MTV Top 100 of 1991

[Woops]

I somewhat deleted the old topic  

MTV Top 100 of 1991

100) Steelheart - I'll Never Let You Go
99) The KLF - 3AM Eternal
98) Divinyls - I Touch Myself
97) The Bingoboys - Show Me How To Dance
96) Tom Petty And The Heartbreakers - Learning to Fly
95) Anthrax feat. Public Enemy - Bring the Noise
94) Seal - Crazy
93) AC/DC - Moneytalks
92) Color Me Badd - All For Love
91) Sting - All This Time
90) Another Bad Creation - Iesha
89) Aerosmith - Sweet Emotion
88) REM w/ KRS-One - Radio Song
87) Tara Kemp - Hold You Tight
86) Cinderella - Heartbreak Station
85) Prince - Gett Off
84) INXS- Bitter Tears
83) Karyn White -Romantic
82) Poison - Life Goes On
81) Gerardo - Rico Suave
80) Rod Stewart - Rhythm of My Heart
79) Urban Dance Squad - Deeper Shade of Soul
78) Queensryche - Jet City Woman
77) Marky Mark and the Funky Bunch - Wildside
76) John Mellencamp - Get A Leg Up
75) Boyz II Men - It's So Hard to Say Goodbye to Yesterday
74) Motley Crue - Primal Scream
73) Hammer - 2 Legit 2 Quit
72) Winger - Miles Away
71) Paula Abdul - Blowing Kisses In the Wind
70) Nirvana - Smells Like Teen Spirit
69) Bell Biv Devoe (feat. Bobby Brown, Johnny Gill and Ralph Tresvant) - Word to the Mutha
68) U2 - Mysterious Ways
67) Heavy D and the Boyz - Now That We Found Love
66) Nelson - More Than Ever
65) Amy Grant - Baby Baby
64) Van Halen - Poundcake
63) Tevin Campbell - Round and Round
62) REM - Shiny Happy People
61) Salt 'n' Pepa - Do You Want Me
60) Metallica - The Unforgiven
59) Mariah Carey - Emotions
58) EMF - Lies
57) C+C Music Factory - Things That Make You Go Hmmm
56) Damn Yankees - High Enough
55) Another Bad Creation - Playground
54) Genesis - No Son of Mine
53) Color Me Badd - I Adore Mi Amor
52) Guns 'n' Roses - Live and Let Die
51) Paula Abdul - The Promise of a New Day
50) Tom Petty And The Heartbreakers - Into the Great Wide Open
49) PM Dawn - Set Adrift on Memory Bliss
48) Firehouse - Don't Treat Me Bad
47) Janet Jackson - Love Will Never Do Without You
46) Van Halen - Run Around
45) Roxette - Joyride
44) Bryan Adams - Can't Stop This Thing We Started
43) Hammer - Addams Groove
42) Warrant - Uncle Tom's Cabin
41) Londonbeat - I've Been Thinking About You
40) The Black Crowes - Hard to Handle
39) LL Cool J - Mama Said Knock You Out
38) Nelson - After the Rain  
37) Madonna - Like A Virgin (Live)n
36) Jesus Jones - Real Real Real
35) Mariah Carey - I Don't Wanna Cry
34) Poison - Ride The Wind
33) Salt 'n' Pepa - Let's Talk About Sex
32) INXS - Disappear
31) Wilson Phillips - You're In Love
30) Motley Crue - Home Sweet Home '91
29) DJ Jazzy Jeff/Fresh Prince - Summertime
28) Jane's Addiction - Been Caught Stealing
27) Firehouse - Love Of A Lifetime
26) C+C Music Factory - Here We Go, Let's Rock N Roll
25) Black Crowes - She Talks To Angels
24) Naughty By Nature - O.P.P.
23) Warrant - I Saw Red
22) Prince - Cream
21) Van Halen - Top of the World
20) Marky Mark and the Funky Bunch - Good Vibrations
19) Extreme - Hole Hearted
18) Chris Isaak - Wicked Game
17) Boyz II Men - Motownphilly
16) Scorpions - Wind of Change
15) Color Me Badd - I Wanna Sex You Up
14) Guns 'n' Roses - Don't Cry
13) Michael Jackson - Black or White
12) Tesla - Signs
11) Jesus Jones - Right Here, Right Now
10) Paula Abdul - Rush Rush
9) Metallica - Enter Sandman
C+C Music Factory - Gonna Make You Sweat (Everybody Dance Now)
7) Extreme - More Than Words
6) EMF - Unbelievable
5) Mariah Carey - Someday
4) Queensryche - Silent Lucidity
3) Bryan Adams - Everything I Do (I Do It For You)
2) REM - Losing My Religion
1) Guns 'n' Roses - You Could Be Mine

