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1991 Music Hits: Top Songs, Radio Favorites, and Pop Classics

1991 Music Hits: Hip-Hop, Dance Pop, Power Ballads, and Alternative Breakthroughs. 1991 music hits caught pop culture right before the early ’90s fully changed the wallpaper. Dance-pop was still packing the floor, hip-hop was getting bigger and bolder, R&B vocal groups were stepping forward, and rock was splitting into several directions at once. Hair metal was still hanging around, alternative rock was breaking through, and grunge was waiting just offstage with a flannel shirt and a suspicious look. This was the year of Good Vibrations, Summertime, Gonna Make You Sweat, O.P.P., Enter Sandman, More Than Words, Black or White, and (Everything I Do) I Do It for You. The 1991 music scene did not pick one lane. It swerved across pop, rap, dance, rock, soul, novelty records, soundtrack smashes, and ballads big enough to need their own zip code. The songs below mix major chart hits, MTV favorites, radio staples, soundtrack songs, and genre-defining tracks from 1991. Some still sound timeless. Some are very, very 1991. A few show up wearing Zubaz pants and refuse to apologize.

Top 10 Songs of 1991

  1. Good Vibrations – Marky Mark and the Funky Bunch
  2. Summertime – DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince
  3. Silent Lucidity – Queensrÿche
  4. Gonna Make You Sweat (Everybody Dance Now) – C+C Music Factory
  5. More Than Words – Extreme
  6. O.P.P. – Naughty by Nature
  7. Enter Sandman – Metallica
  8. Unforgettable – Nat King Cole & Natalie Cole
  9. Strike It Up – Black Box
  10. Power of Love/Love Power – Luther Vandross

1991 Music Hits by Style Hip-Hop, Rap, and New Jack Swing Hip-hop had a huge year in 1991, with party records, clever wordplay, crossover hits, and New Jack Swing helping rap move deeper into the mainstream. DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince kept things smooth and nostalgic with Summertime, while Naughty by Nature’s O.P.P. became one of the year’s most recognizable rap anthems. LL Cool J brought both radio charm and knockout confidence, while Heavy D & The Boyz, Marky Mark and the Funky Bunch, P.M. Dawn, and Color Me Badd helped blur the lines between hip-hop, R&B, and pop. The result was one of the most colorful crossover years of the early ’90s. Featured 1991 hip-hop, rap, and New Jack Swing songs:

  • Good Vibrations – Marky Mark and the Funky Bunch
  • Summertime – DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince
  • O.P.P. – Naughty by Nature
  • Let’s Talk About Sex – Salt-N-Pepa
  • Around the Way Girl – LL Cool J
  • Now That We Found Love – Heavy D & The Boyz
  • Mama Said Knock You Out – LL Cool J
  • Set Adrift on Memory Bliss – P.M. Dawn
  • I Wanna Sex You Up – Color Me Badd
  • I Adore Mi Amor – Color Me Badd
  • Sensitivity – Ralph Tresvant
  • Round and Round – Tevin Campbell
  • Rico Suave – Gerardo
  • Deep, Deep Trouble – The Simpsons

Dance, Club, and Pop Energy Dance music was everywhere in 1991. C+C Music Factory, Black Box, Crystal Waters, Cathy Dennis, and Londonbeat gave radio and clubs a steady supply of big beats, big hooks, and choruses that sounded like they were legally required to be shouted. This was also the period when dance-pop could be sleek, goofy, stylish, or completely over-the-top, sometimes in the same song. If 1991 had a dance floor, it probably had fog, lasers, and someone doing moves they would later deny under oath. Featured 1991 dance, club, and pop-energy songs:

  • Gonna Make You Sweat (Everybody Dance Now) – C+C Music Factory
  • Strike It Up – Black Box
  • Gypsy Woman (She’s Homeless) – Crystal Waters
  • Things That Make You Go Hmmm… – C+C Music Factory
  • Here We Go – C+C Music Factory
  • Touch Me (All Night Long) – Cathy Dennis
  • I’ve Been Thinking About You – Londonbeat
  • Let the Beat Hit ’Em – Lisa Lisa and Cult Jam
  • How to Dance – Bingoboys featuring Princessa
  • Hold You Tight – Tara Kemp
  • P.A.S.S.I.O.N. – Rhythm Syndicate
  • Deeper Shade of Soul – Urban Dance Squad
  • Love Will Never Do (Without You) – Janet Jackson
  • Emotions – Mariah Carey

