1991 in music in the United Kingdom saw 17 songs at number 1. The first number 1 of the year 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 two weeks. The next number one was Enigma, with "Sadeness Part 1", which brought commercial success to 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. 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 90s and the best of 1991 and 1992. Although none of its singles reached no.1, title track "Stars" did make the top ten.
February saw cartoon character Bart Simpson 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 did not 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 ("Deep, Deep Trouble") also reached the top ten, peaking at No. 7 in April.
In March, The Clash received their first number 1 with "Should I Stay or Should I Go", after the song was used in a commercial for Levi's. A month later, Cher scored her first UK solo No. 1 with "The Shoop Shoop Song (It's in His Kiss)", taken from the film Mermaids.
Bryan Adams also reached No. 1 for the first time in July with "(Everything I Do) 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 (also becoming the Christmas number one) it became the first song ever to reach number 1 in two separate releases.
The classical music scene saw the death of Joy Finzi, who had founded the Finzi Trust in 1969 to commemorate her husband Gerald. Harrison Birtwistle's opera, Gawain, with a libretto by David Harsent, received its premiere at the Royal Opera House in May. Symphony Hall, Birmingham, with a big emphasis on acoustic flexibility, opened in April, with the official opening by the Queen in June.
Events
- 14 January â 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 â 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 â 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.
- 24 February â The Chamber Symphony for 15 players by Thomas Adès is performed for the first time, in West Road Concert Hall, Cambridge, directed by the composer.
- 15 May â The 2,262-seat concert venue Symphony Hall, Birmingham, home to the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra is opened for its first concerts, although the official opening by the Queen takes place on 12 June.
- 15 May â 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.
- 17 May â The first performance of Timon of Athens, a two act opera by Stephen Oliver, takes place at the London Coliseum by the English National Opera.
- 25 May â The Stone Roses are released from their contract with Silvertone Records by the High Court, winning up to ã500,000 in damages from the label after the band's contract was dismissed by Judge Humphries as "unfair and unjustified". The band would then sign up to Geffen Records, though it would be another 3 years before new material would be released.
- 30 May â The opening night of Harrison Birtwistle's opera Gawain takes place in London at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, with Elgar Howarth conducting.
- 25 June â The first performance of James MacMillan's Tuireadh (Lament) for clarinet and string quartet, is given by James Campbell and the Allegri Quartet at St Magnus Cathedral in Kirkwall (Orkney Islands).
- 28 June â Paul McCartney's classical composition, the Liverpool Oratorio, receives its premiere at the Liverpool Anglican Cathedral.
- 7 July â The world premiere of John Casken's Cello Concerto takes place at the Schleswig-Holstein Musik Festival, with soloist Heinrich Schiff and the Northern Sinfonia.
- 14 August â Oasis play their first ever gig at the Boardwalk Club in Manchester. Noel Gallagher, who was at the time roadie for Inspiral Carpets, went with them to watch his brother's band play.
- 19 September â Summer Music: Concertino No.5 op.74 for oboe, clarinet, and string quartet by Robin Holloway is performed for the first time, at the Purcell Room.
- 27 October â 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".
- 9 November â The first performance of the Symphony No 3 by William Mathias takes place at St David's Hall, Cardiff, performed by the BBC Welsh Symphony Orchestra, conductor Grant Llewellyn.
- November â The Rolling Stones sign a new contract with Virgin Records.
- 1 December â George Harrison plays Yokohama, Japan. The brief Japanese tour with Eric Clapton marks his first set of formal concert performances since 1974.
- 11 December â The Strathclyde Concerto No 5 for violin, viola and orchestra by Peter Maxwell Davies, is performed for the first time in Glasgow.
Publications
- Moura Lympany (with Margot Strickland) â Moura â Her Autobiography
Charts
Number-one singles
Number-one albums
Year-end charts
Best-selling singles
Best-selling albums
Classical music
Music awards
BRIT Awards
The 1991 BRIT Awards winners were:
Births
Deaths
- 8 January â Steve Clark, guitarist (Def Leppard), 30 (alcohol poisoning)
- 21 February â Margot Fonteyn, ballerina, 71
- 9 March â Denise Tolkowsky, pianist and composer, 72
- 24 March â Maudie Edwards, actress and singer, 84
- 27 March â Alfredo Campoli, Italian-born violinist, 84
- 10 April â Martin Hannett (aka Martin Zero), record producer, 42 (heart failure)
- 20 April â Steve Marriott, singer, songwriter and guitarist (Small Faces and Humble Pie), 44 (killed in house fire)
- 11 June â John Vallier, pianist and composer, 70
- 14 June â Joy Finzi, founder of the Finzi Trust, 84
- 30 July â Max Jaffa, violinist and bandleader, 79
- 6 August â Max Rostal, Austrian-born violinist and viola player, 86
- 28 August â Vince Taylor, singer (Vince Taylor and the Playboys), 52
- 25 September â Sydney MacEwan, singer of traditional Scottish and Irish songs, 82
- 27 October â Sir Andrzej Panufnik, Polish-born composer and conductor, 77
- 8 November â Dave Rowbotham, musician, guitarist, (The Durutti Column, the Mothmen), 33 (murdered by unknown hand)
- 14 November â Bryden Thomson, conductor, 63
- 24 November â Freddie Mercury, singer and songwriter, 45 (pneumonia brought on by AIDS)
- 12 December â Ronnie Ross, jazz saxophonist, 58
- 31 December â Christopher Steel, composer, 53
See also
References
External links