1991 in British music
This is a summary of 1991 in music in the United Kingdom, including the official charts from that year.
Summary
Like 1990, this year saw 17 songs at number 1. The first number 1 of the year surprisingly came from heavy metal band Iron Maiden, scoring their first and only number one "Bring Your Daughter to the Slaughter" which stayed at the top for 2 weeks. The next number one was a track right at the opposite end of the musical spectrum – Enigma, with the calm and hypnotic "Sadness Part 1". Known as "Sadeness Part 1" almost everywhere else with its strong references to Marquis De Sade, Enigma redefined the new age, chill out genre. Romanian-German producer Michael Cretu mixed repeated trance-like dance beats with gregorian chants and whispered, erotic vocals provided by his wife, Sandra, who was also a popular artist in her own right at the same time throughout most of Europe, but never managed to crack the UK market. Enigma's debut concept album MCMXC ad also went straight to the top of the UK Album Chart in January.In the album charts Simply Red entered with Stars which would prove to be the second best selling album of the 90's and the best of 91 and 92. Although non-of its single reached no.1, title track stars did make the top ten.
February saw The Simpsons reach No. 1 with "Do the Bartman", from the album The Simpsons Sing the Blues which reached #6. The show had premiered on UK screens on the satellite channel Sky One in 1990, though it wouldn't premiere on terrestrial TV until 1996, on BBC One. The family became the first cartoon characters to hit No. 1 since The Archies did so in 1969, with "Sugar Sugar", and the follow-up also did well, peaking at No. 7 in April.
In March, The Clash received their first number 1 with "Should I Stay or Should I Go", after being used in a commercial for Levi's. A month later, Cher scored her first UK solo No. 1 with "The Shoop Shoop Song ", taken from the film Mermaids.
Bryan Adams also reached No. 1 for the first time in July with " I Do It for You", from the film . Breaking the record held since 1955, it stayed there for sixteen consecutive weeks, a record that remains to this day. It also became the biggest selling single of the year, selling over a million copies.
The Christmas number one single this year was Queen's "Bohemian Rhapsody", re-issued after the death of Freddie Mercury in November, coupled with "These Are the Days of Our Lives". As "Bohemian Rhapsody" had previously hit the top in 1975 it became the first song ever, not counting re-entries, to hit number 1 twice.
The death of Joy Finzi, who had founded the Finzi Trust in 1969 to commemorate her husband Gerald, was one of the most notable events on the classical music scene. Harrison Birtwistle's opera, Gawain, with a libretto by David Harsent, was performed for the first time on 30 May at the Royal Opera House.
Events
- 14 January – Carter the Unstoppable Sex Machine's single "Bloodsport for All" is released on the day the Gulf War officially starts, and is banned by the BBC due to its lyrics about racism and bullying in the army.
- 15 January – A new all-star rendition of the John Lennon song "Give Peace a Chance" is released, featuring Yoko Ono, Lenny Kravitz, Peter Gabriel, Alannah Myles, Tom Petty, Bonnie Raitt and many more, billed as "The Peace Choir". The single is rushed to market in response to the imminent Gulf War.
- 11 February – Massive Attack release their single "Unfinished Sympathy" but have to temporarily shorten their name to "Massive" to avoid a radio ban of the word "attack" during the Gulf War.
- 15 May – Richey Edwards of Manic Street Preachers carves the words "4 Real" into his arm with a razor blade during an interview with NME journalist Steve Lamacq, after Lamacq questions the band's authenticity. The incident results in Edwards requiring 18 stitches.
- 28 June – Paul McCartney's classical composition, the Liverpool Oratorio, receives its premiere at the Liverpool Anglican Cathedral.
- 27 October – Fruitbat of Carter the Unstoppable Sex Machine rugby tackles presenter Phillip Schofield at the Smash Hits Poll Winners Party after the group performs their single "After the Watershed".
- November – The Rolling Stones sign a new contract with Virgin Records.
- 1 December – George Harrison plays Yokohama, Japan. The brief Japanese tour with Eric Clapton marks his first set of formal concert performances since 1974.