R&B, Soul, and Vocal Groups R&B had a major presence in 1991, from smooth ballads to vocal group breakthroughs. Boyz II Men arrived with Motownphilly and It’s So Hard to Say Goodbye to Yesterday, giving the early ’90s one of its defining vocal-group sounds. Luther Vandross, Whitney Houston, Surface, Aaron Neville, and Roberta Flack kept the soul and adult R&B side of radio strong. Mariah Carey also continued her early run with Emotions, Someday, and I Don’t Wanna Cry, proving that she was not a one-year wonder. Spoiler alert: she was not done hitting high notes or charts. Featured 1991 R&B, soul, and vocal group songs:

  • Power of Love/Love Power – Luther Vandross
  • It’s So Hard to Say Goodbye to Yesterday – Boyz II Men
  • Motownphilly – Boyz II Men
  • Emotions – Mariah Carey
  • Someday – Mariah Carey
  • I Don’t Wanna Cry – Mariah Carey
  • Miracle – Whitney Houston
  • All the Man That I Need – Whitney Houston
  • Unforgettable – Nat King Cole & Natalie Cole
  • Set the Night to Music – Roberta Flack & Maxi Priest
  • Everybody Plays the Fool – Aaron Neville
  • The First Time – Surface
  • I Like the Way (The Kissing Game) – Hi-Five
  • Another Like My Lover – Jasmine Guy

Rock, Hard Rock, and Metal Rock were all over the map in 1991. Metallica’s Enter Sandman helped push heavy metal further into mainstream rock culture, while Queensrÿche’s Silent Lucidity brought progressive metal to pop radio with a polished, dramatic ballad. Guns N’ Roses, Van Halen, Alice Cooper, ZZ Top, Damn Yankees, and FireHouse kept guitar-driven rock loud and visible. This was also a transition year. Big ’80s-style rock was still strong, but alternative rock and grunge were about to change the room temperature. The leather jackets were still there, but the flannel jackets were already in the parking lot. Featured 1991 rock, hard rock, and metal songs:

  • Silent Lucidity – Queensrÿche
  • Enter Sandman – Metallica
  • Wind of Change – Scorpions
  • She Talks to Angels – The Black Crowes
  • Can’t Stop This Thing We Started – Bryan Adams
  • High Enough – Damn Yankees
  • You Could Be Mine – Guns N’ Roses
  • Don’t Treat Me Bad – FireHouse
  • Learning to Fly – Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers
  • Into the Great Wide Open – Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers
  • Top of the World – Van Halen
  • Give It Up – ZZ Top
  • Hey Stoopid – Alice Cooper
  • Ballad of Youth – Richie Sambora

Alternative Rock, College Rock, and Modern Rock. Alternative rock gained serious momentum in 1991. R.E.M.’s Losing My Religion became one of the year’s most important crossover hits, bringing a mandolin-driven song with mysterious lyrics into heavy rotation. Jesus Jones and EMF added a more electronic, dance-rock flavor, while Siouxsie and the Banshees, Crash Test Dummies, and Pet Shop Boys gave the chart a more offbeat edge. This was the year before alternative completely took over the conversation, but the signs were already flashing. Some were subtle. Some were wearing oversized sunglasses indoors. Featured 1991 alternative, college rock, and modern rock songs:

  • Losing My Religion – R.E.M.
  • Shiny Happy People – R.E.M.
  • Right Here, Right Now – Jesus Jones
  • Unbelievable – EMF
  • Kiss Them for Me – Siouxsie and the Banshees
  • Where the Streets Have No Name (I Can’t Take My Eyes Off You) – Pet Shop Boys
  • Superman’s Song – Crash Test Dummies
  • Crazy – Seal
  • Sadeness (Part I) – Enigma
  • The Obvious Child – Paul Simon

