Weekly updating - Alternative 30 Years ago: Nov. 16, 1991

[DadJokes]

Just for fun, I've put together a Spotify playlist of the Billboard Alternative playlist from 30 years ago, updated each week. This is a fun year to track as alternative goes through some major changes during 1991. 

[DadJokes]

April 20, 1991

Not much movement - the only new song is an obscure one from Dave Wakeling, lead singer of The English Beat and General Public. The song is not on Spotify, and the album was not well received.

Losing My Religion continues its reign at the top.

[DadJokes]

May 4, 1991

"Losing My Religion" is in its eighth week on top of the Alt charts. This weeks welcomes three new songs:

Joe Jackson - "Obvious Song"
Julian Cope - "Beautiful Love"
The Seers - "Psych Out"

[DadJokes]

May 18, 1991 -

Simple Minds stays at the top for the 2nd week, and the top 10 welcomes Elvis Costello's "The Other Side of Summer" and The Farm's "All Together Now"

Three new songs this week:

• Morrissey - "Sing Your Life"
  
• Gang of Four - "Don't Fix What Ain't Broken"
  
• REM - "Texarkana"

[Verisimilitude]

Great idea for a thread. Love this!

Here's MTV's 120 Minutes Video Block Playlist for next week (May 26, 1991):

May 26, 1991

Source for this playlist: C-Dub

Host: Dave Kendall
Guest: Hoodoo Gurus

(Date Clue: "Watch Liquid Television, premiering next Sunday!")

Andrew Eldritch from the Sisters of Mercy Intro
Royal Crescent Mob – "Time Bomb"
R.E.M. – "Pretty Persuasion" (Cult Classic)
Primus – "Jerry Was A Race Car Driver"
Peter Murphy – "Cuts You Up"
Julian Cope – "Beautiful Love"
Blah Blah Blah – "I don't want to see any people from crap T.V. stations!" – Andrew Eldritch – The Sisters of Mercy – To the 120 Crew in AZ
Hoodoo Gurus Interview, pt. 1
Hoodoo Gurus – "Miss Freelove '69"
Hoodoo Gurus Interview, pt. 2
Urge Overkill – "The Kids Are Insane"
Jesus Jones – "International Bright Young Thing"
Hoodoo Gurus Interview, pt. 3
Hoodoo Gurus – "Another World"
Husker Du – "Don't Want To Know If You Are Lonely"
Spinout – "Trunk"
Jane's Addiction – "Classic Girl"
Xymox – "Phoenix of My Heart (Wild Thing Outro)"
Three Merry Widows – "Black Halo"
Morrissey – "Sing Your Life"

[DadJokes]

Very cool addition to the thread. Really cool to see the months pre-grunge. I completely forgot Primus predated the grunge explosion, too. Early 1991 was all about the madchester dance rock sound.

[DadJokes]

May 25 update -

A new number one as Elvis Costello's "The Other Side of Summer" moves up from #6. Electronic's "Get the Message is the only new addition to the top 10.

New Songs for this week:

• Siouxsie and The Banshees - "Kiss Them For Me"
• The Popinjays - "Vote Elvis" (not on Spotify)
• Inspiral Carpets - "Caravan"
• Jane's Addiction - "Ripple"

[DadJokes]

June 1 update:

Elvis Costello stays on top. REM, Siouxsie and the Banshees and EMF all send songs into the top 10.

Only two new songs:

• Peter Himmelman - "Woman with the Strength of 10,000 Men"
• Camouflage - "Heaven (I Want You)"

[DadJokes]

June 15 - been slammed at work, so running behind. Updated for June 15. Elvis still ruling the chart, and quite a few new songs for this week:

• Crowded House - "Chocolate Cake"
• Seal - "Crazy"
• Stress - "Flowers in the Rain" (Not on Spotify)
• Marshall Crenshaw - "Better Back Off"
• Milltown Brothers - "Which Way Should I Jump?"

[DadJokes]

June 22 - A new #1 as Electronic's "Get the Message" pushes out Elvis Costello. Electronic was a part-time super group with Johnny Marr (The Smiths) and Bernard Sumner (New Order).

