Panda's Top 100 of 1991 (THE TOP 10)

[Panda]

Coming soon!

I've been wanting to do this one for a while. In terms of quality, there might not be as much depth throughout as other years but the top end of the chart is absolutely stacked.

There will be some names in there that are very familiar with my charts but some of the other acts in there may come as a surprise...

First positions will be revealed on Wednesday.

[Earl Purple]

We did this year in retro chart last year but you did not participate.

Notable for R.E.M finding commercial success with "Out Of Time" and 4 singles from that (as well as 2 re-issues making the top 40, but I guess you don't count them), and the KLF having 3 big hit singles which were extremely popular on Haven. For me, the year of Queen's album "Innuendo" which was a great album of theirs, and then Freddie Mercury dying near the end of the year.

A great few weeks in March-April with big hits from James (a remix/re-recording of their late 1980s song) together with the Wonder Stuff and some other big hits like Joyride by Roxette.

What appears to have been forgotten from much of musical history is the indie music that was around this year prior to Britpop, including the Wedding Present of course who released "Seamonsters" this year and Carter The Unstoppable Sex Machine, and also Ride, Jesus Jones, Ned's Atomic Dustbin and Pop Will Eat Itself. Maybe because it needed bands like Blur to put the "pop" into Britpop and make it more accessible. Apart from Carter USM, the bands I just mentioned were not my favourites of this year in any way, and Seamonsters is one of my least favourite Wedding Present albums although it appears to be a fan favourite.

Of course "that" Nirvana hit came right near the end of the year. (On our combi chart it managed one week at #1 before yielding to that fun but nonsense song by the KLF).

[Panda]

It's countdown time!

As with my previous retro charts, it's a singles chart, rather than a "tracks" chart like my current ones. I've generally tried to avoid re-releases though this is considered on an individual basis, rather than being a blanket rule.


PART 1 (100-81):

100. JESUS LOVES YOU - Bow Down Mister

UK Chart position: 27

Appearances in my end-of-year charts: 1


99. GEORGE MICHAEL & ELTON JOHN - Don't Let The Sun Go Down On Me

UK chart position: 1

Appearances: 1


98. ZOE - Sunshine On A Rainy Day

UK chart position: 4

Appearances: 1


97. MOBY - Go

UK chart position: 10

Appearances: 2

Other appearances:
1998: Honey (#48)


96. SIMPLY RED - Stars

UK chart position: 8

Appearances: 1


95. SALT-N-PEPA - Let's Talk About Sex

UK chart position: 2

Appearances: 4

Other appearances:
1993: Shoop (#56)
1994: Shoop (#73)
1994: Whatta Man (#91)


94. CATHY DENNIS - Touch Me (All Night Long)

UK chart position: 5

Appearances: 1


93. PRINCE & THE NEW POWER GENERATION - Gett Off

UK chart position: 4

Appearances: 2 (for Prince)

Other appearance:
1992: Sexy MF (#68)


92. OMAR - There's Nothing Like This

UK chart position: 14

Appearances: 1


91. AC/DC - Are You Ready?

UK chart position: 34

Appearances: 1


90. CHESNEY HAWKES - The One And Only

UK chart position: 1

Appearances: 1


89. K-KLASS - Rhythm Is A Mystery

UK chart position: 3

Appearances: 1


88. ROZALLA - Everybody's Free (To Feel Good)

UK chart position: 6

Appearances: 1


87. MARC COHN - Walking In Memphis

UK chart position: 22

Appearances: 1


86. THE WEDDING PRESENT - Dalliance

UK chart position: 29

Appearances: 3

Other appearances:
1992: Love Slave (#85)
2022: X Marks The Spot (#91)