[Woops]

Good to see Guns N' Roses "You Could Be Mine" at #1 and not bad of a list


Several classic hip hop from Naughty by Nature (OPP), LL Cool J (Mama Said Knock You Out), DJ Jazzy Jeff & Fresh Prince (Summertime), Salt N' Pepa (Let's Talk About Sex), and Heavy D (Now That We Found Love).   Well, the music video for  "Rico Suave" is tolerable with the sound off...

Several favorites songs from the Top 100 list:

Seal "Crazy"
Cinderella "Heartbreak Station"
Prince "Cream"
EMF "Unbelievable"
Jesus Jones "Right Here, Right Now"
Paula Abdul "A Promise Of A New Day"
Extreme "More Than Words"
Janet Jackson "Love Will Never Do (Without You)" (though from 1990, though more likely still popular in early '91)

"Sweet Emotion" was remixed/rereleased for an Aerosmith greatest hits package, though the video's funny with the guy calling a 900 number.

"MTV 120 Minutes" Top 20 videos of 1991

bold= on MTV's Top 100 list

20.Wonderstuff - The Size of a Cow
19. My Life With The Thrill Kill Cult - Sex On Wheelz
18. Teenage Fan Club - Starsign
17. The Pixies - Head On
16. Billy Bragg - Sexuality
15. Fishbone - Everyday Sunshine
14. Julian Cope - Beautiful Love
13. Material Issue - Valerie Loves Me
12. Ned's Atomic Dustbin - Grey Cell Green
11. Morrissey - Sing Your Life
10. EMF - Unbelievable 6
9. Smashing Pumpkins - Siva
8. Violent Femmes - American Music
7. B.A.D. II - Rush
6. Red Hot Chili Peppers - Give It Away
5. Souxsie and The Banshees - Kiss Them For Me
4. Robin Hitchcock & The Egyptians - So You Think You're In Love
3. Jesus Jones - Right Here, Right Now 11
2, REM - Losing My Religion 2
1. Nirvana - Smells Like Teen Spirit 70

Funny to see Nirvana ranked at #70 on the Top 100 list...

I actually like a few REM songs , majority of their songs doesn't click. "Losing My Religion" is tolerable (heard once in a while), the video's overrated and wouldn't place it at #2.

Not really suprising since the channel already have started to favor more alternative (ie Sinead O' Connor's "Nothing Compares 2 U" being video of the year in 1990) and alternative/grunge would dominate thier rotation in by 1992/1993 along with mostly gangsta rap, R&B, and Madonna until the "TRL" era

Heck, they even had Nirvana appear on "Headbangers Ball"... Which was when the show "jumped the shark", IMHO.

Suprised that Red Hot Chili Peppers "Give It Away" wasn't ranked, though appeared on the "120 Minutes" list. Though according to Wiki, it didn't fare well on the Top 40 and peaked #1 at the modern rock (ie college radio) charts.  Though "Under The Bridge", their second single from their 1991 "Blood Sugar Sex Magik" album, would be #2 on the Billboard Hot  100 in 1992.


Headbanger's Ball "Best of 1991" playlist

bold, ranked on MTV's Top 100 list

Best Of `91

Anthrax/Public Enemy - Bring The Noise 95
Aerosmith - Sweet Emotion 89
AC/DC - Are You Ready
Cinderella - Heartbreak Station 86
Motley Crue - Primal Scream 74
Metallica - Enter Sandman 9
Fates Warning - Point Of View
Queensryche - I Don't Believe In Love (live)
Corrosion Of Conformity - Dance Of The Dead
Pantera - Psycho Holiday
Sepultura - Dead Embryonic Cells
Slayer - Raining Blood (live)
Infectious Grooves - Punk It Up
Primus - Jerry Was A Race Car Driver
Soundgarden - Outshined
Pearl Jam - Alive
Judas Priest - Touch Of Evil
Motorhead - I'm So Bad (Baby I Don't Care)
Guns N' Roses - Live And Let Die 52
Alice Cooper - Love's A Loaded Gun
Metallica - The Unforgiven 60
Ozzy Osbourne - No More Tears
Armored Saint - Reign Of Fire
Metal Church - Date With Poverty
Motley Crue - Anarchy In The U.K.
Scorpions - Wind Of Change 16

Noticed more hardcore/thrash metal and even a few alternative, which MTV would give more exposure to. Several hard rock and a very few hair metal, which was already phasing out.