Five new songs debuted this week in 1991:

• Ziggy Marley and the Melody Makers - "Kozmik"
• Simple Minds - "Stand By Love"
  
• Divinyls - "Make Our Alright"
• Fishbone - "Everyday Sunshine"
• Stan Ridgeway - "I Wanna Be a Boss"

[DadJokes]

Was on vacation last week, but we're updated for the first chart in July 1991. Siouxsie and the Banshees take the top spot with "Kiss Them for Me," a song that still shows up on 90s playlists and radio flashbacks regularly.

Quite a few new songs entered the chart this week:

• Richard Thompson - "I Feel So Good"
• Big Audio Dynamite - "Rush"
• Kirsty MacColl - "Walking Down Madison"
• Ric Ocasek - "Rockaway"
• Julian Cope - "East Easy Rider"

Personally, the BAD song is the only one of the new songs that I remember from then. I always liked BAD as they built on the sounds of the Clash mixed with the dance rock that was huge then. However, I became a fan of Richard Thompson much later in life, so I Feel So Good is probably the one I listen to more often now.

[DadJokes]

July 13, 1991:

"Kiss Them For Me" stays at the top, but this chart sees a lot of shake up elsewhere. Big Audio Dynamite and Chapterhouse move into the top 10. But more telling, seven new songs debut as the alt chart is incredibly volatile in this era. 

Here are the new songs added (along with YouTube videos):

#15 The La's - "Timeless Melody" - It may be a Timeless Melody, but it did not have the staying power of "There She Goes"



#20 Joe Jackson - "Oh Well" Don't remember this one, but it has a great groove. 


#21 The Wonder Stuff - "Caught in My Shadow" Don't remember this at all - pretty standard madchester song.


#22 Erasure - "Chorus" Don't remember this one, but this is a nice electro-pop song


#Primus - "Jerry Was a Race Car Driver" 12-year-old me loved this song...


#24 Electronic - "Tighten Up" Another one that's passed from the memory banks, though this album produced a couple of pretty big hits outside of this one. 


#27 My Life with the Thrill Kill Kult - "Sex on Wheelz" I had completely forgotten about this trashy little number. One I played on the headphones so my Mom wouldn't hear...

[DadJokes]

July 20, 1991

Siouxsie and the Banshees spend their third week at #1. 

House of Love, the Candy Skins and Kirsty MacColl move into the top 10. 

Debuts this week:

#14 Psychedelic Furs - "Until She Comes"  Like most, I mostly know the Furs for "Pretty in Pink." This is a nice little song I had not heard before.


#26 The Fat Lady Sings - "Man Scared"  I can see why this has been lost to history. Generic dance rock. (not on Spotify)



#27 Ned's Atomic Dustbin - "Happy" This is not as well known as "Grey Cell Green" but another really good example of Ned's melodic, quirky rock

[DadJokes]

July 27, 1991

"Kiss Them for Me" stays at the top as we wrap up July. 

The Psychedelic Furs and Electronic move into the top 10.

Two debuts this week:

#21 Living Colour - "Talkin' Loud and Sayin' Nothing" a really good James Brown cover. I had no idea this existed, and I like it. 


#26 EMF - "Children" It's no "Unbelievable," but showed they had range beyond the one song that most people still know today. 

[DadJokes]

August 3, 1991...the grunge revolution is right around the corner, but this week, all seems fairly quiet. A handful of debuts, but nothing that made a lasting dent on the charts or collective memory...

"Kiss Them for Me" stays at #1, and Chapterhouse and Erasure slide new songs into the top 10. 

Debuts:

#15 Squeeze - "Satisfied"  It's pretty, but kind of forgettable. They had much better in the 80s


#20 James - "Sit Down" Those of you who only know James for "Laid" are missing out on a great early '90s BritRock band.


#27 OMD - "Pandora's Box (It's a Long, Long Way) - they're trying to recapture the magic of "If You Leave," It's good, but not quite in the same league (lovely video, though)


#28 Jesus Jones - "Real Real Real" - It's a shame Jesus Jones was one of the victims of the grunge explosion. They were one of the best at the madchester dance-rock sound. 


#29 Candy Flip - "Redhills Road" - Another minor madchester song that has come and gone from our collective memory.