85. BLUR - Bang

UK chart position: 24

Appearances: 26

Other appearances:
1992: Popscene (#2)
1993: For Tomorrow (#26)
1993: Sunday Sunday (#87)
1994: To The End (#21)
1994: Girls And Boys (#28)
1994: Parklife (#46)
1994: End Of A Century (#78)
1995: The Universal (#34)
1996: Charmless Man (#28)
1996: Stereotypes (#39)
1997: Song 2 (#2)
1997: MOR (#9)
1997: Beetlebum (#24)
1997: On Your Own (#57)
1999: Coffee & TV (#2)
1999: Tender (#57)
1999: No Distance Left To Run (#75)
2000: Music Is My Radar (#38)
2003: Out Of Time (#5)
2003: Crazy Beat (#10)
2003: Good Song (#37)
2015: Lonesome Street (#6)
2015: Go Out (#84)
2023: The Narcissist (#37)
2023: St. Charles Square (#59)


84. AMY GRANT - Baby Baby

UK chart position: 2

Appearances: 1


83. GUNS 'N ROSES - Live And Let Die

UK chart position: 5

Appearances: 3

Other appearances:
1992: November Rain (#44)
1995: Sympathy For The Devil (#82)


82. LATOUR - People Are Still Having Sex

UK chart position: 15

Appearances: 1


81. SCORPIONS - Wind Of Change

UK chart position: 2

Appearances: 1

[Earl Purple]

Nice to see the Wedding Present make an appearance, I missed the later 90s years, surprised Love Slave was your top song of the Hit Parade songs. My own is Flying Saucer. In a fans' poll around 1995 "Flying Saucer" came 2nd in that list behind "Come Play With Me".

[TheThorne]

Zoe my favourite so far. It is weird when you do these lists I expect them to be full of relatively obscure female fronted indie bands like your current charts but they are like this one some of the best stuff in the top 40, some I love, some I hate and some that are just fine.

[Panda]

Jan 11, 2024 11:12:36 GMT 1 TheThorne said:

Zoe my favourite so far. It is weird when you do these lists I expect them to be full of relatively obscure female fronted indie bands like your current charts but they are like this one some of the best stuff in the top 40, some I love, some I hate and some that are just fine.

There was far more good chart music 30 years ago so there will be much more familiar stuff. Also, it's only in the last decade that female-fronted acts have tended to to better than men in my charts.

[TheThorne]

Jan 11, 2024 13:51:11 GMT 1 Panda said:

Jan 11, 2024 11:12:36 GMT 1 TheThorne said:

Zoe my favourite so far. It is weird when you do these lists I expect them to be full of relatively obscure female fronted indie bands like your current charts but they are like this one some of the best stuff in the top 40, some I love, some I hate and some that are just fine.

There was far more good chart music 30 years ago so there will be much more familiar stuff. Also, it's only in the last decade that female-fronted acts have tended to to better than men in my charts.

I know I am just generalizing. My 1991 charts were the same although I did buy quite a lot of below top 75 singles but generally it was mostly chart stuff.

[Panda]

PART 2 (80-61):

80. BILLY BRAGG - Sexuality

UK chart position: 27

Appearances: 1


79. BRYAN ADAMS - Can't Stop This Thing We Started

UK chart position: 12

Appearances: 1


78. SLADE - Radio Wall Of Sound

UK chart position: 21

Appearances: 1


77. REM - Radio Song

UK chart position: 28

Appearances: 14

Other appearances:
1992: Drive (#21)
1992: Man On The Moon (#42)
1993: Everybody Hurts (#4)
1993: The Sidewinder Sleeps Tonite (#32)
1993: Nightswimming (#51)
1994: What's The Frequency Kenneth? (#18)
1995: Crush With Eyeliner (#39)
1996: E-Bow The Letter (#32)
1999: At My Most Beautiful (#58)
2000: The Great Beyond (#94)
2001: Imitation Of Life (#75)
2003: Bad Day (#58)
2008: Man Sized Wreath (#56)


76. JULIAN LENNON - Saltwater

UK chart position: 6

Appearances: 1


75. C+C MUSIC FACTORY - Things That Make You Go Hmmm... (ft Freedom Williams)

UK chart position: 4

Appearances: 1


74. ALL ABOUT EVE - Farewell Mr. Sorrow

UK chart position: 36

Appearances: 1


73. DEACON BLUE - Twist And Shout

UK chart position: 10

Appearances: 2

Other appearance:
1992: Your Town (#99)