Also Metallica became widely popular with their 1991 self titled release (or "Black Album"), though changed it's sound from thrash to more "radio friendly". Though found them overrated...

[Woops]

If Nirvana and grunge hadn't become overexposed...


Well, the Milli Vanilli scandal did cause a backlash on pop music. Though if Milli Vanilli were never nominated for a  Grammy in 1990  & were one hit wonders (which they should've been)/not overexposed...

Now that would also be a good question. Dance pop might've lasted a few years more. Unfortunately, Deborah Gibson would still be pigeonholed as a "teen queen", but she could easily prove them wrong since she could still top the charts and have an easier chance of a comeback. Taylor Dayne's third album would be more popular. MTV would still crumble with non-music related programs...



If MTV didn't choose Nirvana for the poster boys of grunge, more likely would have Soundgarden & Pearl Jam. (which I agree with many, which this post was inspired from a thread I read on another forum)



If MTV didn't overexpose grunge and only air the videos on "120 Minutes", things would indeed be different.

Other alternative bands from REM (though had a few Top 40 hits before 1991), Red Hot Chili Peppers, Green Day, Smashing Pumpkins, etc. wouldn't as be popular outside of college rock radio. Only a few bands would be popular in the mainstream. Not sure what  since many were pimped out by MTV due to the bands being alternative.

Don't think Lollapalooza wouldn've been formed or popular and movies like "Singles" wouldn't be made.  

Glam metal...while it was waning, some bands from Motley Crue, Cinderella, and Skid Row were still popular. (probably more) Popularity would probably fade by the mid 1990's. Don't think it would be ridiculed as badly. (though Metallica, Dave Mustaine of Megadeth, and maybe others  have dissed it on interviews & music videos in the late 1980's/early '90's). Guns N' Roses would still be popular, though there would be more grittier hard rock.


Some newer bands (not yet signed) would've been given a chance and  bands that started out or became mainstream in 1990/1991 from Slaughter, Extreme, and Ugly Kid Joe might've been more successful for a few more years.

Personally, hair metal was already a few years past it's peak and many of the better bands have either broken-up (ie Ratt, Dokken) or changing their sound (ie Bon Jovi, Def Leppard being "softer"). Cinderella still rocked and Slaughter was OK. Though many power ballads were more slick/overproduced by the early '90's.  

Perhaps prog rock from Queensryche might've become more popular and with Metallica being mainstream the media might give more exposure to thrash metal. Probably would last about 5 years.

Not sure how popular they actually were in the early '90's despite Antrax being #95 with Public Enemy and a Megadeth song  appearing on MTV's 100 for 1992. Don't think they were ever popular outside of the metal community though know Anthrax appeared on an episode of "Married with Children".

 While Megadeth & Anthrax aren't "radio friendly", but same could apply to  gangsta rap (ie TuPac, Ice Cube, Wu Tan Clan, DMX) , alternative rock/grunge, and Marilyn Manson that dominated MTV.


A resurgence of southern rock could be likely.

Numetal (rap/rock fusion) being overexposed earlier.   Though there was Faith No More & Rage Against the Machine in the early '90's. (though I like a few songs from Faith Mo More from "We Care A Lot", "Epic", & "Falling To Pieces").

Also Euro-dance based rock music (EMF, Jesus Jones, maybe Blur) might've been more popular (outside of two hit wonders) in the states  in the early/mid 1990's. Give it about a decade or until the dawn of the new millennium.

Rap would still be popular. Not sure about gansta rap.

i think youd have still had White Zombie, NIN and Marilyn Manson for sure

Definitely No!   Used to like "Closer" from Nine Inch Nails as a teen, but industrial rock no! Especially Marilyn Manson & White Zombie! >yuck!< Good thing there weren't many copycats. Or atleast on Moronic TV.


