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Mainstream and alternative rock #1s for 1991

So You Think You’re In Love

These are the mainstream and alternative rock #1s for 1991. There is some overlap. The mainstream tracks will be designated M and the alternative A.

Mysterious Ways– U2, 12 weeks at#1 M, 9 weeks at #1 A, #9 pop

All This Time – Sting, 7 weeks at #1 M, 2 weeks at number one A, #5 pop

Lift Me Up – Yes, 6 weeks at #1 M, #86 pop

Learning To Fly – Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, 6 weeks at #1 M, #28 pop

Right Here, Right Now – Jesus Jones, 5 weeks at#1 A, #7 M, #2 pop

Kiss Them For Me – Siouxsie and the Banshees, 5 weeks at #1 A, #23 pop

So You Think You’re In Love – Robin Hitchcock and the Egyptians, 5 weeks at #1 A. This is a great pop song, yet it did not reach the pop charts.

Run Around – Van Halen, 4 weeks at #1 M

Dream Line – Rush, 4 weeks at #1 M

Top Of The World – Van Halen, 4 weeks at #1 M

The Other Side Of Summer – Elvis Costello, 4 weeks at #1 A. I only bought Mighty Like A Rose since COVID.

Teenage Wasteland redux

Rush -Big Audio Dynamite II, 4 weeks at #1 A, #40 M, #32 pop. Samples Baba O’Riley by The Who

Highwire – The Rolling Stones, 3 weeks at #1 M, #57 pop

Losing My Religion – R.E.M., 3 weeks at #1 M, 8 weeks at #1 A, #4 pop

Get A Leg Up – John Mellencamp, 3 weeks at #1 M, #14 pop

Poundcake – Van Halen, 2 weeks at #1 M

Out In The Cold – Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, 2 weeks at #1 M

See The Lights -Simple Minds, 2 weeks at #1 A, #10 M, #40 pop

Get The Message – Electronic, 2 weeks at #1 A

Until She Comes – the Psychedelic Furs, 2 weeks at #1 A

Give It Away – Red Hot Chili Peppers, 2 weeks at #1 A, #73 pop. Grammy for Hard Rock Performance. I actually know this song better as Bedrock Anthem by Weird Al Yankovic

The Fly – U2, 2 weeks at number one A, #2 M, #61 pop

She Talks To Angels – the Black Crowes, 1 week at #1 M, #30 pop

Silent Lucidity – Queensryche, 1 week at #1 M, #9 pop

Heavy Fuel – Dire Straits, 1 week at #1 M, #22 A

Kinky Afro – Happy Mondays, 1 week at #1 A

Smells Like Teen Spirit – Nirvana, 1 week at #1, #7 M, #6 pop. And of course, Weird Al’s Smells Like Nirvana

At the time, I was mostly listening to U2, Sting, Petty, R.E.M., plus the Black Crowes, BAD II, and Nirvana.

Number one hits for 1906

A song Johnny Cash covered

victrola According to the book, Joel Whitburn presents A Century of Pop Music: year-by-year Top 40 rankings of the songs and artists that shaped a Century, these are the number one hits for 1906.

As previously noted, these rankings were derived from various sources, including the Talking Machine World periodical, which published monthly lists of nearly all popular record releases from 1905 onward. Jim Walsh was a universally respected authority on the pioneer recording age in his forty years of columns for Hobbies magazine. Record labels’ publications, particularly those of Victor and Edison, contained valuable information about their own top sheet music sellers. David Ewan’s book All the Years of American Popular Music. Author Roger Kindle Kinko in his Complete Encyclopedia of Popular Music and Jazz 1900 to 1950. Joseph Murrell’s book Million-selling Records from the 1900s to the 1980s.

“Victor’s position was solidified in 1906 by the introduction of the Victrola, the first record player to remove the increasingly intrusive tin horn from atop the phonograph and fold it into the wooden cabinet beneath. It would take a few years – Concealed horn phonographs went from 3 percent of total sales in 1907 to 75 percent in 1911 – but the word “Victrola” would become synonymous in many households with the word “phonograph.” By 1908, the phonograph had firmly established its place in the typical American home.”

The songs

The Grand Old Rag (a/k/a You’re a Grand Old Flag) – Billy Murray (Victor), 10 weeks at #1, from George Washington Jr. A very familiar piece.

Wait Till The Sun Shines, Nellie – Byron Harlan (Columbia), 9 weeks at #1. I know this one too.

Nobody – Bert Williams (Columbia), 9 weeks at #1, music by Bert Williams and lyrics by Alex Rogers. “THE DOYEN OF AFRO-AMERICAN ENTERTAINERS.” Ha! Johnny Cash covered this song on his 2000 American III: Solitary Man album!