72. BIZARRE INC - Playing With Knives

UK chart position: 4

Appearances: 1


71. THE WONDER STUFF - Caught In My Shadow

UK chart position: 18

Appearances: 2

Other appearance:
1993: On The Ropes (#62)


70. SAINT ETIENNE - Nothing Can Stop Us

UK chart position: 54

Appearances: 4

Other appearances:
1993: You're In A Bad Way (#6)
1993: I Was Born On Christmas Day (#48)
1995: He's On The Phone (#83)


69. ROXETTE - Joyride

UK chart position: 4

Appearances: 2

Other appearance:
1992: How Do You Do! (#84)


68. VOICE OF THE BEEHIVE - Monsters And Angels

UK chart position: 17

Appearances: 2

Other appearances:
1993: Gimme Shelter (#75)


67. CRYSTAL WATERS - Gypsy Woman (La Da Dee La Da Daa)

UK chart position: 2

Appearances: 1


66. PIXIES - Planet Of Sound

UK chart position: 27

Appearances: 3

Other appearances:
2004: Bam Thwok (#21)
2020: Hear Me Out (#62)


65. SUSANNA HOFFS - My Side Of The Bed

UK chart position: 44

Appearances: 1


64. BEVERLEY CRAVEN - Promise Me

UK chart position: 3

Appearances: 1


63. NINE INCH NAILS - Sin

UK chart position: 35

Appearances: 4

Other appearances:
1994: Closer (#84)
1999: We're In This Together (#26)
2005: The Hand That Feeds (#20)


62. LUSH - Nothing Natural

UK chart position: 43

Appearances: 3

Other appearances:
1996: Ladykillers (#79)
2016: Out Of Control (#42)


61. LEVELLERS - One Way

UK chart position: 51

Appearances: 5

Other appearances:
1992: 15 Years (#53)
1994: Julie (#99)
1995: Just The One (#90)
1997: What A Beautiful Day (#73)

[Panda]

PART 3 (60-41):


60. TORI AMOS - Silent All These Years

UK chart position: 51

Appearances: 7

Other appearances:
1992: Silent All These Years (#63)
1992: China (#88)
1992: Crucify (#93)
1994: Cornflake Girl (#25)
1996: Professional Widow (#67)
1997: Professional Widow (#91)


59. YOUNG DISCIPLES - Apparently Nothin'

UK chart position: 13

Appearances: 1


58. THE KLF - Justifed And Ancient (ft Tammy Wynette)

UK chart position: 2

Appearances: 1


57. MANIC STREET PREACHERS - Stay Beautiful

UK chart position: 40

Appearances: 34

Other appearances:
1992: Motorcycle Emptiness (#3)
1992: You Love Us (#16)
1992: Slash 'n' Burn (#26)
1992: Suicide Is Painless (#33)
1992: Little Baby Nothing (#43)
1993: La Tristesse Durera (Scream To A Sigh) (#13)
1993: From Despair To Where (#36)
1993: Roses In The Hospital (#49)
1994: Faster (#2)
1994: Revol (#7)
1994: She Is Suffering (#43)
1994: Life Becoming A Landslide (#82)
1996: A Design For Life (#1)
1996: Everything Must Go (#5)
1996: Australia (#10)
1996: Kevin Carter (#23)
1998: If You Tolerate This Your Children Will Be Next (#11)
1998: The Everlasting (#91)
1999: Tsunami (#68)
1999: You Stole The Sun From My Heart (#69)
2000: The Masses Against The Classes (#49)
2001: Found That Soul (#7)
2001: So Why So Sad (#46)
2001: Ocean Spray (#54)
2001: Let Robeson Sing (#57)
2005: Empty Souls (#45)
2007: Your Love Alone Is Not Enough (#11)
2007: Underdogs (#19)
2007: Indian Summer (#39)
2007: Autumnsong (#92)
2014: Walk Me To The Bridge (#78)
2016: Together Stronger (C'mon Wales) (#95)
2022: Studies In Paralysis (#40)


