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 groundbreaking. But that didn’t stop up and coming acts from releasing groundbreaking records which stood the test of time.
The best and most groundbreaking record of 1991 was Seal’s “Crazy,” which took over the airwaves during the summer of that year. Not only did this record sound like nothing that was on the radio at the time, but it remains just about the best dance song ever released. The lyrics were 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.
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/That I wake up each morning and turn on the news to find we’ve so far to go/And I keep on hoping for a sign, so afraid that I just won’t know.” “Show Me The Way” remains one of the most thought provoking songs ever released.
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 became a household name on the music scene in 1991 and released one of the best singles of the early 90s, “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,
deep in my heart I know the strength is within. Cathy’s thin (but soulful) voice combined with simple beats propelled this song into the top ten in September of 1991.
Article comments
— go to most recent comments1 - JC Mosquito
Interesting... other than Nirvana, I wouldn't have said most of these acts have had a lasting inpression on the music world. Cathy Dennis? Later day Styx? Queensryche? All have sold CDs and all have their core base of fans, but they haven't had nearly as much influence as some of those old timers like Madonna who are actually still in the game (or, like Jacko, at least still in the public eye). And nobody I know listens to Seal - I'll have to assume he once had a big single or two.
Of course, maybe it's a location issue - perhaps that music just never made it up here. But the Class of '91 has had sixteen years to prove themselves - if they haven't graduated with their Ph.D's (or even their B.A's) I don't expect them to any time soon.
2 - daryl d
While Seal, later day Styx, Cathy Dennis or Queensryche didn't have a lasting impression on the music world, the records they released that year were excellent. The article I wrote was really about the songs, not the artists.
Of course, there's Nirvana, who had a major impression on the music world even years after Kurt Kobain's death. I still remember watching the video for "Smells Like Teen Spirit" the very first time and thinking the song was awful. Of course, it grew on me, as well as Nirvana's other songs.
3 - kenj
I think Emotions from Mariah Carey is a milestone no matter how much you hate it. It is still a reference for many female artists out there. It features such vocal acrobatics that nobody has been able to cover the song yet. I Dont Wanna Cry isnt that bad either, it is as good as Whitney's All The Man That I Need. It seems to me that you have a thing for Mariah Carey herself, not her music.
4 - JC Mosquito
Yeah, "Teen Spirit" kicked mainstream rock square in the gonads fer shure that year.
5 - Tom Johnson
You might do better to talk about this as the 1991 that you experienced. That certainly wasn't the 1991 that I or anyone else I know knew, besides Queensryche and Nirvana. Where is Guns 'n Roses? Metallica? U2? Most importantly . . .
. . . You forgot to mention that other long-lasting, extremely influential band that surfaced in 1991: Pearl Jam (I could also make a case for Smashing Pumpkins, since their first album, Gish came out in late spring 1991 - but I won't since they didn't take off until 1993's Siamese Dream). Guitar rock seemed to take two basic paths in the 90s - bands either followed the noisier, angrier one blazed by Nirvana or the more churning, contemplative droning of Pearl Jam. But, man, Pearl Jam was a very important part of 1991, even if "Jeremy" didn't hit until summer of 1992.
6 - Brian aka Guppusmaximus
"Where is Guns 'n Roses? Metallica?.."
Metallica released one the shittiest metal albums of all-time in 1991 and G'n R's idea of a double album pales in comparison, even with all those songs, to "Appetite...".
We know that radio & tv never did or never will cover any groundbreaking material,But, I'll tell you why '91 was a great year: *BTW*- F*ck Seal,U2 or any of that stale, boring BS!!)
1. Atheist - Unquestionable Presence
2. Mr. Bungle - s/t
3. Death - Human
4. Sepultura - Arise
And I'm sure there was a couple more...
Anyways, F*ck Nirvana!! Ironchrist came out with Getting The Most Out Of Your Extinction back in 1990 that was far more raw & intelligent than anything Nirvana ever released and as such because all the little teeny boppers are like such sheep they don't get the credit that is most deserved!!
7 - Michael J. West
My Bloody Valentine's Loveless came out in 1991 and remains the best album of the '90s. Yay 1991!
8 - Ray Ellis
I guess my first question is: why 1991? My second question is, of course, how have the songs you mentioned had an impact in our current culture? An okay tune is one thing, but lasting impact is quite another.
9 - daryl d
why 1991? It's a first in a series I am going to do on the whole decade. I tried 1990 but became frustrated. The songs I've mentioned were, in my opinion, the best singles of the year. I suppose one could argue about how "groundbreaking" they were, especially the songs by Styx and Cathy Dennis. I didn't forget to mention Guns and Roses. "November Rain" is easily one of the best singles of 1992 and I will talk about it when I write about 1992.
10 - Ray Ellis
I'm trying to help you here, Daryl. You can't just list your favorite songs, and call them "groundbreaking. Please don't embarrass yourself and everyone else by calling "November Rain" as groundbreaking. If anything, mention it as the song that finally buried 15 minute tunes that went nowhere, and subsequently destroyed promising careers.
BTW, you might want to mention Nine Inch Nails as the most important band of the 90's, in terms of influence on how we view music now.
11 - daryl d
I agree with you on this one Ray. When I do the other years, I need to separate the best and the most groundbreaking- A major flaw in this article. I may even skip grounbreaking all together and just list what I think is the best. November Rain surely isn't a groundbreaking record, but I feel it is one of the most enjoyable of 1992. In terms of Nine Inch Nails-definitely a groundbreaking band.
