The Best Of 1991 - part 4

JUMP TO: 100-76 II 75-51 II 50-26 II 25-1

In 1991, I made my first visit to Europe - going to France and Germany as part of a school trip. Naturally, I went to as many record stores as I could along the way, particularly the Virgin Megastore on the Champs-Élysées, which was way bigger than any music shop we had in Australia.

A decade later she'd co-write Kylie's biggest hit, but in 1991,
Cathy Dennis competed on the charts with her

There are quite a few songs in my top 25 for 1991 that I picked up on that trip, as well as four entries by Kylie Minogue, who released two more singles from Rhythm Of Love and the first two singles from her final PWL studio album, Let's Get To It, in the one calendar year.

Her first single for the year, "What Do I Have To Do", came out in January and quickly established itself as not only my favourite song for 1991, but also for all time. Since I've written about Kylie's best singles elsewhere, that's all I'm going to say about her in this post. Here's the rest of my top 25...


Number 25 "My Heart Is Failing Me" by Riff
You couldn't swing a cat in the '90s without hitting an R&B vocal harmony group. Like After 7 and Boyz II Men, quartet Riff got in on the act quite early - this debut single made the US top 30 in May, 1991 - but they never really capitalised on that initial success there. However, a year later, the band hit the Australian top 10 with the title track from basketball film White Men Can't Jump.

Number 24 "Thinking About Your Love" by Kenny Thomas
This was far and away the biggest single by the British soul singer and, as was constantly mentioned at the time, former boxer. Besides this track, Kenny also remade a couple of 80s soul tracks: The Gap Band's "Outstanding" and Force MD's "Tender Love". He never caught on in Australia, unfortunately.

Number 23 "Forget Me Nots" by Tongue 'n' Cheek
Another British R&B act, Tongue 'n' Cheek finally started crossing over from the clubs to the UK top 40 in 1990 with "Tomorrow" and "Nobody", but this cover of the Patrice Rushen song from 1982 would end up being the trio's final single (and only reach number 26). Revamped from the album version by remixers du jour DNA, the single version had a driving beat - and I'll always remember listening to it on my walkman one day after school when one of the cool kids wanted to hear what I was playing and didn't really know what to say when I gave him a listen. Probably disappointed it wasn't Nirvana.

Number 22 "Everybody's Free (To Feel Good)" by Rozalla
Good songs never die - and that's especially true of this global smash, which has been remixed and re-released pretty much every few years since 1991. Rozalla actually had a few other UK hits besides this one - "Faith (In The Power Of Love", "Are You Ready To Fly" and "I Love Music" - but in Australia this was the Zambian singer's only top 50 entry... on three separate occasions. When it was first released in 1991, it reached number 11, then, after being used in an ad for Coca-Cola in 1992, it bounced back to number 45. Its highest position came, though, in 2009 when the Global Deejays remix made number 7 after being used in promos for So You Think You Can Dance Australia.

Number 21 "Word Is Out" by Kylie Minogue
Previously featured here

Number 20 "Pride (In The Name Of Love)" by Clivillés & Cole
The songwriting and production partnership of Robert Clivillés and David Cole had an incredibly fruitful year in 1991. As C+C Music Factory, they stormed charts around the world with "Gonna Make You Sweat (Everybody Dance Now)" (number 26 on this list), "Things That Make You Go Hmmm..." (number 122) and "Here We Go (Let's Rock & Roll)" - all with a little help from rapper Freedom Williams and singer Martha Wash (although Zelma Davis appeared in the music videos). Under their own names, they released this dance remake of the U2 classic, one of two revolutionary revamps of the Irish supergroup's music in this top 25. The CD single for "Pride", which I bought from Virgin Paris, was backed by "A Deeper Love", which would end up being remade a few years later by Aretha Franklin.