[DadJokes]

Big Audio Dynamite take over the top spot with "Rush," a song that still shows up as a gold spin on some alt stations (and 90s-focused Spotify playlists). 

Squeeze's "Satisfied" and The Wonder Stuff's "Caught in My Shadow" move into the top 10.

Three debuts, including two obscure enough to not be on Spotify. 

#24 Meat Puppets - "Sam" They'd become more famous for "Backwater" in 1994 after a big push from Nirvana's Unplugged performance, but this shows they've been making great music for long before their grunge-era breakout. Seriously underrated band from the 80s/90s alt and indie scene.


#29 Gary Clail - "Human Nature" Not a terrible song, but not great either. Sounds like a weird blend of madchester and B-52s. Not available on Spotify.


#30 Mary's Danish - "Julie's Blanket" Another track not available on Spotify, but YouTube to the rescue. This is a very nice forgotten gem. Very fun punk-influenced song that would have fit right in the Riot Grrl movement a few years later. 

[DadJokes]

August 17, 1991 - Fairly quiet week with few changes and debuts. Big Audio Dynamite keeps #1. Seal's "Crazy," which has been on the charts since June finally cracks the top 10. 

Two debuts:

#22 Crowded House - "It's Only Natural"  Very nice little song. Love the Beatles-style harmonies and REM style jangle guitars


#29 Transvision Vamp - "(I Just Wanna) B With U" Another standard English dance-rock song. Not bad, but forgettable.

[DadJokes]

Pretty quiet week for the Billboard Alt chart. Almost like the calm before the storm...as if radio knew there was a massive sea change brewing in very near future. Who will impact the charts in September? Will Nirvana, Red Hot Chili Peppers and Soundgarden show up? No clue quite yet...

This week, Big Audio Dynamite stays at the top. In fact, the top five are unchanged from last week. James' "Sit Down" is the only new song in the top 10, and there are only two debuts this week. Robyn Hitchcock debuted his most well-known song (in the US anyway) which has become a 90s classic, and the other is a lesser known (and lesser quality) single from Joan Jett. 

#11 Robyn Hitchcock - "So You Think You're in Love" Such a lovely piece of bubblegum pop. Fit right in during an era of REM, Replacements, James and other jangle-pop rock bands. 


#25 Joan Jett - "Backlash" 70s and 80s Joan Jett is incredible. This one is sadly forgettable.

[DadJokes]

Another pretty quiet week at the top. Big Audio Dynamite continue their reign, and the top four remain the same. Robyn Hitchcock, Joan Jett and Crowded House all entered the top 10, though. 

There were four debuts this week, but none of them ended up being classics.

#14 Tin Machine - "One Shot" Who knew David Bowie had a side band in the late 80s/early 90s? I sure didn't. And this song is ok, but still lesser Bowie. (Not on Spotify)


#24 Voice of the Beehive - "Monsters and Angels" New discovery for me. A blend of Bangles/Wilson Philips vibes. If AAA existed in 1991, it would have fit in well there.


#25 The Mock Turtles - "Can You Dig It" Apparently this was a smash in the UK, but only a minor radio hit in the U.S.


#28 Northside - "Take Five" Another Madchester band - almost has a Spin Doctors type sound, though. 

[DadJokes]

September 7, 1991 - Five new debuts, including two that are still pretty well known (but not any two you might be expecting...at least not yet). 

The Psychedelic Furs move into first place with "Until She Comes." New to the top 10 are Tin Machine, Gary Clail and the debut of the Smithereens' "Top of the Pops."

Our five debuts this week are:

#9 The Smithereens - "Top of the Pops" While not as big as "A Girl Like You," this was a great slice of power pop. 


#23 Nitzer Ebb - "Family Man" I don't remember this one, but it's an just an average example of early industrial. Sounds like if Big Audio Dynamite mashed into early NIN.


#25 Billy Bragg - "Sexuality" Now a classic in the AAA/NPR set. Great upbeat, folk-tinged jangle-pop.


#26 Thompson Twins - "Come Inside" Lead single from the Thompson Twins' final album, it tries to hard to mine the Madchester sound and doesn't work as well as the best of the scene.


#29 Lloyd Cole - "She's a Girl and I'm a Man" Another discovery for me, but this is a really fun college rock song. Gives off Matthew Sweet vibes. 