Publications
- Moura Lympany – Moura – Her Autobiography
Charts
Number-one singles
Number-one albums
Year-end charts
Best-selling singles
| Title | Artist | Peak position | |
| 1 | " I Do It for You" | 1 | |
| 2 | "Bohemian Rhapsody"/"These Are the Days of Our Lives" | Queen | 1 |
| 3 | "The Shoop Shoop Song " | Cher | 1 |
| 4 | "I'm Too Sexy" | Right Said Fred | 2 |
| 5 | "Do the Bartman" | 1 | |
| 6 | "Any Dream Will Do" | 1 | |
| 7 | "The One and Only" | 1 | |
| 8 | "Dizzy" | & the Wonder Stuff | 1 |
| 9 | "Insanity" | Oceanic | 3 |
| 10 | "I Wanna Sex You Up" | Color Me Badd | 1 |
| 11 | "Get Ready for This" | 2 Unlimited | 2 |
| 12 | "3 a.m. Eternal" | featuring the Children of the Revolution | 1 |
| 13 | "Black or White" | 1 | |
| 14 | "Let's Talk About Sex" | Salt-N-Pepa | 2 |
| 15 | "Don't Let the Sun Go Down on Me" | and Elton John | 1 |
| 16 | "More Than Words" | Extreme | 2 |
| 17 | "When You Tell Me That You Love Me" | 2 | |
| 18 | "Sunshine on a Rainy Day" | Zoë | 4 |
| 19 | "Should I Stay or Should I Go" | 1 | |
| 20 | "Sit Down" | James | 2 |
| 21 | "Wind of Change" | Scorpions | 2 |
| 22 | "The Stonk" | Hale and Pace and the Stonkers | 1 |
| 23 | " Devotion" | Nomad featuring MC Mikee Freedom | 2 |
| 24 | "Now That We Found Love" | Heavy D & the Boyz | 2 |
| 25 | "Baby Baby" | 2 | |
| 26 | "Charly" | 3 | |
| 27 | "Justified & Ancient " | featuring Tammy Wynette | 2 |
| 28 | "World in Union" | 4 | |
| 29 | "Promise Me" | 3 | |
| 30 | "Last Train to Trancentral" | 2 | |
| 31 | "You Got the Love" | featuring Candi Staton | 4 |
| 32 | "Gypsy Woman " | 2 | |
| 33 | "Thinking About Your Love" | 4 | |
| 34 | "Rhythm of My Heart" | 3 | |
| 35 | "Set Adrift on Memory Bliss" | PM Dawn | 3 |
| 36 | "Love to Hate You" | Erasure | 4 |
| 37 | "Sadness " | Enigma | 1 |
| 38 | "Crazy" | Seal | 2 |
| 39 | "Move Any Mountain" | 4 | |
| 40 | "Everybody's Free " | Rozalla | 6 |
| 41 | "Saltwater" | 6 | |
| 42 | "Sailing on the Seven Seas" | Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark | 3 |
| 43 | "Wiggle It" | 2 in a Room | 3 |
| 44 | "Always Look on the Bright Side of Life" | Monty Python | 3 |
| 45 | "All 4 Love" | Color Me Badd | 5 |
| 46 | "Crazy for You" | Madonna | 2 |
| 47 | "Joyride" | Roxette | 4 |
| 48 | "Get Here" | 4 | |
| 49 | "Gett Off" | Prince and the New Power Generation | 4 |
| 50 | "You Could Be Mine" | Guns N' Roses | 3 |
Best-selling albums
| Title | Artist | Peak position | |
| 1 | Stars | Simply Red | 1 |
| 2 | Greatest Hits | Eurythmics | 1 |
| 3 | Greatest Hits II | Queen | 1 |
| 4 | Simply the Best | 2 | |
| 5 | Dangerous | 1 | |
| 6 | Out of Time | R.E.M. | 1 |
| 7 | Time, Love & Tenderness | 2 | |
| 8 | The Immaculate Collection | Madonna | 1 |
| 9 | Love Hurts | Cher | 1 |
| 10 | From Time to Time – The Singles Collection | 1 | |
| 11 | Seal | Seal | 1 |
| 12 | Waking Up the Neighbours | 1 | |
| 13 | We Can't Dance | Genesis | 1 |
| 14 | On Every Street | Dire Straits | 1 |
| 15 | The Very Best of Elton John | 1 | |
| 16 | Beverley Craven | 3 | |
| 17 | Michael Crawford Performs Andrew Lloyd Webber | 3 | |
| 18 | Achtung Baby | U2 | 2 |
| 19 | Auberge | 1 | |
| 20 | Shepherd Moons | Enya | 1 |
| 21 | Joyride | Roxette | 2 |
| 22 | Voices | 3 | |