Number 19 "I Believe" by EMF
"Unbelievable" was the song that put them on the world stage in 1990 and would be their biggest hit, but I preferred this follow-up from the band who came from somewhere called Forest Of Dean, which I always thought sounded like it was out of Robin Hood. EMF officially stood for Epson Mad Funkers, although I remember Ecstacy Mother F***ers being another suggestion made at the time. Their debut album, Schubert Dip, was one of my favourites for the year and yielded two other singles, "Lies" (number 112 on this list) and "Children". The band released two further albums and still play live from time to time, but I lost interest after 1991.

Number 18 "Promises" by Take That
While the likes of EMF and Jesus Jones were UK success stories there and in the US, five young men calling themselves Take That couldn't have a hit no matter how hard they tried. And, boy did they try. Their debut single, "Do What U Like" (number 58 on this list) infamously featured the leather clad boy band having jelly smeared on their bodies by mop-wielding models - but the song tanked at number 82 in the UK. Signing to a bigger record label, RCA, helped and this second single cracked the UK top 40 - but stalled at number 38. We all know that things would change in 1992 and Take That would go on to become Britain's most enduring and best loved boy band - but I was a fan from the start. Yep, it was the jelly.

Number 17 "Touch Me (All Night Long)" by Cathy Dennis
Mentioned below

Number 16 "Never Stop" by Brand New Heavies featuring N'Dea Davenport
In Part 2, we saw one of 1991's big acid jazz groups, Incognito. The other was Brand New Heavies - and although they weren't scaling the chart heights that Incognito were, they were making a name for themselves with vocalist N'Dea on board. This was another song I bought on CD single from Virgin Paris and BNH are a band I've followed to this day (through several vocalist changes) - even catching a gig in Sydney a couple of years ago with N'Dea back on board.

Number 15 "Mysterious Ways" by U2
Well, this was a surprise to me. I'd hated most of what U2 had released in the second half of the '80s - too worthy, too earnest. But, in 1991, they threw the world a curve ball with "The Fly" and the Achtung Baby album - and I was intrigued. Whereas "The Fly" was a repositioning statement, "Mysterious Ways" was the pop classic the band always had in them. It was also the song my French tour group sang repeatedly since Achtung Baby had just been released - so there was really no avoiding U2, even if I tried.

Number 14 "R.S.V.P." by Jason Donovan
1991 was an odd year for Jason. He scored his final UK number 1 with a version of "Any Dream Will Do" from Joseph And The Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, in which he was performing at the time. But, this new Stock Aitken Waterman production barely made the UK top 20. By year's end, PWL had rushed out a greatest hits album for Christmas, despite the fact that Jason had only released two studio albums to date. It was an indication of just how steeply Jason's fortunes had declined - only two years earlier, he'd had the highest-selling album of the year with 1989's Ten Good Reasons.

Number 13 "If You Were With Me Now" by Kylie Minogue / Keith Washington
Previously featured here

Number 12 "Where The Streets Have No Name (I Can't Take My Eyes Off You) / How Can You Expect To Be Taken Seriously?" by Pet Shop Boys
Previously featured here

Number 11 "Running Back For More" by Delage
Previously featured here

Number 10 "Just Another Dream" by Cathy Dennis
She'd been introduced to the world in 1989 on D-Mob's "C'mon And Get My Love" and finally became a solo star in 1991 after "Just Another Dream", which had flopped first time round in the UK, became a hit in the US. A successful re-release of "Just Another Dream" followed her second single, "Touch Me (All Night Long)" (above at number 17), into the UK top 20. Although I (and Australia) preferred "Just Another Dream", "Touch Me", which was a cover of an obscure 1984 track by Fonda Rae and Wish, was the more successful of the two in the UK and US. Cathy scored again in 1991 with "Too Many Walls" (number 133 on this list), but, like so many of the female solo artists on this list, would find hits hard to come by from 1992 on - until she became a hit songwriter for other artists, that is.