Pop Ballads, Power Ballads, and Soundtrack Hits 1991 loved a big ballad. Bryan Adams’ (Everything I Do) I Do It for You became one of the year’s defining soundtrack hits, while Extreme’s More Than Words turned an acoustic ballad into a massive pop moment. Michael Bolton, Celine Dion, Paula Abdul, Amy Grant, and Bonnie Raitt all helped keep adult contemporary and pop ballads in heavy rotation. These songs were built for slow dances, movie montages, prom memories, and radio dedications. Somewhere, a cassette single was rewound very carefully. Featured 1991 pop ballads, power ballads, and soundtrack songs:

  • More Than Words – Extreme
  • (Everything I Do) I Do It for You – Bryan Adams
  • When a Man Loves a Woman – Michael Bolton
  • Love Is a Wonderful Thing – Michael Bolton
  • Where Does My Heart Beat Now – Celine Dion
  • (If There Was) Any Other Way – Celine Dion
  • Coming Out of the Dark – Gloria Estefan
  • Something to Talk About – Bonnie Raitt
  • Baby Baby – Amy Grant
  • Every Heartbeat – Amy Grant
  • Rush Rush – Paula Abdul
  • Blowing Kisses in the Wind – Paula Abdul
  • The Promise of a New Day – Paula Abdul
  • Love… Thy Will Be Done – Martika
  • True Companion – Marc Cohn
  • Wicked Game – Chris Isaak

Pop, Adult Contemporary, and Mainstream Radio Favorites Mainstream pop in 1991 was polished, broad, and everywhere. Michael Jackson’s Black or White was a major late-year pop event, while Rod Stewart, Roxette, Gloria Estefan, Wilson Phillips, Karyn White, and Marc Cohn kept radio full of melodic, easy-to-recognize songs. This category also includes several songs that lived comfortably across formats. They were not always tied to one genre, but they helped define what everyday radio sounded like in 1991. Featured 1991 pop and adult contemporary songs:

  • Black or White – Michael Jackson
  • Walking in Memphis – Marc Cohn
  • Joyride – Roxette
  • The Motown Song – Rod Stewart
  • Live for Loving You – Gloria Estefan
  • You’re in Love – Wilson Phillips
  • Romantic – Karyn White
  • I’ll Be There – The Escape Club
  • Love… Thy Will Be Done – Martika
  • Cream – Prince & The New Power Generation
  • Gett Off – Prince & The New Power Generation
  • Justify My Love – Madonna
  • I Touch Myself – Divinyls
  • Hole Hearted – Extreme

Patriotic, Novelty, and Pop Culture Songs A few 1991 songs belonged in their own little pop-culture corner. Whitney Houston’s version of The Star-Spangled Banner became closely tied to the Gulf War era and one of the most famous anthem performances in modern pop memory. Lee Greenwood’s God Bless the U.S.A. also returned to public attention during that period. Then there were The Simpsons. Do the Bartman and Deep, Deep Trouble captured how massive Bart Simpson was in early ’90s pop culture. Yes, animated TV characters made the music conversation. The ’90s were not shy. Featured 1991 patriotic, novelty, and pop culture songs:

  • God Bless the U.S.A. – Lee Greenwood
  • The Star-Spangled Banner – Whitney Houston
  • Do the Bartman – The Simpsons
  • Deep, Deep Trouble – The Simpsons
  • Try a Little Tenderness – The Commitments