12 - Christopher Rose
I absolutely don't want to take sides in the Daryl and Ray lovefest, but I must agree with the latter in terms of why the 1990s, which was absolutely the worst decade of the second half of the 20th Century in musical terms.
13 - Ray Ellis
There may be hope for you yet, Daryl. One othe thing, though-- loce the cell phone strapped prominently to the belt--it's so 1990's. j/k
14 - daryl d
Ugh...forgot to mention Walking In Memphis. I love that song! I
believe that was by Marc Cohen. More Than Words by Extreme was also a great record, though many would disagree.
15 - Ray Ellis
Writing's not about quantity--it's about quality. If you learn to think before you speak and make sweeping statements that just beg for ridicule, people are going to take you a lot more seriously. I actually enjoyed your iPhone series, but the way you're pursuing music has so far been --well, uninformed.
Here's a hint, though--if you're going to start out with a grandiose statement (which IU've been known to do) be ready for backlash, and be ready to back up what you've said. It's all about research.
16 - daryl d
Ray:
Writing is about having fun too and not taking ourselves, as well as other writers, too seriously. It's also about getting people to react, whether it's a positive or negative reaction.
17 - Ray Ellis
Wrong! Never take yourself seriously. Always take your work seriously. Yeah, you want a reaction, but not some kneejerk reaction. Positive, negative--doesn't matter. But we don't write merely to provoke. That's like dangling a leg curbside.
18 - JC Mosquito
Excellent advice all around by Mr. Ellis.
I mentioned this once before in an article, but a professional journalist friend of mine once told me everybody has about a half dozen interests on which they can write authoritatively and easily, and after that, it's about hard work, research and editing.
And I'd add one more thing - there are hardly ever any absolutes, so it's wise to stay away from extreme statements that can't be supported. But if you're gonna do that, be prepared to take the flak - sometimes what one thinks is a lighthearted, tongue-in-cheek statement ends up provoking some very exciteable people.
Skeeter.
19 - daryl d
JC
It also depends on who your audience is. Some people like reading over-exaggerated statements that add personality. Look how much money Entertainment Weekly and the New York Post make. Have you ever read the colums from entertainment columnist Roger Friedman at Fox News? There are factual errors in almost EVERY article he writes and unresearched lies, but he still makes a lot of money because people obviously read his stuff. Look at the Drudge Report. I'm not saying that what these outlets are doing is right, but look how much money they make. I think the type of professional journalis that you are talking about has really gone out the window, whether we like it or not.
20 - daryl d
"professional jounalis"
I meant professional journalism. It is very difficult typing on an iPhone.
21 - JC Mosquito
You may be right, daryl - and I DON'T like it. It's simply another way in which our culture is becoming - I don't know the correct term - post-literate? Illiterate? Non-literate? But it seems to me that people like ourselves, who for whatever reason have stumbled into the online world as writers of sorts on a website like bc have the responsibilty to do our best and not fall into lazy writing, using the almost right word when only the right one will do, goading and baiting our audience into emotional outbursts when what is needed in the world is rational discourse. And I mean discourse about all the things we feel are important to us as a culture: civil rights, the purpose of war, race relations, the nature of art, the health of the environment, the existence of God, and, yes, even what constitutes good rock and roll - all these topics are important to all of us so we can get ahead as a culture and as a literate people, for without some kind of currency of ideas that people can exchange with each other, there is no culture.
Look at all the people who get a laugh out of the Simpsons TV show and it's constant reference to our culture and history - it's a well written show, for sure. But then look at the children who only know Edgar Allan Poe because Bart flew around the room saying "Nevermore." It's not the Simpsons' fault - it's the cumulative effect of the dumbing down of the modern world, because there's lots of people who don't care enough to do the work and the research and the editing and write well, or at least as well as they are able.
Sorry for the rant on your space, dd, but sometimes a few words doesn't say it. I'm no pro, and I've got no beef with you in particular, but I thought it needed to be said to the world in general, at least once. At least I can say if given the option, I'd prefer to live in a smarter world, and I hope you and everyone else would too.
Skeeter.
22 - El Bicho
"Writing's not about quantity--it's about quality."
Ray, can you spread that around, please?
23 - daryl d
Anybody wanna chime in on the records I listed. I would defend Seal's song as groundbreaking too. I could hear this song's influence on a lot of electronica style songs in the late 90s.
24 - Tom Johnson
If you feel that way, Daryl, that's exactly what you should have written. Don't tell us a Seal song is "groundbreaking" and then just leave it at that - tell us why it is groundbreaking. You're getting a hard time here for a reason - you're not doing your "job" as a writer to completion. This is not to say we'd agree with you, but if you strongly feel that "Crazy" is such an influential piece of work, you need to spell out why, otherwise you get reactions like this.
And for Brian (Guppus), I fully agree that Metallica's black album wasn't their greatest, but it was HUGE, as were the two GnR discs. And I give you Bungle and Sepultura - great albums, just not particularly "big," which is what I think Daryl's talking about with this piece. But I will STRONGLY disagree with you about U2's Achtung Baby being "stale." Way WRONG. U2 embraced a brand new sound that a million other bands would attempt throughout the next decade, and no one, including themselves, could match it. Incredible piece of work from beginning to end.
25 - daryl d
I have made my feelings about U2 well known. But Achtung Baby is a great record. It was released in 1991 but didn't really break through until the second single was released in 1992. I believe that was Mysterious Ways.