Number 9 "So Proud Of You" by Paul Varney
Previously featured here

Number 8 "Get Ready For This" by 2 Unlimited
You've got to hand it to Pete Waterman - he knew a hit record when he heard it. Thanks to him, the Dutch group (comprised of producers Phil Wilde and Jean-Paul De Coster, rapper Ray Slijngaard and singer Anita Doth) released this dance classic in the UK, then went on to conquer the States. "Get Ready For This" exists in several versions - some with just the "Y'all ready for this?" sample and some featuring Ray's raps and/or Anita's vocals. I generally favoured the version with everyone contributing, which would be the case for their subsequent releases - and there would be plenty of those in the coming years.

Number 7 "That's What Love Can Do" by Boy Krazy
Previously featured here

Number 6 "Shocked" by Kylie Minogue featuring DNA
Previously featured here

Number 5 "Preacher Man" by Bananarama
1991 was not a great year for Bananarama, who struggled with the singles from Pop Life, with this track the highest UK entry from the album by getting to number 20. Their cover of The Doobie Brothers' "Long Train Running" (number 149 on this list) and "Tripping On Your Love" (number 34) would fare even worse. With the album's promotion complete, ring-in member Jacquie O'Sullivan left the group, leaving just Sara and Keren, who continued as a duo - and still perform and record (with an air of mild disdain) today.

Number 4 "Chorus" by Erasure
Conversely, 1991 was much kinder to another of my favourite groups, Erasure, whose Chorus album was another UK number 1, and yielded this hit, as well as "Love To Hate You" (number 55 on this list) and "Am I Right?" before the year was out.

Number 3 "Romantic World" by Dana Dawson
My second favourite song for 1991 is one I heard in Australia and liked before heading to France - without realising that was the country where American singer Dana recorded and released her debut album, Paris New York And Me. OK, the title should have been a bit of a giveaway. When I got to France, I was hearing "Romantic World" and her other singles, like "Open Hearts" (number 79 on this list), everywhere and even got to practise some French when I asked a shop assistant if she was well known in France. At least, that's what I think I asked. Dana, who tragically passed away in 2010 from cancer, would have wider success with her second album in 1996, which featured "3 Is Family".

Number 2 "Love You Right" by Euphoria
In the early '90s, pop was still a bit of a dirty word on the Australian music scene. As for dance music... while club tracks regularly stormed the UK top 5, hits were less frequent in Australia. So, it was a bit of a shock when this homegrown dance tune went all the way to number 1 in early 1992. And then so did Euphoria's next two singles (which we'll see on my 1992 countdown).
Like so many of the dance tracks of the time, the clip for "Love You Right" featured a pretty model, who was not actually the vocalist, miming along to the song. What was fine for Europop acts was not OK in Australia, and even though the real singer, Keren Minshull, joined perky blonde Holly Garnett in the clip for follow-up "One In A Million" - and Holly even sang on that track - the damage had been done and Euphoria was forever tainted with the lip syncing "scandal".
Finally, although I'm sure he hates being reminded of it now, a shirtless Simon Baker-Denny (as he was then called) can be seen gyrating in the background of the music video - and also miming along to the male background vocals.

Number 1 "What Do I Have To Do" by Kylie Minogue
Previously featured here


My top 200 for 1991 in full:

1        WHAT DO I HAVE TO DO Kylie Minogue

2        LOVE YOU RIGHT Euphoria

3        ROMANTIC WORLD Dana Dawson

4        CHORUS Erasure

5        PREACHER MAN Bananarama

6        SHOCKED Kylie Minogue featuring DNA

7        THAT'S WHAT LOVE CAN DO Boy Krazy

8        GET READY FOR THIS 2 Unlimited

9        SO PROUD OF YOU Paul Varney

10      JUST ANOTHER DREAM Cathy Dennis

11      RUNNING BACK FOR MORE Delage

12      WHERE THE STREETS HAVE NO NAME (I CAN'T TAKE MY EYES OFF YOU) / HOW CAN YOU EXPECT TO BE TAKEN SERIOUSLY? Pet Shop Boys

