Best Female Pop Single (1991)
Here are some of the 10 biggest pop songs sung by female solo artists in 1991.
This was the peak for Janet and Madonna, and the R&B dance/pop from Paula Abdul/Tara Kemp/Karyn White/Cathy Dennis proved to be just a fad.
Which is your personal favorite?
Offsite Linkby Anonymous | reply 113 | June 9, 2020 6:10 PM
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I had that Cathy Dennis single, back in the day
by Anonymous | reply 7 | May 12, 2020 10:56 PM
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Technically, wasn't Justify My Love 1990? I thought Rescue Me, which followed up Justify My Love, came out in January, 1991.
by Anonymous | reply 8 | May 12, 2020 11:00 PM
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R8 it went to #1 in 1991 for two weeks though
I remember Madonna being inescapable from 1989-1992, Like a Prayer era through Sex book/Erotica era
On every magazine cover, talked about everywhere, nonstop Madonna weekends on MTV etc
by Anonymous | reply 9 | May 12, 2020 11:05 PM
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I'll one up you R7 I had the Tara Kemp cassette and I thought I was the shit in my neighborhood
by Anonymous | reply 10 | May 12, 2020 11:07 PM
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Yes R8, it was released in 1990.
I used the Billboard year end chart for 1991, so it must have been a hit in winter 1991.
Offsite Linkby Anonymous | reply 11 | May 12, 2020 11:08 PM
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There was a whole episode of Nightline devoted to the controversy around "Justify My Love," MTV wouldn't play the video before a certain hour. I half expected it to feature uncensored fisting rather than mild s&m and a few flashes of tit.
by Anonymous | reply 12 | May 12, 2020 11:10 PM
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Tara Kemp is an American singer/songwriter best known for her Gold Record HOLD YOU TIGHT. Releasing new music! Stay tuned!
Offsite Linkby Anonymous | reply 13 | May 12, 2020 11:10 PM
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R12 yes and the video controversy made the cover of Entertainment Weekly and Time (!) magazine, during the Gulf War no less
People tend to forget or weren't around to witness Madonna's astonishing peak, everything in pop culture was Madonna, Madonna, Madonna
by Anonymous | reply 14 | May 12, 2020 11:12 PM
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Justify My Love has my vote. But if this had been on the list--this was never released in America--it would have been my choice. (Released January, 1991)
Offsite Linkby Anonymous | reply 16 | May 12, 2020 11:16 PM
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It's funny to think that there was a time when Amy Grant had music videos regularly played on MTV. And she was even nominated for an MTV video music award. This would never happen today:
Best Female music video:
Janet Jackson – "Love Will Never Do (Without You)"
Paula Abdul – "Rush Rush"
Neneh Cherry – "I've Got You Under My Skin"
Amy Grant – "Baby Baby"
Madonna – "Like a Virgin (Truth or Dare version)"
But Heart in Motion is a great album, I don't care what people say.
by Anonymous | reply 17 | May 12, 2020 11:18 PM
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Tara Kemp owes Jazzie B some royalties.
And no love for Whitney? I think this is one of her best.
by Anonymous | reply 18 | May 12, 2020 11:20 PM
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R18 I prefer Miracle by Whitney
by Anonymous | reply 19 | May 12, 2020 11:21 PM
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True R14, she got rich off that banned video. The SNL parody:
Offsite Linkby Anonymous | reply 20 | May 12, 2020 11:22 PM
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I always hated “Baby Baby” by Amy Grant. “Good For Me” was much better.
by Anonymous | reply 22 | May 12, 2020 11:25 PM
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Whitney's National Anthem performance completely overshadowed IYBT. It was one of those moments that everyone was talking about the next day. Then radio started playing it as a single and she did that concert for HBO for the Gulf War Troops.
Bette Midler's From a Distance and Whitney's National Anthem were Gulf War anthems.
by Anonymous | reply 23 | May 12, 2020 11:28 PM
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[quote] It's funny to think that there was a time when Amy Grant had music videos regularly played on MTV.
This was the #28 song of 1991.
Nirvana, Dr. Dre and the Clintons spelled the end for this style of pop.
