie Loves Me | Material Issue |
| 3 | Losing My Religion | R.E.M. |
| 4 | Crazy | Seal |
| 5 | Wicked Game | Chris Isaak |
| 6 | Caribbean Blue | Enya |
| 7 | Unbelievable | EMF |
| 8 | I've Been Thinking About You | Londonbeat |
| 9 | Cream | Prince and The New Power Generation |
| 10 | Justified And Ancient | The KLF with Tammy Wynette |
| 11 | Groove Is in the Heart | Deee-Lite |
| 12 | Alice Everyday | Book of Love |
| 13 | Shiny Happy People | R.E.M. |
| 14 | Tom's Diner | DNA featuring Suzanne Vega |
| 15 | Nothing Else Matters | Metallica |
| 16 | Something to Talk About | Bonnie Raitt |
| 17 | Silent Lucidity | Queensrÿche |
| 18 | Sadeness (Part I) | Enigma |
| 19 | Kiss Them For Me | Siouxsie & The Banshees |
| 20 | All This Time | Sting |
| 21 | Justify My Love | Madonna |
| 22 | Right Here, Right Now | Jesus Jones |
| 23 | Give It Away | Red Hot Chili Peppers |
| 24 | Quiver | Book of Love |
| 25 | So You Think I'm in Love | Robyn Hitchcok & The Egyptians |
| 26 | Joyride | Roxette |
| 27 | Diane | Material Issue |
| 28 | You Could Be Mine | Guns N' Roses |
| 29 | Enter Sandman | Metallica |
| 30 | Here I Am (Come and Take Me) | UB40 |
| 31 | Breaking the Girl | Red Hot Chili Peppers |
| 32 | I Touch Myself | Divinyls |
| 33 | Mysterious Ways | U2 |
| 34 | Baby Baby | Amy Grant |
| 35 | There She Goes | The La's |
| 36 | I Wanna Sex You Up | Color Me Badd |
| 37 | Show Me the Way | Styx |
| 38 | Gonna Make You Sweat (Everybody Dance...) | C+C Music Factory |
| 39 | Black or White | Michael Jackson |
| 40 | Near Wild Heaven | R.E.M. |
| 41 | Don't Let The Sun Go Down on Me (live) | Elton John with George Michael |
| 42 | The Way You Do the Things You Do | UB40 |
| 43 | Everybody Plays the Fool | Aaron Neville |
| 44 | Learning to Fly | Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers |
| 45 | The Unforgiven | Metallica |
| 46 | More Than Words | Extreme |
| 47 | Girlfriend | Matthew Sweet |
| 48 | Rush | Big Audio Dynamite II |
| 49 | Motownphilly | Boyz II Men |
| 50 | She Lives (In A Time of Her Own) | The Judybats |
| 51 | The Promise of a New Day | Paula Abdul |
| 52 | Don't Drop The Baby | The Judybats |
| 53 | Signs | Tesla |
| 54 | Wind of Change | Scorpions |
| 55 | Disappear | INXS |
| 56 | Summer Kisses Winter Tears | Julee Cruise |
| 57 | Rush Rush | Paula Abdul |
| 58 | Sunny Day | Book of Love |
| 59 | Right Now | Van Halen |
| 60 | Under The Bridge | Red Hot Chili Peppers |
| 61 | Bitter Tears | INXS |
| 62 | Until The End of the World | U2 |
| 63 | Alive | Pearl Jam |
| 64 | Real Real Real | Jesus Jones |
| 65 | I Can't Dance | Genesis |
| 66 | Emotions | Mariah Carey |
| 67 | Hole Hearted | Extreme |
| 68 | Good Vibrations | Marky Mark And The Funky Bunch |
| 69 | Live and Let Die | Guns N Roses |
| 70 | High Enough | Damn Yankees |
| 71 | Kinky Afro | Happy Mondays |
| 72 | The Shoop Shoop Song (It's in His Kiss) | Cher |
| 73 | (Everything I Do) I Do It for You | Bryan Adams |
| 74 | I'm Your Baby Tonight | Whitney Houston |
| 75 | I'm Too Sexy | Right Said Fred |
| 76 | Into the Great Wide Open | Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers |
| 77 | Just Another Dream | Cathy Dennis |
| 78 | It Ain't Over 'til It's Over | Lenny Kravitz |
| 79 | Radio Song | R.E.M. |
| 80 | Rhythm of My Heart | Rod Stewart |
| 81 | The Other Side of Summer | Elvis Costello |
| 82 | The Fly | U2 |
| 83 | O.P.P. | Naughty by Nature |
| 84 | It Hit Me Like a Hammer | Huey Lewis & The News |
| 85 | November Rain | Guns N' Roses |
| 86 | This House | Tracie Spencer |
| 87 | Too Many Walls | Cathy Dennis |
| 88 | Get A Leg Up | John Mellencamp |
| 89 | Fading Like a Flower (Every Time You Leave) | Roxette |
| 90 | Someday | Mariah Carey |
| 91 | Love Takes Time | Mariah Carey |
| 92 | The One and Only | Chesney Hawkes |
| 93 | Love Will Never Do Without You | Janet Jackson |
| 94 | Summertime | DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince |
| 95 | Touch Me (All Night Long) | Cathy Dennis |
| 96 | I Adore Mi Amor | Color Me Badd |
| 97 | I'm Not in Love | Will to Power |
| 98 | Coming Out of the Dark | Gloria Estefan |
| 99 | Here We Go | C+C Music Factory |
| 100 | Something to Believe In | Poison |