13      IF YOU WERE WITH ME NOW (Duet with Keith Washington)/I GUESS I LIKE IT LIKE THAT Kylie Minogue

14      R.S.V.P. Jason Donovan

15      MYSTERIOUS WAYS U2

16      NEVER STOP Brand New Heavies featuring N'Dea Davenport

17      TOUCH ME (ALL NIGHT LONG) Cathy Dennis

18      PROMISES Take That

19      I BELIEVE E.M.F.

20      PRIDE (IN THE NAME OF LOVE) / A DEEPER LOVE Clivilles & Cole

21      WORD IS OUT Kylie Minogue

22      EVERYBODY'S FREE (TO FEEL GOOD) Rozalla

23      FORGET ME NOTS Tongue 'n' Cheek

24      THINKING ABOUT YOUR LOVE Kenny Thomas

25      MY HEART IS FAILING ME Riff

26      GONNA MAKE YOU SWEAT (EVERYBODY DANCE NOW) C&C Music Factory featuring Freedom Williams

27      GET THE MESSAGE Electronic

28      BABY BABY Amy Grant

29      SWEET LIBERATION The Family Stand

30      SAVE SOME LOVE Keedy

31      CRAZY Seal

32      FADING LIKE A FLOWER (EVERY TIME YOU LEAVE) Roxette

33      THE ONE AND ONLY Chesney Hawkes

34      TRIPPING ON YOUR LOVE Bananarama

35      PEACE Sabrina Johnston

36      SEE RIGHT THROUGH / EVERYTHING WILL BE ALRIGHT Kate Ceberano

37      RHYTHM IS A MYSTERY K-klass

38      BLACK OR WHITE Michael Jackson

39      SOMEDAY Mariah Carey

40      EVERY LITTLE THING Kate Ceberano

41      TIGHTEN UP Electronic

42      RUN FROM LOVE Jimmy Somerville

43      3 A.M. ETERNAL The KLF featuring The Children Of The Revolution

44      MOVE ANY MOUNTAIN The Shamen

45      I THINK I LOVE YOU Voice Of The Beehive

46      LAST TRAIN TO TRANCENTRAL The KLF

47      JEALOUSY Pet Shop Boys

48      JUSTIFIED AND ANCIENT (STAND BY THE JAMS) The KLF / Tammy Wynette

49      DON'T LET THE SUN GO DOWN ON ME George Michael / Elton John

50      CRY FOR HELP Rick Astley

51      G.L.A.D. Kim Appleby

52      ROMANTIC Karyn White

53      JUMP TO THE BEAT Dannii Minogue

54      WHERE LOVE LIVES (COME ON IN) Alison Limerick

55      LOVE TO HATE YOU Erasure

56      ON THE WAY UP Elisa Fiorillo

57      TOO BLIND TO SEE IT Kym Sims

58      DO WHAT U LIKE Take That

59      DON'T YOU WANNA BE MINE (CLIVILLES & COLE REMIX) Denise Lopez

60      ALL 4 LOVE Color Me Badd

61      STREET OF DREAMS Nia Peeples

62      SOMETHING GOT ME STARTED Simply Red

63      BETTER OFF WITHOUT YOU Hazell Dean

64      GUARANTEED Level 42

65      MOTOWNPHILLY Boyz II Men

66      RIGHT DOWN TO IT Damian Dame

67      CAN'T LET GO Mariah Carey

68      ALWAYS THERE Incognito featuring Jocelyn Brown

69      SHE'S A WOMAN Scritti Politti / Shabba Ranks

70      I'M TOO SEXY Right Said Fred

71      NOW THAT WE FOUND LOVE Heavy D & The Boyz

72      LOVE ME FOREVER OR LOVE ME NOT Trilogy

73      LIVE YOUR LIFE BE FREE Belinda Carlisle

74      PIECE OF MY HEART Tara Kemp