Love Me and the World is Mine – Henry Burr (Columbia), 7 weeks at #1.

The Good Old U.S.A.The Good Old U.S.A. – Byron Harlan(Columbia), 4 weeks at #1

Love Me And The World Is Mine — Albert Campbell (Victor), 3 weeks at #1. Words by David Ball Jr. Music by Ernest R. Ball.

Everybody Works But Father – Billy Murray (Victor), a comedy record, 3 weeks at #1

So Long, Mary – Corinne Morgan (Victor), 3 weeks at #1, from Forty-Five Minutes From Broadway. A George M. Cohan song

How Would You Like To Spoon With Me – Corrine Morgan, and the Haydn Quartet (Victor) 2 weeks at #1.

Call me little tootsy wootsy baby. How’d you like to hug and squeeze?

Indeed, I would. Dangle me upon your knees.

Oh, if I could. How’d you like to be my lovey dovey? How’d you like to spoon with me?

Let It Alone – Bert Williams (Columbia), 2 weeks at #1, a comedy record

Wait Till The Sun Shines, Nellie – Harry Talley (Victor), 1 week at #1

Mainstream, Alternative Rock #1s in 1995

Bush

These tracks are the Mainstream and Alternate Rock #1s in 1995. The Mainstream Rock charts started in 1981, while the alternative rock tracks began in September 1988.

In 2020, the late Joel Whitburn wrote in the author notes of Rock Tracks, “There has been increasingly less crossover between the mainstream and alternative charts.” Mainstream charts, but there was some similarity back in 1995.

Lightning Crashes – Live, 10 weeks at #1 Main, nine weeks at #1 Alt, #12 pop. I knew a guy named Ed Kowalczyk remotely through work in this time frame. If I remember correctly, he was vaguely elated to the Live vocalist with the same name.

Wonderwall – Oasis, 10 weeks at#1 Alt, #9 Main, #8 pop. Yes, this is on the only Oasis album that most people, including me, own.

December – Collective Soul, nine weeks at #1 Main, #2 Alt, #20 pop

Better Man – Pearl Jam, eight weeks at #1 Main, #2 for four weeks Alt, #13 pop

When I Come Around – Green Day, seven weeks at #1 Alt, #2 for two weeks Main, #6 pop

And Fools Shine On – Brother Cain, six weeks at #1 Main

Name – Goo Goo Dolls, five weeks at #1 Main, four weeks at #1 Alt, #5 pop

Good -Better than Ezra, five weeks at #1 Alt, #3 for two weeks Main, #30 pop

On stage

You Oughta Know – Alanis Morissette, five weeks at #1 Alt, #3 for three weeks Main, #13 pop. Won Grammys for Rock Vocal and Rock Female Vocal. The songs from the album were made into a musical, Alanis Morissette’s Jagged Little Pill, which we saw in May 2023, and liked. One of my favorite bits in 60 Songs From the ’90s was when Rob Harvilla’s girlfriend would play the album, and she would cough when the F-bomb came on to hide it from her mom.

My Friends – Red Hot Chili Peppers, four weeks at #1 Main and #1 Alt, #27 pop

Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me, Kill Me – U2, four weeks at #1 Alt, one week at #1 Main, #16 pop, from the Batman Forever soundtrack.

Don’t Tell Me (What Love Can Do) – Van Halen, three weeks at #1 Main. This is from the Sammy Hagar period, which I know less about than the DLR era.

Tomorrow – Silverchair, three weeks at #1 Main and #1 Alt, #28 pop

Hard As A Rock – AC/DC, three weeks at #1 Main

Misery – Soul Asylum, three weeks at #1 Alt; #3 for four weeks Main, #20 pop. Ha! I didn’t know this song, but I instantly recognized the Weird Al parody.

Comedown – Bush, two weeks at #1 Alt, #2 Main, #30 pop

Glycerine – Bush, two weeks at #1 Alt, #4 Main, #28 pop

J.A.R. (Jason Andrew Revla) – Green Day, one week at #1 Alt, #17 Main, #6 pop

Hand In My Pocket – Alanis Morissette, one week at #1 Alt, #8 Main, #15 pop

Lump – The Presidents of the United States of America, one week at #1 Alt, #7 Main, #21 pop. Not to be confused with Weird Al’s Gump.

Hot R&B #1 Singles for 1995

sampling Marvin Gaye

Here are the Hot R&B #1 Singles for 1995 from the Billboard charts.

One More Chance/Stay With Me – The Notorious B.I.G., nine weeks at #1 RB, #2 for three weeks pop. Christopher George Latore Wallace, a/k/a Biggie Smalls. The hit is from his 1994 debut album, Ready To Die. Brittanica notes that he “was among the most influential artists of 1990s gangsta rap.” He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2020. “On March 9, 1997, Wallace was leaving a party at the Petersen Automotive Museum in Los Angeles when he was killed in a drive-by shooting. The shooter and the motive remained unknown.”