56. PRINCE - Cream

UK chart position: 15

Appearances: 3


55. UTAH SAINTS - What Can You Do For Me?

UK chart position: 10

Appearances: 2

Other appearance:
1992: Something Good (#5)


54. QUEEN - The Show Must Go On

UK chart position: 16

Appearances: 2

Other appearance:
1995: A Winter's Tale (#96)


53. INCOGNITO - Always There (ft Jocelyn Brown)

UK chart position: 6

Appearances: 1


52. SHAKESPEARS SISTER - Goodbye Cruel World

UK chart position: 59

Appearances: 3

Other appearances:
1992: Stay (#39)
1992: I Don't Care (#50)


51. JAMES - Sit Down

UK chart position: 2

Appearances: 6

Other appearances:
1992: Born Of Frustration (#98)
1993: Sometimes (#16)
1993: Laid (#25)
1997: Tomorrow (#46)
2016: Nothing But Love (#44)


50. QUEENSRYCHE - Silent Lucidity

UK chart position: 34

Appearances: 1


49. PRIMAL SCREAM - Higher Than The Sun

UK chart position: 40

Appearances: 7

Other appearances:
1992: Movin' On Up (#31)
1994: Rocks (#54)
1999: Swastika Eyes (#21)
2000: Kill All Hippies (#61)
2002: Miss Lucifer (#81)
2006: Country Girl (#55)


48. CHER - The Shoop Shoop Song (It's In His Kiss)

UK chart position: 1

Appearances: 1


47. PM DAWN - Set Adrift On Memory Bliss

UK chart position: 3

Appearances: 2

Other appearance:
1993: Looking Through Patient Eyes (#82)


46. LIVING COLOUR - Love Rears Its Ugly Head

UK chart position: 12

Appearances: 1


45. BLACK CROWES - Hard To Handle

UK chart position: 39

Appearances: 1


44. ERASURE - Love To Hate You

UK chart position: 4

Appearances: 3

Other appearances:
1992: Abba-esque EP (#83)
1994: Run To The Sun (#100)


43. ELECTRONIC - Get The Message

UK chart position: 8

Appearances: 3

Other appearances:
1996: Forbidden City (#25)
1996: For You (#78)


42. MANIC STREET PREACHERS - You Love Us

UK chart position: 62

Appearances: 35


41. LENNY KRAVITZ - Always On The Run

UK chart position: 41

Appearances: 4

Other appearances:
1993: Are You Gonna Go My Way? (#19)
1995: Rock & Roll Is Dead (#98)
1999: Fly Away (#91)

[Panda]

PART 4 (40-31):

40. EXTREME - Hole Hearted



UK chart position: 12

Appearances: 2

Other appearance:
1992: Rest In Peace (#70)


39. SHAMEN - Move Any Mountain



UK chart position: 4

Appearances: 1


38. BLUR - There's No Other Way



UK chart position: 8

Appearances: 27


37. EXTREME - Get The Funk Out



UK chart position: 19

Appearances: 3


36. HAPPY MONDAYS - Loose Fit



UK chart position: 17

Appearances: 1


35. GARY CLAIL ON-U SOUND SYSTEM - Escape



UK chart position: 44

Appearances: 1


34. VIC REEVES & THE WONDER STUFF - Dizzy



UK chart position: 1

Appearances: 2 for Vic Reeves, 3 for the Wonder Stuff

Other appearance for Vic Reeves:
1995: I'm A Believer (#75)


33. ORCHESTRAL MANOEUVRES IN THE DARK - Sailing On The Seven Seas



UK chart position: 3

Appearances: 1


32. MANIC STREET PREACHERS - Motown Junk



UK chart position: 94

Appearances: 36


31. MASSIVE ATTACK - Safe From Harm



UK chart position: 25

Appearances: 7

Other appearances:
1995: Karmacoma (#8)
1995: Protection (#10)
1998: Teardrop (#2)
1998: Angel (#80)
2003: Special Cases (#61)
2016: Ritual Spirit (#88)

[TheThorne]

Can’t argue with that batch at all, I like Extreme I know they aren’t the coolest band but they did what they wanted, the less weird Faith No More

[Panda]

Jan 15, 2024 8:34:19 GMT 1 TheThorne said:

Can’t argue with that batch at all, I like Extreme I know they aren’t the coolest band but they did what they wanted, the less weird Faith No More

My older sister got really into them when she moved from her boy band phase to her rock phase so I heard their Pornograffiti album a lot that year.