75      LET'S KISS (LIKE ANGELS DO) Wendy Matthews

76      TASTY FISH The Other Two

77      MY BODY SAYS YES Titiyo

78      UNFINISHED SYMPATHY Massive Attack

79      OPEN HEARTS Dana Dawson

80      CRUCIFIED Army Of Lovers

81      FEEL EVERY BEAT Electronic

82      LOVE...THY WILL BE DONE Martika

83      BACKYARD Pebbles featuring Salt 'n' Pepa

84      THAT'S WHAT LOVE IS FOR Amy Grant

85      MORE THAN WORDS Extreme

86      THE PROMISE OF A NEW DAY Paula Abdul

87      THIS HOUSE Tracie Spencer

88      SET ADRIFT ON MEMORY BLISS P.M. Dawn

89      TEMPTATION Corina

90      SARAH (I MISS YOU) Richard Pleasance

91      ALL THE MAN THAT I NEED Whitney Houston

92      ANTHEM N-Joi

93      I ADORE MI AMOR Color Me Badd

94      INSANITY Oceanic

95      IF YOU CARED Kim Appleby

96      ALL TRUE MAN Alexander O'Neal

97      BITTER TEARS INXS

98      THERE’S NO OTHER WAY Blur

99      VIBEOLOGY Paula Abdul

100    DO ANYTHING Natural Selection

101    REAL LOVE Driza Bone

102    SUCH A GOOD FEELING Brothers In Rhythm

103    P.A.S.S.I.O.N. Rythm Syndicate

104    JOYRIDE Roxette

105    ONLY FOOLS (NEVER FALL IN LOVE) Sonia

106    SEXY (IS THE WORD) Melissa

107    PEACE AND HARMONY Brothers In Rhythm

108    MADE UP MY MIND Sa-fire

109    UNDER MY SKIN Deborah Conway

110    I CAN'T TAKE THE POWER Offshore

111    FUTURE LOVE (EP) Seal

112    LIES E.M.F.

113    BABY LOVE Dannii Minogue

114    WHAT COMES NATURALLY Sheena Easton

115    PLACE IN THIS WORLD Michael W Smith

116    I DON'T KNOW WHY I LOVE YOU (BUT I LOVE YOU) B.E.F. featuring Green Gartside

117    WITH YOU Tony Terry

118    DON'T GO MESSIN' WITH MY HEART Mantronix

119    I DON'T WANNA TAKE THIS PAIN (REMIX) Dannii Minogue

120    IT'S TOO LATE Quartz introducing Dina Carroll

121    IT'S SO HARD TO SAY GOODBYE TO YESTERDAY Boyz II Men

122    THINGS THAT MAKE YOU GO HMMM... C&C Music Factory

123    THE SHOOP SHOOP SONG (IT'S IN HIS KISS) Cher

124    THE FIRST TIME Surface

125    IESHA Another Bad Creation

126    SO REAL Love Decade

127    READ MY LIPS Melissa

128    CALL IT WHAT YOU WANT New Kids On The Block

129    RESCUE ME Madonna

130    EMOTIONS Mariah Carey

131    AIN'T NO SUNSHINE The Rockmelons featuring Deni Hines

132    CHANGE Lisa Stansfield

133    TOO MANY WALLS Cathy Dennis

134    I LIKE THE WAY (THE KISSING GAME) Hi-Five

135    THE BEGINNING Seal

136    PANDORA’S BOX OMD

137    THE SIZE OF A COW The Wonder Stuff

138    STRIKE IT UP Black Box

139    WAS IT WORTH IT Pet Shop Boys

140    STONE COLD GENTLEMAN Ralph Tresvant

141    RUNNING BACK TO YOU Vanessa Williams

142    AROUND THE WAY GIRL LL Cool J

143    OPEN YOUR EYES Black Box

144    A BETTER LOVE Londonbeat

145    ALWAYS Pebbles / Cherrelle