Offsite Linkby Anonymous | reply 24 | May 12, 2020 11:28 PM
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R24 how do you explain Celine Dion exploding in late 1993 then?
by Anonymous | reply 25 | May 12, 2020 11:32 PM
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R20 is pure nostalgia that will never come back: funny, likable Madonna and non-irritating, non-asshole Mike Myers.
by Anonymous | reply 26 | May 12, 2020 11:32 PM
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This was also the year of Truth or Dare. Back when Madonna was still fun and entertaining and somewhat self-aware.
by Anonymous | reply 27 | May 12, 2020 11:42 PM
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R27 the highest grossing music documentary of all time in 1991
by Anonymous | reply 28 | May 12, 2020 11:44 PM
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Why does every music thread have to turn into a Madonna thread?
Sheesh.
by Anonymous | reply 29 | May 12, 2020 11:48 PM
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[quote] There was a whole episode of Nightline devoted to the controversy around "Justify My Love," MTV wouldn't play the video before a certain hour. I half expected it to feature uncensored fisting rather than mild s&m and a few flashes of tit.
Madonna was certainly hotter in early 1991, but that vanished once Janet's video took over MTV.
It was the first time she expressed her sexuality in a video. Janet's video exposed Madonna's tit flash as a pathetic last grab for attention.
by Anonymous | reply 30 | May 12, 2020 11:52 PM
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It’s not like we’re lauding “Die Another Day”, R29. It’s arguably the most interesting song on the list.
by Anonymous | reply 31 | May 12, 2020 11:53 PM
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R30 hi Janbot, you would know about "pathetic tit grabs for attention" being a Janet fan and all
Madonna STILL hadn't released the Sex book and Erotica video yet
by Anonymous | reply 32 | May 12, 2020 11:56 PM
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[quote] Why does every music thread have to turn into a Madonna thread?
Any "female pop music" thread from 1983 - 2000 has to mention Madonna.
I'm not her biggest fan but her influence can't be erased.
by Anonymous | reply 34 | May 13, 2020 12:27 AM
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Madge and Janet getting the most votes. Of course.
by Anonymous | reply 35 | May 13, 2020 12:31 AM
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Janet just won an online poll!
Janbot is busy updating her Wikipedia page with her newest award:
Offsite Linkby Anonymous | reply 36 | May 13, 2020 12:39 AM
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Thank you, R33. Piece of My Heart was so much better than Hold You Tight.
by Anonymous | reply 37 | May 13, 2020 12:54 AM
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It seems ridiculous now, but Paula's song destroyed Whitney, Madonna, and Janet on the charts.
It was the #4 hit of 1991.
Her second release (below) was the #41 song of the year. It was not without its own controversy, as its video tricks may have foreshadowed the MTV "Vibeology" fiasco in September 1991.
Offsite Linkby Anonymous | reply 38 | May 13, 2020 12:55 AM
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Karyn hit #12 with her next single.
Offsite Linkby Anonymous | reply 39 | May 13, 2020 1:06 AM
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Mariah silences her critics with this performance:
Offsite Linkby Anonymous | reply 40 | May 13, 2020 1:24 AM
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Tracie Spencer's biggest hit was the #45 song of 1991.
Offsite Linkby Anonymous | reply 41 | May 13, 2020 1:33 AM
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"Just Another Dream" is a song by Cathy Dennis, released as her debut solo single in 1989. It initially failed to enter the UK charts, and was later re-issued in 1990, and then again in 1991. It was released in the United States with a different version (a shorter edit of the album version).
"Just Another Dream" reached the Billboard top 10 in January 1991, peaking at No. 9 on February 2, 1991. It also peaked at number two for three weeks on the dance charts.
Offsite Linkby Anonymous | reply 42 | May 13, 2020 1:36 AM
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Janbot, don't forget that Enya, Shania and Beyoncé have all outsold your alleged global "icon".
by Anonymous | reply 43 | May 13, 2020 1:38 AM
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Did Justify My Love go to number one based on sales alone? Because I never once heard that song played on the radio stations where I lived (maybe because I was in the Midwest?).
by Anonymous | reply 44 | May 13, 2020 1:58 AM
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I was listening to tons of pop music in 1991 but I don't remember "This House" at all
by Anonymous | reply 45 | May 13, 2020 2:19 AM
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Fair point R25. Celine was #37 of 1991 with this hit.
Janet/Mariah/Whitney ruled the charts in 1992/1993/1994. The disposable dance/pop was no longer fashionable.