I would class them as a less predictable Bon Jovi.

[Panda]

PART 5 (30-21):

30. MANIC STREET PREACHERS - Love's Sweet Exile



UK chart position: 26

Appearances: 37


29. SLOWDIVE - Catch The Breeze



UK chart position: 52

Appearances: 1


28. KIRSTY MacCOLL - Walking Down Madison



UK chart position: 23

Appearances: 1


27. JANE'S ADDICTION - Been Caught Stealing



UK chart position: 34

Appearances: 2

Other appearance:
2003: Just Because (#42)


26. DIVINYLS - I Touch Myself



UK chart position: 10

Appearances: 1


25. PIXIES - Alec Eiffel



UK chart position: n/a

Appearances: 4


24. THE KLF - Last Train To Trancentral



UK chart position: 2

Appearances: 2


23. ORBITAL - Satan



UK chart position: 31

Appearances: 4

Other appearances:
1997: Satan (#60)
1999: Bigpipe Style (#94)
2001: Funny Break (One Is Enough) (#39)


22. LENNY KRAVITZ - It Ain't Over 'Til It's Over



UK chart position: 11

Appearances: 5


21. U2 - Mysterious Ways



UK chart position: 13

Appearances: 9

Other appearances:
1992: Who's Gonna Ride Your Wild Horses? (#47)
1992: Even Better Than The Real Thing (#56)
1992: One (#59)
1995: Hold Me Thrill Me Kiss Me Kill Me (#13)
1997: Last Night On Earth (#83)
1997: Discotheque (#92)
1998: Sweetest Thing (#77)
2009: Get On Your Boots (#86)

[Panda]

PART 6 (20-11):

20. EMF - I Believe



UK chart position: 6

Appearances: 2

Other appearance:
1995: I'm A Believer (#75)


19. PRODIGY - Charly



UK chart position: 3

Appearances: 15

Other appearances:
1992: Out Of Space (#34)
1992: Everybody In The Place (#55)
1992: Jericho (#72)
1993: One Love (#38)
1994: No Good (Start The Dance) (#14)
1994: Voodoo People (#36)
1995: Poison (#15)
1996: Breathe (#3)
1996: Firestarter (#6)
1997: Smack My Bitch Up (#8)
2004: Girls (#58)
2005: Spitfire (#83)
2009: Take Me To The Hospital (#75)
2009: Omen (#89)


18. CHARLATANS - Over Rising



UK chart position: 15

Appearances: 14

Other appearances:
1992: Weirdo (#15)
1994: Can't Get Out Of Bed (#20)
1995: Just Lookin' (#32)
1995: Just When You're Thinkin' Things Over (#76)
1996: One To Another (#2)
1997: How High (#7)
1997: North Country Boy (#36)
1999: Forever (#28)
1999: My Beautiful Friend (#70)
2000: Impossible (#86)
2001: Love Is The Key (#29)
2004: Up At The Lake (#34)
2004: Try Again Today (#81)


17. VOICE OF THE BEEHIVE - I Think I Love You



UK chart position: 25

Appearances: 3


16. STONE ROSES - I Wanna Be Adored



UK chart position: 20

Appearances: 6

Other appearances:
1992: I Am The Resurrection (#13)
1992: Waterfall (#30)
1994: Love Spreads (#1)
2016: All For One (#59)
2016: Beautiful Thing (#81)


15. REM - Shiny Happy People



UK chart position: 6

Appearances: 15


14. A TRIBE CALLED QUEST - Can I Kick It?



UK chart position: 15

Appearances: 1


13. THE WONDER STUFF - The Size Of A Cow



UK chart position: 5

Appearances: 4


12. CROWDED HOUSE - Fall At Your Feet



UK chart position: 17

Appearances: 6

Other appearances:
1992: It's Only Natural (#25)
1992: Weather With You (#40)
1993: Distant Sun (#21)
1994: Pineapple Head (#39)
1994: Locked Out (#45)


11. REM - Losing My Religion



UK chart position: 19

Appearances: 16

[greendemon]

Just catching up with this thread and my goodness, I never knew 'Hole Hearted' was by Extreme! One I remember from my dad's collection but I would only have been about 5 when this came out. I guess that officially makes it my favourite song of theirs

Some great tracks in the most recent segment in particular. 'Losing My Religion' probably my #1 from this year.