146    MISS FREELOVE 69 Hoodoo Gurus

147    HAPPY TOGETHER Jason Donovan

148    (I WANNA GIVE YOU) DEVOTION Nomad featuring MC Mikee Freedom

149    LONG TRAIN RUNNING Bananarama

150    SUNSHINE ON A RAINY DAY Zoe

151    MAKE THIS A SPECIAL NIGHT Cool Notes

152    WHERE DOES MY HEART BEAT NOW Celine Dion

153    TENDER LOVE Kenny Thomas

154    SPENDING MY TIME Roxette

155    MOVE YOUR BODY Xpansions

156    GOOD BEAT Deee-Lite

157    HUMAN NATURE Gary Clail

158    EVERYBODY MOVE Cathy Dennis

159    GONNA CATCH YOU Lonnie Gordon

160    RIDE LIKE THE WIND East Side Beat

161    BRIDGE OVER TROUBLED WATER P.J.B. featuring Hannah And Her Sisters

162    WHAT CAN YOU DO FOR ME? Utah Saints

163    STATE OF THE WORLD Janet Jackson

164    THERE'S GOT TO BE A WAY Mariah Carey

165    NEVER KNEW LOVE Rick Astley

166    STEP TO ME (DO ME) Mantronix

167    UNCONDITIONAL LOVE Susannah Hoffs

168    CAN YOU DIG IT? The Mock Turtles

169    WEAR YOUR LOVE LIKE HEAVEN Definition Of Sound

170    MOVE RIGHT OUT Rick Astley

171    ANOTHER SLEEPLESS NIGHT Shawn Christopher

172    IS THERE ANYBODY OUT THERE Bassheads

173    HOLD YOU TIGHT Tara Kemp

174    ONLY LOVE CAN BREAK YOUR HEART Saint Etienne

175    RUSH RUSH Paula Abdul

176    LET THE BEAT HIT 'EM Lisa Lisa & Cult Jam

177    BLOWING KISSES IN THE WIND Paula Abdul

178    COMING OUT OF THE DARK Gloria Estefan

179    FALL AT YOUR FEET Crowded House

180    IT AIN’T OVER TIL IT’S OVER Lenny Kravitz

181    MAGIC'S BACK Malcolm McClaren with Alison Limerick

182    WHAT’S IT GONNA BE Jellybean

183    CRAZY FOR YOU Incognito featuring Chyna

184    HIERONYMOUS The Clouds

185    WHEN YOU TELL ME THAT YOU LOVE ME Diana Ross

186    POWER OF LOVE / LOVE POWER Luther Vandross

187    OBSESSION Army Of Lovers

188    GET HERE Oleta Adams

189    LOVE SICK Gangstarr

190    SAILING ON THE SEVEN SEAS OMD

191    THIS IS YOUR LIFE Banderas

192    WINTER IN JULY Bomb The Bass

193    UNITY Sound Unlimited Posse

194    TOGETHER FOREVER Lisette Melendez

195    ROUND AND ROUND Tevin Campbell

196    FUNKY LOVE VIBRATIONS Bass-o-matic

197    NAKED LOVE Quartz featuring Dina Carroll

198    READY TO FOLLOW YOU Dana Dawson

199    KISS THEM FOR ME Siouxsie & The Banshees

200    GIVING MY ALL TO YOU Johnny Gill

On Thursday, more Kylie when she debuts with her second single in this week's ARIA chart recap from 25 years ago. See you then!

MY YEAR-END CHARTS

1979 II 1980 II 1981 II 1982 II 1983 II 1984 II 1985 II 1986 II 1987 II 1988 II 1989

1990 II 1991 II 1992 II 1993 II 1994 II 1995 II 1996 II 1997 II 1998 II 1999

2000 II 2001 II 2002 II 2003 II 2004 II 2005 II 2006 II 2007 II 2008 II 2009

2010 II 2011 II 2012 II 2013 II 2014 II 2015 II 2016 II 2017