1991 Music Hits Chart

  1. Good Vibrations – Marky Mark and the Funky Bunch
  2. Summertime – DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince
  3. Silent Lucidity – Queensrÿche
  4. Gonna Make You Sweat (Everybody Dance Now) – C+C Music Factory
  5. More Than Words – Extreme
  6. O.P.P. – Naughty by Nature
  7. Enter Sandman – Metallica
  8. Unforgettable – Nat King Cole & Natalie Cole
  9. Strike It Up – Black Box
  10. Power of Love/Love Power – Luther Vandross
  11. It’s So Hard to Say Goodbye to Yesterday – Boyz II Men
  12. True Companion – Marc Cohn
  13. Motownphilly – Boyz II Men
  14. Crazy – Seal
  15. God Bless the U.S.A. – Lee Greenwood
  16. Unbelievable – EMF
  17. Wind of Change – Scorpions
  18. Black or White – Michael Jackson
  19. Let’s Talk About Sex – Salt-N-Pepa
  20. (Everything I Do) I Do It for You – Bryan Adams
  21. When a Man Loves a Woman – Michael Bolton
  22. I Touch Myself – Divinyls
  23. Right Here, Right Now – Jesus Jones
  24. The Star-Spangled Banner – Whitney Houston
  25. Walking in Memphis – Marc Cohn
  26. Gypsy Woman (She’s Homeless) – Crystal Waters
  27. Things That Make You Go Hmmm… – C+C Music Factory
  28. Emotions – Mariah Carey
  29. I’ve Been Thinking About You – Londonbeat
  30. Tom’s Diner – DNA featuring Suzanne Vega
  31. She Talks to Angels – The Black Crowes
  32. Baby Baby – Amy Grant
  33. Can’t Stop This Thing We Started – Bryan Adams
  34. Someday – Mariah Carey
  35. I’ll Be There – The Escape Club
  36. Something to Talk About – Bonnie Raitt
  37. Joyride – Roxette
  38. Deeper Shade of Soul – Urban Dance Squad
  39. Love Is a Wonderful Thing – Michael Bolton
  40. It Ain’t Over ’til It’s Over – Lenny Kravitz
  41. Set the Night to Music – Roberta Flack & Maxi Priest
  42. Gett Off – Prince & The New Power Generation
  43. Sadeness (Part I) – Enigma
  44. P.A.S.S.I.O.N. – Rhythm Syndicate
  45. Around the Way Girl – LL Cool J
  46. Here We Go – C+C Music Factory
  47. Coming Out of the Dark – Gloria Estefan
  48. Love Will Never Do (Without You) – Janet Jackson
  49. Rico Suave – Gerardo
  50. High Enough – Damn Yankees
  51. Justify My Love – Madonna
  52. I Don’t Wanna Cry – Mariah Carey
  53. Blowing Kisses in the Wind – Paula Abdul
  54. Every Heartbeat – Amy Grant
  55. Everybody Plays the Fool – Aaron Neville
  56. I Wanna Sex You Up – Color Me Badd
  57. The Motown Song – Rod Stewart
  58. Miracle – Whitney Houston
  59. Touch Me (All Night Long) – Cathy Dennis
  60. (If There Was) Any Other Way – Celine Dion
  61. Losing My Religion – R.E.M.
  62. Now That We Found Love – Heavy D & The Boyz
  63. Where Does My Heart Beat Now – Celine Dion
  64. Round and Round – Tevin Campbell
  65. How to Dance – Bingoboys featuring Princessa
  66. Kiss Them for Me – Siouxsie and the Banshees
  67. Learning to Fly – Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers
  68. You Could Be Mine – Guns N’ Roses
  69. Don’t Treat Me Bad – FireHouse
  70. Let the Beat Hit ’Em – Lisa Lisa and Cult Jam
  71. Wicked Game – Chris Isaak
  72. Love… Thy Will Be Done – Martika
  73. Do the Bartman – The Simpsons
  74. Shiny Happy People – R.E.M.
  75. Into the Great Wide Open – Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers
  76. Try a Little Tenderness – The Commitments
  77. The First Time – Surface
  78. I Adore Mi Amor – Color Me Badd
  79. All the Man That I Need – Whitney Houston
  80. Live for Loving You – Gloria Estefan
  81. Rush Rush – Paula Abdul
  82. Hole Hearted – Extreme
  83. Romantic – Karyn White
  84. The Promise of a New Day – Paula Abdul
  85. Hold You Tight – Tara Kemp
  86. You’re in Love – Wilson Phillips
  87. Set Adrift on Memory Bliss – P.M. Dawn
  88. Show Me the Way – Styx
  89. Mama Said Knock You Out – LL Cool J
  90. Cream – Prince & The New Power Generation
  91. Sensitivity – Ralph Tresvant
  92. Ballad of Youth – Richie Sambora
  93. Top of the World – Van Halen
  94. Where the Streets Have No Name (I Can’t Take My Eyes Off You) – Pet Shop Boys
  95. Superman’s Song – Crash Test Dummies
  96. Another Like My Lover – Jasmine Guy
  97. Deep, Deep Trouble – The Simpsons
  98. Give It Up – ZZ Top
  99. Hey Stoopid – Alice Cooper
  100. The Obvious Child – Paul Simon

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