[DadJokes]

Sept. 14, 1991

The Psychadelic Furs remain at #1 with "Until She Comes," and only one new song enters the top 10: Crowded House's "It's Only Natural."

However, there are four debuts, including two that are now considered classics of the early 90s (from Blur and Massive Attack).

#25 Blur - "There's No Other Way" Blur's first big hit came from the Madchester scene that ruled the airwaves at the time. Still a classic, and a great reminder that Blur would reinvent themselves many times over the next decade.


#27 EMF - "Lies" One of the debut album singles that followed "Unbelievable," this is a solid single but not as good as their biggest hit.


#28 Massive Attack - "Safe From Harm" The lead track from Massive Attack's debut album set the blueprint for what would be called trip-hop. A stone cold classic of the genre.


#29 Carter the Unstoppable Sex Machine - "Sheriff Fatman" I can't decide if I love this or hate it...

[DadJokes]

Sept. 21, 1991 - 

Robyn Hitchcock takes over the top spot, but for those of us looking at the charts from the future, this week marks the entry of two massive hits that became a couple of the most well-known songs from the '90s. 

Before we get to the debuts, congrats to Voice of the Beehive and Billy Bragg for grabbing top 10 hits.

And on to the debuts:

#16 The Cult - "Wild Hearted Son" A great Cult song buried on a forgettable Cult record. 


#21 Red Hot Chili Peppers - "Give it Away" The lead single from Blood, Sugar, Sex, Magik becomes RHCP's first Alt #1 later this year. 


#26 Siouxsie & the Banshees - "Shadowtime" The follow up to "Kiss Them for Me" was not as big a hit, but still a pretty good song.


#27 Nirvana - "Smells Like Teen Spirit" And let the grunge movement begin. Still a powerful song 30 years later. 

[DadJokes]

Sept. 28, 1991 - Robyn Hitchcock remains at the top, and Northside are the only new top 10 this week. 

Five more debuts enter the charts this week:

#19 House of Freaks - "Rocking Chair" They may have been a few years too early to benefit from the success of bands like Wilco and Son Volt. Solid song!


#25 Dire Straits - "Calling Elvis" A far cry from their 80s era best. 


#27 Electronic - "Feel Every Beat" Such a strong album. Wish more than "Get the Message" had become huge hits.


#28 Thompson Twins - "Come Inside" Lead single from the Thompson Twins' final album, it tries to hard to mine the Madchester sound and doesn't work as well as the best of the scene.


#29 The Ocean Blue - "Cerulean" A beautiful slice of dream pop. 

[DadJokes]

Oct. 5, 1991 - Robyn Hitchcock holds the top spot for a third week, but three new songs enter the top 10: Lloyd Cole, Blur and The Cult.

Four debuts this week, including one of my early alt favorites as a pre-teen.

#19 Big Audio Dynamite - "The Globe" I knew BAD long before I knew who the Clash were (blame it on my age), and this was one of my early favorite alt sounding songs that began my migration away from pop.


#22 The Golden Palominos - "Alive and Living Now" I only became aware of Golden Palominos much later, but this is a cool jazz/REM-influenced song (with Stipe on vocals). Would have probably done well if there had been AAA charts in the early 90s


#26 The Blue Aeroplanes - "Yr Own World" A first-time listen. REM meets Talking Heads meets Velvet Underground?


#29 The Grapes of Wrath - "I Am Here" A lot of jangle-rock bands tried to ride the REM wave. Few succeeded. Another first listen.

[DadJokes]

Oct. 12, 1991 - Robyn Hitchcock really loves #1, but you can see some big names creeping up into the top 10. Red Hot Chili Peppers and Nirvana both leap into the top 10, and they probably won't be leaving anytime soon.

Four debuts this week:

#18 Primal Scream - "Movin' on Up" Great song! Blend of Rolling Stones and Madchester dance rock. Most successful single in the US, too.


#21 Five Thirty - "13th Disciple" A first listen for me. Decent bit of dance rock. A one-album band that came and went without making much of an impact.


#28 Dramarama - "Haven't Got a Clue" I'm surprised these guys never got bigger - great blend of hard rock, pop melodies and a touch of glam. Kind of a precursor to Oasis. 