Offsite Linkby Anonymous | reply 46 | May 13, 2020 3:16 AM
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R44, Justify My Love was #1 for 5 weeks on the Sales chart and #2 on the Airplay chart but I don't ever remember hearing it on the radio either and I lived in Brooklyn.
by Anonymous | reply 47 | May 13, 2020 3:42 AM
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I loved me some Tara Kemp and Cathy Dennis in 7th grade! Not surprisingly, I turned out to be gay.
by Anonymous | reply 48 | May 13, 2020 3:46 AM
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[quote]People tend to forget or weren't around to witness Madonna's astonishing peak, everything in pop culture was Madonna, Madonna, Madonna
We will never see anything like that again. Nobody is that famous anymore, or has that kind of cultural impact.
by Anonymous | reply 49 | May 13, 2020 3:48 AM
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Another example of Madonna being untouchable at this point: Madonna also released a video single for “Justify My Love” which sold over a million copies despite costing about $10.
by Anonymous | reply 50 | May 13, 2020 3:51 AM
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Someday, Mariah Carey, big time. I loved that video.
by Anonymous | reply 51 | May 13, 2020 3:52 AM
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I was SHOCKED my mother actually gave me the Justify My Love video as a stocking stuffer that Christmas.
by Anonymous | reply 52 | May 13, 2020 3:53 AM
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Either she was a cool mom, or a clueless mom.
by Anonymous | reply 53 | May 13, 2020 3:55 AM
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I'm not a huge Mariah fan, but Someday is a fun song
by Anonymous | reply 54 | May 13, 2020 4:11 AM
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Mariah's peak was from 1990 through 1997 and she released like 6 albums during that time (including the Unplugged album) but it's interesting that her fans seem most interested in the songs from Music Box, Merry Christmas, Daydream and The Emancipation of Mimi. Her first two albums and Unplugged are ignored on youtube and spotify by comparison.
by Anonymous | reply 55 | May 13, 2020 6:31 AM
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I lived in Orlando and they played Justify My Love constantly. I even remember hearing it for the first time on Y106. It was, in terms of airplay on the station I listened to, like Vogue: it seemed they played it every half hour or so. There was definitely airplay behind it but I can see where some stations might have been hesitant to play it. Remember that there was the whole obscenity in music movement at that time and you had performers being arrested and venues being threatened (2Live Crew, for one, in Florida and Madonna threatened with arrest a few months before in Canada. )
by Anonymous | reply 56 | May 13, 2020 7:39 AM
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Definitely Miss Cathy Denis because she made a cover of the song that played during the gayest scene in horror movie history!
Offsite Linkby Anonymous | reply 57 | May 13, 2020 7:56 AM
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R52 She knew her son was a fag.
by Anonymous | reply 58 | May 13, 2020 8:05 AM
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Who the fuck are Karyn White and Tara Kemp?
by Anonymous | reply 59 | May 13, 2020 8:05 AM
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The poor woman's Jody Watley and Paula Abdul.
by Anonymous | reply 60 | May 13, 2020 11:24 AM
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1991 belonged to Corina and her purple crushed velvet catsuit!
Offsite Linkby Anonymous | reply 61 | May 13, 2020 12:19 PM
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The Hold You Tight video is soooo early 90s
Offsite Linkby Anonymous | reply 62 | May 13, 2020 3:28 PM
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This should have made the poll. It continues to be the best song and video from a female pop act for the year 1991, it has aged so much better than the other shit listed here also.
Offsite Linkby Anonymous | reply 63 | May 13, 2020 7:58 PM
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I thought Rescue Me was just okay
by Anonymous | reply 65 | May 20, 2020 3:23 AM
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LOL, it's not me, these were the biggest female hits on the 1991 Billboard chart.
by Anonymous | reply 67 | May 20, 2020 3:28 AM
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Emotions is the only one that held up and is still played.
by Anonymous | reply 69 | May 20, 2020 3:38 AM
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1990-91 was a weird transitional couple of years in pop music. Lots of awful songs.
by Anonymous | reply 70 | May 20, 2020 3:38 AM
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That was my era and there are some songs here that I don't even remember. I also looked over the charts and Bette Midler had it for "From a Distance", Oleta Adams made it for the equally treacly "Get Here". Bonnie Raitt's "Something to Talk About" is better known than many of them but wasn't a huge single because everyone had the album. Martha Wash deserves a mention because C&C is #3 and #51 and wouldn't have achieved the success without her vocals. In true Dreamgirls fashion, she was replaced in the videos by a prettier, slimmer girl.
by Anonymous | reply 71 | May 20, 2020 3:40 AM
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"Gonna Make You Sweat" by C+C Music Factory is one of my secret guilty pleasures. I play it on my earbuds when I work out at the gym. I would only admit to this anonymously.
by Anonymous | reply 72 | May 20, 2020 3:43 AM
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Something to Talk About was huge!
by Anonymous | reply 73 | May 20, 2020 3:47 AM
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[quote] Who the fuck are Karyn White and Tara Kemp?