[SheriffFatman]

Had a lunch break scroll through this thread and it's excellent, thank you! I was immediately drawn in by Jesus Loves You, I love that track and thought I was the only person who did! There's a few things here I have forgotten about, a few things I don't know and now want to look up, and loads that I agree with 

Although I instinctively think of the charts in 1991 being dominated by a few big hits which I don't like much, I recently realised that a huge amount of the music I really do like is from that year too, possibly more than any other year in fact. I was 14 at the time, I've always loved music but maybe that's just the age when you fall in love with it most.

[Panda]

PART 7 (10-1):

SPOILER: Click to show

{Top 10}


10. THE KLF - 3AM Eternal



UK chart position: 1

Appearances: 3


9. GUNS N' ROSES - You Could Be Mine



UK chart position: 3

Appearances: 4


8. ERASURE - Chorus



UK chart position: 3

Appearances: 4


7. THE SOURCE & CANDI STATON - You Got The Love



UK chart position: 4

Appearances: 1


6. NIRVANA - Smells Like Teen Spirit



UK chart position: 7

Appearances: 6

Other appearances:
1992: In Bloom (#4)
1992: Come As You Are (#8)
1992: Lithium (#23)
1993: Heart-Shaped Box (#3)
1993: All Apologies (#35)


5. METALLICA - Enter Sandman



UK chart position: 5

Appearances: 5

Other appearances:
1992: Nothing Else Matters (#19)
1992: Wherever I May Roam (#49)
1993: Sad But True (#24)
1997: The Memory Remains (#43)


4. EXTREME - More Than Words



UK chart position: 2

Appearances: 4


3. QUEEN - Innuendo



UK chart position: 1

Appearances: 3


2. U2 - The Fly



UK chart position: 1

Appearances: 10


1. MASSIVE ATTACK - Unfinished Sympathy



UK chart position: 13

Appearances: 8

[TheThorne]

Wow that is a brilliant top 10, a couple I wouldn't rate as high but in general a brilliant list and even more nostalgia vibes when these were all songs you saw a lot on The Chart Show.

This is my recent top 10 based on points

1 Chapterhouse - PEARL 
2 Jesus Jones - WHO WHERE WHY? 
3 Field Mice - MISSING THE MOON 
4 Blur - THERES NO OTHER WAY 
5 REM - SHINY HAPPY PEOPLE 
6 Manic Street Preachers - MOTOWN JUNK 
6 U2 - THE FLY 
8 Candyland - BITTER MOON 
9 Ned's Atomic Dustbin - HAPPY 
10 Teenage Fanclub - STARSIGN 

And on my personal list

1 Blur - Theres No Other Way
2 The Shamen - Progen 91
3 Red Hot Chili Peppers - Give It Away
4 REM - Losing My Religion
5 James - Sit Down
6 Nirvana - Smells Like Teen Spirit
7 Chaptergouse - Pearl
8 Saint etienne - Nothing Can Stop Us
9 Neds Atomic Dustbin - Happy
10 Revolver - Heaven Sent An Angel

#16 Massive Attack

[greendemon]

...okay I'd forgotten 'Unfinished Sympathy' was this year, that might be my #1 actually

Great list!

[SheriffFatman]

That's a fantastic top 10! It was an excellent year. Your list has made me question my approach to Erasure - I had always considered they were past their best by this point but maybe I need to cut them some slack.

Out of interest, was These Are The Days Of Our Lives by Queen not eligible due to its double a-side status, or is it just not one of your 100 favourite songs from the year?