| 23 | Greatest Hits 1977–1990 | 4 | |
| 24 | Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat | Original London Cast starring Jason Donovan | 1 |
| 25 | Greatest Hits | Queen | 1 |
| 26 | Essential Pavarotti II | 1 | |
| 27 | Diamonds and Pearls | Prince & the New Power Generation | 2 |
| 28 | Real Love | 4 | |
| 29 | Chorus | Erasure | 1 |
| 30 | Listen Without Prejudice Vol. 1 | 1 | |
| 31 | Innuendo | Queen | 1 |
| 32 | The Commitments | Various Artists | 4 |
| 33 | Into the Light | 2 | |
| 34 | MCMXC a.D. | Enigma | 1 |
| 35 | The Definitive Simon and Garfunkel | Simon & Garfunkel | 8 |
| 36 | Pet Shop Boys | 3 | |
| 37 | Wicked Game | 3 | |
| 38 | Use Your Illusion II | Guns N' Roses | 1 |
| 39 | Together with Cliff Richard | 10 | |
| 40 | In Concert | /Placido Domingo/Luciano Pavarotti | 1 |
| 41 | Real Life | Simple Minds | 2 |
| 42 | Use Your Illusion I | Guns N' Roses | 2 |
| 43 | Vagabond Heart | 2 | |
| 44 | Sugar Tax | Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark | 3 |
| 45 | The White Room | 3 | |
| 46 | Please Hammer Don't Hurt 'Em | MC Hammer | 8 |
| 47 | Fellow Hoodlums | Deacon Blue | 2 |
| 48 | Serious Hits... Live! | 2 | |
| 49 | Timeless: The Very Best of Neil Sedaka | 10 | |
| 50 | The Greatest Hits | Salt-n-Pepa | 6 |
Classical music
- Roy Douglas – Festivities and A Nowell Sequence for strings
- Michael Tippett – String Quartet No. 5
Music awards
BRIT Awards
The 1991 BRIT Awards winners were:- Best British producer: Chris Thomas
- Best classical recording: José Carreras, Plácido Domingo, Luciano Pavarotti – In Concert
- Best soundtrack: Twin Peaks
- British album: George Michael – Listen Without Prejudice Vol. 1
- British breakthrough act: Betty Boo
- British female solo artist: Lisa Stansfield
- British group: The Cure
- British male solo artist: Elton John
- British single: Depeche Mode "Enjoy the Silence"
- British video: The Beautiful South "A Little Time"
- International breakthrough act: MC Hammer
- International female: Sinéad O'Connor
- International group: INXS
- International male: Michael Hutchence
- Outstanding contribution: Status Quo
Births
- 12 January – Pixie Lott, singer
- 17 February – Ed Sheeran, singer-songwriter
- 16 June – Joe McElderry, singer
- 17 June – Shura, singer, songwriter and producer
- 30 July – Diana Vickers, singer
- 11 November – Emma Blackery, singer
- 19 December – Declan Galbraith, singer
- 24 December – Louis Tomlinson, singer
Deaths
- 8 January – Steve Clark, guitarist, 30
- 21 February – Margot Fonteyn, ballerina, 71
- 9 March – Denise Tolkowsky, pianist and composer, 72
- 24 March – Maudie Edwards, actress and singer, 84
- 10 April – Martin Hannett, record producer, 42
- 20 April – Steve Marriott, singer, songwriter and guitarist, 44
- 8 June – John Vallier, pianist and composer, 70
- 14 June – Joy Finzi, founder of the Finzi Trust, 84
- 30 July – Max Jaffa, violinist and bandleader, 79
- 6 August – Max Rostal, Austrian-born violinist and viola player, 86
- 25 September – Sydney MacEwan, singer of traditional Scottish and Irish songs, 82
- 14 November – Bryden Thomson, conductor, 63
- 24 November – Freddie Mercury, singer and songwriter, 45
- 12 December – Ronnie Ross, jazz saxophonist, 58