Tara Kemp hit #3 with Hold You Tight. Her Instagram is at R13.
Karyn White was #1 with Romantic. She married Janet's producer Terry Lewis in 1992.
by Anonymous | reply 74 | May 20, 2020 3:56 AM
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Tara Kemp's "Piece Of My Heart" and "Hold You Tight" still sound good today, unlike a lot of other songs on that chart.
by Anonymous | reply 75 | May 20, 2020 4:01 AM
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Debbie Gibson had the worst stylist and Art Director. All her album cover are horrendous.
Offsite Linkby Anonymous | reply 76 | May 20, 2020 4:03 AM
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Totally disagree R70. There were so many good songs from 90-91
by Anonymous | reply 77 | May 20, 2020 4:07 AM
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My favorite female songs from that year were a trio of Kylie hits. Better the Devil You Know Step Back in Time What Do I have to Do.
I was a young gay on overseas study in Europe and loved Kylie from that moment.
Dumbass David Geffen didn’t release this album though after one flop record in the USA
by Anonymous | reply 78 | May 20, 2020 4:11 AM
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r77 look at the chart of the top 100 songs of 1991 above. Most of it is just garbage.
by Anonymous | reply 79 | May 20, 2020 4:11 AM
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Miracle was my fave Whitney song in 1991. Such a beautiful voice.
Offsite Linkby Anonymous | reply 80 | May 20, 2020 4:11 AM
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[quote] look at the chart of the top 100 songs of 1991 above. Most of it is just garbage.
THis was the last year before Soundscan changed the Billboard 100. Most of these hits were payola.
[quote] Previously, Billboard tracked sales by calling stores across the U.S. and asking about sales—a method that was inherently error-prone and open to outright fraud. Indeed, while transitioning from the calling to tracking methods, the airplay and sales charts (already monitored by Nielsen) and the Hot 100 (then still using the calling system) often did not match (for instance Paula Abdul's "Promise of a New Day" and Roxette's "Fading Like a Flower" reached much higher Hot 100 peaks than their actual sales and airplay would have allowed them to.
Offsite Linkby Anonymous | reply 83 | May 20, 2020 4:27 AM
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Oleta Adams beautiful version of "Get Here". Brings me to tears. Done with grace and simplicity.
Offsite Linkby Anonymous | reply 85 | May 20, 2020 4:40 AM
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Wendy Ho's parody of "Get Here," called "Fuck Me."
Offsite Linkby Anonymous | reply 86 | May 20, 2020 4:46 AM
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DL always brings da class.
by Anonymous | reply 87 | May 20, 2020 4:51 AM
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That's not even her raunchiest, r87.
by Anonymous | reply 88 | May 20, 2020 5:02 AM
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Holy shit, I think that's Camille Grammer dancing in R64's video. She was dancing like a hoe even then!
by Anonymous | reply 89 | May 20, 2020 8:45 AM
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Where R84? In Germany? Certainly not in the US.
by Anonymous | reply 90 | May 20, 2020 2:08 PM
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Debbie Gibson was the last female teen pop star who looked like a normal teenager and not like an underaged prostitute.
by Anonymous | reply 91 | May 20, 2020 2:27 PM
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R91 you are correct. Teen pop would die down around 1991. Debbie Gibson and Tiffany were done by then. Pop music turned to grunge rock and hip hop, two relative extremes. I was very tuned into pop music and dance music as a kid, and around 1992-93, it was like a switch flipped. Top 40 stations started playing artists like Nirvana and Snoop Dogg. Suddenly I couldn't stand anything on the radio anymore. Teen pop wouldn't come back until the Britney/Christina/Spice Girls wave starting around 1996-97. That's when music got lighter and fun again. But yes, the teen pop stars of the late 90's would be the first set to be aggressively marketed with sex.