Exhale (Shoop Shoop) – Whitney Houston, eight weeks at #1 RB, also #1 pop. Died in 2012.

This Is How We Do It – Montell Jordan, seven weeks at # RB, also #1 pop

Fantasy – Mariah Carey, six weeks at #1 RB, also #1 pop

MJ

You Are Not Alone – Michael Jackson, four weeks at #1 RB, also #1 pop. Died in 2009. About a decade after that, I posted a piece in response to the question, “Are we under any obligation to erase performers or songs we once liked because it later turns out that they were either allegedly or actually terrible humans or allegedly or actually did terrible things?” I’m still ambivalent about it.

Baby – Brandy, four weeks at #1 RB, #4 RB, platinum

Candy Rain – Soul for Real, three weeks at #1 RB, #2 for four weeks RB, gold

I’ll Be There For You/You’re All I Need To Get By – Method Man featuring Mary J Blige, three weeks at #1 RB, #3 pop. The latter song was a 1968 hit by Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell, #1 RB for five weeks, #7 pop.

Don’t Take It Personal (just one of dem days) – Monica, two weeks at #1 RB, #2 for three weeks pop, platinum. Samples Back Seat (Of My Jeep) by LL Cool J

These are the number ones for only one week, RB.

Boombastic– Shaggy, #3 for two weeks pop, platinum. Samples Baby Let Me Kiss You by King Floyd. A remix also samples Marvin Gaye’s Let’s Get It On.

Who Can I Run To? – Xscape, #8 pop, gold

You Remind Me Of Something – R. Kelly, #4 pop, platinum

1995 #1 Hot Country Singles & Tracks

John Michael Montgomery, Alan Jackson, Brooks & Dunn

Here are the 1995 #1 Hot Country Singles and Tracks. Joel Whitburn’s Hot Country Songs contains information about chart methodology.

“For decades, Billboard’s country singles charts were compiled by playlists reported by radio stations and sales reports reported by stores. These airplays and sales reports established the weekly rankings…

“On January 20, 1990, Billboard began basing the charts entirely on airplay with information gathered by the Nielsen Broadcast Data systems, a subsidiary of Billboard that electronically monitored actual radio airplay… These monitors can identify each song played by an encoded audio fingerprint.

“On December 5, 1992, Billboard began compiling the country singles charts strictly on the number of detections or plays registered by each song.

The songs

I Like It, I Love It – Tim McGraw, five weeks at #1

Check Yes or No -George Strait, four weeks at #1. As you may know, Strait has been selected for the Kennedy Center Honors in 2025. Someone gave me one of his compilation CDs, the 1991 Ten Strait Hits.

I Can Love You Like That – John Michael Montgomery, three weeks at #1. This song I know! I own a version by All-4-One. Some music pundit noted at the time that this convergence meant that the genres were essentially meaningless.

Summer’s Comin’– Clint Black, three weeks at #1

Sold (The Grundy County Auction Incident) – John Michael Montgomery, three weeks at #1

Not A Moment Too Soon – Tim McGraw, two weeks at #1

Mi Vida Loca (My Crazy Life) – Pam Tillis, two weeks at #1

Old Enough To Know Better – Wade Hayes, two weeks at #1

This Woman And This Man – Clay Walker, two weeks at #1

Thinking About You – Trisha Yearwood, two weeks at #1

Any Man Of Mine – Shania Twain, two weeks at #1

You’re Gonna Miss Me When I’m Gone – Brooks & Dunn, two weeks at #1

Dust On The Bottle – David Lee Murphy, two weeks at #1

Tall, Tall Trees – Alan Jackson, two weeks at #1

That’s As Close As I’ll Get To Loving You – Aaron Tippin, two weeks at #1

All the rest of the songs are one week at #1

Gone Country – Alan Jackson

My Kind Of Girl – Collin Raye

You Can’t Make A Heart Love Somebody – George Strait

The Heart Is A Lonely Hunter – Reba McEntire

Little Miss Honky Tonk – Brooks & Dunn. I read the titles to text, and the machine changed Honky to *****, which I thought was adorable.

Gonna Get A Life – Mark Chesnutt

What Mattered Most – Ty Herndon

Texas Tornado – Tracy Lawrence

I Don’t Even Know Your Name – Alan Jackson

I Didn’t Know My Own Strength – Lorrie Morgan

Not On Your Love – Jeff Carson

She’s Every Woman—Garth Brooks. I own only one other album represented on this list, Fresh Horses.