Oddly enough, there's a 1990 interview of Soundgarden  from "MTV's Headbangers Ball" that somewhat predicted the future. Oddly enough, they were already nominated for a Grammy!  



Though it's odd in retrospect that MTV would showcase grunge on "Headbangers Ball", but there was crossovers with Faith No More, Living Colour, and The Cult that were also given airplay on "120 Minutes" & college rock stations. Guessing more because of the music being heavier & more "louder" than Depeche Mode & The Cure. Also known that Nirvana & Alice In Chains had metal influence

BTW, I don't consider grunge metal nor traditional hard rock. More of a sub-genre of alternative.

[Out of the Blue]

I've wondered the same thing before.  Her fourth album probably would have had at least two hits if not three and it more than likely would have gone platinum or maybe even double platinum.  When that whole Alternative thing happened the world of music up to then ceased to exist and things took a dark and depressing turn.

[Woops]

Found an episode of  VH1 "Top 21 Countdown" from Summer of 1991 (sans full videos)

In contrast to what was on MTV at the time...

VH1 Top 20 from either towards the end of July or around August of 1991


20. Michael Bolton "Love Is A Wonderful Thing"
19. Aaron Neville "Everybody Plays The Fool"
18. UB40 "Here I Am (Come and Take Me)"
17. Huey Lewis & The News "It Hit Me Like A Hammer"
16. Tara Kemp "Piece Of My Heart"
15. Michael W. Smith "Place In This World"
14. Bonnie Raitt "Something To Talk About"
13. Michael Bolton " Love & Tenderness"
12. Paula Abdul "Rush Rush"
11. Escape Club "I'll Be There"
10. Lenny Kravits "It Ain't Over 'Til It's Over"
9. Wilson Phillips "The Dream Is Still Alive"
8. Natalie Cole feat. Nat King Cole "Unforgettable"
7. Roxette "Fading Like A Flower"
6. Luthor Vandross "Power Of Love"
5. Gloria Estefan "Can't Forget You"
4. Cher "Love & Understanding"
3. Rod Stewart "The Motown Song"
2. Amy Grant "Every Heartbeat"
1. (cuts off)

My guess for #1 is "(Everything I Do) I'd Do It For You" from Bryan Adams since it was #1 throughout August according to Billboard's Hot 100 #1 singles of 1991.


MTV's Top 20 from May of 1991

Plus VH1's Top 10 of the same week

1. (02) R.E.M.  --  Losing My Religion
 2. (01) C+C MUSIC FACTORY feat. FREEDOM WILLIAM S& ZELMA DAVIS  --  Here We Go
 3. (07) EXTREME  --  More Than Words
 4. (05) MARIAH CAREY  --  I Don't Wanna Cry
 5. (04) WARRANT  --  Uncle Tom's Cabin
 6. (08) ROD STEWART  --  Rhythm Of My Heart
 7. (06) NELSON  --  More Than Ever
 8. (10) BLACK CROWES  --  She Talks To Angels
 9. (13) TEVIN CAMPBELL  --  Round And Round
10. (03) ROXETTE  --  Joyride
11. (15) FIREHOUSE  --  Don't Treat Me Bad
12. (14) AMY GRANT  --  Baby Baby
13. (09) QUEENSRYCHE  --  Silent Lucidity
14. (18) COLOR ME BADD  --  I Wanna Sex You Up
15. (16) GERARDO  --  We Want The Funk
16. (17) POISON  --  Life Goes On
17. (19) LA TOUR  --  People Are Still Having Sex
18. (--) STEELHEART  --  I'll Never Let You Go
19. (20) LL COOL J  --  Mama Said Knock You Out
20. (--) MADONNA  --  Like A Virgin (from "Truth or Dare)

A List of VH-1's Top10 videos for the same week
  1. ROD STEWART  --  Rhythm Of My Heart
  2. MARIAH CAREY  --  I Don't Wanna Cry
  3. MICHAEL BOLTON  --  Love Is A Wonderful Thing
  4. AMY GRANT  --  Baby Baby
  5. THE TRIPLETS  --  You Don't Have To Go Home Tonight
  6. CATHY DENNIS  --  Touch Me (All Night Long)
  7. RICK ASTLEY  --  Cry For Help
  8. HI-FIVE  --  I Like The Way (The Kissing Game)
  9. WILSON PHILLIPS  --  You're In Love
 10. GLORIA ESTEFAN  --  Seal Our Fate