by Anonymous | reply 92 | May 21, 2020 4:51 AM
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Debbie Gibson and Tiffany were done by 1989.
by Anonymous | reply 93 | May 21, 2020 12:41 PM
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R93 correct. The 80's teen pop stars had a much shorter shelf life. I grew up around NYC, and dance music was HUGE on the radio then. Hot 97, now known for 20+ years as a flagship station for hip hop music, was a full dance pop station from 1986-92. Even our Top 40 stations began to play freestyle and house music records. 1991 was a huge year for those sort of records. Then in '92 things got weird. It's like everyone suddenly wanted to listen to grunge or rap, and anything happy sounding was suddenly a four letter word. It was like that for a good 4 years or so until dance music really re-emerged in pop form with acts like La Bouche, Real McCoy etc. The early 90's was a very strange time for pop music.
by Anonymous | reply 94 | May 21, 2020 1:01 PM
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R94 AIDS crisis, Greed and Leave It To Beaver facade of the Reagan years led to mass depression.
by Anonymous | reply 95 | May 21, 2020 2:28 PM
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I remember a critic from Slant Magazine writing that The Cranberries debut was probably the happiest thing on the radio in 1993. But let's not forget the biggest song of the 90s is I Will Always Love You from 1992. So it wasn't like pop really was dead. As a whole, it just took a back seat to those other genres for a bit.
by Anonymous | reply 96 | May 21, 2020 6:34 PM
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[quote] Hot 97, now known for 20+ years as a flagship station for hip hop music, was a full dance pop station from 1986-92. Even our Top 40 stations began to play freestyle and house music records. 1991 was a huge year for those sort of records
Madonna's Vogue surprised a lot of people when it was such a big pop hit (Spring 1990).
After that there was a rush of house-influenced pop for the next year or two.
by Anonymous | reply 97 | May 23, 2020 1:37 AM
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"...let's not forget the biggest song of the 90s is I Will Always Love You from 1992."
Biggest song of the 90s?
Excuse me...???
by Anonymous | reply 99 | May 23, 2020 3:55 PM
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Candle in the Wind does not count, it was a charity single.
by Anonymous | reply 100 | May 23, 2020 8:19 PM
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The candle burned out long before the royalties ever did.
by Anonymous | reply 101 | May 23, 2020 8:23 PM
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"...let's not forget the biggest song of the 90s is I Will Always Love You from 1992."
Biggest song of the 90s...???
Excuse me...???
Nippy was #1 for 14 weeks.
by Anonymous | reply 102 | May 24, 2020 3:12 PM
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I will Always Love You sold much more than One Sweet Day did. 4 million in the US and like another 10 million globally.
by Anonymous | reply 103 | May 24, 2020 4:05 PM
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I Will Always Love You is more highly regarded than that schmaltzy It's So Hard To Say Goodbye To Yesterday Part 2.
by Anonymous | reply 104 | May 25, 2020 12:30 AM
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Right, One Sweet Day is one of those songs like My Heart Will Go On that I think is looked back on with more embarrassment than nostalgia. At least by Americans.
by Anonymous | reply 105 | May 25, 2020 4:26 PM
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Does anyone remember this one?
Offsite Linkby Anonymous | reply 106 | June 9, 2020 3:31 AM
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I couldn't listen to most of this stuff back then, let alone now. Siouxsie for me that year...
Offsite Linkby Anonymous | reply 107 | June 9, 2020 4:47 AM
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Mariah was so pretty when she was young and skinny.
by Anonymous | reply 108 | June 9, 2020 4:49 AM
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Tara Kemp is a great example of the music industry's one time ability to take a charisma-free individual with a decent voice and make a star out of that person.
Offsite Linkby Anonymous | reply 110 | June 9, 2020 6:40 AM
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R106, a “hipster” bar I frequent regularly (or used to pre-COVID) has that song in its regular rotation.
It’s weird as shit but so fun. Was it an actual hit?
by Anonymous | reply 111 | June 9, 2020 6:45 AM
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I think using the word star when describing Tara Kemp is a bit much. She had 2 top 10 hits, even though the album from which they were released only reached 109 on the Billboard 200. Most people don't remember her songs or her name.
by Anonymous | reply 112 | June 9, 2020 5:58 PM
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r111, this says it peaked at #98 (in the US)
Offsite Linkby Anonymous | reply 113 | June 9, 2020 6:10 PM
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