#29 This Picture - "Naked Rain" Very U2-ish sound. A first time listen. The strings are a nice touch. (Not on Spotify)

[DadJokes]

October 19, 1991:

"So You Think You're In Love" holds onto #1 once again. Less movement at the top of the chart this week as Big Audio Dyamite's "The Globe" and Primal Scream's "Movin' On Up" are the only new entries in the top 10. 

However, lot of turnover lower in the charts with six debuts this week. 

#20 Psychedelic Furs - "Don't Be a Girl" A good but not great Furs song. Not as immediate as their mid-80s peak, but good mid-tier song.


#22 Pixies - "Letter to Memphis" Lead single from Trompe Le Monde is a great slice of Francis Black-centric Pixies. Great alt song.


#24 Ned's Atomic Dustbin - "Grey Cell Green" LOVED this song in middle school. Shame they never did anything beyond this song.


#25 Erasure - "Love to Hate You" Not my favorite Erasure song. A very techno slice of dance pop.


#26 The Shamen - "Move Any Mountain" Another full on techno/rave dance track. I vaguely remember this one, but it wasn't my favorite genre at the time.


#29 Robbie Robertson - "What About Now" Seems out of place on the alt charts, but there was no AAA chart yet. Blended folk, jazz and pop sounds from the founder of The Band.

[DadJokes]

October 26, 1991 - Robyn Hitchcock finally gives away the number one spot to Red Hot Chili Peppers who score their first #1. The only new top 10, though, is a rarity: a top 10 debut. U2's lead single from Achtung Baby, "The Fly," debuts at #5.

Debuts:

#5 U2 - "The Fly" Lead single from one of U2's best albums (and one that completely reinvented them), "The Fly" is a great mix of swirling guitars and dance beats. It would later be overshadowed by "One" and "Mysterious Ways," but a great debut to this era.


#26 Squeeze - "Crying in My Sleep" Another single from the best of their 90s albums. A nice little R&B-influenced groove.


#29 Ratcat - "That Ain't Bad" Apparently this was huge in Australia, but it was a first listen for me this week. Solid grungy-punk sound. Not on Spotify in the US, but was able to add it to the playlist so it might be available in some other countries.

[DadJokes]

November 2, 1991 - The Chili Peppers stay at #1, but Nirvana and U2 are battling it out right below them. 

The Pixies are the only new top 10, jumping up from 22 to 10 with "Letter to Memphis." 

Three Debuts:

#26 The Smithereens - "Tell Me When Did Things Go So Wrong" - Never officially released as a single, still landed on radio charts. Catchy pop-rock.


#28 Texas - "In My Heart" First-time listen for me. Has a female-fronted U2 vibe. Solid but not super memorable.


#30 Tin Machine - "Baby Universal" Second single from David Bowie's short-lived side project. Catchy, but still lesser Bowie.

[DadJokes]

Nov. 9, 1991 - U2 grabs the top spot with "The Fly" in only its third week on the chart. This is the advance single from Achtung Baby, which will drop on Nov. 18, 1991. 

Erasure enters the top 10 with "Love to Hate You," as does The Shamen's "Move Any Mountain."

Debuts:

#16 INXS - "Shining Star" The only single from their live album Live Baby Live!!, this is an ok song. But far from INXS' best.


#24 Kate Bush - "Rocket Man" Yes, this is an Elton John cover from a tribute album. And a pretty good version at that. Not available on Spotify


#27 Curve - "Coast is Clear" Sounds like an early influence on Garbage. Great discovery. Not on Spotify


#28 The Smashing Pumpkins - "Rhinoceros" A standout from Gish, this was never officially released as a single. Instead it was the feature track of the Lull EP released in Nov. 1991. Beautiful song and an early highlight from the Pumpkins.

[DadJokes]

Nov. 16, 1991:

U2 stays at #1, and the top 10 stays very stable - no movement for the top 7. INXS and Dramarama enter the top 10.

Only two debuts this week (and a reentry for Tin Machine's "Baby Universal"):

#24 The Ocean Blue - "Ballerina Out of Control"


#30 Billy Bragg - "You Woke Up My Neighbourhood"